My First Quilt Show – Four Quilts, White Gloves, and a Runner-Up Ribbon!

This year, I did something I’ve been dreaming about for a long time—I entered my very first quilt show. Not just one quilt, but four of them. The show was hosted by the wonderful Almonte Quilters Guild, and while it wasn’t a juried show, it was filled with some of the most creative, skillful, and inspiring quilts I’ve ever seen.

Taking the Leap

Every year, other fairs or quilt shows come and go and I’d tell myself “Maybe next year I’ll enter something.” This year, I finally stopped saying maybe and said yes.

Choosing four quilts to enter felt both thrilling and slightly nerve-wracking. None of them were perfect (is any quilt ever?), but each one told part of my story—explorations of new techniques, experiments with bold colors, and those beloved “just-for-fun” pieces that somehow become favorites.

A Community Event

One of the things that makes the Almonte show so special is that it’s not juried—every quilt entered is welcomed and displayed with equal pride. That spirit of inclusion and encouragement made it the perfect place to show my work for the first time.

Throughout the weekend, hundreds of visitors passed through the show. I had the chance to be part of it not just as an exhibitor, but as a volunteer, helping out with white glove duty. For those who don’t know, that means standing ready—literally wearing white gloves—to help guests get a closer look at the quilts without touching them directly. It was a joy to chat with attendees, answer questions, and witness firsthand how much people appreciated the artistry and effort on display.

An Unexpected Honour

When the votes were tallied for the Viewers Choice Awards, I was stunned to hear that one of my quilts had been selected as Runner-Up. Knowing that visitors had taken the time to vote for my "Bears in the One-Block Wonder" —and that so many connected with my quilt—was a complete and joyful surprise!  It’s a feeling I’ll carry with me for a long time

The winner was a beautiful quilt by a wonderful woman I've known for years.

What I Took Away

This first quilt show experience gave me more than I expected:

💪 Confidence. Taking the leap to show my work taught me that you don’t have to be “perfect” to participate.

🤝 Connection. From fellow quilters to curious visitors, every interaction reminded me how meaningful this craft can be.

🧵 Community. Whether you’re exhibiting, volunteering, or just attending, quilt shows are a celebration of shared creativity and love for the art.

Looking Forward

I’m already dreaming up ideas for the next show. New patterns, new colors, maybe even a new technique or two. I’m so grateful to the Almonte Quilters Guild for hosting such a welcoming, inspiring show—and to everyone who came, voted, and supported local quilting.

To anyone who’s thinking about entering a show: do it. You don’t need to be a master. You just need to be willing to share what you’ve made. You never know who you might inspire—or how deeply you’ll be inspired in return.

Finding Time and Finding your Happy Place

 I have been struggling to find time to quilt.  With a full time job and a home that I share with my husband and two dogs to take care of, it's a challenge.

Making it even more difficult was sharing a space.  We originally wanted to have each of us, my husband and I, work on our hobbies together.  What we discovered is he loves to watch movies and play video games as a hobby, but he likes a darkened room for that.  Quilting does not exactly work well in the dark.  We agreed to divide and conquer, so I moved my sewing machine and main table to my daughter's former bedroom where the long arm is (the one withe the quilt on it that's been there for a year).  

Suddenly, I found myself in a room filled with light. I hung one of my quilts, I'm thinking of a design wall for the first time.  The room is taking on a warmth it did not have before.  Now, I find myself wanting to quilt everyday! 

The transition is incomplete as I need to move some of the last of my daughter's bedroom furniture out and I still need to bring my fabric stash over from the old location.  It is a work in progress and I still have ideas and thoughts about changes I would like to make.  For now, I want to focus on getting back to my new-to-me happy place.

Have you ever made changes or have ideas of what 

Happy New Year and what's next for this Blog

I seem to go it starts and stops when it comes to this blog.  The new year has given me the chance to see a time when I will have less volunteering and more time to focus on my own creative pursuits.  

Why Re-energize this Quilting blog Now?

I think many of us are craving something real. In a world where so much happens on a screen, quilting lets you slow down, work with your hands, and create something tangible. Plus, it’s sustainable. Using scraps and upcycling old fabric feels good when you’re trying to live a little greener.

Then there’s the community aspect. Social media has turned quilting into a global phenomenon. With hashtags like #Quilting and #QuiltLove, you can find inspiration and connect with other quilters from all over the world. It’s like being part of this big, colorful club where everyone’s cheering each other on.

My Quilting Journey

I didn’t set out to become a quilter. It kind of happened by accident. My first quilt? Let’s just say it wasn’t winning any awards—crooked seams and all. But I loved it. Each quilt I make tells its own little story: a baby blanket for my daughter, a photo memory quilt for my elders, a cozy throw for my couch on chilly nights. Quilting has become this beautiful way for me to express myself and connect with others.

One of the best parts? The people I’ve met along the way. Quilters are some of the kindest, most generous folks you’ll ever meet. Whether it’s at a local guild meeting, a quilt show, or just swapping tips online, there’s a real sense of community. It’s like we’re all part of this big, creative family.

The Future of My Quilting Blog

I’ve been thinking a lot about where to take this blog as quilting keeps growing and changing. There’s so much I want to share with you—not just about quilting techniques or patterns (though don’t worry, there will be plenty of that), but about the stories behind the quilts. Who made them? What inspired them? What do they mean to the people who use them?

I also want this space to be a hub for connection. Maybe that means hosting virtual quilt-alongs where we all work on the same pattern together or spotlighting quilters who are doing amazing things. I’m even toying with the idea of starting a podcast—imagine sitting down with a cup of tea and listening to quilters share their stories and tips.

And of course, I want to keep exploring how quilting fits into our modern lives. How can we use it to be more sustainable? How do we pass this craft on to the next generation? These are the kinds of conversations I’m excited to have with you.

Let’s Stitch This Together

Quilting has given me so much—a creative outlet, a way to connect with others, and a whole lot of joy. I hope this blog can be a place where you find all that and more. Whether you’re a seasoned quilter or someone who’s just curious about giving it a try, there’s room for you here. Let’s keep stitching, sharing, and celebrating this amazing craft together. I can’t wait to see what we create.

A Change of Pace

Sometimes, when I get behind on a Mystery project, such as Bonnie Hunter's Indigo Way, I find myself getting discouraged.  I know it is not some kind of race, but I have a tendency to be hard on myself for not keeping up.  This year, we've had some health challenges in the family and we've had to support our family with our time much more so than usual.

I decided, rather than getting discouraged on Indigo Way, I would switch gears to one of my UFO's to make some progress on that front.  My first One Block Wonder allowed me time to sew with my Featherweight - always a fun experience - and the larger pieces allowed me to see progress much faster.  I was able to get all of the hexagons assembled and now I just need to applique it to the center panel

I do have a question about covering the bear's buttocks on the left side of the panel.  My quilting besties suggested I pin it and let it stay on the wall until I felt confident one way or the other.  I have made a decision, but I'll share more on that another day.

Do you know what else happened?

I got my mojo back for Indigo Way!  Sometimes a change of pace is exactly what we need to get our quilting juices flowing again.

What do you do to get yourself back on track with your quilting?

Tip: 4 at a time Half-square base triangles

As part of the Bonnie Hunter mystery experience, I meet with a group of ladies who share tips and tricks to make assembly of these wonderful quilts a little faster.  This is not to say Bonnie's instructions are not fantastic, because they are.  I tend to do her mystery quilts with yardage as I have not convinced myself I have a large enough stash to go scrappy.  When you use yardage, these tricks can make assembly much faster.

When we first looked at Clue 4, we need half of the block to be half square triangles cut in half, or so I thought.  The challenge is half your triangles are dark on the right and light on the left and the other half is vice versa. 

My friends came to my rescue with a new way to tackle this.  Take the light square, draw the usual diagonals.  Pair it up with the other fabric needed, right sides together, then sew two seams with a jog in the middle. 

Cut apart on the two diagonals.

Press your seams and you're ready to move on.

My quilting friends never fail to amaze me with the tricks they share.  The journey for Indigo Way continues.

What happened now?

WARNING:  There are images and descriptions that some viewers may find disturbing.  Please feel free to pass this entry if you are easily made queasy.

About one year ago, a member of our guild was working on a Bonnie Hunter mystery when she accidentally sliced her finger with her rotary cutter.  She had a nightmare recovery, but she is back quilting prolifically today.

You can see where this is going...

Just after Christmas, as I was working on a Bonnie Hunter mystery and trimming blocks with a brand new ergonomic rotary cutter I had received days earlier.

My non-dominant (left) index finger wandered off the edge of the ruler as I was slicing.  I headed up the edge of the ruler and right into my finger.  At the time, it didn't hurt, but I immediately realized I'd done something foolish.  I ran to my washroom with a concerned husband following close behind.  After bleeding through two bunches of gauze, I told him I needed to go to the hospital to have it looked at.

After a 5+ hour wait in the local emergency room, a wonderful emergency doctor came in to check out what I had done.  It was just my luck that not one, but two, ambulances had come in with victims of car accidents.  When it was my turn, I was fortunate to be immediately seen by the doctor.  He first numbed the finger and THAT was the worst part of the whole experience.  Once frozen, he had me sit in front of a sink and run the finger under water that was between lukewarm and slightly cook for 5-10 minutes.  This is KEY.  If you ever cut yourself with a rotary cutter, and I certainly hope you do NOT, those blades have an oil coating and fibers from the cloth we cut.  Flushing out the wound is key to having a chance of healing well.  He got out his suture kit, I joked about "I'll be the judge of your stitching skills sir" and he proceeded to put me back together with 5 stitches and a splint to stabilize the finger for a week.

Immediately after the stitches were completed in the hospital

For those who are curious, NO, I did not bleed on any of the fabric.

Here's what it looked like after a week when the stitches were taken out.  Another week and I was panicky as the seam was opening up.  In reality it was only the top layer or two that died off, the stitches had done their job to hold the deeper cut together.

 

Here it is now!

You can see where I had hit my fingernail, though it has start to grow out since this happened. I do have some nerve damage on the side of the my finger, but the tip is not too bad.  I am very, very lucky and grateful for the medical services I received.

Needless to say, when I shared this with my quilting friends, there was a run on ordering gloves to protect hands while working with rotary cutters.  Whether you use a protective glove or not, please remember that quilting is not supposed to be a blood sport.  Use caution and know when to stop of you are tired or feeling at all unwell.  Don't follow my lead on this on, please!

Welcome 2024 and first completed Quilt of the New Year!

Here we are at the start of another journey around the sun.  This past year was not what I expected.  I had thought, "No new projects", going into the start of 2023.  I guess we need to consider that goal a fail, given I added 5, no 6 new projects this year - but is that really a "fail", or just a commitment to the joy of quilting?  I've updated my UFO tracker, if you are curious.  You can find it here:  UFO tracker

Even though we are only 4 days into the new year, I already have my first quilt completion.  I tried on New Year's Eve to make this a completion for 2023, but at 11:59 I put the quilt and my needle down and conceded that I was not going to get the binding completed.  Last night, I finished the binding and the labelling of "Summer Swag".  This quilt was based on a workshop our guild held with Krista Moser.  One of the great things from the COVID pandemic was the chance for guilds to engage virtual speakers and teachers from far away for their meetings and workshops.  We had Krista come and do both - speak and lead a workshop.  I can't say how much I enjoyed her energy and positivity.

My husband came with me to select the fabrics for this quilt and it was my first time using a paper pantograph with my longarm.  I don't know if it was the pantograph pattern that was selected, or my inexperience with the longarm, but it was not my favourite way to quilt.  The next one will be a custom quilt job, to be sure!

Here is the end result, and I'm quite proud of it.

So, here's to 2024, and striving for a low cost, high completion, fewer UFOs year.  I've also set myself a target to get more engaged with this blog and hope to capture my quilting journey as I progress forward.