I came home from Quilter’s Escape and I had a package waiting for me.  A book. Don’t get excited dear friends it wasn’t MY book, but a book that included a small bit of my thoughts on my quilting and my quilt. Now this isn’t any ordinary book and to be included is an amazingly rare gift bestowed on few in the world of quilting.  It was an achievement I worked very hard for and I am very proud of this particular accomplishment on a very personal level.

AQS has released a new book on the Collection of the National Quilt Museum. Specifically, the quilts of the prestigious Founder’s Collection of Bill and Meredith Schroeder. 

When I started quilting and then proceeded to start entering my quilts into competition, I had a lofty and yes, it was in hindsight a rather lofty personal goal (fantasy?), of having one of my quilts in this collection.  I felt that only then would my ability be validated to me.  Everyone, I mean everyone, I spoke to around me about this goal either laughed at me, or tried to “nicely” let me down easy that this was something that basically may never happen but gave me “permission to try” anyway–wasn’t that nice?  A symbolic pat on the head and a sad “aren’t you a sympathetically delusional thing” type of look.  Most of the responses were like this except for my grandfather’s (and yes mom & dad) who never questioned my goal but thought it an absolute from the first time I mentioned it.  I wish grandpa had still been here to see it happen and I worked hard to make sure his faith in my ability was never misplaced.

 Anyway, I opened up my book to page 123 and there it was, the quilt that achieved my goal and silenced the mockery–Unexpected Beauty. 

I can always find myself easily because Libby Lehman always comes before me in these kinds of books (sorted alphabetically), which is pretty darn cool to be the page after LIBBY LEHMAN!  Too surreal for this girl on the other side of the country in Oregon.

Overall this is a pretty amazing book to have if just for the inspiration and the joy of seeing masterpiece quilts one right after another, page after page.  I also find it interesting to see where this started and where we are now.  We are so lucky today to have so many tools and fabrics at our disposal and the ability to take our ideas places some of these earlier quilt artists couldn’t even imagine.  It never ceases to amaze how they created quilts with such artistry and limited materials.

For those of you who know me, you will understand my excitement (and utter relief) that there is NO picture of me included–YEAH!!  Just my quilt.  I absoultely and passionately love quilts and believe they should be the only one standing in the spotlight at the end of the day.  Uh oh, I am digressing….apologies

This book  is worth every penny and if you love quilts, in my not so humble opinion, this is a must have and one to buy and to treasure.  I would say this just as emphatically even if I didn’t have a quilt in the book.  One beautiful quilt after another and some of the best the world of quilting has produced.

A non-related bit…..Darn it, I missed the Houston deadline so no quilt will be entered there this year. At least I have read this morning that I am in very good company. Many of us missed it because it is so early this year.  

©2009 Sandra Leichner