Ugly Fabric wins a prize

We have been traveling, so nice to get away and before the next set of restrictions start. We spent a week in Arizona with family playing games and laughing lots, a week in San Diego for hubby to golf and to visit our nephew and his wife who seem like our kids (my sister's youngest son). Then a few days in San Francisco area where I have a relative who is 104...great visit with him, and also his daughter and granddaughter and a great grandson who is 12. He has a pet pig that they keep in their backyard with a few chickens in the middle of a big city. This is NOT a little pig. It is famous in their area, and one neighbor told us that pig is getting them through the struggles of the pandemic. So much fun.

When I got back, our local guild had a photo contest quilt show on ZOOM with ten categories. We were allowed two entries, each to be in a different category. One was "best use of an ugly fabric" and I entered it. I'd picked up this piece at a sew-day because it was ugly (in my mind) and I wanted a challenge.

Here is the resulting top... and I won first prize! Don't know what the prize will be yet, but what fun to change this fabric into something that even I like. It will go back to the guild's outreach division and be given to a needy someone after I sandwich it and quilt it.

I've not sewn much since we got home but lots of things on the list. In the meantime, best wishes for a joyful Christmas season!

God bless you!

 

Horseplay wins a race...

 

This is "HORSEPLAY"

Finally, I can show you this latest finish. Apologies for the light in the corner but without it, the quilting almost disappears. This piece was for a competition within my local guild. The guidelines were simple. It could be no bigger than 36" on the longest side, and the theme was "DOT." My immediate thought was Bob Coonts who gave me permission in 2009 to use his art as inspiration for quilts. I had to make one of his spotted horses.

This one called for a variety of techniques, piecing, foundation paper piecing, hand applique, machine applique, sweat and laughter. What fun. 

The annual guild banquet and award ceremony was last night. There were about six prize categories plus two honorable mentions. "Horseplay" won the prize for "Most Effective Visual Impact" and I was purring! But then they announced the plum - the Viewer's Choice, and my dotty horse won that too, and I was over the top! 

The Viewer's Choice award is sponsored by the Canadian Quilt Guild. Both prizes came with a cash award too. (Note: In Canada, a first ribbon is red, not the blue of the USA. Our guild uses green/pink for first place in this annual contest because it is called "The Prairie Rose" competition)

Making this spotted horse was a big challenge and I learned much, but it was also so much fun. I'm thankful for the opportunity to try it, and for the encouragement of the judge and my peers in taking home a couple of prizes.

And the winner is...

My neighbor picked a random number and the winner of the 200 post giveaway is "Momhooten" - whose email address I cannot find. I did a bit of detective work and think that this name belongs to Debi Hooten. Debi, please contact me (my email is on my blogger profile, click link on the right) and let me know your mailing address. I have a prize for you.

On another note, remember the big Christmas quilt in the works for my church? Well it is so pretty that I decided to make a smaller version for myself. This is a diversion from the Mariner's Sunset that sometimes (aka most of the time) makes me feel overwhelmed. Here is the progress so far on the little Christmas quilt... it is about 36" wide.

Above is the full-size pattern pinned to rich blackish fabric.

These are a few sky pieces (top left corner) that I put down last night using Steam a Seam 2 Lite. Tracing them took longer than putting them in place. This batik is lovely. I'm going to put some jewel "stars" in a few spots later. This is too much fun!