One part inspiration, one part depression

The Dallas Quilt Guild hosted their annual show this weekend and I went down to it with a woman in my ward -- without children.  That's the miracle really.  Abby is almost fully weaned because of a teething strike that really sped up the separation process . . . but that's another story.

Anyway, I made sure to take pictures of the tags this time so that I could post my favorites and give credit where credit is due.  I'm honestly not sure if I still can but since this is a non-profit blog and I am completely in awe of these women (and men), I think it's ok.

And I came home wanting to quilt and also knowing that I can probably never do this (but I can sure try!):

This is free-hand machine quilting!  Free-hand!  No pattern!  I can't even do this with a pencil . . . 

And the entire quilt itself was beautiful: Maureen Moore Scheevel Group and quilted by Martha Tsihlas.

I love red and white and the quilting on this was done by hand:

I cannot believe how tiny those stitches are!  This was by Judith Earp and Iva Grant (quilter).

One of the appliqued seven wonders of the world I think: Mardy Cronister and Richard Larson as quilter -- that name came up on several quilts actually (the quilter).  He does beautiful work.  Probably costs an arm and a leg too . . . 

This amazing piece by Vicki Conley is actually a whole-cloth quilt technically.   The fabric has been painted and then enhanced with quilting.  The grasses, grains in the tree, sky swirls, are all impeccably quilted.  The budding leaves and the flowers in the grass are beads.  I absolutely loved this -- partly because I am a tree fanatic -- but partly because while it is completely gorgeous, it also seems do-able.  Ok except for the painting part.  I can't paint either.  Or quilt like that.  So maybe the only thing I can do is sew beads on.  But that's a start!

Kumiko Frydl is an amazing woman and I don't even know her.  This is one quilt IN A SERIES!!  The whole thing is about as big as my bulletin board (not that big).  The mariner's compass blocks are paper pieced and the flowers are ribbon embroidery.  The quilt is machine quilted with feathering in the corners that are the tiniest, most amazing things.  I cannot imagine the hours that went into this.

Celtic 9 patches by Jaynette Huff uses bias tubes for all those Celtic knots.  That have no beginning and no end.  Oh the drooling that occurred when I saw this one.

Best in Show quilt by Linda Roy called "Icing on the Cake".  I love how quilters name their pieces like artists do.  I should start doing that with my quilts.  

And just a few others that I loved dearly:

"Cathedral Wall" by Susan Whitaker -- I am currently obsessed with cathedral window quilts and I thought this was a fabulous way to do it without doing the entire quilt in cathedral windows.  

"What Was I Thinking" by Judy Poole -- obviously the insanity of biting off more than you can chew worked out for her!

"Inner Beauty" by Cathleen Miller

"Autumn Serenade" by Molly Culp

"Awesome Blossoms" by Joyce Saia -- this one taught me that the crazy fabric can be controlled and beautiful.  Generally I stay away from stuff like that border fabric, but it was fabulous here!

So I almost fell over a few times and almost cried (really I did -- there was a really beautiful tribute quilt to the 9/11 victims that made me tear up) and I took more pictures than you want to know and now I'm sitting in my sewing room / office looking at the projects that need to be finished before I start anything I purchased (not a ton but some cute stuff) and I just want to create for the rest of my life.  But quilting can be an expensive habit.  Why couldn't I have fallen in love with collecting rocks?  Or drawing murals on sidewalks with chalk?  Oh well.  I can't help but love quilting.