Getting Ready for the Quilt Show

Yes, I've actually been doing some quilty sewing as I prepare for the big Sand 'N Sea Quilt Show. I have eight entries this year, and would it sound big headed if I say I really do want Hawaiian Star to win best of show? I am so hoping to accomplish that! The only issue is that I have entered several quilts that have fallen into the same category, so I hope I don't end up splitting all my votes up so much that I don't win anything. That would be a shame, and I will have learned my lesson (I hope!).
I was really excited yesterday to see that my picture of Hawaiian Star is now up on Judy Neimeyer's website. They did a wonderful job of editing out the edge of the shelf that was in my original picture! I really need to learn how to do some of that awesome photoshop stuff to make my pictures better myself. Anyway, check out the rest of her website: Quiltworx.com. I think her patterns are terrific, and I'm sure anyone would enjoy making one of her beautiful quilts!
For the quilt show I made this adorable miniature:

Can you guess how big it is? I'll tell you at the end of my post today - I'm pretty sure you will be surprised!
I made a vest for my challenge entry. Actually it's the vest I made in a workshop with Linda Mason that fits the guidelines for the challenge! The rules were that it had to be such and such a size and have a New York Beauty Block. Which my vest features! So it works, and I didn't have to make another quilt to enter into the challenge. I'm thrilled!
Another entry is the string quilt I made last winter for the upcycle contest on Etsy. It got a blue ribbon in the fair this year, which I was really happy about. I think that if it does not sell by this winter that I will use it on my own bed. It's a nice and heavy quilt, perfect for keeping warm on cold nights. I eventually plan to make more of these quilts, my string can in overflowing, but I have so many other projects to work on that it hasn't been a priority this summer.
I've also entered Ruby Tulips, and Where Your Heart Is, and a quilted purse. They will be for sale at the show also, so perhaps I will be able to sell those soon. My cupboard is getting full of finished quilts!
I finally finished Shining Stars! This is a quilt made from blocks made in a block exchange many years ago. I completed the top several years ago when I found a layout in EQ5 that I really liked to set them off. I bought the backing for it a short time later, but it's been sitting in my drawer waiting for my machine quilting skills to catch up with my ideas for the quilting. I decided that there is no time like the present and finally got it quilted. I still need to work on my feathers, but I really like how it came out. It ended up being a lovely quilt - and I am very happy to have finished it up after all this time. It will go for sale also, I have plenty of quilts, but my refrigerator is desparately in need of a replacement. So that is my hope for this quilt!

A little bit about the quilting - I found the perfect blue thread at the quilt shop a couple of weeks ago and bought it. When I got ready to quilt I realized that it was too dark to use on the blocks themselves and the pink squares. So I ended up using pink thread on those sections and the pretty blue thread on the rest, including the black - which it is stunning on!

I did a feather and swirl circle on the blocks, flowes and swirls on the pink and blue, swirls and looks on the black, and just loops on the border. By then I had realized that the thread didn't show up enough to make a feathered border worth all of the work involved. At any rate, it is bound and almost ready to display in the show - I just have to add the label and it is officially finished! Yeah! If you really want to know the miniature quilt is only 4 and 3/4 inches square! It is so small that the tag that will be displayed with it in the show will be bigger that it is. I really is cute, isn't it?

Time to make pancakes for breakfast - have a great weekend!