More Houston Quilt Festival fun

After a "brief'" pause for attending my guild's retreat, I'm back with a few more comments about the International Quilt Festival in Houston.
I'll be sharing more quilts as the days go along, but in all honesty, I need a day or two working with the show catalog to get all the correct info attached to the pictures. Giving proper credit to the quilt makers is always important.

"Seasonal Sisters" by Gail Thomas, Annette M. Hendricks, and Helen Godden of Vernon, , BC, Canada. (The World of Beauty Award, $7,500 sponsored by TheQuiltShow.com)

What could be more wonderful than three quilting sisters standing in front of their award-winning quilt? They claimed their faces hurt from smiling so much... and they were still smiling hours later when I saw them in the lobby of the Hilton. And I can understand why!

To see pictures of all the winning quilts, you can go to the International Quilt Association site http://www.quilts.org/winners.html

There are so many things going on at Festival, it's impossible to do them all. Several "make-it & take-it" classes and demos were set up in the show or vendors' areas.

Making quilts for orphans in Addis Abada, Ethiopia, is a project sponsored by June Colburn and Noreen Fling. You could make some blocks at this sit & sew, using sewing machines sponsored by Janome. I'll be talking more about this project, "Quilts Beyond Borders", as I have several friends involved. Noreen told me they hope to have a very well-known person to be sharing the children's needs with his large group of fans, but I can't tell until it happens! (hint: are you a member of the posse?)

"Olama" by Susan Shie of Wooster, OH

The "Patchwork Politics" special exhibit featured both serious and humorous quilts with political themes. I am a great fan of Susan Shie's work (visit her Turtle Moon studio to enjoy more!) and was delighted to see this one, as well as another in the SAQA exhibit "Masters: Art Quilts". The 2007 work above uses an air pen for her journaling method, while the garden themed quilt in the in the Masters exhibit was written in hand embroidery, her original method. Everyone seems to agree the air pen writing is much better for her hands!
No photography allowed in the Masters exhibit (and a few others)!
But there is a beautiful book from Lark Books called "Masters: Art Quilts Major Works by Leading Artists" Martha Sielman, author and curator, which more than covers the quilts shown at the Festival. If you like art quilts, this is a wonderful book with all color pictures, over 300 pages and a fantastic price!

I include the follwing for A. CoffeeQueen:

The breakfast of champions! Champion show-attendees, that is. ACQ missed the Houston show for the first time in a few years, and I know she will feel better seeing that the Starbuck's was well supported. I wish I could have shared this banana bread with her.
It was all consumed by the time Cherry-Cherry made it through the line with her scone (sorry...no scone photo available). That's the difference between ordering a black coffee and a mocha-latte.
If only CC had realized, she'd have taken the plain coffee, too.

Houston...we have a problem....

Dawn greets the George R. Brown Convention Center, Houston, TX, as seen from the ninth floor of the Hilton.

The trip to the Houston International Quilt Festival was a great success! ....except that I could not get my laptop to work and so I was unable to share it all with you.

Now we try to play catch-up.

Except I am on my way out again tomorrow for my guild's annual retreat. Not even enough time for a load of laundry!

But that's OK. After I get home from that, I have another 7 days before I go on the next retreat. This is why I am so far behind...I seem to be constantly retreating!

But before I go, here are a few quick views of the goings-on in Quiltland:

It's early morning on opening day, and the crowd is lined up all around the Convention Center. There are lots of buses coming and going...even some stretch limos and a bicycle "rickshaw! Quilters from all over the world truly make this an international experience.

Spirit of Mother Earth by Sharon Schamber

This what it's like trying to get a close up view of the Best of Show! Somewhere in there is the talented Sharon Schamber, talking about her quilt and answering what are probably the same questions over, and over, and over.
All the top award quilts are hung at the front of the hall, and many times the makers were right there with them. If I'd won an award, I'd be doing the same thing!
Of course, the trick is, you have to actually enter a quilt (and have it selected) to win!

Sorry for the big glare...I also failed at trying to turn off the flash!

Next to the Best of Show, I know you want to see the fabulous vendors' mall, where 1100 booths were going full blast (that number is not an exaggeration!) with all the latest fabrics, threads, notions and things you never even dreamed of.

I had a very good time...and worked very hard!...in the Hobbs Bonded Fibers booth, so I got a chance to be part of several different aspects of the Festival.
I guess I'll have to try harder about that entry thing! Or even having a booth at the Quilt Market for the shop owners, the week before the Festival.

There will be more on this later...and a post about the guild's retreat, too.
But for now, I also have to say HAPPY ANNIVERSARY to Patchwork Pie, which started one year ago "as a little Halloween treat for myself".
This is also my 100th post, and I'd like to thank everyone who has popped in from time to time to see what they might find.
You still have time to enter the wall hanging drawing by leaving a comment! I'll do that on November 8.
I am looking forward to another exciting year of quilting and stumbling my way into new technology on my need-to-know basis.
If there's something you'd like to see or read about, please let me know!

And now it's time to change my calendars to November, turn the clocks back an hour...which will end up being the same as the time I was on in Houston....then get to bed.

Houston Hoo-Doo Redeux Tour

This jacket is going to Houston...because I'll be wearing it on the plane tomorrow, as Cherry-Cherry & I take off on the Houston Hoo-Doo Redeux Tour!

Friends know that any trip is enhanced by having a catchy name (such as the Wild Hair Tour to Ohio). When we went to Houston the first time, four years ago, it was the Houston Hoo-Doo Tour...thereby this visit became the "Houston Hoo-Doo REdeux Tour"!

The original mid-morning flight straight to Houston got rescheduled as an early morning flight to Dallas, a 4-hour layover, and then into Houston at the same time.

We booked the tickets a long time ago to avoid higher fuel charges (check) and did it before the baggage fees went into effect (also check), so I guess the bottom line is you end up paying one way or another!

I hear there are 14 Starbucks in the Dallas airport.

Our plan is to find some place comfy and have a looooong brunch.

Ye Olde Laptop is accompanying me, so I hope to send you some pictures each evening and news from the show.

Cherry-Cherry and I will be working in the Hobbs Batting booth (# 328 & 429) as a new adventure in quilt show attending, and we have several lectures scheduled.

So watch for a report late tomorrow about the Preview...the show opens early to those who are registered for events!

And don't forget...leave me a comment to get in the drawing for the Wild Roses wall hanging!
See the Oct. 6 post for details...help me celebrate the first anniversary of Patchwork Pie and the 100th post!

Judging or Judgemental?

please respect the rights of the quiltmakers and do not copy these photos

When you enter a judged quilt show, you will receive some sort of feedback. You may agree or disagree, but the comments are about your quilt, not you as a human being.
However, that seems to be the biggest fear quilters express when it comes to showing their quilts..."I don't want to be judged!"


Kimono 2 by Beverly Hilton of Gainesville, FL has many different techniques done well!


Recently I read this statement in an article on leadership from Kevin Eikenberry's site: "When giving feedback are your statements largely observational or judgmental? If you try to pass judgement off as fact you risk being wrong and setting a stage for defensiveness, resistance or worse. "
I thought this got to the matter I was trying to address by choosing a two-comment form. I simply wanted to share my observations with the quilters. If I suggested they "might want to think about binding technique" it was because the corners could have been mitered, or the edge of the quilt could have filled up the binding, or the binding stitches could have been tighter.
Did any of that ruin the quilt? No.
Did I expect anyone to go back and "fix" that quilt? No.
The idea was to give the quilter a chance to think of doing things differently the next time...or not! Each quilt you make is yours to make your way.


Cornucopia by Mary Kostewicz, Gainesville, FL. There two other quilts in the show using the same pattern. Colors and quilting made them all different.

Judging is not an easy task. Many times when you receive a comment that seems petty or picky, it's because your work was so good that the comments came down to small details. A picky point means you are doing quite well.
You can decide if you want to push your work on to an even "higher" level.
Or, like me, you may just want to get it done and rush on to the next one!
Whatever the judge says is just an observation about that particular quilt, in the minute or two it was being looked at.



Sara's Garden by Lee Starr of Lake City, FL. A simple but very well pieced quilt can do very well when compared to ones who missed the corners.



Usually the judge finishes the job and then leaves town.
I was also giving two lectures, so I overheard a few questions about the judging....often from people who had no idea I was the judge!
I told a few people, with a straight face, that the judge was blind.
In the course of hanging the ribbons, it became a humorous situation when we had to move some of the ribbons so they would show up against a different part of the quilt. The blue ribbons were on blue quilts, the red ones on red quilts, and the white or yellow third places seemed to be matching their quilts!
Of course, I also offered this as the "method" the judge used for deciding which quilts got ribbons!
Then I would have a nice discussion about what might make one quilt an award winner when another quilt seemed just as good. Many people are so taken with the quilt's appearance they never really consider the minor details...and that's what the difference comes down to between two fabulous quilts!




The Deer in My Backyard by Ann Ogeltorth of Lake City was a huge favorite at the show.



It was a real privilege to be able to examine at so many (168!) quilts and give thought to the way they were made. It lead to some personal growth (facing and setting aside any bias) and some inspiration to improve a few of my own lazy habits! It helped to sharpen my eye and to confirm a suspicion or two (yes, it turned out that there were a couple of vintage tops that had been finished recently!).


Christmas in Baltimore by Jill Allen of McIntosh, FL, really was the best quilt there!


And the Best of Show?
It was not a style I would ever make, nor colors I like to use. It was not the quilt I would have chosen to take home. But it was the most incredibly made, beautifully handquilted, perfectly appliqued quilt in the show, and had an attention to detail that was beyond all the others (the points of the flowers fit into the sawtooth border at the corners). So it won!

And now I am finished talking about judging...it's time to get ready for HOUSTON...the biggest quilt party of them all!

Why Children's Quilts Should Not Be Judged

Part of the "Children's Helping Hands" category which had didvisions for ages 4-8, 9-13, and 14-18. Can you tell what the ages of the makers were?

Many people on the business side of quilting are concerned that not enough young people are taking up the fabric habit.

Many quilters would like to see their younger family members show some interest in the joy of creating with their own hands.

So, often quilt shows have a category for Young Quilters to encourage them by providing an opportunity to show their work. We all know children enjoy being recognised for their efforts...we do, too!

When children are in school and have a spelling bee, it's easy to know who has done their homework. In gym class, they can compete in races and other athletic events where the competition happens in front of everyone.

These are the kind of contests where performance is witnessed, and the important life-lessons of winning and losing are relatively fair.

Even a science fair project, where adults may be involved more than should be allowed, can be judged, as that "assistance" can be considered when giving the awards.

But in a quilt show, the only thing in consideration is the quilt itself.

The judge rarely knows who the the quilter is (and if so, has to ignore any knowledge of that person), and cannot make any personal assumptions. The judge can only look at the quilt, and how it is made.

There is absolutely no way to tell how much work a child has done and how much was done by an adult.

This quilt was made by a five year old

A competent 7 year old can do better work than a 15 year old who is sewing for the first time, so age divisions are meaningless.

Most young people making a first quilt need some amount of guidance...but what were their own choices, and what was provided by an adult, or a kit?

How much of the basting, quilting and binding were done by someone other than the stated maker?

Now, these things are not bad in themselves.

It is a joy to work with a grandchild or young neighbor and complete a project.

A new artist could even be born that way...or at least a person who knows the satisfaction of creating a useful item!

It's just that it is not fair to JUDGE the quilt, even if adult help was allowed in the rules.

One of these quilts was made entirely by a nine year old boy. The other was made almost entirely by a grandmother. Who deserves a ribbon when only the quality of the quilt itself can be judged?

A child's quilt completed by an adult quiltmaker is not fair competion for a quilt made entirely by a youngster. When a ribbon is awarded for what is actually an adult's contribution, it is telling the child who did his/her own work that it's OK to cheat...or that if you do all your own work, you will lose (often again).

So let's encourage the young quiltmakers by showing their quilts, regardless of how much help they had. Let's give them a ribbon for sharing their accomplishments. They can all have a ribbon, even a gift bag or other acknowledgement.

Let's celebrate their entry into the world of creating and making, and also the satisfaction that comes with working together.

And some day when they're older, and they decide they have the skills to compete fairly...let them enter the show as equal quiltmakers.

I am looking forward to what they will do!

Amateur Quilt Show Judge

please respect the rights of the quiltmakers and do not copy these pictures.... Part of the Innovative Quilts category at the Suwannee River Quilt Show 10/08

Although I do have 26 years of experience with making quilts and teaching quiltmaking, I have described myself as an "amateur quilt show judge" because I do not have NQA certification.
Much work and training goes into the certification process, and the best judges also take additional classes to keep updated on changes in the world of quilting. When they do a critique, you are getting some qualified feed back.

In the Summer issue of Professional Quilter magazine, Scott Murkin (NQA certified) wrote a great article about judging. He mentions that it is not a judge's job to teach, but to comment on the quilt at hand.

Being a professional teacher, when I was asked to judge the Suwannee River Quilt Show last week I had a slightly different idea about my task. Instead of a detailed form with a rating system, as used in most shows, I came up with a format I thought would be both fair and helpful.

What a delight to give first place in Group Quilts: Small/Medium to the

Children's Library Quilt from Starke, FL (entered by Dorothy Bartlett)

Listening to quilters talk over the years, they seem to have a fear of being judged. It's hard to separate your self from your work, after pouring so many hours into it.
But isn't it also good to have someone knowledgeable point out how you could make your work even better?

I decided to keep things simple and made a two-comment form.
After a note thanking the quilter for taking part in the show, the first statement was "Something really good about your quilt is..." and then came "Something you may want to think about is..."

So far, four days after the show, I have received no death-threats, so maybe I managed to come up with a good idea.

Each quilt has a story, and the fact that it is hanging in a show means the maker had something to share. We have been so trained to modesty, and so quick to point out faults before someone else can beat us to them, that it's often hard to admit to real pleasure in seeing our work on display.

I truly enjoyed commenting on one thing that I thought was good about each quilt. I hope the things I chose were ones that the quilter liked, too.

This is one of my Judge's Choice awards...a very simple scrappy quilt made fabulous by the vibrant turquoise sashing! Untitled by Marcia Wallace of Starke, FL.



For the "thing to think about", I just wanted to nudge the maker to consider learning a new technique or taking time to do better work. I am pretty sure that everyone knows what they really need to improve upon. I also am sure they did the quality of work entered because that's just what they pulled off for that particular quilt. The scribe wrote on her own entry's form "finished is good"...not the nice things I did say!
I know the thing I often think is "Well, that's as much time as I feel like putting into this quilt!" and off I go onto the next one. My choice is to make more quilts, as opposed to making the Best of Show quilt.**
So I'm hoping my "think about" comments were met with just that...and the thought could well be "I meant to do it that way!"


**oh, please don't even get me started on those wonderful quilters who manage to make both the Best of Show and lots more! I will just continue to stay out of their way and admire them!

Quilts Upon the Suwannee River

I am home again after 5.5 days of fun with quilts & quilters at the Suwannee River Quilt Show, at the Stephen Foster State Park in White Springs, FL.
That includes the two days it took to judge the show, and two days when I gave lectures. I'll have more to say about that, but meanwhile, how is this for a quilt show location?.....

No, it's not My Old Kentucky Home...it's the Museum!

There were quilts in several buildings, but let's take a peek inside here...

The spacious center hall allows visitors to walk along two rows of quilts

What an elegant setting for a show! This building was made to house a collection of antique pianos, and around the walls are dioramas honoring Stephen Foster's most famous songs...butI will save the history lessons for another post! I just wanted to give you a taste of this setting.

The Yellow Room at one end of the Museum...

This is the "Innovative" category, a good alternative term for "art quilts". Entries were mostly on the small size. Small quilts invite a close inspection...there is no place to hide imperfection!

....and the Pink Room is at the other end!

The rest of the quilts in the Museum were in the Medium Pieced category. Since this includes most lap quilts, the largest number of entries (48) showed up here.
There were 168 judged quilts, two challenge collections, and 11 vendors.

Check in again tomorrow for some more pictures, and perhaps my explaination (rant?) about Why Children's Quilts Should Not Be Judged!