Dutchess Heritage Quilt Show

Columbus Day weekend marked my first New York quilt show.  The Dutchess Heritage Quilt Show is every other year in  Poughkeepsie, New York at Dutchess Community College and is put on (mostly) by members of the First Dutchess Quilters (but it’s not technically the guild’s show).

They had a wide variety of vendors (16!) and put on a fashion show and workshops in conjunction with the show.

I entered a few quilts, and was quite pleased with my first showing up here.  I like to enter quilt shows because it’s one of the few places that you can receive true feedback on the quality of your quilting and piecing.  Show and Tell at guilds is great, but it’s purpose is to share and celebrate and inspire (not to critique).  Classes teach a new technique, but don’t necessarily help you learn what you need to learn to improve the techniques you already know.

In the interest of removing some of the mystique from quilt show judging and to help others learn from my lessons, I want to share the comments for my quilts.

Forging Steel quilt with ribbon

The first quilt I entered was my Forging Steel quilt, which is in Make Modern issue 8.  This quilt earned 1st place in Pieced Wall Quilt, a Judge’s Choice award, and a Vendor’s Choice award (Amelia’s Garden).  The comments for this quilt (and all the others in this show) were very in-depth and positively phrased even if referring to improvements.

  • Fabrics lend appeal
  • Unexpected quilting choice add so much visual excitement
  • Very good quilting technique
  • Excellent precision in piecing
  • Excellent binding

Square Dance with ribbons

I also entered Square Dance in the Group Quilt category.  It earned 1st place in the Group Quilt category, and a Vendor’s Choice award (Easy Piecing).  If you like this quilt and want to make your own, my PDF pattern is available on Craftsy here.

  • Wonderful color palette
  • Value placement shows well
  • Piecing is excellent
  • Quilting design in good scale
  • Quilting technique very well done
  • Binding excellent
  • Wonderful interpretation of modern quilt

One of Those Days mini ribbon

One of Those Days was a mini quilt I made a tutorial for that had a few issues, which is probably why it did not do as well.  I earned 3rd place in the Miniature category.  I use a smaller binding for miniatures – a 2″ double fold binding, but I guess should go even smaller in the future.

  • Fabrics and quilting design well chosen to keep scale for miniature
  • Traditional look successfully achieved
  • Excellent piecing and quilting technique
  • Binding, although well secured, should be in scale for miniature

Nature of Purple cropped

I also entered my Nature of Purple quilt in the Pieced Wall quilt category, and this quilt just does not show well.  I also used white thread for part of the piecing before I thought about it.  I switched to purple thread later, but after quilting if you look super close, you can see the white thread a little bit.

  • Modern interpretation is successfully achieved
  • Take care with obtrusive piecing thread
  • Complementary quilting design is successfully achieved
  • Excellent binding

How have your experiences entering a quilt show shaped your quilting?  Has it been a positive experience with valuable feedback, or are there things that you wish had gone differently?

Linking to: Tips and Tutorials Tuesdays @ Late Night QuilterLet’s Bee Social Wednesday @ SewFreshQuiltsWhoop Whoop Fridays @ Confessions of a Quilt Addict

 

Forging Steel Quilt Pattern

Forging Steel Quilt Pattern

I am a covergirl!  Or, at least my quilt is!  Meet my latest pattern: Forging Steel Quilt.

Mm Issue 8 Cover

This is Issue 8 of Make Modern magazine, which was released November 1st.  Forging Steel is large baby/lap sized quilt.  I personally like large baby quilts, so I would not hesitate to use this quilt for that purpose (although this one is going to be all mine!).

Quilt on rock wall closer for web

The block is a spin-off of the traditional anvil block with a border of half square triangles surrounding.  I made this quilt with a variety of Cotton & Steel prints, so combining the historical roots with the modern brand of fabric used, I called it Forging Steel.

Straight View for web

I quilted the background with large spiral loops and then went linear on the inside of the blocks for contrast.  I left the triangles puffy because the puff once again contrasts the heavy quilting elsewhere.  I really love custom quilting contrasts.  The batting is Quilter’s Dream Puff, so it’s nice and light with good loft.  In the background I used Bottom Line, and the inside of the blocks is a minty So-Fine.

I love this quilt, and I hope you do too!  Please share if you make it because I would love to see your version.  The hashtag is #forgingsteelquilt.

Linking to some of the following: Fabric Tuesday @ Quilt StorySew Cute Tuesday @ Blossom Heart QuiltsLinky Tuesday @ Freemotion by the RiverLet’s Bee Social Wednesday @ SewFreshQuiltsNeedle and Thread Thursday @ My Quilt InfatuationFinish it up Friday @ Crazy Mom QuiltsWhoop Whoop Fridays @ Confessions of a Quilt AddictTGIFFFabric Frenzy Friday @ Ft. Worth FabricLink a Finish Friday @ Richard and Tanya QuiltsShow off Saturday at Sew Can She