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Saturday, October 17, 2015

Waterloo Quilt Show

There was no sewing this week for my Rainbow Scrap Challenge projects. My back has been very sore, maybe because of wrestling with my UFO quilt, or maybe because of Oktoberfest shenanigans, or maybe because of outdoor yard preparations for winter. Or maybe a combination of all of the above? But either way, in spite of some intense massage treatments, I am having a lot of back pain.
So I was very happy to be able to walk around yesterday at the Waterloo quilt show even if it was much briefer than I would have liked. I also didn't get to do any shopping at the vendors and they had lovely booths set up stuffed full of quilting treats.
Don't you love it when your favourite quilts are made by your favourite people? I was delighted to learn that my choice for favourite quilt in the show was made by the wonderful Judy Pearce.

Why is it my favourite quilt? Because it is technically brilliant, and it transforms fabric and thread into a photograph. This quilt captures a symbolic moment in time and it invokes an emotional response from the viewers. 



Here is Judy's write up about the quilt. It is inspired by a photo of her parents who have been married for 64 years. 
This quilt is all about love. In my mind I started singing the song "Walk Hand In Hand "(click here for a Youtube version of the song that is the perfect sound track for this quilt).
I could feel that love oozing right off the quilt! I put my hand (inside a white glove of course!) on their quilted hands just to feel connected to the power of that love. I couldn't help myself.
Life is all about the love!
And I love this quilt!


There were also some fabulous scrappy quilts at the show that I loved.

This one was also made by Judy and is called "36 Patch". The photo doesn't show the wonderful quilting and I didn't get a good photo of that on my camera. This is a big quilt 83" x 96" so there are a lot of small scraps in this quilt!




And here is an amazing scrap quilt made by Sandy Campbell. It's a block called "Wild and Goosey" by Bonnie Hunter. The pattern can be downloaded here.
Sandy calls her quilt "4,057 Pieces From My Friends". Yep... she counted the pieces! Truly amazing!
And she machine quilted it herself through all those paper pieced seams.




And if that is not amazing enough, this is another one of Sandy's quilts called "Cabins Under the Muskoka Sky" (designed by Ruthie's Quilt Creations). This one is 80" square and completely hand quilted by Sandy herself.
She can do it all!

If you stop by the show today, I promise you will enjoy it. They also have a mini raffle quilt, and you know how I love mini quilts! Stop by tomorrow for Slow Sunday Stitching to see one of the quilts I won.

14 comments:

  1. Hi Kathy, I was at the show with my mother in law and her cousin who are friends with the couple in the quilt and could recognize them...in the view from the back. There were some wonderful quilts at the show. I loved the title 4,057 pieces from my friends.

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  2. I thought that WAS a photograph! I saw it and started reading thinking you were going to say these were friends or relatives of yours going to the show with you !

    Hope the back gets better soon / give it a break for awhile :)

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  3. Oh so SORRY about your back--is it in the air? Mine is coming along a bit better--but slow to heal...I cannot really do that much either. Just dribs and drabs.....beautiful quilts you shared with us--thanks so much. Get better soon--move carefully now....hugs, Julierose

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  4. Must be the weather/season change - my back has been touchy , too. Love the tribute quilt and you know those scrappy, little pieces quilts make my heart flutter.

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  5. Sorry about your back. Makes everything a little difficult, doesn't it?
    In the thumbnail view I thought that quilt was a photo. I am blown away! Judy made a masterpiece!! Reminds me of a photo my son took of my parents (who have been married 63 years) as they walked hand in hand down the street. This quilt just exudes love, doesn't it?
    My goodness, those scrap quilts are just calling my name. You know how to select the best! : )

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  6. So sorry your back is still sore. There's a simple way to avoid crammng a bed sized under the arm of your machine, and you can't tell by looking it was done in sections--no bias tape or sashing to give away your secret! Keep your quilt top in three sections. Sew the entire backing together and lay out, right side down. Place a piece of batting 2" larger on all sides than the middle section of your quilt top. Pin baste the center section of the top in place. Roll up the extra backing fabric on each side. Quilt the center, staying a half inch or so away from the edges of the top. Sweep the batting and backing out of your way and sew another section of the top to the center section. Spread out your backing, baste another batting piece to the center batting, and pin baste. Hand basting the batting sections is the ONLY hand sewing with this method. It's not much harder than quilting a table runner! Keep on quiltin'. Carol

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  7. I loved the Hand in Hand quilt too! It was a wonderful quilt show!!!

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  8. Hope you feel better soon. Back pain is not funny. Beutiful quilts at the show. And for sure I'll be back tomorrow to see the mini you won. Uh-hu!!

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  9. Back pain is no fun. I know there are days when the chiropractor is my best friend. The show was really quite spectacular. So many wonderful quilts.

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  10. do wish you a seedy recovery with your back, at one time they said rest but these days it seems we have to keep moving if we have back, knee pain etc., an amazing quilt I too thought it as a photo at first. Interesting reading bees knees granny`s comment on quilting, if only it easy that easy! afraid I have give up on quilting at the moment and just seem to be adding to the flimsy pile!

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  11. Hope your back gets feeling better. Lots of Ice and Ibuprofen if you can take it. The quilts are so Scrapilicious. Thanks for sharing, Sound like a nice show.

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  12. Thank you for sharing these fabulous quilts!

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  13. Beautiful quilts! Hope your back feels better soon.

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  14. wonderful quilts - thanks for sharing them with me

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