Common Threads - part I

I have been busy getting ready for the big quilt show my guild puts on every two years; Common Threads.  We hang over 600 quilts and have a large vendor mall.  This year I was in charge of the judged portion of the show so it has been a busy week or two!

NQA certified judge Cindy Erickson did the judging for us and did a great job.  She was very thorough when examining the quilts, gave many helpful comments and remained friendly and cheerful throughout the long days of judging. 

 

 

 

The number of judged quilts was down from previous years but the quality was high.  Here are a few judged quilts that caught my eye.




Mayleen Vinson won Best of Show for her amazing quilt The Cotheals at Home (pattern by Di Ford). I posted about quilting this quilt here.

Here you can see the ribbons that my judging committee made for the top awards - I think they turned out beautifully!  We used the same type of bright fabrics used in our Opportunity quilt this year.  

 

 

 

 

This is the Prairie Quilt Guild Opportunity quilt Wildflowers, from a Kim McLean pattern, made by a group of talented guild members and quilted by Kim Hull.

Donna Harrison won Best Machine Quilting for her quilt, "A Walk in the Park" (Blackbird Designs).  I'm so proud of her, I sold her the Innova longarm she quilted this on just a few years ago and here she has won a top award in our show!




 

Sara Farley designed A Switch in Time herself. She says " Inspired by my son's challenge to make a quilt of baseball proverbs, this quilt celebrates the jewel box stadiums and baseball lore."  Her quilt won Judge's Choice.

 

 

Jenny Hutson won the Best Solo Quilt award for Sunflowers in the Storm (Of One Mind designs).  She had four quilts in the show and was up all night until 6 am on the day of judging finishing the binding.  I've done that too!

You may remember this Wedding Star (Judy Niemeyer) I quilted for Betty Enright.  It won Best Collaborative Quilt.  It's so big I couldn't back up far enough to fit it all in the frame.

 

 

 

 

 

Gypsy Rose by Patty Johnson, a gorgeous wool and silk quilt.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Irish Sue by Shirley Crawford, quilted by Siriporn Hollar

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Siriporn always does such a beautiful job on the quilting!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gail Hand put together an exhibit of all the President's quilts, made by board members each year for the President of the guild.  Here is the quilt made  for me after my year as President.  I do love this quilt!  It was quilted by Carla Anderson.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our quilt show always includes quilts by the guild members that have died in the two years since the previous show.  This was the exhibit for my husband Peter.  He wasn't a quilter, so the quilt is one I made that he used as his cape when he dressed up as Captain Quilt, along with the shirt we made as part of his costume.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sara Farley was in charge of this exhibit and she did a wonderful job on it.