A Surpise!

I got a real surprise on Wednesday night!  My quilt, "Love's Horizon," won two ribbons at the National Quilting Association's show in Columbus, Ohio:  a first place in the duet category (it was beautifully quilted by Anita Shackelford) and a special recognition award, "Traditional: Remarkable Achievement in Classic Patterning."  I wasn't there, but Anita Shackelford sent this photo of the quilt at preview night.  It was very exciting!  I made this quilt for my niece, Emerson, and the clipper ship bears her name.  She was very excited too.  

The NQA Show is a non-juried show.  They accept the first four hundred entries received by the deadline and all are judged.  The Best of Show , Best Machine Quilting, and Exemplary Appliqué ribbons all went to Sharon Schamber's quilt, "Once Upon a Time."  I've seen her quilt in person and it is truly extraordinary, as is everything she does.

So that's my big adventure in entering a quilt show.  It's only the second time I've done it;  the first time was in a local guild show.  It is not for the faint of heart, especially the packing and mailing part of the process.  Now I just have to wait patiently for my quilt to get safely home to me.

Quilting by Anita Shackelford;  Pattern by Elly Sienkiewicz.

All together now...

I’ve FINALLY finished the little red basket quilt top!  Color me happy because all those French knots on the border made me delirious!  It took an entire 20 yard skein of Thread Gatherer size 10 pearl silk in "Old Lace" to do the job.  That's a whole bunch of French knots!  The effort was worth it and I'm looking forward to quilting this piece.

My blogging absence can be explained in two words:  deadline and spring.  I had a sewing deadline which I have met.  Can't show you what I was working on just yet.

And Spring!  Nothing is lovelier than Spring in the mountains.  We have had a cool season and lots of rain.  The flowers have been particularly spectacular, especially the hybrid rhododendrons.  The native rhododendron in our neighborhood will be blooming soon.  Here are a few flower photos from my garden.  Can't you just see them in appliqué blocks?

Rhododendron

Poppies by the mailbox

A bank of rhododendron near the front porch

Columbine

Columbine

In addition to gardening, I've been doing quite a bit of hiking.  Here are a couple of photos from last week's hike to Crabtree Falls on the Blue Ridge Parkway.  This spot is a wildflower paradise.  The galax were blooming profusely on the forest floor.  Galax is in high demand by florists for their long-lasting leaves and they are becoming scarce because of illegal poaching.

Galax

Crabtree Falls on the Blue Ridge Parkway

So I have been busy with the other parts of my life, but sewing is always at the top of the list.  I'll get back to blogging regularly now that my flower and vegetable gardens are under control.  I have just started a new block and in future posts I'll show my progress and offer tips for complex appliqué.  Until then, happy stitching!