Back in January, just before I started my course, I finished a block for a competition. Do you remember it?
This is what I wrote in my post then:
"Last but not least, my 10" block for the competition in Irish Quilting Magazine has been finished and sent off. The brief was to make an unfinished 10 1/2" block with a floral theme. You had to use at least 2 different stitches from your machine.
This is the result. I have been an avid admirer of Susan Brubaker Knapp for a while now and have been wanting to try one of the tutorials on her blog. So I perused the older posts, bought her master stitching DVD and off I went. I am quite pleased with the result, even if it is by no means to the standard Susan reaches, but by having a sort of impressionist style, a lot can be forgiven!"WELL ...........
You can imagine my sheer delight and surprise when I WON A PRIZE! And what's more, I won the Editor's Choice Award! I am tickled pink and Sherry was so complimentary about my block. Can you imagine.. she was talking about 'tremendous skilled thread play' and wrote on her blog that when she unpacked the block,it whispered to her, 'love me' and she did!
THIS is the link to the Irish Quilting website with all the winners on the front page. The overall winner of the Janome Horizon sewing machine,Cathy Northcutt,also lives in Ramsgate, a talented quilter who has been quilting for many years.
And
HERE is the link to the Irish Quilting blog.
None of this would have been possible but for the wonderful example of the master in thread painting Susan Brubaker Knapp ! It is simply amazing the real skill she displays in making her very very lifelike thread paintings. Her blog is
HERE at Blue Moon River and her work is just amazing! I am a big fan of hers and have been following her blog and endeavours for a long time now. Do go along and see what she is doing. It's SO worth it! (LOVE the latest Rusty Chevys!) And by the way, can't wait for her book to come out mid July. Not long to wait now... sigh....
This is the dvd I bought and downloaded. The one with the lovely butterfly on the front. Susan explains the whole process really well and it is almost as if you are in the room with her! I wholeheartedly recommend it.
SO... as you do with the Oscars (and it does feel like I have won one!), I will have to thank my manager, my editor and the director (me, me, and me :-) but most of all thanks goes to Susan for inspiring me and to Sherry for loving what I have made! Nothing is so lovely as when you have poured your heart into a piece and it touches someone else.
