Two Pieces Accepted at Quilting Natural Florida II Exhibit

I’m excited to announce that two of my pieces were accepted into the Quilting Natural Florida II exhibit, which will be on display from Feb. 6-April 25, 2010 at the Florida Museum of Natural History in Gainesville, Florida. I grew up in Gainesville and I’m thrilled that my work will hang in the museum where I visited as a child. Actually, the museum is in a new location now than it was when I was young, but you get the idea!

One of the accepted quilts is shown at right. It’s called “Impressions of Paynes Prairie,” which is a state park near Gainesville.  I remember driving through the park and hiking there with my dad. I had fun with the quilting on this one–it has waves and pebbles and boardwalk designs, plus some fun vegetation and clouds at the top. You can see some of the quilting in the detail below.

The other quilt that was accepted in this show is “Sunrise on the Beach,”  which embodies the many memories I have of long lazy days spent watching the seagulls and the ocean. I didn’t really realize until I began writing this that both of these pieces use the same curved piecing technique to represent a landscape. It’s fun to do and very easy once you get the hang of it. You simply lay two pieces of fabric right sides up with an overlap between them. Then you cut a gentle curve freehand with a rotary cutter, remembering to stay within the overlap.  After discarding the waste pieces, sew the curves together right sides together. They will look like they won’t fit, but trust me–they do! Press. It’s as simple as that.

If you’re in the Alexandria area on Saturday, Nov. 21, I’ll be doing a show at the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology on Braddock Road–my son’s alma mater. The show, which runs from 9-4, is for the benefit of the TJ crew team, which my son rowed for four years before going off to college. I’ve got some new small items for sale, including pillows, covered journals which are really fun, pieced coasters and holiday ornaments, in addition to my quilts. Stop by and say hello if you get a chance! It’s a great cause and there should be some interesting booths there. For more information visit their website at www.tjgiftshow.com