QuiltCon Quilt Show Call for Entries
The call for entries for the QuiltCon 2015 Quilt Show opened July 1, 2014 and runs through November 30,2014. The Modern Quilt Guild (MQG) has run a series of blog posts about the Quilt Show:
- QuiltCon Quilt Show: Overview & Choosing Your Quilt
- QuiltCon Quilt Show: Entry Process
- QuiltCon Quilt Show: The Judging Process
I decided to submit 2 of my quilts for consideration: Synesthetic Alphabet and Namibia Trees. I spent quite a bit of time over the weekend working on the “100-word description of the inspiration, story, or making of the quilt.” Culling down the description to only 100 words was very tough, especially for Synesthetic Alphabet. I also tried my best to do my quilts justice with the photography I submitted. I read the MQG’s Photographing Your Quilt blog post several times and enlisted the help of my husband to get my quilts hung level. I used a lot of masking tape on the backside of my quilts to adhere them to our garage wall. It is hard to pick a non-windy day in our area, so even with a lot of tape, there were several times we had to pause the photoshoot to adjust the quilts. And of course, I found a thread in my Namibia Trees close up image as I was reviewing the images on my computer. So, if you decide to submit, realize that it is going to take a bit of time investment to get everything “just so”!
I have no idea what to expect from this process, but I highly encourage you to join me in this fantastic adventure! I would love to see the beautiful quilts that we have made on display in Austin next February. Please consider submitting an entry for the quilt show, even if you are not going to be able to attend QuiltCon (you do not have to be present to win an award for your wonderfully awesome quilt!).
Important QuiltCon 2015 Quilt Show Dates
Announcement and preview: June 15, 2014
Registration open: July 1, 2014-November 30, 2014
Notification by: December 30, 2014
Selected quilts arrive: January 1-18, 2015
Quilts shipped out for return by: March 8, 2015
I would be really excited to have one of my quilts selected for the show, but with so much talent out there (yes, I am looking at YOU), I think that getting up the nerve to submit some of my own work is a pretty big accomplishment!
Below are the final descriptions and photographs for my submitted quilts. I figure that even if they do not get selected, I can enjoy my own mini quilt show of the quilts I am currently the most proud of here on my blog! I hope you enjoy viewing them as much as I enjoyed making them.
Synesthetic Alphabet
52″ wide by 35″ high
My husband has multiple forms of what is known as synesthesia. Synesthesia is an interesting neurological phenomena where sensory experiences are combined. Many synesthetics associate vivid colors with things like letters, days of the week, or smells. In addition, my husband visualizes 3D shapes associated with many things. I designed this quilt to represent his view of the alphabet. The rows left to right, top to bottom, are his letters A through Z. To help represent the 3D way he sees letters, I quilted the outline for each of the letter blocks and surrounded them with dense, square meander quilting.
Synesthetic Alphabet
Synesthetic Alphabet Detail
Namibia Trees
55″ wide by 55″ high
I started this project with a yard of Bella’s Poppy Lind Fabric from which I carefully pre-cut random-ish sized tree blocks. With no real plan, I started adding simple borders. About mid-way through piecing the borders, my husband reminded me of Frans Lanting’s National Geographic photograph of trees in the Namibia desert. I decided to add even more orange to help the framed trees pop in the same way the sand dunes lit by morning sunlight highlight the dead camelthorn trees in Frans Lanting’s photograph. For the quilting, I strove to add more detail framing around the trees.
Namibia Trees
Namibia Trees Detail
*Note that my submitted images to the quilt show did not include my watermark.
We will be watching your progess closely!! Good luck!!
good luck, both of those are wonderful quilts!!!
Oooh this is exciting! I can’t wait to see if they are accepted in! I have two quilts I want to submit, one I haven’t started yet (just got the challenge fabric) and the other is my traveling quilt…so I’ll only submit it if I get it back with enough time to quilt it nicely.
I only recently learned a little about synesthesia from a radio interview. Yes, I lead a sheltered life.
Good luck! Your submission quilts are beautiful, and you definitely did them justice with this photography. I’ll be following along with my fingers crossed for you!
enjoyed this post Yvonne, both look great, coming up with the artists description of them I’d find tough too but you described your intentions in both perfectly. All the best!
They both look great! Your quilting really enhances the designs. Good luck – I hope they both get in, they deserve it!
Good luck! I’d never heard of synesthesia before, so really interesting. Does it make life difficult in any way, is it just association or does it cause confusion with the senses as well?
Good luck!! How excited!! I hope at least one of your quilts is chosen! I am going to QuiltCon and it would be SOOO cool to see your quilts in person! I don’t have any suitable finished quilts, but I’m hoping next year I will have at least one to submit.
I love the Alphabet quilt and especially the personal story behind it. I hope they both get in- fingers crossed!
Your photographs are beautiful. I wish you the best with your submissions.
Good luck! I love them both and hope they both get in. Thanks for the reminder about the submissions, I am planning on submitting a couple and you reminded me that I can’t wait until the last minute 🙂
Good luck! You did a good job with the pics.
I believe you will be very successful. Those two quilts are my favourites too. I am thinking about entering a quilt too, but only thinking 🙂 Good luck Yvonne!
Your synesthetic alphabet quilt just blew my mind. It is beautiful and intriguing, and I want to just keep looking at it. The placement of the squares together with the gradients and the quilting are spot on.
Good luck! They’re both beautiful quilts.
Very cool! How wonderful that you entered. Your photos look great, as do your quilts! Fingers crossed that yours are selected. 🙂
My fingers are crossed for you too Yvonne! All of your quilts are fabulous but these are two of my favs 🙂 Can we vote them in?? 🙂
That description in 100 word thing is not easy! I had to do that for Spin – my first thought was 100 words?? I’m not that long winded!! LOL
Good luck, they are both stunning!
I love Synesthesia! I fell in love with it and that gradient fabric the first time I saw it. Hope you have a great experience entering your first quilt show!