Wedding Dreams

June 2001, 68" high by 68" wide, $10,000
Copyright © 2001, Maria Elkins, All Rights Reserved.

This quilt was designed for a quilt challenge sponsored by the Miami Valley Quilter's Guild of Dayton, Ohio. The theme of the challenge was "Visions of Tomorrow" and before I was even home from the guild meeting, I could already see the completed quilt in my mind.

My self-imposed challenge for this quilt was to capture the image of a young girl as she dances and twirls and daydreams about what she will look like on her wedding day. The bride is the grown-up version of the girl so I echoed the same dreamy expression on her face and repeated the same body and clothing positions. I also tried to achieve a feeling of movement and the suggestion of transparency in the veil.

This quilt is completely machine pieced (not appliqued) except for the faces and the bride's bouquet which are hand appliqued. The quilt is machine quilted with rayon, sliver metallic and kaleidoscope threads. Silk ribbon embroidery adds detail to the bouquet.

• Displayed (non-competition) at 2004 Miami Valley Quilters' Guild "Floral Fantasy" Biennial Quilt Show, Dayton, Ohio.
• Published in 2004 Great American Quilts by Oxmoor House.
• First Place Art Quilt, Master Division, 2003 Dallas Quilt Celebration, Dallas, Texas.
• Second Place, Bed Mixed Techniques, 2003 Sew Near to My Heart, Cincinnati, Ohio.
• Honorable Mention for Innovative Wall Mixed, 2003 Road to California Show, Ontario, California.
• Displayed at the Metropolitan Arts Center, Dayton, Ohio, November-December, 2002
• Best Machine Workmanship for Innovative Quilts and Honorable Mention for Innovative Quilts at the 2002 Pennsylvania National Quilt Extravaganza IX, Fort Washington, Pennsylvania.
• Viewer's Choice Award and First Place Large Wall Quilt, Pieced and Machine Quilted at the 2002 National Quilt Society 33rd Annual Judged Quilt Show, Charlotte, North Carolina.
• Best of Show, First Place Innovative Piecing, and Media Award at the 2002 Miami Valley Quilters' Guild "Rings of Spring" Biennial Quilt Show, Dayton, Ohio.
• Juried into the 2002 American Quilters Society Judged Show, Paducah, Kentucky.
• Second Place Fabric Art at the 2002 Indiana Heritage Quilt Show, Bloomington, Indiana.
• Juried into the 2001 International Quilt Association Judged Show, Houston, Texas.
• Workmanship Award and Viewer's Choice Award at the 2001 Quilt! America Show in Indianapolis, Indiana.

If you are interested in purchasing this quilt, please e-mail me for more information.

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Last updated November 29, 2006.