Festival of Quilts - Part 1

Yesterday I spent a very nice day with my Mum at the FOQ.  This was the first time that I have entered a piece of my work and I was looking forward to seeing my pieces in the exhibition. I knew that I was going to look at the other entries more closely than I usually do.  How would mine compare? It was quite close to the submission deadline when it dawned on me that, although my pieces were quilted they were a long way from the tradition of quilting. They weren't evenly quilted across the piece for a start and were hand stitched in (deliberately) uneven stitches.

I entered one piece into the pictorial Quilt category and here is the winner of the category - Graceful Dance by Janneke de Vries-Bodzinga:

Here is the quilt that came second -    Hawthorn Sky by Roberta Le Poidevin.



I also entered a piece into the Art Quilt category. Here is the winning piece - Silence by Olga Gonzalez Angulo.

This piece won 2nd prize - Up in Smoke by Barbara Lynn Tubbe.

The winning pieces were of a very high quality. I wasn't expecting to win and so I wasn't disappointed! I was however, disappointed at how my pieces looked when they were hung. I was keen to ensure that the top of my quilts didn't curl over the front of the piece. I achieved this but unfortunately the hanging sleeve was visible above the quilt. Although, I couldn't replicate the hanging system, I could have tested the sleeve but I didn't. I have to put it down to (lack of) experience and focus on completing the stitching. One thing's for sure - it's highly unlikely that I will make the same mistake again!

So as I came away a little disappointed. But I have been really cheered up today when I saw the positive comments made on Margaret Cooter's blog, on magsramsay's blog and by comments left on my own blog.  Thank you - I have really found them encouraging....and I have found two new interesting blogs to read as a bonus.
I have run out of time this evening but I will post a couple more of my photographs from the FOQ in a few days time.