Thursday, August 2, 2012

Paint Chip Challenge Revealed

I spent months and months and months designing the quilt.  I pretty much knew the colors I wanted to use, and when I saw the pattern. I wanted colors that tasted like the cakes I was going to portray on the surface of the piece.

I do so love the Buggy Barn patterns, they are so wild and free and fun.  Precise piecers definitely have problems with the patterns, but not me!  LOL  I am anything but a Miss Precise and Perfectly Matched.  So they suit me to a T!

So then I searched for paint chips.  And found some really nice ones that were so very close to my cake flavors.

The Mocha Chocolate would be a problem.  I had a small amount from a fabric swap with my buddy in England, Trudy so I took a spin on the computer and ordered what I thought would be a good match for the tiny piece I had.  It turned out to be Kona Mocha and the exact same fabric!  Yes!]

Then I began to work.  And work.  And work.  And work.  I dumped four of the cakes, because I was so tired of piecing cakes!  Nine would be fine, where twelve was overload.

Then I wanted to wording to be the same sized lettering.  I got Tonya Riccuci's Work Play book out and went to town!  Easy as pie.....oh.....easy as eating cake from a baby!  LOL.  They look fabulous and I am sure that is part of the beauty of this win...the lettering.

I knew I wanted intricate quilting so I made the decision to Quilt As You Go.  QAYG is a good way to fit a block under your domestic head and not have to haul the huge quilt behind it if you are doing some intricate work.  And it worked perfectly.  However I am not totally in love with the back and the back is a lot of hand work.  I need to find a better way of doing it in the future.

The Paint Chips were Apricot, Gold and Peat Moss.  The name had to be constructed from the paint names, so mine became Golden Apricot Cakes for Kate Moss!  You know Kate would NEVER eat one of these!  But see how perfectly they match the fabrics?

Last night at 11:37 I finished the binding.  Yes!

One of the borders was a slight bit wavy.  I made the decision at 2 pm today to wash the quilt and see if it could be blocked.  I was meeting the gals at 5 pm for dinner and at 4 pm I remembered it was in the washing machine!  Aughhhhh!

So much for blocking.  I tossed it in the dryer for 20 minutes, hit it with an iron and off to the meeting I went!

When I arrived I realized that nearly half of the huge guild membership had brough quilts.  It was going to be a tough competition.  Some of the big names in the city were right in this room with quilts.  Oh, no!  I REALLY wanted a win tonight.  I NEEDED a win tonight!

So I sucked in my breath, put on my big girl panties and  entered my quilt.

I am very proud of my Third Place win tonight.  While it is not the blue ribbon, this one is the third best quilt of about 25 really wonderful quilts made by some really great quilters.  I am so glad to have won this vote of my peers (and my betters).  One of the really amazing quilters in the group, Michael, did not place at all.  That was an incredible thing for me to have won over him.  He does the most beautiful and exquisite work.

Am I happy with my Third Place?  You bet!  It will hang proudly in my room with my other wins from other places.  River City is a well respected group, and they are tough competitors.  I am humbled by my win tonight.......no I am not!  LOL.  I am shouting it from the rooftops!

 glen:  yeah, buddy!  Third Place






!

7 comments:

  1. Congrats on your win! Wish I could of been there tonight but we were heading out town for a quick vacation before school starts. If you consider taking your kids to kid museums and zoo a vacation. I'm not sure I do. Anyways, would love to see your quilt in person.

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  2. That quilt is just wonderful! Congratulations on your ribbon!

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  3. Congrats, Glen - looks great!

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  4. woohoo!!!!!! I hear ya on the too many candles thing!

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  5. Congratulations for getting a ribbon!

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  6. Congrats on getting this done on time, for winning (well deserved), and for making a wonderful quilt. Wonderful rewards for all your hard work.

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