Welcome intrepid travelers of the bloggisphere and from Amy’s Creative Side to Always, Queenie Believe and my entry in the Spring 2012 Blogger’s Quilt Festival:
Arizona’s Centennial
This quilt was inspired by this faboo Arizona fabric I happened across last summer while fabric shopping with the Queenie Mother, (A talented seamstress in her own right!) Little did I know at the time that it was the Arizona Centennial Quilt Challenge fabric…
The great state of Arizona turned 100 on Saint Valentine’s day, 2012. Needless to say, I walked out of the store with a yard or two of the fabric intrigued by the idea of creating an art quilt in celebration of my beloved Arizona’s birthday.
Queenie adventured on a flight of fancy with Arizona research in one hand and fabric in the other, coming up with this rough sketch centered around the Arizona fabric with design elements throughout from the state’s flag, seal, motto – ditat dues (God Enriches), and the major developing industries – copper, cotton and cattle. I then drafted a full size pattern 40” x 40” working out proportions to please...
Queenie selected various fabrics from her stash and purchased several more who would play well with the Arizona fabric and be best friends with the design...
I auditioned several fabrics for the sunburst and rays. With the finalists selected and order of appearance decided the cutting commenced with stacks of strips…
Becoming many so many squares, of two sizes in fact…
Then transformed into half square triangle strips...
Forming radiating sun beams...
Until there was a sunburst...
The bountiful blue horizon fell into place; followed by hand appliquéd birth dates, golden shining star and the great state of Arizona.
Next up the interior of the shining star and Arizona’s motto appliquéd its way on there too…
Followed by even more fun appliqué… Saguaro cacti standing tall…
Cotton at its peak, ready for harvesting into more quilt fabric...
A pick and shovel, a salute to the Copper industry...
And big bull horns, a nod to the Cattle industry.
With the top complete…
On that 2nd Saturday in March as I meandered around the show, I rounded the bend and spotted a red ribbon on Queenie's wee quilt...
To my complete surprise I won second place in the Centennial Fabric Challenge category!!!! Surprise and much effort holding back tears I stood and stared soaking it in... My first quilt show and I win a prize Yay!!! and Hurray!!!
A very special thanks to my followers, regular visitors and especially Honey Man and the Delicious for without your awesome words of encouragement and support I would not have mustered the courage to enter the quilt show. Royal waves and kisses to all!!
To see a bevy of beautiful quilts beyond belief Queenie invites you to head over to Amy’s Creative Side to lose yourself in a visual vacation at the Spring 2012 Blogger’s Quilt Festival (Starting Friday May 18, 2012). Click here to be magically transported to quilt heaven complete with giveaways galore.
Thanks for visiting Queenie’s wee blog!!!
Have a great day!
