Festival wrap up.

There's my quilt! The one washed out, in the middle!  My quilt LACE was juried into the World of Beauty Show at the International Quilt Festival in Houston this year, in the Traditional Category. 

I'm very pleased to have had this quilt in the show.

 I rarely enter quilts into shows. (I have entered Houston,  the Minnesota quilters show ( to show support of my MN quilting roots), and Quiltcon. That's it to date)

I have always submitted to Houston, as I had a goal years ago, to be good enough to have a quilt in the show. 

This of course is not every one's idea of a goal, but it is mine to my own standards... it's a personal journey.

It took me three years to achieve that goal. I was rejected three years running,  now,  I have had quilts in the Houston International Quilt Festival show, the past three years...

My goal is to learn something new each year by looking at the others...( I don't "make" for you, or for judges , only for me).  I like honing my skills, pushing my own limits, learning something new, and making something that I am proud of.  I'm always happy for the winners, but a ribbon doesn't make me feel less then. I was proud to announce a few winners though, this year at the awards ceremony! It feels good to make some one's day!

This quilt above,  was not made to be a show quilt.

I am not a show quilter. I don't set out to make a quilt saying, "this is going to be a show quilt." 

I have a very hard work ethic, and I am the hardest on myself and own skill set.  

I made this quilt in my obsession/curiosity of the pattern, to make and tell my story through the double wedding rings. This was inspired by a lace doily made by my grandmother... It was very challenging for me to work with white, shades of pastels, and all the crazy piecing, and incorporate details of my grandmother's lace work into the secondary design of my double wedding ring pattern. 

It feels so good to have made it, and I am proud of my work. Making a quilt is my voice, I like to tell stories or share my past through my quilts.

I make quilts(or anything creatively) because I have too, it's a part of who I am....

to fulfill my own desire to create.

Regarding judging: Having gone to Art School, I appreciate a good critique... I can also take it or leave the opinions, I can decide if their critique is part of my reality or not... ultimately I do not let the judging critique sway my feelings for my own work. Everyone has their vision/opinion/idea, and I can decide if it's valid or not, it does not crush me when or if you don't like my quilt.

Believe me, people either love or hate my Double Edged Love quilt, and people were very vocal about it, when it won at QuiltCon... It makes no difference to me... That quilt changed me and my process and made me grow/heal/reignite my passion for creating... All good.

Having "LACE"quilt hang in Houston, is my ribbon. (quilted by Lisa Sipes)

I am very proud of my quilt. It's near and dear to me, holds very special meaning to me, 

and I have grown personally for having made it.

Personal growth, family connections, telling my story... that is why I make quilts.

Thank you International Quilt Festival for allowing me to hang my quilt 

with so many other beautiful quilts, and meet other amazing creative people.

I am one happy camper.

What I loved at Festival:

Seeing a whole body of work by Yvonne...
Yvonne Porcella is a woman I admire greatly, and I am proud to call her a friend. Her work was on display this year. And each one is magical. She has a story to tell...  Amazing work, amazing woman! Her work has meaning. It's more then just some pretty fabrics sewn together well, her voice is heard in her work. I admire that.

What else did I love at Festival? 

This Tristan and Isolde quilt. remade of one of the earliest surviving quilts in history, which is at the V&A museum.

The workmanship, and detail is out of this world... it gave me goosebumps... the cording trapunto, and hand stitching, better then anything I've seen...Tells me I have so much more to learn.

More images can be seen here of the original

ANOTHER Great exhibit at Festival:

Seeing the Fiestas Tradicionales de Mexico exhibit  was a pure JOY as well. Seeing quilts made focusing on tradition and the culture.. Moving and exciting work.  These quilts had a power all their own, which you could feel when you walked by them.

Festival is eye candy, with hundreds of beautiful quilts to soak in... 

If you ever get to go, please look with your own eyes, and find what moves you.   
Quilts without ribbons are just as spectacular as the ones with ribbons.  
It's all good work, because it was all made by amazing women and men, and we are all quilters.

I am a QUILTER.

(no other labels requited)

Make what YOU LOVE. 

Make because it floats your own boat.

Quilts are documenting history...

Tell you story.

Use your creative voice.