Bloggers' Quilt Festival - Spring 2015 - Entry #1

Good thing I have good friends like Judy who cue me in to the happenings in quilting blogland. Otherwise I'd remain under my rock, that, or find out about things too late.

So I did know about Spring Quilt Market in Minneapolis May 15-17; I've really enjoyed reading all about the prep work that goes into making a booth for the show in Carrie Nelson's posts for Moda Fabrics.  Well, Amy at Amy's Creative Side holds a Bloggers' Quilt Festival for those of us who can't attend market, so that we get some eye candy and inspiration, fun and friends to help quell the emotions of wishing we were there!  I just found out on her festival page that she has been doing this since 2009, twice each year! Wow.  I've entered twice before and each time encounter new blogs and many many creative people.

My first entry is Gears for My Gearhead, a suggestion by Judy.  I would not have even thought of it!  I am entering it into the Art Quilt category.

Here is the original finish post and here is the construction post.

My husband is a car fanatic.  I have long wanted to create a quilt for his garage, but he has always put me off with a "it'll just get dirty" comment.  When he made his tribute wall above his toolbox, in our new home here in Ontario, and lovingly hung old photos of his grandpa, who was a mechanic for the city of Windsor, and worked on police vehicles which included cruisers and motorcycles, I just knew this quilt would be a perfect addition.

It is hung with actual gears I stitched onto the corner of the quilt

The back.

Pretty perfect fabric, no?

This was a pattern, which had minimal instructions, but did contain the photo transfer of the gears.

I played with turquoise threads on brown for FMQ

A better shot of the quilting I did:

Leah Day's Circuit Board FMQ motif

I quilted this on my Bernina, using Floriani rayon threads.  It was a lot of fun to create!

Again, thank you to Amy for hosting this festival for so many years.  Be sure to head over there and check out all the entries.  You will not be disappointed.  Voting begins May 22.  Remember the thumbnails of each quilt move around every time you load the entries page.  There is a page for each category.  Once again, here is the Art Quilt category.  Now go, feast your eyes and massage that creative soul.  :-)