Malvern - Sunday

Sorry for the delay in getting the photographs up from yesterday. I've just been running around like a loony today. It was lovely to get the chance to catch up with so many people I didn't expect to see for another month. If I seemed to ignore you or not recognize you I am very sorry. I am getting better at identifying people but I've still got a long way to go.

I was thrilled to discover that the quilt is awarded two rosettes, so one can go to the quilter and one to the piecer. It was amazing to get an award for someone else's quilt, which I hadn't even entered. Certainly one of those very special landmark moments. It was also very good to win Frans award. I had really hoped I would be able to get my name on it, she was a very important influence even though I didn't know her long. Now I have to try for the Sandown one too. I also had an interesting revelation. I've won three awards for longarm quilting (I think ) and all the quilts have very similar quilting. Even more strangely, I don't feel they are that special. The first was, at the time it was by far the best quilting I had done. This one the quilting is exactly what the quilt wanted, but it's very hard to actually see. You may have noticed that none of the pictures really show the quilting. Maybe I just don't understand how the judges look at things. Whilst I don't entirely undrstand, I would be very pleased to think they choose the quilt with the most sympathetic or appropriate quilting, almost regardless of complexity.

For me there was one quilt that really stood out to me. It won the hand quilting award. I didn't have the guide with me when I saw it so I just remembered it for later. The I was distracted by the awards and found out who's quilt it was. Gwenfai Rees Griffiths. Ah! That explains a lot. Now at risk of causing offence (and I really don't intend any) what I really loved was that at a distance I couldn't tell it was hand sewn. The stitches are tiny with make a really strong quilting line, something I love about machine work. I am quite pleased I didn't photograph it though, as I would like to design a machine pattern that has the feel I remember from it. I don't know how successful I will be but I'll be interested to see what I come up with.