Comfort Quilts

Quilters are know for their generosity.  One of the ways that we show it is by making comfort quilts.  I have been involved with many comfort quilts over the years.  Most of the time I simply provided a block to be added into a quilt that someone else would be putting together and quilting.  Often, I wouldn't even personally know the person who would be receiving the quilt.  It doesn't matter. If I can spread love and comfort, and say a prayer for another human being, then it is always a good thing.
My most recent comfort quilt was for a dear friend of my hubby.  They have known each other since 1955!  They have stayed in contact through the years and the miles.  They met in high school.  Hubby grew up in Chicago and attended Loyola Academy. Recently, his friend was diagnosed with cancer.  The nurse in me wanted to know the details; the quilter in me wanted to make a quilt for him.
My friend Mickey Depre recently made a quilt for her brother-in-law using a Bonnie Hunter pattern in Chicago Bears colors (orange and blue, go Illini!). I went to Bonnie's free pattern tab to check out her offerings.  Scrappy Mountains Majesty struck my fancy, so I recreated it in EQ7 using navy blue and orange.  Funny thing, the orange pieces looked like fish to me.  Brain flash!  Our friend lives in Boca Raton, FL and is an avid boater and diver!
So I "dived" into my stash and pulled all my turquoises, teals, aquas, corals, yellows, and fabrics that reminded me of a coral reef.

I renamed it "Oceans Majesty". I quilted it on my friend's Gammill longarm in an allover swirly design.  They received it last week, and I certainly hope and pray it gives him comfort as he is fighting this horrible disease.

Past Heritage, New Traditions: 2013 Illini Country Stitchers Quilt Show

For your viewing enjoyment, here are the Winners of our local quilt show: Past Heritage, New Traditions!
Past Heritage, New Traditions

Past Heritage, New Traditions

That was our theme for Illini Country Stitcher's 2013 Quilt Show!  This was my second time chairing our biennial quilt show.  It is a lot of work, but it is enjoyable to see ideas come to fruition, and to have a chance to display all our guild members' immense talent!  At times it is like herding cats, but you just gotta love it!  I'll blog later about the show itself, but now I am just gonna brag a bit on myself!
I entered 7 quilts into the show, in 6 different categories.  I came home with 7 ribbons, but one quilt didn't win anything.  So I will start with that one!

Resting Amongst the Cone Flowers was a quilt inspired by a class with Ellen Anne Eddy through our guild last summer.  I thread painted the bunny and the dragonfly in class.  The background fabric is some of her hand dyed fabric.  It was entered in the art/innovative class.  The competition was stiff, and I was not surprised that I did not win a ribbon there.

This Double Wedding ring quilt was entered in the Antique class.  It was gifted to me by my Uncle Howie when I got married.  He said it was made by my Greatgrandmother Matilda Bell.  However....she passed away in the late 1920s, and this quilt contains many printed feedsack fabrics which were not manufactured until the 1930s.  So we have a family mystery quilter!  This quilt won third place!

This quilt was from a pattern in Quilter's World magazine last fall.  I fell in love with it.  I donated this quilt to a local charity for their silent auction, then purchased it back.  It placed third in large wall hangings.

This quilt belongs to my hubby, and he insisted that I enter it in the show, as he likes it better than the above quilt.  It was also made and donated to the same charity, and hubby purchased it through the silent auction.  Both quilts were in the same category, Large Wall Hanging, and hung across from each other in the show.  It placed second!  Hubby says, I told you so!  I am proud to say that this quilt (well the top, anyway) has been to Houston!  I took it there when I took a class with Teri Lucas to get her opinion on how to quilt it!  Thanks, Teri!

My small group, Material Girls, had a row swap last year.  I requested a Christmas themed quilt.  I was just overjoyed when I was gifted with my rows!  I had a lot of fun deciding how to place my rows and then quilt it!  It placed second in group wall quilts.

This little gem has won before, at the Midwest Heritage Quilt Show.  This was started in a class with Sally Collins at the Indiana Heritage Quilt Show in 2012. It now has won two first place ribbons!

 

 

This beauty won first place in Mixed/Other (meaning more than one technique was used, ie. a combination of paper piecing, and applique) and Best of Show!  This started life as a Block of the Month through The Quilt Show with Alex Anderson and Ricky Tims. The design was by Sarah Vedeler, although I modified the design starting in month 6!  I call this Sedona Joy, because it was a joy to work with such beautiful colors!

I am still flabbergasted that I won so many ribbons.  The competition was truly marvelous, and people were constantly sighing and saying how hard it was to make a choice!  Counting the ballots took the committee 5 hours because there were many ties!  I am so proud of our guild and the great talent that our members posses!