Beneath the Surface I'm IN!

 Beneath the Surface, a special exhibit, will be presented by Dinner at Eight Artists (http://www.dinnerat8artists.blogspot.com/) at the International Quilt Festival in Long Beach, CA - July 22-25th at the Long Beach Convention Center. This special exhibit is sponsored by Moore's Sewing Centers(http://www.moores-sew.com/) and Brother International (http://www.brother-usa.com/homesewing)

And the most amazing thing is that my quilt, Quagmire, is going to be a part of this special exhibit. I am SO THRILLED! This is a first for me. It is the largest piece I have ever made, 3'x4'; and it is the first piece I have ever had in a juried show.

With this quilt, I tried to work through the self-imposed demons that keep me "beneath the surface" of the magical world of art quilting. I get all tangled up in self-doubt, laziness, fear of failure, and procrastination (just to name a few). BUT, I have good friends who keep throwing me lines of encouragement, offering me their support as I reach for growth, courage, confidence, creativity, artistic expression.

As I worked on this quilt, I had a real "ah ha" moment, the clear understanding that I dishonor my friends as well as myself when I make self-deprecating statements about my skills and abilities.  I am not going to do that anymore. I might still have those feelings; but, I am no longer going to give them voice. I will still need and treasure the support of my friends; but I will accept and honor my own creativity. Not a bad outcome for one quilt do you think?

Here is a detail shot of the quilt.

Did I mention that I am SO THRILLED?

I Did It!

I did it! I made the deadline for a quilt submission to a juried show. AND it was the largest piece I have ever attempted. It was 3'x4'! I know that sounds insignifcant to most of my quilting friends; but believe me, it was monumental for me. I never could or would have done it without the encouragement and support of several good friends. You can't imagine how much that means to me.

I cannot, of course, post a picture of the quilt; but I thought you might like to see my (sometimes) studio aka my dining room. Note that the ironing station, sewing station, and cutting station are all situated within easy reach of one another. No one from "Studios" magazine has not contacted me about doing a spread yet, but I expect a call any day now.

Here is a detail from my quilt. I was really stretching myself on this and WAAAY outside my comfort zone. I started over three times and quit twice. Now I am very glad I kept going as it was a wonderful learning experience. I learned that,unlike Francie, I get real fuzzy staying up into the wee hours of the morning and don't always make wise decisions in that condition. I learned (at the last minute) that not every professional photographer knows about shooting quilts. I learned that it is very hard to get measurements just right and that if you go ahead and cut, without double checking, there is no going back. I learned that I have a lot to learn about what to do with the back of a quilt. Is it ok just to fuse another piece of backing over the mess? Again, I learned that I know some of the most helpful, supportive people on earth. I owe such a debt to my husband who,while under a major allergy attack that would have put me to bed, kept us fed, clean, and laundered during the last week. He is my rock.