Re-Blocking Flight of Fancy

I just got notice yesterday that my quilt, Flight of Fancy, was accepted to be part of a traveling exhibit called Thread Tails and Vapor Trails. It is an exhibit of quilts with a Naval Aviation theme, and it should be traveling through the end of 2011. I’m pretty excited about the chance to get this quilt out of storage and let it be seen, especially be spectators who are specifically interested in aviation.

I made the quilt in 2003 to honor the 100 year celebration of the Wright Brothers’ invention. When I took the quilt out of storage and laid it flat to measure it, I was surprised by how skewed it had become over the years. (I really should have taken a picture! There were huge bubbles in the center, especially around the head, when the edges were squared up!) I believe it is mostly because so much of the quilting was done on the diagonal. A simple stretching did not square up the quilt, so I decided to re-block it. This also gave me the chance to examine the surface closely and make sure it was in tip-top condition. I was pleased with how well the painting still looked. This was only the second quilt that I used Tsukineko inks. All the fused applique is also looking good. I probably should examine my other quilts closely too, just to make sure they are aging well.

If you’re interested in seeing this exhibit, there is an online map of display locations through the end of 2011, including the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida; the Road to California show in January 2011; and more than thirty other locations.