Another Wonderful Quilt Show!

Plans had been made to attend the Parker County TX Guild Show in Weatherford last Friday with a couple of friends, but life got in the way for both of them, so plans were cancelled.  Then I decided to invite my dear DIL to go with me on Saturday.  (She is not a quilter --- yet!  I think she might have been bitten by the quilting bug, maybe.  We'll see.)  Again there were so many beautiful quilts to see.  I was expecting that, of course, but she was amazed at the gorgeous fabrics, intricate piecing, and quilting beyond her imagination!

I, too, was amazed by something I had never witnessed before.  I looked at the quilt shown below and knew I had seen it just last week in Fort Worth where it was judged Best of Show at the Trinity Valley Show.  I knew it was the same quilt, not a duplicate by another quilter, but this time it had a white Third Place Ribbon in its class.   I don't mean to be critical of the judge(s) at either show.  I just don't recall ever noticing such a thing before, but I really knew immediately it was the same very striking quilt, same maker, same quilter!  By the way, I don't know the maker, quilter, or the judges; none of them!  I do know it is a beautiful quilt with beautiful quilting!
 

I know that different judges see things differently, and perhaps it's possible that they have their own favorite styles in quilts, and certainly that's okay.  I really don't know all that's involved in judging a show.  I just know I would not be able to ever pick Best of Show at any show because there are so many beautiful quilts, and with excellent workmanship!   So I guess we should accept and admire the role of quilt judges.   They do make the shows interesting; couldn't have a competitive show without them!

Now with all that said, here are some of my favorites, in no particular order.  Again, I don't have all the maker's names, but you will know I found it very special!

A printed whole cloth, not pieced; hand quilted, named "What Was I Thinking?"  

Beautiful Machine applique, and I think her first!  Incredible!

Beautifully soft and gentle!

Pretty hand embroidered baskets of flowers

Aren't these string stars interesting?

Tons of work on this one!

A lovely Sampler 

Best of Show; Well Deserved;  Lots of fine work here!  Look at all those flying geese!

After the show, we enjoyed a good lunch at a great cafe near the Court House.  Then we stopped by the old Gibson's Store in town for a fun visit.  It is like an old hardware store with all kinds of neat things.  Quilters for perhaps 100 miles around love to stop there to indulge in loads of beautiful quilting fabrics at great prices.  Honestly, we bought only a candy bar; no fabric really!  That was really tough, but I just wanted to introduce her to the place and its wonderful fabric.  I really don't need to buy more fabric!

I think there's a show at Stephenville next week-end, and then Crowley in a couple of weeks after that.  I'm looking forward to them.  Central Texas has so many great quilters; I love to see their work.  Maybe then I can either clean house or quilt again!

---"Love"  

Locusts (Actually Cicados) On Parade

No quilting in this post, just so you know.

You may remember these first two pictures taken on my front porch and included in my July 28 post.

After the green insect emerged from the brown thing hanging on the brick, I took this picture with two "dried shells" that were split down the back.

I had called the one on the left "the Mother Locust".

A couple of days ago as I went out to get my mail, I looked up at a big limb on the tree in my yard and saw something that amused me. I just had to take more pictures!  I think I counted about 18 "brown dried shells" lined up in a row on the bottom of the limb!  Never had I seen anything like that.  I just had to laugh out loud.  In the fourth picture below you can see the lineup on the angle of the limb above my roof.

The first angle I saw; shady side of limb.

From directly below the limb.

From sunny side of limb, back toward my house.

Upward angle; these in an exact straight line, with more out of picture.

I probably just had ignored or accepted the sound of these insects earlier, but the night after finding this "Parade",  I heard the singing of the green cicados that no doubt had emerged from these dried shells.  I'm hearing them even as I type this!

Now all of you may know a lot about cicados, but I have always just accepted them as part of living in Texas.  However, my curiosity was aroused by these strange insects, so I decided to do a little research.  In case you just might be interested, here's some links to what I found.

  The most interesting 17 year cicada facts - Cicada Mania

The most interesting 17 year cicada facts - Cicada Mania Learn about cicadas, specifically The most interesting 17 year cicada facts

Insect of the Month: Cicadas | Texas A&M Department of Entomology

Insect of the Month: Cicadas | Texas A&M Department of Entomology

Texas Cicadas

Central Texas Cicadas - Photos and Info

I certainly don't understand all I read, and I'm not sure I agree with all of it, so I've just decided to enjoy watching them, and especially listening to them.   The green cicados are the ones I see around here, (and LOTS of the dried shells).  The research has been an enjoyable venture for me.  Hope it hasn't bored anyone too badly.

Now......do you think maybe I should get back to quilting?  I have to get a hanging sleeve on that last Civil War quilt; it will be entered in a nearby show in about three weeks!

---"Love"

It Was A Great Quilt Show!

Friday I was privileged to go with friends to the Trinity Valley Quilt Guild Show in Fort Worth, and it was a truly great show!

Here are some of my favorites.  Actually it is tough to say which ones I like best.  I can't give credit to all of the makers, but I can truly say credit is due to all of them.

My favorite, I think.  

Scene totally by gorgeous machine quilting!  Back just as beautiful

My first time to see one like this; I love it!

Cutest baby quilt I've ever seen!  A growth chart!

Logs about 1/4" wide!  About 12" square.

Best of Show

You know I love these applique birds! 

Machine applique blue jean quilt! 

Pretty Texas  Blue Bonnet

This really fascinates me!  

A different swirl on Snail's Trail - with triangles.

You know I love R/W/B!

Hankies and vintage embroidery and crochet pieces; beautiful!

Embroidered State birds and flowers in alphabetical order from top!

It was a wonderful show, as you can see.  There were many more just as pretty.  Each of the makers and quilters certainly should be very proud of their work, ribbon winner or not!

After the show, we had a delicious hamburger and fries at Kincaid's.  Boy, was that good!

It was a great day with my friends!

---"Love"

A Quilt for My Oldest Grandson

A couple of years ago my oldest grandson moved about 125 miles away from our family to a small town where he got a job; he was sharing a house with a friend, but when the guy decided to get married, my grandson had to get his own apartment by himself for the first time.  Of course, he needed lots of things to furnish his apartment.  His mother provided lots of necessary things, and last week his dad, step-mother, and I went for a visit with my car loaded with more things.   His apartment is very nice and small, but it is all he needs,   His mother had sent me some pictures showing some patriotic wooden wall decorations she had hung for him.  He has always loved and wanted R/W/B things in his room.

After seeing the pictures, I remembered a quilt top I had put together about 15 years ago and then had stuffed it in a drawer to forget!  I decided this would be a good time to quilt it and get rid of it.  He will like it, and will probably never realize what a mess it is.  Here's how the thing came to be.

I was a member of the local quilt guild  before it folded, and every month we received a little kit with fabrics and pattern to make a block.  We all took the blocks back the next month for a drawing to see who would get all the blocks, put them together, and bring the flimsy back next month for show and tell.  Well, I won that month.  At least, I was told I won, but when I examined the blocks at home, I felt like a loser!  Perhaps some of you can relate to that feeling.

Few of them measured the same, seams didn't match, points were missing, and all colors of thread had been used.   When I looked at the last block, the fabrics had been reversed!  What was supposed to be red was blue, and what was supposed to be blue was red!  I decided to put that block in the middle out of sheer disgust!  When I showed it the next month, everyone had a good laugh, and I brought it home and stuffed it in a drawer to forget!

I got backing fabric at Walmart and hurriedly straight-line quilted it before we went to see my grandson.  It is what it is, and he will never know the difference.  (His younger brother will!)  At least the colors match his bedroom curtains, and I don't have to worry in the event it gets abused.   Don't examine the quilt too closely!

On my guest bed.

Pretty good backing color match after all these years, don't you think?

He likes it, and that's all that matters.  I'll make matching pillowcases for the next visit.

I'm looking forward to going with friends Friday to Fort Worth for the Trinity Valley Guild show.

---"Love"