Modern Quilt Guild Submission…

Until recently, I never considered submitting one of my quilts into a quilt show.  Overwhelmingly, I make quilts for my family and to give away and I love doing that.   But, when the Modern Quilt Guild announced that it would be showcasing works that present that aesthetic at Quilt Market this fall, I got excited and wanted to enter.  After thinking about what I loved most about modern quilting,  I made this:

The print is one of my favorite Nani Iro florals.  I wanted to capture the floaty feeling that the shapes give in the fabric to the overall quilt.  I paired the print with a happy orange shot cotton and an ivory background.  I had the strips on my design wall for a really long time.  I changed their order, and fussed with the space between the fabrics.  But when it came time to put together, it went quickly.   Never have I felt so confident in my design.  It was a wonderful feeling; I felt like I was finally finding how and what I really want to be making.  I hoped more than anything that it would be accepted into the showcase.

When I heard that it wasn’t selected, that only 33 quilts were chosen and not to give up, I sighed.  I felt a twinge of jealousy.  My husband hugged me.  And then, I started thinking about my favorite thing.  The Next Quilt.  And then I was fine.  I really did want to have it in the showcase, but it is really ok that it’s not.  I made the kind of quilt that makes me happy, and says what I want to say as a quilter.  That’s not a small thing, and for that I am happy.