March 4, 2014 Guild Meeting
The roll of batting may have gone to SeaBreeze Chapter, but we all were winners this Tuesday night as the Guild provided 2,690 colorful pillowcases to ConKerr Cancer rep, Judy Buchner. We're not sure what the total weight was, but at ConKerr Cancer's fair value estimate of $7.50 per pillowcase, our offering equates to $20,175. Way to go for the Guild members who put their hearts, souls and fabric into this very worthy project.
Judy, from the Florida Tampa Bay Chapter of ConKerr Cancer, said that last year they were able to provide pillowcases to two (one-week) sessions of seriously ill children at Camp Boggy Creek; with our donation, they'll be able to provide a pillowcase to every child this year. The Tampa Bay Chapter also provides pillowcases to All Children's Hospital, Shriners Hospitals for Children, St. Joseph's Children's Hospital of Tampa, Tampa General Hospital, Ronald McDonald House, Lakeland Regional Medical Center, Sarasota Memorial Hospital and Lakewood Ranch Medical Center.
Congratulations and a hearty thank you go to Carol Riggs (Allamanda) for suggesting the challenge to then Guild President Alice Nicholas, and to Alice for taking her up on that idea and bringing the challenge to Chapter Presidents. Barbara Connolly coordinated the project at SeaBreeze and accepted the prizes of a roll of batting and a framed photo of the signature red high tops that have become synonymus with Ryan Kerr and ConKerr Cancer for SeaBreeze's contribution of 506 pillowcases.
ConKerr Cancer Pillowcase Challenge
© 2011-2014 Quilting Guild of The Villages, Inc. (FL). Permission granted to copy and distribute within quilting guilds, quilting newsletters or to students in quilting classes.
Susan Woodbury, Mamie's; Workshop Piping
Barbe Brolley, Piecemakers; Bargello Sq variation
Marge Jensen, Mulberry; Patriotic Angel Quilt
Susie Lavin, Lake Miona; Grannie Suz' workshop
Joyce Brace, Laurel Manor; Three Tours
Great idea for a label !!!
Doris Woodward, Mulberry; Charity Quilt
Jackie Perez, Laurel Manor ... Beautiful colors
In case you've always wondered what a tuffet looks like . . .
Little Miss Muffet
Sat on a tuffet,
Eating her curds and whey;
Along came a spider,
Who sat down beside her
And frightened Miss Muffet away.
The author remains unknown, although it was found in a book printed in the early-1800s.
This is what 2,690 pillowcases look like
Up close they are very colorful
... and they were a ton of fun to make!
Some were hiding around the corner
ConKerr Cancer, "A case for smiles"
L>R: Judy Buchner, Carol Riggs, Alice Nicholas, Barbara Connolly
MOLLY WADDELL: Quilter, Teacher, Certified Quilt Judge
Molly Waddell, will again be a judge at our next Showcase of Quilts, 2015. Everyone at the meeting was interested in her comments about judging. She explained that a certified judge will provide a positive and constructive critique of every quilt viewed. Molly encourages every quilter to submit a quilt to a show, saying that judging is not a negative process. Rather, it is designed to help quilters improve their skills. Reading some of the reviews she received from her own early quilt show experiences, she pinpointed some of the common problems all quilters face: from mismatched corners to wavy borders.
All quilts are not judged against all other quilts. Rather, each quilt is viewed for its composition, the skill shown in the stitching, the complexity of the design, etc. Although it didn't come up and she didn't say it, this is also why you'll see that more than one quilt may receive the same level of ribbon in a category at a quilt show. Take a look at the tribute pages on this website with pictures of award winning quilts from our 2011 and 2013 Showcase of Quilts and you'll see what we mean (linked in under Showcase).
Also important to consider is that quilt show categories reflect the various types, sizes and ways quilts are made. In response to a question, Molly said a modern quilt, for example, would not (should not) be judged against a more traditionally constructed quilt. This is why shows have categories, because even in a "traditional show" if one exists, the judges do not, for example, compare machine quilting against hand quilting; they are separate categories so the skill of each type of composition is evaluated on its merits.
What makes a winner? An award winning quilt will have a combination of artfully arranged color, an evenly quilted surface that enhances the overall look or design, skilled piecing or applique stitching, straight binding of uniform width around the front and back (but not necessarily the same width on front and back) and bindings must have batting to the edge (do not apply so much binding fabric that it is "flat" at the outer edge). The quilt should be even, meaning the width across the top should be the width across the bottom; and the sides should be equal lengths (unless you are making some sort of art quilt in another shape altogether). If you are hand quilting, the length of the stitches on the front must be the same length on the back. Judges do take the complexity of a quilt into consideration but a complicated piecing that is poorly quilted is not going to be a winner. Oh, and please remember that a quilt must be clean: free of pet hair and not smelling of tobacco smoke or perfume.
www.mollywaddell.com
Joan Keltner, Quilt Cruise items
Pat O'Connor, Allamanda; Large purse
Pat O'Connor, Allamanda; Small project purse
Sunset Pointe Chapter members deserve a special award for making these wonderful little (well, not so little) footstools. What a fun project that must have been. Take a look at their January 2014 photos linked in at Sunset Pointe Chapter's homepage. How can you look at a tuffet and not smile and want one for yourself?! Thanks to those who shared: Gail Commings, Linda Griffo, Cheryle Hahnfeld, Maryann Kayas, Eileen Kelly, Linda Konstanty, Margo McGinnis, Marva Nickson and Regina Wolf.
And for those who wonder what to do with one of those giant project bags, take a close look at the photo above, right. It held that tuffet perfectly!
