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

 

Baby Square Dance

I’ve shown some pictures of this quilt in progress, and as just a top (between Instagram – QA Creations and the blog), but it’s finished!  This is the 10″ block version of my Square Dance Quilt pattern (available on Craftsy).

Baby Square Dance Front

This quilt is my entry for the Spring 2015 Blogger’s Quilt Festival – Small Quilt group.  This quilt is about 40″ by 40″.

Baby Square Dance Back

Many of the blocks in this quilt were made by members of my Quilting Circle – a wonderful group that I was a member of here in North Carolina.  I did a paper piecing demo for the group, and then we all started work on these blocks.

I had brought the fabric pre-cut so that the group could concentrate on learning paper piecing.  This was all fabric from my stash that was begging to turn into something cute and useful.

Baby Square Dance WiP

I was very impressed by how good these blocks turned out considering many of the ladies had never paper pieced before. I took the blocks we made together, and added a few more so that I would have enough to create the top.

Boy 10inch square dance

I quilted the Bauhaus panto all over using blue thread.  I love this pattern for masculine quilts.

Baby Square Dance Quilting Closeup

I was a little rushed finishing this quilt!  Sunday is my last meeting with the Tarheel quilt guild, so I was under a deadline to finish it and turn it in.  I may be stitching the label on during the meeting… we’ll see if I get it on in the next 18 hours or so.

This quilt is going to the Fayetteville Tarheel Quilt Guild and will be donated to the NICU at the hospital.  I hope that a family really cherishes this quilt, and that it brings them comfort during their stay with the NICU.

– Heather

Also sharing at Sew Cute Tuesday @ Blossom Heart QuiltsScraptastic Tuesday @ She Can QuiltLet’s Bee Social Wednesday @ SewFreshQuiltsFinish it up Friday @ Crazy Mom QuiltsWhoop Whoop Fridays @ Confessions of a Quilt AddictTGIFFFabric Frenzy Friday @ Ft. Worth FabricShow off Saturday at Sew Can She

 

Square Dance Quilt Pattern

Paper pieced pattern includes photographic instructions and offers three block sizes and six quilt sizes for maximum value!

I have been working on this quilt pattern for over a year, and I’m really excited to be able to share it with you today!  The Square Dance Quilt Pattern is now available in my Craftsy store.

Square Dance pattern Cover

This is a paper pieced version of a traditional block – one of the traditional names for this block is Square Dance, and I thought it was the most appropriate name for the quilt once you see the overall movement created by the blocks.

Square Dance Quilt

I experimented with many different sizes of blocks, and the result of that work is that this pattern includes 6″, 8″ and 10″ versions.  I also tried a 4″ version, but it’s not practical for a quilt of any size!  The instructions include fabric requirements to make 6 quilt sizes (Baby/Crib, Lap, Twin, Double, Queen, and King) from all three block sizes.

This paper pieced block is a great introduction to paper piecing!  I used this pattern to teach a group to paper piece and was very impressed by their results in a couple of short hours.  A full color photo tutorial on how to paper piece is included with this pattern, so if you are new to paper piecing this is a great way to get started.

The cover quilt uses the 8″ version of the block.

Square Dance Quilt

I had help making some of the blocks from my bee last year – the 2014 Stash Bee Hive 12.  For this version, I custom quilted it and entered it in the North Carolina State Fair, where it earned 2nd place in the competitive Group category.

Square Dance Quilt

Sharon of ShaShaLaRue Quilts also made a Frolic Square Dance Quilt.  She can also be found on Facebook or on Instagram @ShaShaLaRueQuilts.  Her playful version demonstrates the versatility of this block because this is perfect for a crib or baby’s playroom!

FroclicSquareDance_SChalle171 copy

The 6″ version is also great for Sampler Quilts or bee blocks because if you make 4 of them, it results in a 12.5″ unfinished block, which is what so many samplers or bees ask for!

Square Dance in red

I made the block above to add to my “real world red & white” quilt.

My guild, the Tarheel Quilter’s Guild in Fayetteville, NC makes quilts for the NICU.  Our local hospital likes the quilts to be approximately 40″ square, so I used 16 of the 10″ blocks and made the little boy version of the quilt below.  This quilt is made up of blocks made by my Quilting Circle – most of whom had never paper pieced before!

Boy 10inch square dance

In order to create variation like the cover quilt, a variety of fabric should be used.  This quilt would also look amazing in just two colors, or invert the color scheme.  Use any combination you can dream for your own look!

You can make any of the block sizes or quilt sizes using fat quarters, half yards or full yards so this quilt is stash friendly!

The pattern is available in my Craftsy store – Quilts Actually Patterns.  It is on sale through Mother’s Day (May 10th, 2015) for $7.50.

If you make this quilt, please share it with the hashtag #squaredancequilt or by tagging me @QACreations.  You can also email me pictures or a link to your blog post at quilts actually(at)gmail.com.  I would love to see what you make!

– Heather

Linking up to some of the following: Fabric Tuesday @ Quilt StorySew Cute Tuesday @ Blossom Heart QuiltsScraptastic Tuesday @ She Can QuiltLet’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 Fabric, and Show off Saturday at Sew Can She.

 

Stash Bee Square Dance Quilt

This year I participated in the Stash Bee, an online bee made up quilters all over the world.  I was in Hive 12, and my month was May.  I asked the members of my hive to make me blocks from my Square Dance quilt block tutorial using the paper piecing pattern that I created for this project (now available on Craftsy).

Custom longarm quilting

Here she is – in all her glory!  The members of my hive did such an amazing job with their blocks.  The variety that they added to this quilt is what really makes it shine!  I will really enjoy sitting on the couch cozying up with this quilt this winter knowing that so many people helped make this quilt happen.

A huge thank you to Heather, Cheryl, Jennifer, Michele, Kristel, Laura, Toni, Genevieve, Francis and Willa!

Quilting progress

Above are some pictures of the quilting in progress.  To see more pictures, please see my Quilts Actually blog post about the quilting of this Square Dance quilt.

quilt binding

This quilt was a little rushed because I was working to complete it before the fair.  The binding and I spent some late nights, a lot of time in front of the TV, and an all day guild meeting together in order for it to get done.

Hand sewn quilt binding

It was worth all the work though… I finished it in time to enter it in the North Carolina State Fair, where we earned 2nd place in the Group quilt category!  I’m going to say we were robbed… just kidding… I didn’t actually see the 1st place quilt, so the possibility does exist that it was better.

State Fair Quilt

Once I was able to pick up the quilt after the fair, it seemed like everyday was sunny or rainy so it I had to wait quite awhile for a nice overcast day to take proper photos.  Luckily, our fall colors were at their peak, making a nice backdrop.

Square Dance Quilt

The back of the quilt really shows the quilting in detail.  I also added a few extra blocks in a strip along the bottom.  I love that little pop at the bottom!  I was also quite proud of myself for adding the hanging sleeve right away (granted…it was forced because I wanted to enter it in the fair), but usually I wait forever and don’t have any backing fabric leftover to use.  The sleeve looks so much nicer in matching fabric!

Note to self: make the hanging sleeve when you first finish the quilt from now on.

Custom quilting

This is my Stash Bee Square Dance with my miniature quilt Square Dance.  These two quilts have earned a few second place finishes – North Carolina State Fair, Quilting in the Pines Quilt Show, and Floral Fantasy Quilt Show.

Award winning quilts

Finally, a photoshoot out-take…  My daughter was “helping” to arrange the quilts just like mom.  Maybe I have a future quilter on my hands!  Or a photographer…

little girl quilt

Thanks for stopping by!

-Heather

Linking up to whoever has the link up post this week of the following:

Anything Goes MondayFabric Tuesday @ Quilt StorySew Cute Tuesday @ Blossom Heart QuiltsLet’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 FabricShow off Saturday at Sew Can SheSewing Saturday at Simple Simon & CoStash Bee Link Up