After so much time... & so much work... From the planning to the prepping to the creating.
The highs of finding that perfect fabric... and the lows when that rats nest surfaces & you are forced to invite the seam ripper to the party.
Turning those doodles into a free motion pattern and then free motion quilting it with far less uneven stitches & hand tension than ever before.
Only another quilter can truly understand the joy of that very last binding stitch!
And the satisfaction of meeting a quilting goal you set for yourself.
I was determined (for the very first time) to enter my quilt in the IQA Houston show. (Thus no pics posted).
And while my DH stood by supportively & was very patient with me about the neglected house and uncooked meals... I know in my heart he could not truly understand why it mattered to me so much... and why I had been quilting nearly nonstop to meet tomorrows submission deadline...
Because, when I told him I was entering just to enter- he thought I was crazy!
How could I not be entering it to win the show?
Win?
I already did. It is my finest work... and while it certainly is not up to the standards expected by the quilt police... (Although the repeated finger pressure needle pricks from hand sewing that darn binding elevate it that direction I suppose)...
Entering was my goal.
A promise not to be yet another UFO.
A forced time commitment.
A submission that helps define me as a quilter.
Now I know what he must have been thinking... all this fabric cluttering things up & you need to fed-ex out an application for a show you don't expect to be a part of?
I could try again to explain that it wasn't about earning a ribbon.
But why bother... As I said... For me, that last stitch WAS my WIN!
OK, so back to my monthly goal. I actually completed 80- 1/4 circles towards my "Dotty" quilt and am ready to attend my June guild meeting to learn the next technique at our guilds newcomers meeting.
2 comments:
well done in getting it finished and for entering. I don't have the courage to enter a quilt for a show so i certainly understand how it's a goal for you! messy house and uncooked meals? Your husband has 2 hands doesn't he?!?
Update... IQA seems to have had so many delays this year... still no catalogues mailed and class registration is this Wednesday! I am away from home for the week, so no paper catalogue is especially frustrating... Fortunately though, while tedious, I have been able to find most workshop projects on teacher websites & pinterest.
The acceptance letters for the IQA show went out a day late and all posting on their fb page were checking repeatedly all day voicing their frustrations. (Me included).
My quilt did not make it in to Houston this year.
I knew it was a long shot. But I am proud to have found the guts to enter... and know I will do so again.
(Hopefully next time... the wait will be less stressful... but somehow I doubt it...)
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