Someone Pinch Me! My Mission Impossible Quilt was Juried Into QuiltCon Together 2021!

You guys, I got the acceptance email two days ago, but I couldn't tell anyone about it at first because it seemed so unreal.  I had to go to bed, wake up in the morning, and check my email again to make sure it was still there.  My Mission Impossible quilt was accepted by the jurists into QuiltCon Together 2021!

Just a Glimpse of My Mission Impossible Quilt

This quilt is my original design, made for my oldest son's high school graduation in 2019 and sized to fit his XL Twin dorm bed when he went off to college.  I was definitely NOT thinking that I was making a show quilt when I started...  I'm just sharing a glimpse of it in today's post so as not to spoil the fun for those who want to see all of the quilts for the first time when the virtual show rolls around in February.  (If you're someone who can't wait, you can scroll back through all of my posts about this quilt by clicking here).  I loved the design when I created it in my EQ8 software, and I loved it more and more as I brought the concept to life in fabric and thread.  The idea of entering the quilt into QuiltCon 2020 snuck quietly into my mind while I was quilting it, but if I'd entered it in 2020 and it had been accepted, I would have had to take the quilt away from my son to send it off to the show.  That wasn't going to happen -- this mama wanted her quilt to be wrapped around her 6' tall "little boy" in his dorm room far from home.

But then the pandemic happened and The Modern Quilt Guild announced that in 2021 they would be hosting a virtual version of the show online, QuiltCon Together.  I checked the rules for entry: The quilt must have been made in 2018, 2019, or 2020.  Check!  I was glad to see that, in the unlikely event that my quilt was chosen to be in the show, I would NOT have to send the actual quilt away, since the event is online only.  Good!  That means the quilt can stay with my son!  To enter, I needed to send in 5 pictures of the quilt, including one straight-on shot of the entire front of the quilt, one straight-on shot of the back of the quilt, one shot of the binding, and two detail shots.  Hmmm...  I had not taken all of those shots when I photographed the quilt upon completion.  So my husband and I drove up to Boone a couple of months ago and I borrowed the quilt back from Lars, hoping it was still presentable after spending a year in his college dorm... Whew!  Bless his heart, my son knows how to take good care of a quilt, and it looks just like it did the day I gave it to him.  No rips, stains etc.  It didn't even stink.  Hah!

So we took the photos, put the quilt right back on his dorm bed, and I submitted the pictures with my entry form.  I felt a little silly writing an "Artist's Statement" about my quilt, because I'm not really an artist, am I?  Looking at my close-up photos of the quilt, I see all the things we quilter's always see when we examine and critique our own work: Oh no, THAT's not perfect!  Neither is THAT!  If only I'd done a better job with this bit or with that bit...

This is my first time entering ANY kind of quilt show, let alone a major show like QuiltCon that draws entrants and visitors from all around the world.  I didn't even enter a quilt in my own local guild's show in 2020 -- because I didn't have any finished quilts to enter that I hadn't already given away.  Considering the calibre of work I've seen in QuiltCon in years past -- and the amazing quilts that have not been accepted (check out #QuiltConRejects on Instagram to see what I mean), I'm not expecting a ribbon or anything.  Just knowing that my quilt was deemed worthy of inclusion by the jurists is extremely validating.  I'm also going to get feedback from the judges, I think, and I'm looking forward to that, too.  I wonder if they will mention the same shortcomings that I see when I scrutinize my quilt, or if there are other opportunities for improvement that I'm not even aware of?  Regardless, I am on Cloud Nine!  

One last bit of happiness to share: I got this picture from the recipient of my most recent quilt finish:

LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!

My heart is full, my cup runneth over, and I haven't even opened any Christmas presents yet!  As for my personal quilting To-Do list this week, I'll be continuing to work on those Disappearing 9-Patch Christmas blocks in between baking cookies and wrapping the last-minute packages that have yet to arrive on my doorstep.  Wishing all of my friends and fellow quilters a blessed holiday season and a happy new year!

I'm linking up today's post with the following linky parties:

MONDAY

Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts  

Monday Making at Love Laugh Quilt

TUESDAY

To-Do Tuesday at Home Sewn By Us

WEDNESDAY

Midweek Makers at Quilt Fabrication

Wednesday Wait Loss at The Inquiring Quilter

THURSDAY

Needle and Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation  

Free Motion Mavericks with Muv and Andree

FRIDAY

Whoop Whoop Fridays at Confessions of a Fabric Addict

Peacock Party at Wendy’s Quilts and More

Finished Or Not Friday at Alycia Quilts

Off the Wall Friday at Nina Marie Sayre

 TGIFF Thank Goodness It’s Finished Friday, rotates, schedule found here: TGIF Friday