Exciting News for Me

I got some really exciting news recently--I will have a quilt in Quilt National '21! The email said, "Congratulations! Your quilt, Journey of the Painted Ladies, has been selected by our jury to participate in Quilt National '21. Acceptance into this show is a great honor, as the jurors have been very selective to ensure a compelling and diverse exhibition that highlights excellence in contemporary quilts." I have been driving to St. Charles, MO, (The Foundry) to see the traveling QN exhibit any time it was there. Every time I have seen it, I have been in awe of the talent I see in the work exhibited. When my husband would ask why QN is SO special, I always told him that QN is the "Super Bowl of Art Quilting." He was a "sports guy," so he understood that analogy. Needless to say, I am excited and humbled that my quilt will be in an exhibit with artists I admire SO much.

This is the quilt that was selected. (I hope, if you get a chance, you will come to see it in person.)

This is a closeup.

I have worked on this quilt for several years. I originally was shooting for QN '19. (The exhibit is an every-other-year affair.) That meant that the quilt would have had to be finished before the fall of 2018. As you know, 2018 was NOT a good year for me. (My Dad and step-Mom both died, and Nate was diagnosed with cancer.) Needless to say, the quilt did not get finished in time. 2019 was no better--Nate was still ill and died in June. I went into a creative funk, and the quilt did not get finished in 2019 either. Because of the issues occurring in 2020, I found myself at home, alone, with a lot of time on my hands. I decided to begin work on this quilt once again. FINALLY, it was finished in August or September (I can't remember which.), and I took it to have it photographed. 

I filled out the paperwork, sent off my QN entry, and forgot about it until October 1. I remembered (and had it written in my Quilter's Planner) that confirmation of acceptance or of rejection would be sent by October 9. I was at my son's house (in AR) when I got the confirmation email. Everyone there was happy for me, but I REALLY missed being able to share the moment with Nate. He knew how much I had wanted to have a piece in QN.

Today, I had a custom box made in which to ship the quilt. This is the biggest quilt I've sent off to an exhibit (approximately 62" X 62"), so I didn't have a box I could reuse. The box is really long, so it isn't easy to fit it in my car. I'll be glad when I get it shipped off.

Before that can happen, I have to do some cleanup on the quilt. Since the background is black, every bit of lint and thread shows up on the background. I will be going over it, with a lint brush (and maybe packing tape), to remove all the lint and threads. Then, I have to attach a label to the back. Thankfully, I had already sewn hanging sleeves to the top and bottom of the quilt, so I don't have to do that. I'm hoping to get it mailed off yet this week. Saying goodbye to a piece that has been with me SO long is hard, but I'm sure hoping I get to see it hanging at the Dairy Barn Arts Center--in person and not virtually!