Byron quilters’ work set for display at Great Wisconsin Quilt Show

BYRON — Two quilts made by Byron residents might be seen by greater than 20,000 guests at this yr’s Nice Wisconsin Quilt Present in Madison, Wisconsin.

The present, which runs from Sept. 8-10, showcases quilts from across the nation. Whereas anybody can submit their quilt to the present, a jury selects sure quilts to be displayed and judged through the present’s 10-category Quilt Contest. This yr, Susan Nelson’s “Yabba Dabba Carried out!” and Jamie Kouba’s “Gilded Gardens” made the reduce.

Kouba’s 53-inch sq. quilt consists of 9 giant blocks that characteristic various intricate florals inside. The bigger blocks are surrounded by smaller, repeating floral blocks, and all the things is surrounded with gold and brown borders.

“It was a block of the month sample, which implies that each month you get a equipment within the mail with the issues that you must create a block for that month,” Kouba stated. “It has lots of applique by machine and a ton of hand embroidery to decorate all of the flowers which might be in it.”

For over a yr and a half, Kouba pieced collectively “Gilded Gardens” block by block utilizing the kits from Purple Daisies Quilting. She deviated from Sharon Schamber’s design by setting the quilt in gold relatively than grey.

“That’s the place I bought the identify ‘Gilded Gardens,’” Kouba stated.

Now in her 50s, Kouba started quilting on the age of 13. To this point, “Gilded Gardens” is essentially the most difficult quilt she has labored on, and she or he stated it’s thrilling to have it featured within the Nice Wisconsin Quilt Present.

“It’s simply enjoyable to have the ability to share my stuff with different folks,” Kouba stated. “Additionally, it’s all the time a problem. I just like the problem of attempting to make issues as close to excellent as I can get.”

As for Nelson’s quilt, which measures 6 toes by 6 toes 2 inches, a darkish grey background illuminates a 10-point kaleidoscopic star full of vibrant greens, blues, pinks and purples. Many of the quilt is hand-stitched, as Nelson stated she began engaged on “Yabba Dabba Carried out!” a number of years in the past when she moved to the Rochester space.

“I wanted a small mission that was kind of a take-along mission as a result of I wanted to pack up my stitching room,” Nelson stated. “I wanted a mission that was straightforward to return and go.”

Nelson stated she’s been quilting for 30 years, turning her interest right into a enterprise alongside the way in which. She now describes herself as semi-retired.

For essentially the most half, Nelson adopted a design from Willyne Hammerstein’s “Millefiori Quilts: E-book 3.” She stated she made some changes, like utilizing a method referred to as “fussy reducing” to make sure every level of a star had the identical design on it, making a extra uniform and kaleidoscope-like impact. All these smaller blocks construct into the quilt’s 10-point design, one thing Nelson stated is a little more difficult to create.

“Most stars in quilting are typically eight-pointed or 12-pointed or one thing that’s simply divisible to make a circle,” Nelson stated. “This one was 10, so I simply wanted to alter the maths on it and work issues out just a little bit otherwise.”

Whereas Nelson and Kouba each can’t attend this yr’s Nice Wisconsin Quilt Present to see their work on show, each girls labored on a quilt that might be raffled off through the Rochester Quilters’ Sew-ciety’s Quilt Present on Oct. 21 and 22 at Holy Spirit Catholic Church.

“I designed the quilt, and Jamie consulted with me on it to assist me make the perfect out of the design,” Nelson stated. “A complete of seven of us labored on this quilt — hand-appliqued and actually properly machine quilted.”

“Gilded Gardens” and “Yabba Dabba Carried out!” may also be on show on the Rochester quilt present. Earlier than then, over in Madison, each quilts might be within the working for first, second or third place of their class. One quilt from the present will earn the respect of “Finest in Present,” whereas one other might be named “Viewers’ Selection.”

Nelson stated “Yabba Dabba Carried out!” received a ribbon on the Minnesota Quilters’ Present in June, however each present is totally different.

“I can win a ribbon at one present after which get nothing on the subsequent,” she stated. “So there’s simply no predicting what’s going to occur. All of it relies upon who else competes and the way the judges prefer it, and also you simply gotta wait and see.”