Home Quilt

Up where I'm from in my home state, our county has a week-long fair in the summertime. Last year (2011) they started something new. They had a quilt block competition. Kits of material with block guidelines were made, and individuals could then make a pattern of some kind for this class to be judged. Here are the entries in the summer of 2011, I was happy to be able to visit up there at that time and take pictures.

And here are the top 3 winners, with their ribbons attached.

After this, the blocks were sewn together with sashing & border, and quilted and bound. Local ladies did this work. (It turned out beautifully!) It was then raffled off this last summer (2012) to help with fair funds. Then this last summer they had another "quilt block contest." A friend of mine had made a block and shown pictures, and had let me know that it was "cowboy/western"-print material, oh how I wished! I wished I could take part somehow. I would've loved to anyway with just being quilt blocks, but when I saw the western-themed material, something in me went overboard and I just HAD to see IF .... I knew I couldn't take part in the actual quilt block contest, living out-of-state and all. But perhaps since I was a former county resident, maybe I could just DONATE a block? Well, with my friend helping me out, she checked on such a thing, and they were gracious to let me do that! So a kit was forthcoming in the mail, and this was the result.

The prints were really fun - blue with "cowboy/Indian" motifs, golden-brown with western/ranch words, tan/white with barbed wire, and red with lassoes. Too cute! Like last year, the blocks were all some variation of a 9-patch. I was SO HAPPY to be able to contribute! I love my home county, and get very homesick. This was a wonderful, happy way to contribute and not feel so "far away" from everyone and everything. This got sent off in the mail, and I hope to see how this "western" quilt turns out for this next summer's fair. :)