Ribbon Winners - AQS Paducah 2015 and Life

"Ricky and Lucy" by Nancy Sterett Martin and Karen Sistek

Among the phenomenal quilts at the show, this one really appealed to me. It is gorgeously quilted and the color variations in the feathers are so subtle and pretty, they look so real! 

This week I'm going to show you the rest of the winning quilts in the larger categories.  I also did a bit more work on my quilt Come Walk with Me, as I'm entering it in various quilt shows and want it to be perfect. I'll show you what I added and see if you don't think it is better too.

Before I get to the bit of quilting I've had a chance to do this week, here are a couple of detail photographs from "Ricky and Lucy". You need to see up close so you can say Oooooo and Aaaahhhh! 

Detail, Ricky and Lucy

And one more. (Are you AMAZED yet?!)

Ricky and Lucy, detail

I know you've seen this quilt before. But this week, in order to get it ready for it's debut show, I thought I'd better make some little improvements.  I didn't quite like the part of the quilt where the birch trees are, and I thought that little sapling in the foreground needed branches. 

Sooooo, here is the NEW and FINAL (Lord willing!) quilt. I added a few more birch tree trunks, some additional foliage in that area and some branches. What do you think? I like it better now. 

Come Walk With Me by Cathy Geier

 Ok, so you probably don't remember the details of the 'first' final version, lol. I put these two together so you can see the changes. The new Final one is on the right.

Don't ask me why the colors are different... maybe I used a flash on one and not the other!? The one on the right is closer to the real quilt. 

Before and After, Come Walk With Me by Cathy Geier

Yesterday and this morning I spent the entire day - almost - taking photographs of 3 of my quilts so I could enter them in upcoming quilt shows. I'm terrible at picture taking and dread it something fierce!

As to the rest of my week.... well our mixing valve in the shower went out. Our only shower. Plumber comes in - $2000. estimate! EEEEEKKK! Since our bathroom hasn't been fixed up for 20 years, we thought 'Hey, lets get some remodeling estimates'.  It looks like we can get a little more than pipes and drains fixed for this amount, so into our house comes a parade of contractors. All with estimates and different products.

How fun? I suppose so... if you like this kind of thing. I'd rather be in my sewing room.

Then last Saturday hubby and I take our first long bike ride - I biked 20 miles!!! - and when we came home there was water all over the basement because our washing machine broke.

Insert "tears". It was a 20 year old Maytag washer that we bought in Alaska way back when. RIP old machine.  A week later I can do laundry again. Phew! I was running out of socks and stuff...

Also this week, I've been a Banana Bread Baking Queen.  I bought 10? pounds of over ripe bananas for .99 cents and am making loaves for friends and family.

Need a loaf!?

Well, all that was the "Life" part of my blog for the week. To everything there is a time and a purpose and this week wasn't time for much sewing.

Here are the quilts you've been waiting for though.
ENJOY!

"Thank You! Gratitude" by Akiko Matsumura. 

Akiko wanted to express her feelings to the important people in her life who opened up the world of quilting to her. 

Isn't that the best?

"Saffron Splendor" by Pat Holly

 Pat was inspired by a trip to India. This quilt is made from pieced silk and some of the trims were added by hand. 

"Majestic Mosaic" by Karen Kay Buckley and Renae Haddadin

 Best of Show and I have a photo from the back of the quilt too! Prepared to be impressed! 

"Majestic Mosaic" by Karen Kay Buckley and Renae Haddadin, the backside

"Nostalgia" and was made by Gina Perkes

 I love her colors and the simplicity of her design.

"Tea Time" by Yumiko Mandai and Mastusaka Mieken

 This lovely lone star has delicate filigree stitching in the corners and a twining ribbon around the border. It is unusual and so pretty! I have a close - up for you. 

Detail, "Tea Time" by Yumiko Mandai and Mastusaka Mieken

October Sky by Bethanne Nemesh

 Bethanne used silk dupioni and created the quilt as an 'ode' to a Pennsylvanian fall. All her designs are original and done free hand, free motion. It is a show stopper, just beautifully done. 

Funky Garden in Red by Janet A. Elia

 Janet's red background makes her funky flower pop. It was her first attempt at extensive machine quilting. She did an excellent job and deserves a ribbon for this eye catching happy quilt. 

Chardonnay by Jenny Bacon

 Jenny lives in wine country and was inspired by the colors of evening as the sun sets. 

A Letter Bit of Baltimore by Janet Stone

 Do you see the sheep? Janet collects them and she quips that she's calling the quilt Baaaaltimore, ha-ha. 

Coastal Italy, by Thelma Childers and Judi Madsen

 The design source is Coastal Lily pattern by Laurie Simpson and Polly Minick. Thelma pieced the flowers in colors of spring during the long winter months.

"In Tribute to Margaret" by Virginia Davey

 Virginia made this quilt as a tribute to Margaret Docherty  who wrote the book "Applique Masterpiece: Little Brown Bird Patterns". The little blocks are exquisite, and I have a detail photo for you. 

In Tribute to Margaret, detail

"A Little Bird Told Me I Could Applique" by Marie Blunk

Isn't this CUTE!? Her design source is "My Tweets, Block of the Month by Erin Russek. This quilt was quilted by Nancy Mancke.

"Vestments" by Mary Chalmers

Mary hand embroidered the designs on wool. Her source is "Quilts by Judy Wentworth".

I think that is all for this week. I'm back to doing the laundry now and then I need to vacuum up the dog and cat hair, lol. 

Tonight is roast chicken for dinner and I'm going to invent something with broccoli to go with it. Broccoli? Yes, you see I also bought 10 pounds of it for 99 cents too!

Bye for now from the Geier Mom.  Let me know if you have any comments, questions or broccoli recipes!

I hope you all have a good week.