![\"IMGP4287\"](\"http:\/\/www.thisishappystuff.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/IMGP4287.jpg\")
<\/p>\nthere’s a new art exhibit up at my library.\u00c2\u00a0 it’s quilts from the local modern quilt guild.\u00c2\u00a0 they fill all of the available art rail space (the most we’ve had up all year–all the staff love it and i’ve heard lots of positive feedback from patrons too!).\u00c2\u00a0 here are some in the children’s area:<\/p>\n
and here are some near the magazine and adult study area.\u00c2\u00a0 oh wait.\u00c2\u00a0 one of those looks familiar… it’s my quilt!\u00c2\u00a0 happy dance, happy dance, it’s finally done!!!!\u00c2\u00a0 (see previous posts about it here<\/a> and here<\/a> and here<\/a>) the title of this quilt is “overdue” because not only did i start this quilt three years ago, but i almost always have books overdue on my library card because i want to read too many at once.<\/p>\n although this is “my” quilt because i own it and i designed it, i almost don’t feel like i can say that i made it myself.\u00c2\u00a0 it is definitely the most collaborative quilt i have ever made.\u00c2\u00a0 first of all, a huge thank you to the women of the common threads quilt bee (round 2)<\/a> who contributed strips of “books” for this quilt.\u00c2\u00a0 without your help, this quilt would have had much less variety in fabrics and, honestly, would have never gotten finished.\u00c2\u00a0 i had no idea, when i designed this, how tricky it would be to sew strips like this together and not have it turn completely, wildly wonky.\u00c2\u00a0 you are all champs and now that i’m done, i kind of want to start another round of the bee…..<\/p>\n and last, but possibly most, i’d like to thank the amazing cindy anderson of in a stitch quilting<\/a> for taking my quilt from great to absolutely incredible with her marvelous quilting skills!\u00c2\u00a0 i met cindy through the modern quilt guild here in town and i loved working with her so much that i’m already plotting my next quilt to have her work on!\u00c2\u00a0 cindy was so patient and understanding as i waffled about what quilting design to use, what thread color to use, how the heck to finally square up this enormous thing…\u00c2\u00a0 i gave her the merest scribble of my design idea and she not only “got it” she developed it into a design i love even more than i’d imagined.\u00c2\u00a0 the idea to connect the lines between the books was a last-minute “aha moment” and she easily grabbed onto the idea and ran with it (again, after a sketchy scribble photographed with my phone and e-mailed to her).\u00c2\u00a0 her fees are ridiculously reasonable and the value of my quilt increased way more from her work on it than the amount i paid.\u00c2\u00a0 love, love, love it!<\/p>\n i also have to point out that i’m particularly proud of the binding.\u00c2\u00a0 i loved the no-border look of the top so much that i didn’t want binding to disturb it, so i bound the whole thing in white, then appliqued 8 “books” on the edges, lining up with the ends of each row.<\/p>\n i am not loving the library florescent lighting on the quilt in these shots, so maybe when the quilt show is done (end of june) i’ll have to take a few more pictures of it on my bed.\u00c2\u00a0 apologies if you get sick of seeing this quilt, but it certainly makes me happy!<\/p>\n p.s. one more thank you to marie and cindy (yes, my quilter cindy) for whip-stitching a rod pocket (by hand) onto the back of my quilt the evening of the installation in the library.\u00c2\u00a0 i found myself trying to direct a dozen quilters in how to hang what seemed like mountains of quilts up on the library walls (where’s the ladder?\u00c2\u00a0 where are the rods?\u00c2\u00a0 do you have fishing line?\u00c2\u00a0 scissors?\u00c2\u00a0 tape measure?) while doing my own last-minute prep work and these two ladies calmly stepped in and took over my frantic stitching and finished it for me.\u00c2\u00a0 thank you, thank you!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" there’s a new art exhibit up at my library.\u00c2\u00a0 it’s quilts from the local modern quilt guild.\u00c2\u00a0 they fill all of the available art rail space (the most we’ve had up all year–all the staff love it and i’ve heard … Continue reading ![\"IMGP4288\"](\"http:\/\/www.thisishappystuff.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/IMGP4288.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\nmy second contributor was my mother who (see above note about wildly wonky blocks) straightened up a few places where i’d joined several contributed blocks in a row less than squarely and made squaring up the bottom edge impossible without drastically shortening (and slanting) a whole row of books.\u00c2\u00a0 mom, you have way more patience for being careful than i do.\u00c2\u00a0 a million thanks.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n