Judging quilts not ourselves

If you are looking for my Blog Hop giveaway go here.

I sent this quilt to be displayed at QuiltCon last month. 

 I entered it in the quilt show to be judged because the cost was the same and maybe I would win a ribbon.  I did not enter it expecting or caring about getting a ribbon.  I just like to share what I make.  To inspire or at least get a reaction from others-good or bad.  Its how we know we are alive and really creating-connections=life.  

Thanks to Kathleen for this awesome shot of people looking at MY quilt!

I have heard from many quilters whose quilts were hung at QuiltCon, including a friend, that the judges were harsh and did not judge fairly or were biased in their judging.  Im not sure what to say other then from photos (as I did not attend), some of the winner's quilts did not seem as well constructed as others in the same category.  But again I was not there.

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So because I'm not letting judging personally effect me I thought I would share the comments on my piece from the judges of QuiltCon.  I don't agree nor disagree with the comments.  I have learned that everyone comes from their own view of the world and this is the view of two individuals.

1,2,3 Squared

Here is the quilt as it hung in the show.  Thanks Sarah for the photo!

Design:  Effective use of balance and contrast/value.  Weak visual impact.  Ineffective use of color, background seems to take away from the prints.

Workmanship:  Piecing is accurate.  Quilt is straight and lies flat.  

Quilting:  Quilting design compliments the piecing.  Effective thread choice.  Stitch length needs to be more consistent.

Binding:  Binding is well executed.  

Additional comments:  Appears no thought put into fabric selection, since it all comes from one collection.  Really fun design.  (I have to point out that this was a MQG Habitat challenge quilt.  We were given the fabric and told we could add more of the same and one solid.)

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So know you can decide how it was judged.  I do have to say there are some contradictory statements.  But again it is the view of two people and I dont share my quilts to allow two people to change my opinion of my self and my art/craft.

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BTW I had this quilt displayed at a traditional quilt show February 2012.  It was disrespected in the way it was hung, with 1/3 of it on the ground!  It was not hung so people could get its visual impact.  BTW my friend saw it first and the bottom was tucked under!  She pulled it out.  Thanks friend!

The criticism I received was that quilting lines should be straight.  Of course I dont lay out my quilting lines and just quilt organically.  But that is not everyone's cup of tea.  My outrage concerned the way it was hung.  If you are having a quilt show then pick a space large enough to display respectfully the quilts you accept into the show.  That's why you include the size when you enter it.  

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My quilt "All I want is red, wah, wah,wah.

I had entered another quilt in the red and white quilt challenge category.  I also was disappointed in the way the winner of the challenge quilt did not seem to fit the way the challenge was worded.  I had made an effort to really follow the challenge to the word.  It seemed the in crowds group quilt won.  But then we live in a subjective world and if you let the world views of other rule you you will have a poor life.  I hope this helps uplift some people.  

In the words of Pete the Cat from his book I Love My White Shoes

'No matter what you step in, 
keep walking along and singing your song...
because its all good."

watch and sing along its fun!

keep dreaming...Colleen

see its all good...enough for me!

Blogger's Quilt Festival

It's that time of the year again!  Amy's Creative Side is sponsoring the Blogger's Quilt Festival.  I had a hard time deciding which quilt to showcase.   I decided to go with my favorite finish this past year.

1,2,3 Squared 

(originally 1,2,3 Eternity but I couldn't remember the name when I filled out the quilt show form-LOL)

Original Pattern by Colleen Charlotte Yarnell

Made September 2011-February 2012

fabric:  Jay MacCarrol's Habitat line

Freespirit solid-Dogwood gray

Made as part of Freespirit's Habitat Challenge to Modern Quilt Guilds for the Triangle Modern Quilt Guild in NC.

Here is the back made with more pieces of Habitat fabric.

My able assistant is my Dad.  The pictures were taken in his beautiful backyard.

The basic pattern for this quilt was made up as I went along.  I have found sometimes just playing with fabric allows a quilt to emerge.  

I had this quilt 'Crosses' in the back of my mind as I created.  I had made it in 1995 in a class taught by Sherri Wood at Thimble Pleasures, Carrboro, NC.  We made the fabric by free cutting strips and sewing them together.  The shapes were then cut for a kaleidoscopic block.  I had to be different and turned the kite shape piece when cutting it out so the 'fabric' was vertical instead of horizontal.  I surprised the teacher with this layout.  It is that search for the secondary pattern that motivated my design.

 So for the habitat quilt  I started by cutting 1",2", and 3" strips from all of the fabrics including the Dogwood gray.  

And then sewed them randomly together to create 'fabric' pieces to work with.

I used my 12" square ruler to carefully cut out 4 squares.  These became the center of the quilt. I trimmed the leftover pieces into 16 triangles.  I then used MS Publisher on my computer to play with layouts using the center squares and the left over triangles. 

I cut, pasted, and manipulated photos of parts of the quilt to create this digital image.

 I put it on point and added the large gray triangles.  I always find it fun when something looks a little boring to turn it on point.  It gives the design a completely different look.  It is why I hang 'Crosses' on point.

I machine quilted it on a borrowed Viking machine.  This quilt was not without drama.  I was finishing two quilts for the Forsyth Piecer's and Quilter's Guild quilt show the next week. It was Saturday morning and I had to turn in the quilts Monday for the show.

 My red and white quilt was finished.  I had just started organically quilting lines on the Habitat quilt from the center out.  I followed  the lines of the squares in the quilt.  All of a sudden my Babylock Sophia, my new machine I had barely used, froze up needle in the quilt!  I was frantic! I had to literally take the foot and needle off to get the quilt out.  I called my LQS where I had bought the machine.  They know me and knew about the quilt show and told me to bring it in.  I left Sophia to be serviced the next week and went home with a loaner.  

A sweet little used Viking 400.  It finished the quilting beautifully!  

The binding was made from scraps of Habitat fabric.

I love this quilt!  I have hung it above my bed and it makes me smile when I look at it.  

A little note about my experiences showing this quilt in a traditional quilt show.  First they did not hang it correctly.  A third of it was on the floor tucked under!  OMG!  I complained and they pull the bottom out.  I was very disappointed that you really could not appreciate the overall pattern.  I also received  some 'constructive' feedback from the judges who said 'straight lines should be straight'.  I laughed because I organically quilted it and did not want perfectly straight or spaced lines (they scare me).

Check out my blog on the red and white quilt for it's story.

Keep dreaming...Colleen

I loved making these two quilts.

Busy Little Sewer

I have had a busy week.  That said all my weeks for the past month have been busy.  I started tutoring 2 days a week after school until 4:30 and train 2 days a week from 6-7.  On top of that throw in  BOM meeting this week, a couple of quilts I need to finish for next weekends quilt show.  So before we recap the week in photos here is some eye candy from my good friend Karen Gray's store I picked up Friday.

Don't you love the way she wraps (neater though I had rewrapped this)!

Viola!

1 yard each of Denyse Schmidt's Flea Market Fancy re-release!!!

And it is mine, all mine!  I saved up a Christmas gift certificate, money from destashes, and Etsy sales.  He he he!

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No Boundries training sponsored by Fleet Feet Sports.  150 idividuals and 20+mentor trainers.  Fun times.  Monday we did 3 miles along the Salem Creek Green way.  That is my new light as the paths get dark.

(I couldn't stop to take the pic hence the blurriness)

Thursday Staci the drill seargant showed us correct running posture.

I was mentally preparing for the route.

2 miles up the Strollway with the Killer hill in the middle.  

It was easy this time!  I was smiling when I reached the top.  

I only walk and one of the runners said "Girl your walking is faster then my running".  

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I finished the binding on my red and white quilt.  Today I'm putting in the label and the hanging sleeve.

Here are some close ups of the quilting.

I used just a little bit of the variegated thread with the tiniest block.  It makes it look as if it is blowing in the wind.  I like how it gives the whole quilt the look as if the blocks are being tossed in about.

The rest of the red background I free motioned quilted with my Sofia last Sunday in a tiny loop.

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Then I quilted the MQG Habitat Challenge quilt. 

Notice that is NOT my Babylock Sofia sewing machine.  It locked up just as I started to quilt.  So I called Sewingly Yours and they told me to bring it in and gave me a nice used Viking 400 as a loaner.  I loved how it quilted!  It came with a sewing extension table that worked great.  I hope my Sofia is feeling better soon.

It set me back about 2 hours total.  I quilted the middle and then I took a nap as I had been up late the night before.  Then I finished the corners

I used the Habitat scraps from the top to make the binding and attached it.  Then I had to stop as my friend Caroline from work was having an art show at Krankies Coffee in downtown Winston-Salem.

Dancing Girl by Caroline Sanders

She carves wood and linoleum to creat wonderful prints.  Lots of friends came , met some neat people, it was a great opening!

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When I got home I decided to hand stitch the binding until it was done.  

Thanks to Oh, Fransson!'s binding tutorial for helping me get my binding mojo back.  I don't know why I was so crazy with my stiching on the red and white quilt(it looks fine).  My stiching on the Habitat quilt rocked!

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I am hoping to get some great outdoor pics of the finished quilts at mom and dad's later so will hold of posting bad indoor pictures.  Again if you want to come out and see them in person come to the Forsyth Piecer's and Quilter's quilt show

Keep dreaming...Colleen

Kalli-cat loves to hang out with me in the studio!

Habitat layout, maybe

Spent the day at the Dixie Classic Fair.  Got there when it opened at 9am and didnt leave until 3pm!  I will blog about what I ate and show pictures later. 

So Ive been sitting with my sore feet up and playing around in Publisher with a layout for my habitat challenge quilt.  I think I have found what I like.  It really is me! 

 Can you get a little bit of an Amish feeling with the layout?  Im thinking no border with using whatever scraps I have for the binding.  The back may be whatever I have left of the habitat and the gray which is one of the new Free Spirit solids called Dogwood.  I really like Dogwood because the gray has hints of brown.  Let me know what you think.  I will probably try to sew it tomorrow so I can plan the quilting.  Any ideas?  I kind of thinking a square spiral for the center. Triangular spirals in the corners of the gray.

Keep dreaming...Colleen

Dont forget my giveaway for this FQ bundle.  Go here to enter!

Dress Up Your Roll challenge

Oh no!  You mean you don't cover your roll?  LOL!  Over at QuiltJane she is having a Dress Up Your Roll contest.  I decided to play a little with some fabric as it's a great stress reliever.  I was a little stumped at first.  I mean what in the world could I design to cover a toliet paper roll?  So I perused my shelves and pulled 3 coordinated fat quarters off the shelf that I had bought at the shop hop last fall.  I added an orange leaf print from DS Quilts Aunt Edna.

I used my EZ Dresden ruler and cut out 2.5" segments from the gray, orange and aqua print.    

They are so easy to sew.  Then just turn out the end and press.

Match up the sides and sew all the pieces together.  Easy peasy.  I cut a circle plus seam allowance for the center.  I use a thin interfacing to sew wrong sides together all the way around.

The cut a slit in the interfacing, turn, poke out the edges, and press!

I love the way this turned out!  I will use it on the top of the roll cover.

I used this tutorial by Barb at Bejewled Quilts as a general guide for the roll structure.  I layered circles for the top-inside plain gray fabric, between some thicker interfacing, the gray fabric, and the dresden flower and circle on top.  I appliqued around the center of the dresden using a zig zag stitch.  I didn't sew any other way through the top  layers.  I cut out a 10x20.5" strip of fabric and folded it layering a piece of batting inside.  I quilted straight lines through all layers.  

The putting wrong sides together I attached the top to the raw edge of the side leaving about 2 inches or so for sewing the side seam later.  I didn't pin but just lined it up as I fed it through the machine. 

 I think If I did this again I might sew a scant seam around the top's layers to hold them together as I did have to go back and resew two places where the top layer didn't catch.

After I checked all the seams I turned it using a plastic knitting needle.  I bought 3 different size sets on clearance at Joann's last year for about $.50 each.  I keep one of each size by my machine and one set on my cutting/work table.  They have rounded ends and are great for turning tiny corners or large, wide or narrow openings.  They are one of my favorite sewing tools.

Tada!  Finished.  Very quick and easy to make.  I may have to make some gifts.  Easter, Mother's day....so pretty.  

Sorry the colors are too dark in the above photo.  
But yes there is a large size Scott toilet tissue toll in there.

Here it is in the upstairs bathroom.  The bathroom is painted a pale Heirloom spa blue that leans toward the aqua.I have four vintage shoofly blocks in deep aquas, browns, and orange in a vintage wood frame hanging in the bathroom too.  

So this holder matches very nicely.

Yes, MY roll is very nicely dressed.


Keep dreaming...Colleen,

Finally a real picture of my Habitat challenge top.
 I'm working on quilting this so it can be in next months quilt show.