Spring in Texas

The last day of winter...

The second day of spring...

Stay warm.

Texas Boots Baltimore Style

The Quilter's Guild of Dallas does a block challenge every year that is judged at the annual quilt show. The blocks are kept by the guild and made into quilts that belong to the guild and are displayed in the annual show. This year the theme was Texas Boots Baltimore Style.

We were given the background fabric and asked to include one left-facing boot surrounded by a Baltimore-style wreath.

I actually enjoy doing a bit of needle-turn appliqué once in a while and the guild challenge block encourages me to keep at it. I've participated in the challenge every year since 1999. I've earned nine ribbons of various colors throughout the years but never blue. Until this year! Yeah!

I designed waaay too many sharp points into this block so I decided to fuse the pieces and zig-zag the edges this year. The yellow rose buds are folded fabric, the boot loop is really a loop and the spur really spins.

Here are the rest of the ribbon winners.

Third place went to fellow Twisted Stitcher, Judy Kriehn. Congrats Judy!

I look forward to seeing the finished quilt.

Mini Quilt Auction 2010

There will be a live mini quilt auction at Dallas Quilt Celebration this Saturday, March 13 at 1:30 in Dallas Market Hall. The beneficiary of the 2010 Mini Quilt Auction is the Senior Source. I donated three mini art quilts this year.

"Blue Kitty"

"Earth" made with fabric dyed by Linda Creagh.

"Multitude of Squares" made with pleather samples.

Short Wide Challenge

In 2007, my Twisted Stitcher art quilt group made long/skinny quilts to enter in Dallas Quilt Celebration. This year the challenge was to make a short/wide quilt. Minimum of 73" wide, maximum of 18" in length. Eight member completed the challenge. They were hung yesterday in Dallas Market Hall in preparation for the quilt show this weekend. The labels are turned over for the judging which is going on right now.

Here are Deborah's, Sharon's and Sandy's.

This Judy's and Barbara's.

Becky's, Carol's and mine.

I hope to see you at the show.

DALLAS MARKET HALL

2200 Stemmons Freeway, Dallas, TX 75207

Located at the Intersection of Interstate 35E and Market Center Boulevard

Friday, March 12, 2010

10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Saturday, March 13, 2010

10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Sunday, March 14, 2010

12:00 noon - 5:00 p.m.

Self Portrait follow-up

Sunday night, Sue Benner invited the students who participated in her January self portrait class to a wine and cheese party in her Dallas studio. Eight of us brought pieces in different stages of finish.

I added the background to mine on Sunday afternoon. Still thinking about how to quilt it.

Deborah had her's finished before the January DAFA meeting.

Here's Pam's.

And Carolyn's. 

Carolyn used lots of upholstery fabric for her hair.

Sherrie used dupioni silk.

Mary Lou

Gay

Melanie

It was really fun to see them all together. Thank you Sue!

I can't wait to see the rest at future DAFA meetings.

Retreat Weekend

My local Denton Quilt Guild hosted it's Spring Retreat last weekend. Around 70 ladies spent the weekend sewing and visiting at a local retreat center. It was a great time to catch up with old friends and get to know new ones. I finished up the last of the quilts I plan to enter in Dallas Quilt Celebration 2010.

This is "Lilly," the sister of "Norman."

I finished "Iron Dragonfly" too.

The 12x12's will hang in the Twisted Stitcher invitational, Twelve2inches, March 12-14 at Dallas Quilt Celebration 2010 at Dallas Market Hall.

I made a new purse out of the fabric I painted in Judy Coates Perez's Mixed Media Fabric workshop.

The design was inspired by my favorite Maruca handbag.

I recycled the handle from another favorite bag.

Marsha from Longview did a great demo on this cute little neck bag.

I took a break to make one. The handle is a long shoe string.

This mini is made with some spin art Becky gave me.

I started a couple more that I'll show you when they're done.

Retreat was a blast, but it sure was good to be back home in my own bed.