Austin QuiltFest

Austin Quiltfest 

Sept 27 - 29, 2024

The quilt show in Austin this year was pretty amazing! There were some incredible quilts made by some very talented quilters. I had a great time visiting with friends and meeting new people, and seeing all the quilts. I also volunteered to help hang the show this year, which was a great physical accomplishment, because I have been afraid of ladders since one fell on my head a few years ago. Overcoming that fear was as equally rewarding as the ribbons my quilts earned.

This one, Currents, won a First place award in the Modern Category. This made my heart sing because this quilt was rejected from QuiltCon.

Complements did well too! It won a Second place, and a Color Award!! This was also in the modern category, and also rejected from QuiltCon. 

Ocean Blues....

and the other side, Oil and Water. 

I was super pleased that Austin was able to hang my two sided quilts with both sides showing!  A great job to be sure! This one won a Third Place Award in the Large Art Category. I feel very honored!!

I did raise an eyebrow though, when I read the judges comments. Apparently, Austin has added a criteria to their judging forms which includes a statement about interesting backs of quilts. It was NOT checked on my judging form (for this quilt, nor the one below) ... And, if ever there was a quilt that would fit that criteria, surely this would be one.  I have judged quilt shows before though, and I know the judges do not have much time for each quilt, so I'm chalking this up to a simple oversight. It's okay.

Turn the Dial...

and the other side, Diverging Distractions.

This one won an Honorable Mention and a Design Award! This lovely quilt has been to quite a few shows, including it's premier in my solo exhibit of two-sided quilts in Houston. But, this is the first time it has won an award, or better, two! Go yellow!!

And, my last quilt at the show, did not win an award. I never expect to get awards though, regardless of how much I love my quilts. I love this one, and am very happy that it got to get out and be seen, and hopefully spread some inspiration!

Charmed Remix, detail

Charmed Remix

And, I wanted to share some of the quilts that caught my eye.  Unfortunately, I left my cell phone (and thus, camera) at home on the last day of quilt viewing, so I missed getting photos of so many more very cool quilts. These quilts had been hung when I was helping hang quilts. 

Waves of Color by Donna Phelps

Here's a detail shot of one of the blocks near the bottom of the quilt. I spied a fabric from my fabric line back in 2010! Very very fun!

Starfish on the Beach by Maureen Moore Scheeval

I love the shapes, I love the colors, I love the design, I love the quilting.  All good!!

O' Sisters a Tribute, detail, by Renee Summers

Here's a detail shot to show the amazing hand stitching. Love the texture!

Manhole Art by Margery O Hedges

The fish are so wonderful, and that this one is of Austin manhole covers, brilliant! Sorry I did not get a photo of the entire quilt for this one, it's pretty interesting!

I also volunteered to take down the quilts. It is amazing how quickly the quilts come down and the room is emptied, especially compared with the time it takes to hang them all.  I left with an armload of quilts, and many good memories! 

Going to the Show!

Where the Walls Have Eyes is going to Quilt National 25! And I couldn't be happier!!

It is difficult to photograph a 3D art project.  I guess I did okay with these because the jurors liked them! A big thanks to Martha Sielman, Luke Haynes, and Ellen Blalock for their efforts in putting this exhibit together and including me in their decisions!

I have only been in Quilt National once before.  It was '09. That was quite the emotional experience for me. It validated my new identity as an artist. This time around was very different. It was also very emotional but for a different reason. My mother is no longer here to share the good news with, and it was the first thing I wanted to do, call her. 

Quilt National 25 opens in May of next year, but they need the works a long time before that. This is because they need to see the quilts up close and personal to award prizes. And normally for an exhibit, this is done after the exhibit is hung. However, Quilt National publishes a very nice hardback book of the exhibit, and they need the extra time to put the book together (with the prize winners), and you know, actually publish the book and print the copies. So shipping is very early. 

I did not waste any time! I knew it would be easy to get a box, because I have a fantastic box store near me with boxes in every size. The limiting problem was going to be the plastic bag. Quilts need to be shipped in plastic in case the box gets wet. And this cube was too large to fit in any plastic bags I could find, including XXL garbage bags. I could find big enough bags if I was willing to buy 100 of them (which I was not). So, I opted to build my own plastic covering.

I bought plastic sheeting from a local home improvement store. Cut it into pieces, and taped the pieces together into a tube.  Then I put my lovely cubic work inside, and basically wrapped it like a present! I taped the top and bottom ends, and it fit perfectly inside the box.  

The last piece was to "protect" the box with my hand drawn talisman. Voila! Done! And very happy that it has safely arrived at the Dairy Barn Arts Center in Athens, OH.