Betty Dalton considers herself a computer novice and beginning quilter. EQ Tech Support begs to differ.
We love Betty. Every time she calls for help on a recent project, it’s not a beginning project… it’s something extremely complex. We’ve seen a traced appliqué palm tree in a large center medallion, a complex Lone Star quilt that goes “off the grid” and swirls in the center, and other amazing non-beginner projects.
Recently she submitted 2 quilts to the Pidgeon Forge Quilt Fest 2010- one in the Nontraditional category and one in the Challenge category. Betty and won honors on both quilts!
This quilt was made with photos of southerners Betty admired (Homer Hickam, Dolly Parton, Maya Angelou, and others). She won for Best Machine Quilting in the MOUNTAIN HERITAGE CHALLENGE – STAR POWER WINNERS category.
This appliqué was traced and then digitized. It won in the NON-TRADITIONAL QUILTS category.
Betty tells us about her challenge quilt:
I used Electric Quilt extensively including receiving advice from Andrea. I had a theme to follow as well as the fabric that was selected for me. Being a beginning quilter I did not know the name of the eight-pointed star that would provide rectangular space for the photos of the Southern Stars. Andrea helped me locate the rolling star block library. The block library provided the alphabet for paper piecing. I used technology not only to create the platform for displaying the heroes, but also for digitizing the frames surrounding each person. The built-in stitches on my ancient Bernina generated the tiny stars (one at a time) on the side panels.
The super stars were personal heroes of mine:
Dr. Dolly Parton for promoting reading to the children of her home county in Tn.
Chief Junaluska for trying to help save the Cherokee from the awful trek to Oklahoma known as the trail of tears.
Dr. Charles Townes, Nobel Prize winner and inventor of the maser then the laser. Probably the most important physicist of the 20th century who grew up in a neighboring community. He came to my classroom when he spoke at my middle school. I taught some of his nieces and nephews.
Homer Hikam who was the National Science Fair Winner that later became associated with the space program in Huntsville, Al. He is currently a writer who wrote “Rocket Boys” that was made into a movie “October Sky”.
Dr. Maya Angelou, poetess, who teaches at Wake Forest in N. C.
President Dr. Jimmy Carter, Nobel Peace Prize, who has led the drive to provide housing around the world.
Dr. Michael De Bakey who invented the first mechanical heart.
Major General Charles Bolden who is the head of NASA right now.
Finally, I tied the whole thin up with one of John Wesley’s (he was sent with Oglethorpe to help settle Georgia) famous quotes:
Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as ever you can.”
The laurel wreath and roses are symbols for excellence.
Betty thank you so much for sharing your quilts with us! Beautiful work.
