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Sue Reno recently attended the National Quilting Association show in Columbus, Ohio. She surprised me with sending pictures of my quilt. Thanks Sue!

At the AQS show, there was a chair next to my winning quilt (which you can see lower on this page). I wasn’t able to attend the show, but several kind people sent me images. I was also asked the question: Do you get to keep the chair? The answer: Yes. It was a pleasant surprise when it arrived in the mail. It’s very nice quality, too.

I also received this beautiful crystal bowl with a wooden engraved plaque. The bowl is heavy – like 8-9 lbs heavy, and it makes a beautiful ring when I ping it with my finger.

While not a particularly good picture, the bowl glistens.

I am SO honored that I won this year’s Best Wall quilt award at the AQS show. Wow! This is my 23rd year entering the show. That’s right. 23 years. Yes, I started entering the show at age two. Okay, so that’s a stretch — it was three.

This is a purchase award, and the quilt will become part of the permanent collection of the Museum of the American Quilter’s Society.

It’s hard to see in the picture, but the entire thing is covered in thread. You can see a detail of the quilt at the top of this post and below.

Sadly for me, despite the generous offer of hotel and such, I wasn’t able to attend the show. The chair with my name on it (wow, my name is on the chair??) is empty. However, Anne Peck graciously took some photos and sent them to me. I am very grateful to her! Thanks Anne!

I was interviewed today by telephone for the next issue of American Quilter magazine. This is all quite exciting. Did I mention it’s been 23 years of trying? :)

Here’s a picture of the quilt while it was being quilted.

Here’s a detail shot.

I was not able to attend the Lancaster Quilter’s Heritage Celebration this year. However, quilt artists Sue Reno and Michelle Verbeeck both very graciously took some photos for me. I’m using the picture Michelle sent to keep in my journal, and I’m posting here one of the pictures Sue took for me.

The quilt is called “Blushing Triangles 3” completed January 2008. My first 1st place, after 20 years of entering!

Twenty-one years ago (could it really have been that long?) on one sunny spring day, my husband and I were taking a drive in Lancaster County. We saw a sign for the QHS and decided to stop to see it. It was an amazing experience for me, and I was overwhelmed by everything. The following year I entered a quilt and was incredibly happy to be accepted.

I made this in 1988! Twenty years ago and my first entry into the Lancaster show.

I call it “Eastern Violets.” It’s made of Japanese fabrics and solids, and it’s pieced on a treadle machine and hand quilted. It’s a basic design that I did on graph paper.

“Reflections” made in 1989, my second entry into the show.

The following year I entered this “Reflections.” I designed it on kaleidoscope paper. But since I didn’t know about the kaleidoscope block, I made odd shaped templates and did a lot of set in seams! It’s also pieced on a treadle machine and hand quilted. The quilt is around 55 or 60″ square. Again, I was extremely happy to have the quilt accepted. That’s something my partner told me — the secret to happiness: expect nothing, be grateful for everything.

Here’s a close up. I have a dyed fabric in this quilt!

It’s now 20 years later. A lot of things have changed, but I am still thrilled when accepted into a show and a win is icing on the cake.

I got a call from a show person at the Quilter’s Heritage Celebration informing me that my quilt “Blushing Triangles 3″ won 1st place in the wallhanging division. Wow! What a happy surprise. I have been entering that show for a long time. How long, you wonder? This is my 20th year. Yup. Some people win awards after just a few tries. Me. It”s taken a couple decades to get a first! What a turtle!

I’m not going to be able to make it this year. If anyone is going to the show, please take a picture for me!

Here is the postcard for my first solo show. I’m very happy with it. If anyone is in the San Jose area between April and June 8th, I hope you’ll stop by. This show is one of a couple going on at the Museum and is in conjunction with San Jose’s ZERO 1 festival, described as a “global festival of art on the edge,” and a “biennial exhibition of compelling experiences made possible at the intersection of art and digital culture.

The above graphic is from their website (you need to scroll over one of the three small icons under the main show window.  More information about the show is here.

I was very pleased to learn that I won two awards recently. My Squared Illusions 6 quilt, which is currently on my homepage, won Best Use of Color at the Mid-Atlantic Quilting Festival XIX in Hampton, Virigina. I always think of that show as the “Williamsburg” show, but it appears that’s no longer so. Carol Taylor won Best Wall Quilt for her Moonglow quilt. I saw this quilt in Houston this past fall, wearing a blue ribbon no less, and it is absolutely gorgeous! If you’re not familiar with Carol’s work, check out her site here. And while you’re there, be sure to check out her studio. It’s a jaw-dropper!My latest quilt, “Blushing Triangles 3” won 2nd place at The Quilt Fest of New Jersey IV. This is the first time I entered the quilt in a show, and I was very pleasantly surprised not only with the win, but with the comments. Nothing like the word “fabulous” appearing! But did you go visit Carol’s studio yet. Click here if you didn’t. In a word: Fabulous!

I am very humbled and honored that the first solo showing of my work will be held at the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles in San Jose, California. Deborah Corsini called me a couple months ago expressing an interest in exhibiting my work. I nearly fell off my chair when she asked if I was interested. Absolutely yes! I kept the news to myself out of fear that I would someone jinx the opportunity if I talked about it. She contacted me today with a listing of quilts she’d like to display. Since information about the show is now on their website, and since she has a list of quilts she’d like to display, I’m now thinking that this is actually going to happen and I can talk about it.

The show, called “Advanced Geometry,” will run from April 1st through June 8, 2008 in conjunction with San Jose’s ZERO 1 festival, described as a “global festival of art on the edge,” and a “biennial exhibition of compelling experiences made possible at the intersection of art and digital culture. Deborah Corsini write of my show, “Hansen’s gorgeously and intricately designed and executed art quilts definitely feel of-the-moment but also owe a debt of gratitude to the Op-Art of the 1960s” Wow! I practically had tears in my eyes over that statement and her other glowing words.

You can read more about the show at the Museum’s website.

I’m still on a high from winning the Master Award for Innovative Artistry at the Houston International Quilt Festival. It continues to amaze and humble me. The staggeringly beautiful and diverse work on the show left me speechless and extremely honored to win the award that I did. I do know that judging is incredibly subjective. What does well in one show doesn’t even get accepted into another.

Here are some photos of personal highlights:

The show was often extremely crowded. In this instance, I was talking to a group of school children, hopefully inspiring the artist within them.

Reporters from the CBS Morning Show went around interviewing various people from the show. My hope was that I put together a coherent sentence.

I was one of several people who had a professional photo shoot for Texas Monthly magazine. Jane Hall’s son, Michael Hall, wrote a very lengthy piece featuring his talented mom and his adventures with her throughout the show.

At the Silver Jubliee Banquet, I made my short speech. Michael James was being honored. I took a class from Michael on two dimensional design in 1990. it was that class that put together all of the disjointed pieces for the various color and design classes that I took prior. It was after his class that things sort of snapped into place for me and made sense. My highlight was being able to personally thank him for the instruction he gave me. Without that instruction, I am sure I wouldn’t have been standing on that stage.

I am very grateful to Steen Hougs for sending me some of the pictures he took during the speeches.

You can read the little speech I have by visiting the IQA Journal page of the IQA site and downloading a PDF of the winter 2008 issue. The issue includes the photos and speeches of all seven winners. The winners included Hollis Chatelain, who won the Best of Show, Mariya Waters, who won the Founders Award, Ted Storm, Caryl Fallert (who I had the pleasure of being next to during the show), Phillippa Naylor, and Rita Steffenson.

If you’re not a memeber of IQA, consider it. It’s a great organization that is dedicated to the preservation of the art of quilting. I’ve been proud to be a member of since the early 1990s, back when it was the AIQA. Visit their site for information on becoming a member.