Monday, February 27, 2017

6 Things I Saw at QuiltCon

quiltcon 2017 savannah georgia

I'm home from Savannah, and my brain is overflowing with inspiring images and ideas. I hardly know where to start when someone asks about my weekend, and I find myself trying desperately not to forget any of the people or feelings or quilts from the show.

There are far more than six things I saw at QuiltCon, but these are the ones that made me turn off my podcast and contemplate them all the way home. 

1. Light and Space - By now I think we all know that Modern Quilting, by definition, plays with light and space, and this was evident throughout the show. It was interesting how far it went, not only in the layout of the convention center, but also in the choice of Savannah as the host city. I don't think I've ever been to a quilt show that didn't have black drapes behind the quilts; here they were a pale gray, linen-looking fabric that made the entire room feel lighter. Additionally, the rows were farther apart than what's typical, and they were laid out in a zigzag pattern instead of the frequently used U shape. The room felt less crowded, and there weren't so many claustrophobic moments when too many people were trying to look at the same quilt at the same time. It was much more like an art exhibit with white walls and open space than a traditional quilt show.

quiltcon 2017 savannah georgia

I heard someone comment that they could have accepted more quilts had they laid out the rows differently, but I think it was the right choice. For one thing, I don't know how many more quilts I could have mentally processed! But I also think it carried the modern feeling into the room and brought a sense of calm into the excitement.

quiltcon 2017 savannah georgia fly away suzy williams
"Fly Away" by Suzy Williams

Savannah itself is beautiful, with natural light off the river flooding the convention center. The historic part of the city is dense, with narrow streets in a grid, while the convention center is on an island, apart from the rest. It reminds me of a common modern quilt design where a component or block floats away from the traditional grid. 

quiltcon 2017 savannah georgia bridge sunset
Photo Credit: HollyAnne Knight through my sunroof

Each day, as I drove across the beautiful bridge, I felt myself physically and mentally breaking away to a magical place filled with color and light. 

quiltcon 2017 savannah georgia optical illusion vertigo elaine poplin
"Vertigo" by Elaine Poplin
2. Illusion - Quilts featuring optical illusions were definitely a trend at QC17. Some of them were very basic play with contrast and straight lines, while others dove deep into the geometry. 

Again, this trend carried through the show. In addition to the lighter drape and the wider spacing of the rows, the angles of the rows - some diagonal and some horizontal, up against the vertical and horizontal vendor areas - helped add the illusion of even more space. And again this reduced the sense of being trapped in a crowd and felt more like floating along a lazy river of quilts. While all of the rows led to the vendor areas, there was never an "exit through the gift shop" feeling of being funneled into one place.

3. Technology - Of course technology pervades our every moment these days, so this one is no surprise. From the online booking of our rental house to the navigation app I used to get to Savannah and move around the city; from the text messages we used to stay in touch with roommates and dinner companions to the quick swipe of a card and a finger on a screen to pay for fabric, technology was, and is, everywhere. While I know many of us cursed the technology that let us down when registration first opened up, it really is amazing what we can do with it. The QuiltCon app let me pull up my supply list in JoAnn's while shopping, reminded me of the classes I had signed up for and the demos I was interested in attending, and gave me the opportunity to review the instructors right from my phone. 

quiltcon 2017 savannah georgia longarm angela walters avante handiquilter
Angela Walters signing my copy of her book on longarm quilting

The computerized longarms and sewing machines would seem alien to quilters from just thirty or forty years ago. Thomas Knauer did a fascinating demo about how he uses the computer attached to his longarm to embed messages into his quilts, with text, Morse Code, and even Braille. I found these quilts to be so powerful and moving, even when the words weren't clearly visible. 

quiltcon 2017 savannah georgia thomas knauer tea and skittles words on quilts
"Tea and Skittles" by Thomas Knauer
Of course, the social media posts were fast and furious. Instagram followers who expect to see some quilting mixed in among the pets and food must have wondered what was going on down in Georgia. A friend from home remarked this morning that my feed looked like a teenager's with so many selfies, celebrity sightings, and group photos. 

4. Maps - Maps were all over the place at this show, which made me smile at the irony. Maps are an old fashioned thing, like quilting. But in this very modern quilt show, where probably no one used a paper map to find their way to Savannah, there were a lot of map quilts. 

quiltcon 2017 savannah georgia map quilt gotham transit authority catherine jarrett
"Gotham Transit Authority" by Catherine Jarrett

I wonder if quilters like the idea of knowing where they're going, of finding the way and showing others, and putting things into perspective. Or maybe maps are just graphically interesting.

quiltcon 2017 savannah georgia map quilt austin gina pina
"Austin Quilt" by Gina Pina


5. Politics - This one makes me laugh a little, mostly because of the amusement my coworkers expressed when I told them I was going to QuiltCon. I got a lot of lame jokes like, "What do you wear to QuiltCon? A Betsy Ross costume?" I think they were picturing a bunch of white haired conservative Christian ladies who got up out of their rocking chairs to visit the quilt show.

quiltcon 2017 savannah georgia charity quilts for pulse cause


In fact, there was a lot of pink and purple and green and blue hair at QuiltCon. In fact, there were a lot of tattoos at QuiltCon. In fact, there were a lot of twenty or thirty-somethings there - both men and women. While there were some little old ladies, and while the ethnic and racial diversity is not quite as broad as it might be, and while I know there were some conservative folks and some Christian folks, there were an awful lot of young people with some left leaning politics there. 

quiltcon 2017 savannah georgia cause emmanuel: at the intersection of hate and guns thomas knauer
Detail of "Emanuel: At the Intersection of Hate and Guns" by Thomas Knauer

Maybe politics isn't the right word. Maybe it would be better to say there were a lot of statement quilts, quilts that spoke out about a wrong in the world. There were no fewer than three rape quilts, commenting on consent and legitimacy and how we treat victims. There were quilts about gun violence, including an incredible display of prayer quilts for the victims at Emanuel AME in Charleston, and a huge tribute to the Quilts for Pulse collection sponsored by the Orlando Modern Quilt Guild. There were many quilts that didn't seem particularly political, but whose descriptions mentioned finding the light or unity or coming together after the election.


quiltcon 2017 savannah georgia cause rape implied consent colleen molen no
"Implied Consent" by Colleen Molen

I think the one that spoke loudest to me was the one called "Still With Her." It was originally a quilt with Hillary's campaign logo, which the maker had cut up in grief and dismay after the election. She eventually pieced it back together, seeking the hope and optimism with which the original top was constructed. You can see the damaged, broken areas, and the new connections that join them back together. The emotion in this quilt was palpable and moving, especially as it was just a few rows down from the Lincoln quilt that won the Viewer's Choice award. Isn't that what America is about? Finding the connections and the things we have in common after a rift to build something better for the future?


quiltcon 2017 savannah georgia cause still with her liz harvatine hillary clinton election
"Still With Her" by Liz Harvatine

6. Community - Which leads us to community, the overarching theme of the show, and certainly what I loved most about my weekend. Communities were represented in the guild and bee group quilts for charity lining the walls of the lobby. The quilting community joined together to bring comfort to victims and speak out against injustice. The Quilt Alliance had a booth where they were documenting quilts in an effort to keep the traditions and memories alive. Communities from all over the world were represented in the show.

quiltcon 2017 savannah georgia cause quilt alliance volunteer frances dowell pamela cobb
Frances, Pam, and a Quilt Alliance Volunteer

The Modern Quilt Guild has been through some growing pains. In its infancy, it had many supporters. It was cute and unthreatening. As a teenager, there were some Mean Girls moments. This weekend, as I watched Jacquie Gering on a one woman mission to make every quilter feel welcome, wanted, and at home, I began to think the guild has matured. 

quiltcon 2017 savannah georgia jacquie gering quiltin jenny
Me with Jacquie Gering
Our online community of quilters is an amazing thing. I know these people - I know their dogs' names and their favorite colors, what books they read and movies they watch; I know if they like to cook and what worries them about their kids. But I haven't met most of them in real life. Spending time with so many of the Twilters in person - Pam and Lynn, Frances, HollyAnne, Daisy, Tina, Roilyn, AJCaro, and Jen - was like finding old friends. Frances and I sat up late every night having profound conversations that belie the fact that we had only ever spent one day together before deciding to share a house in Savannah. HollyAnne joined us seamlessly, despite being half our age and in a completely different season of life. I recognized Tina and Daisy by their voices before I even saw their faces. Some of us are night owls and some of us were in our jammies by eight are early birds. Quilts brought us together, and my time with them is what I will always treasure when I think of Savannah.

quiltcon 2017 savannah georgia hollyanne knight quiltin jenny tula pink pamela cobb lynne rhinehart stitch tv show
HollyAnne, me, Tula Pink, Pam and Lynne



Wednesday, February 22, 2017

WiP Wednesday - Packing for QuiltCon!

It's WiP Wednesday and I'm packing for QuiltCon!

It's a balancing act. I mean, where's the line between comfortable and willing to have my picture taken? Seeing as much of the show as possible and still spending time with people I literally never get to see? Sticking to a healthy diet and enjoying the long weekend?

See what I mean?


As for actual quilting this week, I made a block for a swap I'm in...and get to hand deliver it in Savannah!


I also started cutting out The Pit Boss's quilt and made the first block. This isn't the block, but I'm so beside myself about how great my points came out I had to share this picture again.


The white board is helping to keep me honest. Last weekend we were visiting Deuce in Tuscaloosa (and meeting his girlfriend's parents! How am I old enough to have a kid old enough to have a girlfriend???). Grace added to the list.


I'm so excited to meet some of you in person and catch up with some quilty friends. Hope to see you there...or follow all the action on Instagram and Twitter!


Sunday, February 19, 2017

Sunday Stash - Working My Way Back

It's time for Sunday Stash, and I made some decent progress this week. I'm still not into the black, but positive numbers are in sight. 


I finished the Sweet Hearts quilt, aka the crazy dreams quilt, aka the quilt I made for nobody before I bothered to make one for my husband quilt. Yeah, I'm getting some flak about that one. Before you sympathize with him too much, please bear in mind that I made this quilt for him...and before that, this one.

The Pit Boss had to go out of town for a few days this week and Grace was home sick, so I took advantage of the quiet evenings to bind this quilt and binge on The West Wing. Are you listening to The West Wing Weekly podcast? It's a must for fans and the interviews are fantastic! 

Fabric Used this Week: 2.5 yards
Fabric Used year to Date: 5 yards
Fabric Added this Week: 0 yards
Fabric Added Year to Date: 9.5 yards
Net Fabric for 2017: -4.5 yards used


It's unlikely that I'll get to positive numbers this week since I'm headed to QuiltCon on Thursday, but that's okay. I can't wait to see some of you there! 


Wednesday, February 15, 2017

WiP Wednesday - Quilt for a Cure - Operation Smiley

Saturday the WannaBees got together for a few hours. So many of us have gone back to work full time that it's been harder and harder to meet. Lately we've been trying to get together one Saturday morning a month.

quilts for cure operation smiley for kiley heart blocks blue yellow


I decided to pull some yellow and navy fabrics and cut out blocks for Operation Smiley. As much as I love this color combination, I didn't have a lot of choices that read mostly solid. These blocks are so quick and easy to put together!

hand quilting thimble

Sunday we went to Athens to visit My Middle Child, and I got some hand quilting done in the car. This is a quilt made by a friend's mother, and I'm trying to finish it for her. The Pit Boss wonders why I will hand quilt someone else's quilt when I won't even hand quilt my own.  I guess it's because quilting is a gift of love!

sweet hearts disappearing nine patch freemotion quilting

I've also been working on the binding for the Sweet Hearts quilt. I still don't know who it's for, but I'm so happy with the way my FMQing turned out after class with Christa. I'll have to take pictures this weekend if the weather is good.

whiteboard progress tracking

I'm playing around with my whiteboard, trying to decide the best way to keep track of everything. Between this and my design wall, it helps keep me on track so projects don't get buried in the piles.

design wall spider web quilt strings scraps

What are you working on?




Sunday, February 12, 2017

Sunday Stash - Two Steps Back

I haven't posted another Sunday Stash post since the first one, hoping that I would actually finish something. Unfortunately the only thing that is D for DONE is a mug rug, which counts for approximately 0.06 yards of fabric. 


I guess I really should count the squares I used for my class with Christa. (You know, my new BQF? That's Christa Watson for the rest of you.) I made twelve 12" x 12" -ish quilt sandwiches. Even though they are not completed projects, they are as done as they will ever be. Some have already been stuffed into my scrap bag/dog bed cover, and some I will save for reference. But they're done. I'm going to go ahead and count that as 2.5 yards. Honestly, I need all the help I can get.

The bad news, as far as my stash goes, is that I went to the Tiny Stitches Superbolt Sunday Sale. I mean, how can you not?

Do I get credit for the fact that they had these gorgeous gray and purple flannels and I didn't buy any? I want these so badly, and the only thing that stopped me from buying a whole bunch was the line for the cutting table.


I did buy some fabric for a planned project, as well as a black fat quarter for a swap I'm in. If I did the math right, it comes out to about 9 1/2 yards for that, this fat quarter bundle and layer cake. 


Fabric Used this Week: 2.56 yards
Fabric Used year to Date: 2.56 yards
Fabric Added this Week: 9.5 yards
Fabric Added Year to Date: 9.5 yards
Net Fabric for 2017: -7 yards used


Here's hoping that I can get back to positive numbers by the end of February! How's your stash?


Saturday, February 11, 2017

Going to Guild - Christa Watson


Monday was guild night and our speaker was the fabulous Christa Watson of Christa Quilts


christa watson quiltin jenny chattahoochee evening stars quilt guild class freemotion machine quilting
Not my best look, but I had been in a workshop all day!
FYI, my shirt was a gift from my mom.
It says "A Fat Quarter is not a Body Part."

Last Saturday Christa taught a workshop on machine quilting that I was able to join. I'm so glad there was a last minute opening and that I decided to cram one more thing into the weekend because it was totally worth it. 

christa watson chattahoochee evening stars quilt guild class walking foot machine quilting

We experimented with the walking foot using decorative stitches. I kept this piece for future reference.

christa watson chattahoochee evening stars quilt guild class walking foot machine spiral quilting

We also practiced making spirals with the walking foot. This is much easier on a 12" square than a giant quilt, but I love how it looks.

christa watson chattahoochee evening stars quilt guild class free motion machine quilting switchbacks ribbon candy

Then we got into the free motion quilting. I decided to use some of my orphan blocks from the Modern Blocks Quilt Along as practice squares. This piece uses switchbacks and ribbon candy variations, which I found to be so much fun to quilt. These create gorgeous texture.

christa watson chattahoochee evening stars quilt guild class free motion machine quilting switchbacks ribbon candy

Christa is a fabulous teacher and speaker. She is so funny and talks about a hundred miles an hour, so you get a lot of information for your time. I also love that she brought so many quilts to show us, because there is nothing like seeing them all in person. The texture is amazing, especially on some of the really simple piecing. 

christa watson chattahoochee evening stars quilt guild class free motion machine quilting BQF

I bought both of Christa's books, and was so excited later when I peeked at what she wrote. I have a new BQF! We've already made plans to see each other again in just a couple of weeks. Okay, so we're both going to QuiltCon, but still! 

If you get the chance to take a class with Christa, do not miss it! I can't wait to practice what I've learned.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...