Quilt Show

The Arizona Quilters Guild annual show was this weekend, and there were some spectacular quilts! I am going to spread out the pictures...this is the overview, and I will share detail photos in a few days.


Best in Show went to Gina Perkes from Payson, AZ:The giraffes caught my eye in traditional form: And in artistic representation:
Debbie Graves pieced and quilted the next beauty. She is the past president of my local chapter. Her original design reminds me of the knitted miter squares I am working on! I am always drawn to color gradient quilts, and this gorgeous quilt was honored with "Best Use of Color:"
More to come...

Spring has Sprung!

Hubby was on Spring Break this week and worked in the backyard. Our large shade tree died in the frost last year, and Santa brought us a gift certificate to re-landscape. Here is a close up of the new nectarine tree:

Here is the new view from the patio:
In the middle is a glassy-leaf privet, which we hope will give us nice shade and privacy when it matures. On the left is a pomegranate, and the right is the nectarine. The grass was just cut down...we do not overseed in the winter, but it will be lush in a month or so!

Hubby installed pull-down shades on the patio, which makes it very pleasant in the mornings and evenings...until July and August when we desert-dwellers hibernate in the air conditioning! Baby K loves to pick up rocks outside. Here she is with her collection...Moving on to my quilting projects - This is step one of the IMQA Fabric Challenge. I have had the design clearly in my head since last fall, and I purchased the fabric in December. Unfortunately, this project will not make it to the show since the deadline for entries is March 26th. I had a moment of optimism when I thought that I could just mail the paperwork and finish the quilting in April, but they want pictures with the entry. I plan to finish the quilt, and now that's one less thing on my March to-do list! Baby K is quite an explorer and climber now. Last week she enjoyed taking her bears for a ride in an empty box. Again, the cheap entertainment wins!