Sounds Suspicious

I got an email yesterday from someone named Sarah who does a quilting newsletter in Lancaster, PA. She said that Bonnie B. (a bigwig in the American Quilter's Society) referred her to me because I have "an amazing quilt in the show this year". Sarah wanted me to answer some questions so she could put my comments and the photo of my quilt in her newsletter. I was happy to oblige, any publicity is good publicity for me, because I guess I'm going to start doing my business again and need to get my name out there again.

Anyway, now I am very suspicious. Why did Bonnie B. tell Sarah about this particular quilt, and say it was amazing? I don't want to get my hopes up, but I wonder if I will be winning some sort of an award. At the very least, I can feel happy to know that Bonnie B. thought my quilt is great.

Here are my answers for her newsletter:


1. What’s the story behind this quilt?

Five-Thirty A.M.

2009
53” w x 54” h

For four years, I have left my house each weekday at 5:30 am to be a volunteer teacher of high-school students at our church. Every school day the religion class is held at 6:00 a.m.

The quilt shows my car leaving my house (with the lights on). All the other houses I drive past have dark windows. Then at the bottom of the quilt, my car reaches the lighted church, which is surrounded by the cars of the students.

I attended these early-morning religion classes in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as a youth, and all of our six children have attended throughout their high school years.

One of the goals every year is for the students to memorize 25 selected scriptures. I have machine-quilted many of those "scripture masteries" all over this quilt.



2. How long did it take you to make it? I made it a little at a time over a few years. The curved piecing was actually left over from another quilt that I made in 2003, but it took me awhile to figure out that I wanted to make the curved portions into neighborhood streets with houses on them.

3. How long have you been quilting, and how did you get into it? I've been quilting since 1985, and have taught nationally since 2001.

4. Is this your first time entering a quilt into the American Quilter’s Society Quilt Show & Contest? No. "In the Beginning" was a contestant in Paducah in 2001. "Make an Appointment", Paducah, 2002. "Groovy Basket of Blessings", Paducah, 2004. "Five-Thirty A.M" and "He Loves Me" are contestants in Lancaster in 2010.

5. As a quilter, are there any other recognitions you have received?

Awards at National Quilt Competitions:

MidAtlantic Quilt Festival: First Place Theme, 1999
Pennsylvania National Quilt Extravaganza: Judge's Choice 2001
MidAtlantic Quilt Festival: Honorable Mention 2002
World Quilt and Textile: Viewers Choice 2002
Pacific International: Judge's Choice 2003
Mid Atlantic Quilt Festival: Judge's Choice 2007


6. What are you looking forward to most about your stay in Lancaster County? I regret not being able to attend this year.

7. Where do you find your inspiration for quilting? One of my strangest inspirations is the desire to use up fabric or "UFOs" (unfinished objects). This quilt, "Five-Thirty A.M" was started by trying to use up scraps from a previous quilt entitled "Sunday Morning".

I started piecing together all those brightly-colored fabrics, and then used my curvaceous piecing technique to make long curvy borders in between 1/2 yard pieces of dark hand-dyed fabric. When looking at it, I decided it looked like neighborhood streets, so I made a bunch of fusible-appliqued houses to put on it. Since it looked like a night sky, I realized I could make it into the story of myself driving to church early every morning to teach my religion class.

8. What’s next for you creatively or technically with quilting (your aspirations or goals)? In the past 2 years, I made a goal to finish every UFO in my stash, so I finished 18 quilts/wallhangings and made 7 baby quilt tops (to be quilted later when grandkids arrive). I still have one long-term project that has been in the works for 10 years, and after that is done, the sky is the limit. I can start whatever I want!