2008 American Quilter’s Show
I am SO honored that I won this year’s Best Wall quilt award at the AQS show. Wow! This is my 23rd year entering the show. That’s right. 23 years. Yes, I started entering the show at age two. Okay, so that’s a stretch — it was three.
This is a purchase award, and the quilt will become part of the permanent collection of the Museum of the American Quilter’s Society.
It’s hard to see in the picture, but the entire thing is covered in thread. You can see a detail of the quilt at the top of this post and below.
Sadly for me, despite the generous offer of hotel and such, I wasn’t able to attend the show. The chair with my name on it (wow, my name is on the chair??) is empty. However, Anne Peck graciously took some photos and sent them to me. I am very grateful to her! Thanks Anne!
I was interviewed today by telephone for the next issue of American Quilter magazine. This is all quite exciting. Did I mention it’s been 23 years of trying? :)
Here’s a picture of the quilt while it was being quilted.
Here’s a detail shot.
April 24th, 2008 at 8:21 am
Congratulations, Gloria … even if it took these many (23!) tries !!! Well done!
April 24th, 2008 at 9:23 am
Thanks for posting the link to the close-up of your beautiful quilt. I can’t imagine what it looks like in person because it sure look fabulous here. Congratulations!
April 24th, 2008 at 9:40 am
Thanks Fulvia!
April 24th, 2008 at 9:40 am
Thanks Lynne! My mom is bittersweet about the win, as she wanted the quilt.
April 24th, 2008 at 10:11 am
WOW! This is even more FABULOUS now that I see its all thread painted. CONGRATULATIONS for sure Gloria and you deserve the “BEST of” award!!!
April 24th, 2008 at 11:51 am
Gloria, congratulations. I wish I were at AQS to see it! I know you wish your were there too so you could stand beside the quilt to answer all the questions and hear all the enthusiasm. I am beginning to thread paint so I have a question that I hope you don’t mind answering in the middle of all the excitement. When you did all this thread painting, was there batting behind the work and did you use polyester or rayon thread? Thanks. By the way, and I am ordering one of those lights, since I am having all kinds of difficulty seeing my work.
April 24th, 2008 at 11:54 am
The quilting is wonderful. I am so glad you posted this detail shot. I had no idea how the quilting looked and enhances the final piece. Congrats on a great year.
April 24th, 2008 at 12:05 pm
gloria, Your work is absolutely inspirational! Congratulations! And I can see your amazing creative spirit sitting in that chair! go you!
April 24th, 2008 at 4:01 pm
I got in the mail today the show catalog. It’s the 24th annual show. Oh goodness. That means I’ve been entering 24 years!
Thanks for all of the kind comments. I appreciate them.
Judith, while I called it thread painting, it’s really heavy quilting in that there is batting and backing fabric, no different than quilting. It’s more like I got carried away with it. I used Madera on top and Aurifil cotton in the bobbin.
April 24th, 2008 at 6:26 pm
Gloria,
Well deserved award! It is wonderful from far away but the closeup shows such a differnt aspect, all the beautiful thread and quilting. Hope to see it someday.
Pat
April 24th, 2008 at 6:58 pm
Thanks Pat!
April 24th, 2008 at 8:19 pm
Wow — well deserved! Would love to see this in person — the threadwork is absolutely gorgeous!
April 24th, 2008 at 8:35 pm
Thanks Gisela! It’s suppose to now be part of the permanent AQS Museum collection. It’s strange for me, as I just finished it. But what a great new home!
April 24th, 2008 at 9:51 pm
Gloria—It would be wonderful if you could describe the techniques used besides thread painting.
April 25th, 2008 at 12:12 am
Wow–thanks for the detail shots and the thread names. What an inspiration your work is!
Martha
April 25th, 2008 at 12:37 am
Susan,
The technique is a basic triangle repeat design that was then digitally painted. It’s printed in small sections with Ultrachrome pigment onto silk. Then pastels are added — D’uva pastels, which are specifically for fabric. It was time consuming as part of it was a learning process. Also, I stitched an area in the wrong direction and took some three weeks to pick it out.
April 25th, 2008 at 4:31 pm
Well deserved Gloria, I am a keen fan of your first book, and can’t wait for the new one to arrive. Good to have someone out there to keep us on track of all the newest………
Thanks for sharing,
Mai-Britt in Guernsey (small island in the channel between England and France)
http://linenandsilk.blogspot.com/
April 25th, 2008 at 4:57 pm
Thank you!
April 26th, 2008 at 10:09 pm
Hi Gloria –
Wow! You are certainly on a roll – with IQF and now Paducah. Love both pieces – but especially like this one – Paducah piece – the closeup is sensational – you are an inspiration! A beautiful, gracious lady with overflowing
talent. And where did you find those threads…I’m suffering from “thread envy” – lolol
Many congrats to your winning success – you are one talented lady – for sure!
Artfully speaking,
Anna Rice – Tampa
April 27th, 2008 at 1:13 pm
Anna, – Wow! You certainly are flattering! Thanks. Regarding the threads — I have a Maderia thread chest collection, which I got from a local sewing store (and you can get online) and a collection of Aurifil threads, which I got in Lyon, France at an Quilts Inc. show. It sounds exotic — that is, getting threads in France, but it was a lucky set of circumstances that allowed me to attend that show. Otherwise, I’ve been collecting threads for a long time — a few spools here, a few spools there. It’s amazing how the collection grows. And, again, thanks for the flattering words.
April 27th, 2008 at 2:55 pm
Congratulations Gloria! I’m away from Kentucky visiting family in British Columbia right now, but heard from a friend that you had won something–had no idea it was one of the BIG awards. I entered back in the early days and was accepted–no awards though. I’ve been intimidated for years to enter again–the standards have really gotten so high–you must feel great about your win. I missed the show this year because of this visit–I’ve attended every show since the start except 2 and hated to miss it this time.
Jenny Perry
April 27th, 2008 at 3:30 pm
Jenny, don’t be intimidated entering the show! If everyone were intimidated to enter, there would be no show. So enter! I noted it was my 23rd time entering, but since it’s the 24th annual show, it means it’s 24 years of me trying. Egads!! Some years I got in, some years I got rejected (and all of those entry and shipping fees!) This year’s win a total shocker.
April 28th, 2008 at 4:01 pm
I am so happy for you! The work is outstanding and the quilt is beautiful! Your work just gets better and better!
April 28th, 2008 at 6:16 pm
Thanks Liz!
May 2nd, 2008 at 12:32 pm
Thanks so much for sharing the detail picture of this GLORIOUS quilt — what an inspiration! I, too, wanted to know about your threads, and I see you answered the question above. Are the Madeira threads rayon? The colors just glow in the quilt. Congratulations on all your talent and hard work — the win is much deserved!
Looking forward to purchasing your book in the fall!
Diane Evans
May 4th, 2008 at 9:00 am
Diane,
Thanks for the kind words! Yes, rayon. I have a Superior Thread or two in there, too. But the vast majority is Maderia.
June 9th, 2009 at 2:04 pm
Gloria,
I am embarking on my first quilting class after years of wanting to learn. I stumbled upon your website and I am absolutely amazed. You are more than talented, yours is a gift! All I can say is WOW!
August 29th, 2010 at 12:15 am
Gloria, I too found your site accidentally. I am not a big fan of “art quilts”…I think quilts are meant to be slept under…but…yours is TRULY art. Congratulations on your 2008 win.
August 29th, 2010 at 12:23 am
Brenda, I am told I should be calling my work “textile art” or just “art” rather than quilt or art quilt because people think of a quilt as to be slept under. Funny enough, the first time I went to a quilt show, I was stunned at how large the pieces were. I remember I exclaimed, “These are so large someone could sleep under them.” That comment was met with wide eyes and stunned looks. :) In any event, thanks for the kind words on my work.
August 29th, 2010 at 12:23 am
Thanks Rhonda! :)