2014 Quilt Reflections - A Wrap!

OK it may not have started off on the right foot or should it be the hand?  See a couple of weeks ago I was out shopping on a very windy day and the van door slammed into my left hand and bruised me badly.  While the swelling was apparent the pain was minimal but with reduced swelling the pain increased so I got it checked out.  Basically I've a chip floating around inside of the left wrist knuckle and movement is painful - so it's in a cast with the hopes of it reattaching itself without surgery.  My first permanent one so far and with the nuisance it is - it better be the last one!!!

Anyways I did get my needlecases ready for the show and managed to sell a fair number and a table runner but not my large twin red/white/black quilt nor my coffee sleeves. Neither did I win any prizes for my two wall hangings but it was AWESOME to hear the positive comments from the public while walking around myself.  I just checked my critique and both earned 84 points and most of the comments were positive and a couple of suggestions that might have garnered me more points.  I'm happy with them.

Ode to Tommy T - retirement gift

Sandy Hook Evening - Jan's retirement gift

Saturday evening was the banquet, a family outing for me and with friends plus an inspiring trunk show by fabric artist Elaine Quehl from Ottawa - here are a couple of her show n tell items that I just loved.

niece Pat and mom Sylvia (my sister)

Elaine Quehl's hostas

Elaine Quehl's poppies

I can tell you it was quite exciting and even shocking for me to see the play on the bids for the Challenge Quilts (a fund raiser for the Laura Milner White Project) especially on my own Prairie Scape.  This was my first attempt at a torn fabric strips landscape and with many trials and one restart I was very tempted to just garbage the project - but family and friends told me to just hang in there - someone will think it's awesome!  Well I did finally solve my problem and the end result turned out better than I thought.  I can tell you I was ecstatic when the bid hit $60, then $100 I was tickled pink, then $120 - WOW!!! and finally ended at $150 and I was in AWE and so happy!!!  I was even lucky to be present when the highest bidder stepped forward to pay and take home her prize - I asked for a picture and here it is.

Marion J highest bidder for my
Prairie Scape torn fabric strip hanger
in memory of Heather Lair's fabric creativity

Sunday was a very busy day with the various draws before the end of another wonderful quilt show and conference.  Finally it was time for the Quilt Raffle Draw - the committee I had stepped forward to help with.

Thank you speech - short n sweet

Helen, MPQ President, making the draw

And the "winner" is . . . 

Doreen S - MPQ member - she was surprised!

There's so much work to get the programs in place for the Show and Conference and before you know it the three day event is over and the energy bubble seems to have burst and everyone is exhausted.  Then there are the wrap up reports etc to get done too.  One quilter even commented that the second day seems to be worse yet!  I think I agree with her too.

Well working on a Committee, albeit not a high impact one, was still very wearing on me especially with only one decently working arm.  I did manage to overuse the casted arm which caused some discomfort/swelling but I'll survive with some taking it easy this week. And a quiet weekend hopefully!  OH and I didn't do too much damage to my pre-retirement budget - I exercised some hard to do restraint!!!  LOL!!!