Let me introduce myself~~ Instagram is having a QuiltFest2022

 Of course, my ipad keyboard is on strike - so I'm on my ancient laptop - which is also having problems.  But working today!!

At first I thought it was a physical Quiltfest!  So I knew I wasn't going ... but apparently it's virtual!  So, starting late - answering for myself, here's my answers to the topics, in an expedited method!

Introduction -  Hi, I'm doni and I'm a compulsive quilter!!  (response - Hi, doni!  Welcome)  

I rank myself as intermediate even though I started quilting in 1974!!  The fact is - I love to do what I can do without 'work'.  So mostly, I use quilting as my meditation / fun time mix.  If I have to work too hard to conquer a technique - meh!  I'll just go back to my favorite techniques I love. It's not going to be noted in history or anything!!  At 69 I'm not 'into' accomplishing expertise, I'm here to have fun!!  PS it helps to be addicted to scrap quilting - many easy techniques and lots of fabric overload in the projects!

My husband refers to me (lovingly, I'm sure!) Scrap-rabid!!  Doesn't keep him from using my quilts every day!!

First Quilt  My 'first' quilt was a pyramid Baby Blocks!!!  Yep, I was too dumb to know that I couldn't do that!  I saw the quilt in the Folk Art Desk Calendar (I miss that lovely publication.)  And I made it because we moved and our "old ugly" bedspread didn't go in the new bedroom. Our bed was queen size - and I couldn't afford a new bedspread!!  (Go ahead, take a break from reading until you stop LOLROFing!!)  Oh yes, 40+ years of spending money on quilts ... can't even dream of that total!  PS I still have this quilt!!  And since it's only 'for good' it's still in pretty good shape!  And I still love it!

Here it is hanging at the 2018 Azalea Quilt Show.  I was chosen to be Honorary Guild Member and this is my display in the show.  For more of that story go to my December 20, 2018 blog post.

Of course, that Pyramid bedspread had a few time-outs!  And I started a 2 solid fabric, blue and yellow Irish Chain.  My Grandmother had quilted.  Too bad I was too much of a tom-boy to learn from her!!

I was making a quilted fabric vest in the 90s; trying to start it and finish it for a quilt meeting in two days.  Middle of the night, I was cutting it out - and cut 2 left fronts.  Oh, if only that type of design was 'cool' then!  It WAS not! 2 am and I'm shell shocked!  BUT I heard Grandma Grant cackling!! And she said, "Oh, girly - you should have paid attention to ME!"  I quickly put everything out of sight, turned off the light and quietly went to bed!!

Quilts on beds - why of, course!!  And on couches, armchairs and walls!!  When friends came over they looked at the quilts that were in every room.  One off-handily said, "You into quilts or something??"  

Right now, our sleep-number bed has 3 quilts on it.  I only mention sleep-number because when one side is raised, all the covers are lifted off the other side!!  I sleep cold and DH sleeps warm, he sleeps better with the bed raised.  

I finally came to the arrangement that I move the bedspread off his side.  I sort-of wad it up in the middle!  Then lay a light weight quilt over his side.  I have the bedspread anchored in the middle - in fact as his side is raised it nestles in quite nicely.  I then have a single quilt that lay over the top of me.  I rarely kick off all the covers!!

Creative Hands  And are hardly ever manicured!  I always scouted out cool ideas and tried to figure out how I could do that (without spending that much money!!)  

Of course, there were some spectacular failures!!  Painting on burlap - not a good look!!  But I still create.  I quilt, (number 1) I embroider, I do wool applique.  I've made American Girl Doll clothes, but not real good with sewing clothing for me! (see above!)  

My mind is always wandering on what could be the next project! As a beginning quilter my favorite cartoon was in Quilter's Newsletter.  (Raise your hand if you subscribed to that!!  Sigh - miss it!)  The cartoon showed a quilter sleeping under a quilt, dreaming of another quilt, dreaming of another quilt ...

If your second project is on your mind before your first project is completed ... then you're my kind of friend!

Last for today:  Why do you quilt?  Funny you should ask!  I started a group called "ModSquad" - yes, after the 60s TV show - Go Julie!!  I went to Houston Quilt Festival and met Deborah Boschert with her book Art Quilt Collage.  I don't know if you remember "Modern" quilts in the early years.  Mattress pad quilting ruled!!

This method was just what I needed to explore "modern" quilting.  When I came home, I got 8 of us to form a group (I'm very contagious! I worked in an office at University of Nebraska, when I started I was the only quilter.  When I left 8 years later 4 ladies in our office (total employees 12?) were quilters.  AND there were 3 more in the building that started quilting!!

But back to ModSquad - sorry!  There was no 'teacher' we all bought the Art Quilt Collage book.  And took turns learning a method and presenting it to the group.  To help keep our interest.  We snuck it into the meeting space and then tried to guess who did what!  We gently critiqued each piece and well, it worked so well - we are still going!!  Some have joined and some have moved on, but the core is still that first group!!  When we got done with the book - we went on to challenges about color, technique, keywords.

Long story short (Ha!) We had a challenge in 2020, - why we quilt.  I loved my 'graffiti inspired' answer.  Hope you do too!!