My TV Debut: Quilting Arts TV

What a whirlwind!  Yesterday I made my TV debut, filming a segment for Quilting Arts TV.  I was SO nervous - but it was a lot of fun.

At the beginning of this year, Penny McMorris (co-founder and vice-president of Electric Quilt) contacted me about guesting along with her on a segment for Quilting Arts TV with host Pokey Bolton.  She proposed a design challenge that we would then present on the show.  Of course, I immediately said Yes!  What a fantastic opportunity!  But there was one catch, we were to film only 2 weeks before my baby was due in the spring.  Lucky for me, we were able to delay the piece to this summer's filming week.  So here we are!

Here is some of the production staff walking us through how our segment would pan out.  I am on the right, Penny is in the middle and Pokey is on the left.

Never having done anything like this before, I had no idea what to expect.  I was really stressed about what to wear.  They sent out a dozen rules about "What Not to Wear" and my SAHM wardrobe is...uh...lacking.  I also painted my nails for the first time in 6 years, I think?  Everyone on staff was extremely nice and calming.  They said "What could be more fun than quilters talking about quilting?" And they were right!

Below Penny and I are making sure the laptop is set up correctly and Pokey is getting her mic on.  Pokey was so nice and really helped to make you feel relaxed on set.

Yesterday was the first day of filming for this season of Quilting Arts TV.  They are filming the whole week, then the episodes start to air in the new year.  I'll be sure to let you know when the episode that I am in goes live.  Eeek!

Mr. M even made an appearance on the set!  A huge THANK YOU to my mom, who came and stayed with baby and I in the hotel the night before filming and watched him while I was at the studio.  After he was done napping, they came up to the studio to check things out.  I could not have done this with her help.  Thanks Mom!

Baby's Quilt: Charm Pack Wonky Stars Finish

Hold the phone.  Say what?  Yes, you heard that right folks.  Today I am posting a second quilt finish for the week.  That is insane if you ask me..... but we're getting down to the wire, so I gotta get my sewing time in before the babymoon begins.

Here it is.  Love!  HideAway is the perfect choice in my mind for a gender neutral quilt.  I was short just a couple charms, so I supplemented with 2 prints from my stash.  All on Kona White of course.  It's about 36" x 36".

I used the Wonky Star tutorial found in the Block Library.  It was perfect for using a charm pack.  Oh, and did I mention everything came from my stash?  Boy, does that feel good.

Some DS Picnics and Fairground prints for the backing and binding.  That little green gingham is so sweet.

I can't wait to use it!  Both my other kids used the baby quilts I made them heavily.... tummy time, diaper blowouts, reflux and all.  I expect this quilt will absolutely take a beating.  But that's exactly why  I made it this way.  The wonky stars look eye catching, yet are a snap to whip up, so this quilt came together very quickly.  I'd recommend it if you're looking for a quick gift.

I even (gasp) pre-washed and dried this one.  Those quilty friends who have been to my house notice that the majority of my quilts have not been washed.  I am secretly afraid something really bad will happen, so I avoid it if I can.  But with a baby quilt, there's no denying it's gonna need washed.  A lot.

Finished before the big day.  Mama's happy.  :)  *sigh of relief*

Citrus Burst: Supernova QAL Finish.

So finally!  Here it is... My Supernova QAL finish.  This has been in my UFO pile since last spring and sometime this fall I decided I wanted to finish it up so I could enter it in the NQA Show here in Columbus.

This quilt was a challenge for me.  It started with the stack of fabrics below, and from there we had to choose 6 or so fabrics from the stack for each block.  I wanted to make the Supernova quilt, not only because it's gorgeous, but because it would push me to work with fabrics from several collections.  I tend to gravitate toward using fabric from all one collection, so I forced myself to branch out with this quilt.

Once I had my stack, I needed to choose fabrics for each block based on Lee's color gradation suggestions.  Again, another challenge.... but it was quite fun and I loved playing with the different fabric combinations.

This is the center block of the quilt.  One of my favorites.

My second favorite block.

Overall, I am happy with how it came out.  I had my long arm quilter quilt it for me because my quilting skills are sub-standard for a show quilt.  I love my stippling, but that's about all I've got right now.  I picked out a swirling pattern that reminded me of the space and starburst theme.  So since it was pieced by me, but quilted by someone else, this will be entered as a duet quilt.

I've got my form for the show all filled out, but I am stalling turning it in.  I've never done this before, so I'm wondering what their reaction will be.  By no means would I ever expect to win anything.  There are definitely mistakes in this quilt.  I would just like to see if I can get one of my quilts to hang at a show, so I can take my family down and show them.  Plus, this is a traditional show, so maybe I can shake it up a little with a "wild" quilt like this one.  Wish me luck!  I don't think I find out until May sometime, but I'll be sure to let you know what happens either way.  Will you try to enter a quilt in a show sometime?