My Brunette Whig was made by Gail Stepanek and quilted by Jan Hutchison. They received $5,000.00 from sponsor, ABM International, Inc. / Innova

This winning quilt was a total collaboration between Gail and Jan. So much so, that they answered our questions for this post as a team!!!   How did you get stated in quilting? Gail: I was hooked after making my first quilt in the early 80’s. Jan: I started quilting so that I could finish a quilt that my Grandmother left unfinished. That was 14 years ago and I have yet to finish it.   What inspired your design for My Brunette Whig? Gail: Whig Rose quilts and variations of the pattern. I borrowed some variations and added my own to create a block that most likely isn’t recognized as a Whig Rose. The dark brown background gave it its name. Jan: I wanted to keep the quilting traditional but update it a bit with the use of metallic and contrasting threads. We worked on it up until the very last minute to enter it before the deadline.   How long did it take to make this quilt? Gail: People always ask how long it took to make a quilt. If I told you that I started it in 2011 and finished it in 2014 you would think that it took 3 years. I did start it in 2011 and finished in 11 months (5 of those months were spent trying to find an interesting layout). I then put it aside until 2014 when I sent it to Jan for quilting. Jan: It took about two months to quilt. What was your reaction when you learned you won? Gail: Road to CA was the first show that MBW was entered in and the first time I’ve entered an all applique project. Not sure of my applique skills, this award gave me confidence to try another applique design in the future! I was thrilled with the award and so happy to be at the show. Jan: I was excited to win the award. What plans do you have for your winnings? Gail: More fabric, attending shows, etc. Jan: At least part of my share of the award money went towards more fabric and thread. I learned to be sure to have enough thread I need before I start quilting – I had to make an emergency thread order at the last minute. Where do you go from here? Gail: Jan and I hope to keep the quilts coming. This was our third quilt together and Jan will start quilting our fifth this fall.]]>

Tags: Award Winning Quilts, Gail Stepanek, Jan Hut, Road to California 2015, Winning Quilt

This entry was posted on Friday, October 2nd, 2015 at 4:14 pm and is filed under quilt entries, Road 2015- 20th Anniversary Show. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.