Best in Show (parenthetically speaking)

I must confess, it's been a couple of years since I have attended a quilt show. (There was a time when I I did it a lot.) But when Quilt Con 2017 came to Savannah. GA this week, I made plans with a friend to go see it. And was pleasantly surprised to see some friends there and friends' work among juried entries.

(Modern Quilt Guild hasn't had a show in my neighborhood until now.)

My friend wanted to view the quilts - all of them - before we got distracted by vendor shopping.

There were lots of quilts and I'll say a good sampling of categories in which to fit the variations on Modern. By lunchtime, we had completed a somewhat orderly procession through countless rows...and I took some photos along the way. I guess you could call these my bests-in-show.

I also noticed a pattern to my choices after editing and attributing the photos. Category: WORDS.

(I love words...and meanings.)

The number nine has special meaning...not just because it's my house number...but my friend's quilt is

in the MQG category about 'new takes on a 9-patch.' (I also like plays on words and this quilt hits the mark.)

Then there's Category: MAP. But this starts to move into Category: ORGANIC, both of which are very close to my heart. Things start to get freer, less perfect, more breath of the artist. Lines are drawn here by hand and a group of studio visitors added drawings to this virtual whole cloth map of Austin, TX.

Good cooperation between piecer and quilter make this collaborative a truly cohesive work. (Below)

I've always loved the log cabin block and it's finest feature in my book is all the interlocking of subject and background. (Can kind of say that about the one above, too. I'm so fond of the'interlocking' of planes in design, as well as discovering patterns.)

Ginevra Martin's quilt reminds me of some of my favorite slow stitchers...the-half ovals so perfectly irregular.

These look like roads...rows of roads, really and a most clever and contrasting seam-stitching disguise. I was so pleased to see so much hand work at the show.

These roads lead directly to Karnataka and a new curiosity for my interest in indigenous hand stitching cultures. ( I love having new things to research.)

I can't describe in words how good these made me feel.

And then I'm right back home, feeling like this trip had come full-circle successful. It was possible to lay eyes on a quilt from the very special 70273 Project. This was constructed by my friend, Jeanne Hewell-Chambers with loving participation by numerous double X-makers. (None of mine are in this one.) Please visit her site for more info about this project. You won't believe the size of her barefoot heart.