My ‘Starry Eyed’ Quilt is going to QuiltCon!

Have you ever had a quilt accepted by the Modern Quilt Guild to be shown at Quiltcon? Really, getting the email saying that my quilt was accepted to QuiltCon in February 2015 was like opening the first gift of Christmas. I’m pretty sure that I’m not going to get a better one tomorrow. (I’m Mrs. Claus. I know all the gifts, lol)

When I made it, I was playing around with 60 degree diamonds, and seeing what would happen if I improv pieced strips on the sides. For these blocks, I pieced strips of Modern Eclectic from Blend Fabrics on two sides of the diamonds and then put Kona Coal on the opposite sides. Putting 4 of my new diamond blocks together made a star that kind of looks like a cat’s eye marble to me. That’s what gave me the idea for the name ‘Starry Eyed.’

I love how it is partially improvised, partially planned. Life is beautiful that way. We plan as much as we can, and then improvise the rest. Like Christmas tomorrow. Don’t you feel like you have planned and prepared as much as you can, but a whole lotta improvisation is gonna be needed to make it through the day? 😉

I quilted my top with straight line quilting about 1/2” apart. This was done on my Juki TL2010Q, before I got the Grace Frame. I used a walking foot.

I wish I could ask the QuiltCon decision makers ‘why?’ I mean, they rejected a lot of beautiful quilts, I’ve seen bunches of them on instagram. What exactly about my quilt tipped the scales to make them say ‘yes?’ And did I just barely slide in under the wire or did they really like it? I’m glad it’s a juried show because I can’t wait to hear what they have to say.

I won’t be going to QuiltCon this year. My son Connor turns 8 just a few days before QuiltCon weekend. We are planning to baptize him that Saturday. I know that we could push his baptism back a week, but then he might think that my sewing is more important than him. I think he already wonders if it is (poor kid). So hopefully next year I’ll get to go to QuiltCon. Maybe I’ll even be lucky enough to have another quilt accepted.

So have a very merry Christmas! I hope you get a gift as amazing as having a quilt accepted to QuiltCon! Did you see the robot softies I made my kids this year? Click here to see.

xoxo,