AQS QuiltWeek Des Moines 2013, here I come!

Last spring I saw an ad for the American Quilter's Society Modern Quilt Challenge. To enter the challenge, your quilt had to be made within the last 3 years and your own design. At the time I was working on a new design, Starflower Cascade,  using neutrals with a pop of color, so I decided that I would enter it in the contest.

Throughout making it, I wavered back and forth....Is it modern enough? The waters of modern design seem to be rather murky, ranging from minimalistic design with interesting use of neutral colors to new takes on traditional blocks. Is it sewn well enough? I think we all sew to the best of our ability, but I don't know if I sew well enough to be viewed by thousands, judges included,  close up and personal. (that scares me a little!) I quilted it too, so more things to scrutinize. I'm still not sure about the answers to these questions, but I guess I'll find out because I did enter it and it will be shown at the  AQS Quilt Week in Des Moines as part of the AQS Modern Quilt Challenge in October. There are prizes to be won, and they will choose a selection of the quilts to travel to all of the AQS shows for the next year. Best of all, this show is only 2 hours away, and my friends and I travel to see it every year, so I will be able to see my quilt as well as the other 112 quilts in this challenge!

I took this picture before quilting and you can see the true colors better in it, I think. I wish I would've taken it outside for a picture before I sent it, as it's hard to do justice to the colors inside.

I made a label with the information they needed. I also had to make and attach a special hanging sleeve to it, more about that tomorrow. It needed to be in Paducah by Sept. 13, so I packed it up and sent it Friday.

I guess I can quit worrying now and start getting excited!