Local’s quilt chosen for international competition

Published 8:13 pm Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Virginia Anderson is surprised where her quilts take her once they make it out of a box and off the longarm quilting machine in her Shoreline home.

On March 9 she received confirmation that her latest quilt will be one of 386 others displayed and judged at the 25th anniversary of the American Quilter’s Society Quilt Show and Contest from April 22-25 at the Paducah Expo Center in Paducah, KY.

Just being chosen from a field of 709 contest entries is exiting, for Anderson, 62, despite the fact she’s been juried into the competition several times in previous years.

“By getting accepted you have already won the first round,” Anderson said. “You have to win the first round before you can be considered. It’s thrilling to have your quilt accepted.”

In 2006, Anderson won first place in the category for small piece traditional wall quilts with her “Dancin’ Teapots II” entry. The quilt includes nine teapots – a favorite subject of Anderson’s who has quilted 19 teapot themed quilts and collects teapots.

Her most recent entry, “Rainbows”, began in 2001 as a Christmas gift for her husband. Drawing inspiration from his work as a fisherman, Anderson used a pattern with six fish. As she worked, she liked the fish so much she said the original six became a school of 16 colorfully individual yet symmetrical fish.

The project was supposed to be a “quickie, easy quilt” she said but after staggering the fish she wasn’t sure how to complete the project and the unfinished quilt top went into a box and was put away.

Anderson finished the quilt in June 2008, after hand picking fabric squares for the addition of a checkerboard boarder, finishing several outlines of ‘ghost fish’ along the quilt’s border, making her own pattern for waves and tying knot after knot after knot.

In August 2008, the quilt won third place in its category at an American Quilter’s show before it was put on display at the Puyallup Fair.

“Everyone who knows the basics has said it’s the best thing I had ever done whether it is or not and yes, it does stray from my teapots,” Anderson said.

The quilt will compete against others within its own category during the international quilt contest and show. Entries are from 48 states and 11 other countries, including Japan, Australia, South Korea, Philippines, Canada, and England. There are 16 categories in the judged contest including bed-size, large and small wall quilts, and designs ranging from traditional to designs using paint, threads, and original designs.

The individual named best of show will win a $20,000 cash prize and their work will become part of the permanent collection in the national Quilt Museum.

For Anderson, having a quilt accepted in the competition isn’t a prerequisite for attending the show but she does plan to attend this year’s event. Although she has tested quilt patterns for publication in magazines and books, Anderson insists quilting is just a hobby.

“Quilting has just led me to a lot of fun things to do,” she said. “Who would ever believe that a hobby like quilting could lead to so much fun? And you never know what’s around the corner. I love it.”