Friday, May 18, 2012

Star-Spangled!


It was a "Star-Spangled" amazing, blissful week at the Home Machine Quilting Show!

*On the HMQS board, I was privileged to assisted the NQA Certified judges Barbara Broshaus and Elizabeth Spannring for two days as they judged and placed 320 quilts and quilted garments submitted to the show from quilters around the globe.

  
I got a tickle out of Barbara's little flashlight...

Every item was examined carefully for design and workmanship.
  
*Set up the quilted garment display with Renae Haddadin's quilted wedding dress as its crown jewel.  It also received the Viewer's Choice award, but I did not get a great picture.  I am amazed at people's creativity and skill.  Beautiful!



*Sang an a'cappella duet of the national anthem as Airmen posted the colors prior to the "fabric" cutting to open the show. 


Did all right until the moment of silence afterward, then my eyes seemed to be leaking.  Had several of those moments during the week...

*Taught 50 quilters in my piecing classes some of my favorite tips, tricks and tools to make some fun, fabulous quilts.  (Click to see slideshows→) Star Medallion Tree Skirt, Carpenter's Star and A Soldier's Star  (whew-finished in time for class!!)






*The "Midnight Quilters" group won an Honorable Mention for our Riley Blake Design Challenge quilt, "Tag, You're It!"  


Demonstrated how to download the free app (http://gettag.mobi/) and scan the quilt: 


Quilts in this design challenge were sold at auction to raise over $7,000 for this year's charity, Quilts of Valor.  Riley Blake Designs purchased ours, and we changed the five tags to go to five of their websites, including their main Website, Blog, Cutting Corners College, YouTube Tutorials, and their Facebook page.  Right now, the quilt is hanging in their booth at International Quilt Market in Kansas City.  Woo hoo!


*Sang "God Bless America" as part of a Quilts of Valor ceremony.  Forced to retire from the military when diagnosed with MS, Diane Jaeger has made around 300 quilts herself, and has quilted over 500 quilts to donate to soldiers who have been "touched by war".  In this ceremony, the founders of QOV were on hand to present Diane with a quilt of her own. 



*Shopped the vendor mall, and bumped into Mary Ann Fons, who is now the liaison between the quilting world and the Quilts of Valor Foundation.  She was stitching up some quick pillowcases for QOV.

And finally, I was astounded by the beauty of the quilts in the show, but especially the message of this year's Best of Show, "America, Let it Shine" made by Sherry Reynolds of Laramie, Wyoming. 


Sherry drafted her design on graph paper, then made and quilted it on her home Bernina 1001 sewing machine.  Her quilt is a masterpiece.  Plus, she's adorable.  Here's a YouTube interview from a previous quilt show:


 

If you want to see some great close-up pictures of the front and back quilting details, check out this link:  America Let It Shine.

Whew, what a tremendous, wonderful week!  I'm so inspired by quiltmakers from around the world and their stunning quilts; beautiful designs, pristine workmanship, and overwhelming creativity.

Now, it's a week later, and while recording a new album with the Tabernacle Choir, they've invited us each to bring a blanket, which of course I interpret to mean "quilt".  We spread them on the empty benches to buffer the sound during recording sessions.   Last week was quilting bliss with a little singing, and this week it's singing bliss with a little quilting.  I love it when both worlds overlap!  PICTURE VIDEO

Wishing you some blissful quilting (or singing),

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3 comments:

  1. Oh Deonn! Thank you for sharing your week with us. I am speechless over the America: Let It Shine quilt! Wish I could have been there to hear you sing and to clap after the anthem. What an honor for you! My eyes would have leaked, too!

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  2. Sherry Reynolds3:12 PM, May 18, 2012

    Thanks so much Deonn for including America, Let it Shine. you are so sweet!

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  3. Oh Deonn how come I did not see this until now.... oh you make me cry. Bunches of hugs. It was a fabilous show wasn't it? I know I had the time of my life. can wait to do it all again next year.

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So happy you stopped by for a visit! Thank you!