Bacon's First Quilt Show

Sorry if this is a bit late and you are super sick of Quilt Con posts. But I wanted to include some thoughts on having quilts in the show. 

I had two quilts in the show at Quilt Con. This was the first time I had shown my work in any serious way (not that I don’t love bloggers’ quilt festival, but it is not juried and it is more of a celebration than critical experience).

I didn’t win anything, but I am not disappointed. I honestly feel like seeing my quilts in the show was a great prize. I have also not gotten my feedback from the judges yet, so I don’t know how they did. I am not sure I will share the feedback on this blog. I doubt the judges will be harder on me than I am on myself, so I am not too concerned with what the judges think.

I just wanted to use this space to ruminate on how showing my quilts made me feel.

When I first saw my quilts on the show floor, I got really excited. I made that! It is hanging from the wall! There is a label with my name on it!  It looks like Art! Then I started looking around and comparing my quilt with its neighbors. Is it as good as the other ones? Can they tell that my quilting isn’t even? Do they see the cat hair?

I do not make show quilts. I started these quilts with the intention that they would be mine.  I designed them because I had to. It is hard to explain, but sometimes quilting for me is like reading a really good book. I just can’t put it down until I see the end. I need to know!

I made these quilts with the idea that I would control their narrative. Most quilters do that; we make quilts for people, for charity, for our homes and beds. We quilt because we want to. We know that they will be loved. In a sense, we control who sees our work and where they go. When my quilts got into the show and while they were hanging, I lost control of the narrative. People, anyone who wanted to pay to get onto the show floor, could think anything they wanted about my work. This is not necessarily bad; it just is totally outside my experience as a first time quilt entrant. Strangers could not only judge my craft, they could interpret my work however they wanted.  They could be inspired, disgusted, bored, etc.

I am generally not concerned by the thoughts of others and I don’t think I mind losing control of my quilts for the weekend. I am definitely not fishing for compliments or writing this to be self-deprecating.

I just found it to be a completely disconcerting experience to stand on the show floor and watch people experience my work. These are people who don’t know me. They don’t read this blog. They don’t know I have a neurotic cat and love blue. They don’t know I collect cat fabric and need to sew like I need to breathe. They have no idea what my other work looks like. They are just experiencing this quilt, this collection of cotton fibers that three months ago I was curled up under, as a piece of art. For that moment, it belonged to them.

My quilts arrived at home yesterday. Soon they will be back on my couch. I think I will take off the hanging sleeves that I had to attach by hand. They will both go back on the couch to be cuddled and snuggled under as I always intended.

I also think I will probably enter more quilt shows.

One thing that I know, I will continue to make more quilts. I have to.

Thanks for reading friends. Next post we will be back to our regularly scheduled nonsense.

The Post in which I Discuss 2014 and Welcome 2015

I went through my photos to catalogue my makes from 2014 and I have to say my 2014 finishes were impressive. Both in quantity and quality. I am PROUD of this mosaic. My goal was two make more than 10 quilts, judging from this mosaic I made 13. That is 13 (!)  quilts. It is actually 16 quilts, because there is one I am waiting to share until after Quilt Con and two I just do not have good photos of (oops!). Some of the quilts in this mosaic have not been blogged about yet. Sorry!

Another goal was to donate two quilts to charity. I totally nailed that goal, two of these quilts were made for kids in need. I am trying to do my part to cover the world in quilts. Most importantly, I love both of these charity quilts. I always want to love my charity quilts, because I think everyone deserves to have something of beauty. Don't you?

I think I did stretch myself a little more as a quilter in 2104. I made things I love and tried new techniques. It made me feel like a rock star when I mastered a new technique or saw my creative ideas turn into something real.



I have serious regrets about 2014. I am just going to put it out here my friends, because I know that you will understand. I participated in a swap that made me feel used and a little unloved (don't I sound dramatic?). It is hard knowing that you have given a piece of yourself and your time to others and they did not care to fulfill their end of the commitment. The majority of my swap mates were not those people (and were amazing talented friends!), but it is hard sometimes to not let those few drag you down. Anyway, I am entering 2015 commitment free!

Exactly one year ago today I wrote this post. I just read it again and I think it was pretty great. The girl who wrote that post had her stuff together. I bet she would know what to write in this new years blog post. I bet she would not have writers block. She seems optimistic and fearless and full of goals. That girl does not seem to be with us today.

I still love lists, but this year the only sewing goal I can think of hardly warrants a list, but here it is.

1. Sew Joy.

That is it. Two words

Sure, I love finishing old works in progress. Yes, I want to expand and refine my skills in 2015. I am sure I would love to blog more and put myself out there more frequently. BUT, all of that is secondary to the real purpose of this all. All of this sewing, quilting, blogging, and creating is about joy. It is about fulfillment and happiness. It is about the part of me that wants needs to create and make. That needs to see the tactile made out of the theoretical.

Maybe at some point I will feel inspired to write a detailed list of tangible goals. For today, I am going to enter 2015 quietly and with one peaceful goal.

2015. You are going to be my year of joyful living. Please and thank you.

Happy new year friends! May it be full of health, happiness, and prosperity.

May it be full of joy.