Some Excitement, Some Disappointment

 I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season!

I am finding the year end clearance sales a challenge this week!  So many tempting bargains!  So far, I am sticking to my plan to sew from my stash though.  I think I will try to track the fabric that I use in 2013.  It might be more hassle than it is worth, but I will try it and see how it goes.  My goal is to use 50 yards of fabric in 2013.  That might prove to be unrealistic,(maybe too low, maybe too high!) but I will revisit it after the first few months and adjust, if I want to.

This week's disappointment:
I was notified today that the two quilts that I finished in November and submitted to the Quilt Con show were not selected.  I really didn't think that they were contenders for any prizes, but I thought they might have a chance to get in.

Silver lining:  I finished them!  I am not sure they would be finished yet, without the deadline.  I surely do get a lot more accomplished under pressure!

The Excitement :
The third quilt that I submitted was selected!  

Las Vegas Modern Quilt Guild 2011 Charity Quilt

This quilt was entered into the "Group or Bee Quilts" category.

It was made by the Las Vegas Modern Quilt Guild as a charity quilt in 2011.  We took the inspiration from a wonky log cabin quilt in the book "Block Party" by Alissa Haight Carlton and Kristen Lejniekes.  

The quilt in the book was designed and put together by Alissa with blocks created by all 12 bee members. 

The guild decided to use a similar color palette and  guild members went to their stashes and brought red, blue and grey fabrics to a meeting along with sewing machines, and we put together most of the blocks in one evening.  A couple of folks took home some strips to make additional blocks and others took the completed blocks home and sewed on the sashing.  We passed on the completed blocks to someone else who sewed the top together and then on to the person who did the quilting and binding.  The blocks finished at 20", which made a nice big quilt!

The finished quilt was donated to the Mesquite Club, a Las Vegas philanthropic organization for their holiday dinner and charity auction.  Since the LVMQG donated an item to the auction, the guild received two tickets to attend.  The Mister and I went to the auction with the intent on bidding on the quilt.

We had made the decision, but had not told anyone, that I would retire in the spring and we would be leaving Las Vegas.  I wanted the quilt as a memento of the guild and the friends who made it.  

The Mister outbid the other interested parties and the quilt came home with us.  (Thankfully, the Mesquite Club membership has a more traditional aesthetic, or the bid might have gone much higher than we were prepared to pay!)

While it is not a quilt that I made, it is a quilt that I helped make. And, since it belongs to me, I think it is fair to say that one of my quilts will be in the show!