Unbelievable! I'm a quilter!

Some happens were in my quilt life.
My quilt was chosen for an Honorable Mention place in the "Home Is Where the Quilt Is" contest!
Now, this quilt is hanging @ The City Quilter in NYC.

Our quilt / Exquisite Journey was chosen for The International Quilt Market and Festival in Houston.
From left to right
Hoodie Crescent, Michele Muska, Frances Holliday Alford, Kathy York, Victoria Findlay Wolfe, Leslie Tucker Jenison!

Exquisite Journey was started on December 9, 10 and 11th.

What is a group quilt? What is "retreat" for the quilters???

Four of us started making quilts at Frances's studio.
I picked up fabrics from Frances's fabric collection.
It was my first time to use someone's fabric collection.
I picked African fabrics. Hooo, It was "Challenge" already.

I lay-outed them like a building.
I looked others, they put trees and houses.
Oops...
I sewed them a little, but.......
I used Frances's one of sewing machine that didn't corporate me.
It kept Jamming threads in bobbin case. Frustrated!!!!!

I left my piece at Frances's studio in Grafton VT.
Michele and Victoria went back to Grafton separately and finished their pieces.

I needed to be in Grafton for my piece.
I chose my trip on end of December to New year.

I skied, I rested, so I had only one day to work with my quilt.
It was December 31 to Jan 1.
At least, I brought my sewing machine. I could sew it, but it wasn't enough time for my project!

Frances asked her best friends, KathyYork and Leslie Jenison to join our Exquisite Journey Quilt.
Finally,  I realized Exquisite Journey Quilt was a serious group project.

I thought mine was good enough with others.
I said, "I want to drop my quilt."

Everybody asked me to finish my present quilt.
No one let me go.

I went back to Grafton on February (A couple of days on President week with my son. He went to his friend's lodge and skied. I quilted at Frances's studio.)
I sewed and sewed and sewed for three days.

I found interested Frances's leftover materials.
I put them onto my quilt.
I used my Natureland / Turq (For Blank Quilting) for my sky in the last minute.
At least, my fabrics were in!

I sewed my quilt from starting to finishing in Grafton, VA!

Finished four quilts were moved to TX.
Kathy York and Leslie Jonison finished their quilts and put 6 quilts as one piece.
Thank you, both of you. It was a wonderful job for us!!!!!

Look, it is an amazing piece!

Kathy York said,
Support, love, and collaborating, that's what makes a group quilt sing!

She is right!
It was the greatest artwork I never made with friends!
I'm proud of myself, "I'm happy to be a quilter!"

See you at The International Quilt Market in Houston!!!
This is my first time to stay Market to Festival!
Besides, I never met Kathy York, I can't wait to meet her in person!

I'm going to challenge my another quilts using my new fabrics for the quilt market.
My next blog will be previews of the quilt market.