National Quilt Day Winners! (~ Kari Huber)

My friend Kari came over this morning, and judged the winners of the DCQ national quilt day contest.

She carefully read all the entries, and loved each and every one.  It was a tough decision, but her decision is:

Grand Prize~ French General Tuffets

dezertsky wrote,
“Very hard to pick one MOST thing, but I think maybe it's the connection that I feel to the women from my genealogical past.  I don't know which ones quilted and which didn't, but I know my mother and grandmother did, and I suspect many others, too.  Especially when I hand quilt, I have that feeling of walking in their footsteps, even though our lives, on the surface are so different.  Underneath that surface, though ... I'm sure they worried about their children as they quilted, just as I do.  I'm going to bet they worried about how to make ends meet, just like I do.  They may have dreamed up new recipes, communed with their Savior, or daydreamed about better times to come ... just like I do.  It's only in quilting that I feel that commonality, and I treasure that feeling.”

Runner-up~Candy Dish Mini Quilt Kit

 Bonnie Dewald wrote,
“Quilting is important to me because it gives me self esteem to be able to see that I can create something.  It gives me confidence to try new things and it has also helped me with stress! It is the best stress reliever in the world!  I have a mom who has dementia, and I'm sure there are many others who also go through things like this as well but it has been super difficult for me and sewing relieves my stress so much I can live a normal life despite the pressures of home and work!  Thanks for the fun newsletters!” 

Consolation~ Tuffets & Morsel Patterns

Mary Fredricks wrote,
I like to put subtle themes and/or messages into my wall hangings, so that people have to ponder them a bit to catch the full impact. To watch someone 'get it' from something I have made makes me laugh out loud. I love that I am able to share my unique perspective of life with people that see my art.

Congratulations to dezertsky, Bonnie, and Mary: please send a message to dakotacabinquilts@ndsupernet.com and include your mailing address and phone number. 

I asked Kari to bring over some of her favorite quilts, and while she was judging the contest, I photographed them for your enjoyment.  Kari does all of her own free motion quilting on her sewing machine.

Violets: Technique crayons on fabric with Angelina fibres.  Kitty-wompus log cabin.

Butterfly meadow:  Technique free motion quilting with zigzag.  Couching.  Button accents from Kari’s grandmother. This quilt was featured in a North Dakota State Historical Society Display: “Quilting Past and Present”.  It was chosen as “the Future of Quilting”, and it was on tour across the state for 2 years. 

Dewdrops: From a Jane Sassamann workshop.  Traditional (not fusible) applique, satin stitching.  Center is free-motion zig-zag.

Q is for Quilt: Kari has taught this class to beginning quilters a number of times.  Mixed beginner techniques.

The center of the nine patches are crocheted bottle caps from her grandmother’s kitchen (these would have been used to make trivets)

Rock Star: Technique Quiltsmart Lone Star.  Note the artistic free motion “rocks” in the borders, created with variegated thread.

Rock Star VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Thanks, Kari… for brightening my day.

Thanks to all our readers for sharing your stories with us during our NQD celebration.

~ Laura