Friday, May 18, 2012

Bloggers' Quilt Festival: Myself, as a Teacher

This is my entry to the Spring 2012 Bloggers' Quilt Festival, which is a first for me.
The quilt, finished at the end of March, was conceived as a homework assignment for a class in my final semester in the College of Education. It ended up being far more meaningful to me than I could have expected.
The back - a metaphor for ways we learn.
After deciding to use the quilt as a way to learn new techniques and block styles while expressing who I am as a teacher and what I stand for as an educator, I sent out a call for help to my fellow bloggers to contribute.  Quilting, like education, is a community-based and collaborative activity.  I was lucky enough to have 5 special women lend me a piece of themselves for this project.

There are many different elements at work here.
Turning darts to feathers
An awareness of what it means to be an antiracist, anti oppressive educator, a commitment to being a lifelong learner, and a uniqueness that I hope to inspire in every one of my students.
Random crumbs - no contribution too small
Unpacking pop culture and looking at influences on our young people - all part of the job
Humour also plays a part, as does improvisation and working with limited resources.
Tiny piecing - this is about 9" square.
Firsts, such as free-motion quilting, paper-piecing, and new-to-me block styles are there; modern techniques and traditional knowledge are there, too.
However, the most important idea is love, which is not only the cornerstone in the quilt and hidden in the stitching, but the absolute foundation of my teaching practice.

You can read more about the individual elements of this quilt in this collection of posts.
"Myself, as a Teacher", finished March 2012.  Approx 72x80.
Pieced by hand and machine, machine-quilted.

Thank you to Amy for hosting, and to you for stopping by!

140 comments:

  1. Wow! What a wonderful rich quilt. It is really incredible! Thank you for sharing!

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  2. Wow, inspirational, love the quilt and I loved that post too. Not to sound blase and full of cliches, but the teachers are where it all starts. FAB

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  3. This really is a special quilt with a great story behind it. Wonderful!!

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  4. I love that 9 inch block of pinwheels in there!

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  5. Wow, what detail and thoughtfulness in this quilt! And I have to say that the back is just plain stunning!! Lovely!

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  6. That is a great story to go with a gorgeous quilt. Front and back are both amazing.

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  7. what a great story and a fabulous quilt. Thanks for sharing!

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  8. This is one of those posts where the story almost out matches the quilt. Coming from a teaching background myself I truly adore what this quilt represents.

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  9. I love this sooooo much. LOVE.

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  10. What a great post, I love quilts with special meaning. So glad you've finished it and can share it.

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  11. I love this type of scrapy quilt! I have also made one and I think, it is my best.

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  12. a very unusual and meaningful sampler - thanks for sharing !!

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  13. Hi! Your quilt is fantastic! I love it, because it's beautiful, it has wonderful colours with white, it's very unique, it's full of different lovely details and it has a great story! Perfect quilt! Thank you for inspiration! x Teje

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  14. What an amazing quilt - I love the way you've managed to combine the very different elements.

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  15. Carly, what a wonderful post. Based on what I've read, I think you will be a wonderful teacher. Best of luck in your new endeavours! When I went to the faculty of education a project like this wouldn't have been an option, but that was a lot of years ago. LOL

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  16. This quilt is amazing!!! So many different elements.. the tiny pinwheels are incredible and I spy Yoda!! Thank you so much for showing this quilt!!

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  17. This is still one of my favorite projects on the internet - EVER.

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  18. Love all the various elements and how they fit to become one project. Beautifully done.

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  19. Oh my goodness - what a fantastic quilt! I love how you made a cohesive presentation of all these different elements - not unlike how an educator brings separate elements to a class and the sum is greater than the parts. Wonderful, wonderful quilt!

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  20. Wow! Awesome. I have an 8-year-old who would LOVE that Yoda!

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  21. This is truly an amazing quilt...I found myself going back again and again to view the parts and then the whole. I'm so glad that you shared it - and I am certain that you will cherish the memories of the women who helped you in making it! Just beautiful!

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  22. Fantastic! Loved how you pulled it all together!
    Off the read more about it!

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  23. It looks great! Love the Yoda I do!

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  24. I LOVE this quilt! Such an inspiration of color and design.

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  25. how special it must be! i really love the back - it's awesome.

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  26. That is so amazing! As a teacher I love how you thought about education and the foundation of it. So many neat elements here I love it. It will really remain special to you as you teach. Can't wait to read you other posts about it.

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  27. How cool is that?! I could probably look at it for hours! So fun! Love the mini quilts you put into it!

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  28. So much going on there... love it! Especially the crumbs and those micro-mini pinwheels!

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  29. That is such a cool quilt - it's like looking at a mosaic :)

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  30. Wow, this is incredible, such a beautiful quilt! Each piece is stunning, and all together are so in harmony like one was made for the other - a parallel to a "perfect" class?
    Thanks for sharing!

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  31. This is so amazing! I think the Yoda is my favorte part :) Thanks for stopping by & visiting my blog.

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  32. what a great back story. It really brings your quilt to life and I love the back it's awesome

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  33. This is an amazing quilt, and a wonderful story behind it. What a keepsake!

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  34. I love, love, love these kind of quilts. Yours is an inspiration!

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  35. That is such an awesome quilt! I'm so impressed by your ability to make such disparate blocks work together instead of looking crazy! It's wonderful! :)

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  36. This is fantastic : ) What a special quilt to have forever. I love the little "crumbs"

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  37. Thank you for sharing the special story behind this quilt -- it is fantastic, front and back!

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  38. a quilt that takes time to consider! Ilove it and have added you blo to my rss feed so will be back to visit! thanks for stopping at my blog!

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  39. okay, my kryboard has got sticky stuff under the keys so that YOU BLO in the previous comment, should read YOUR BLOG

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  40. This is just so fantastic with so many different things to look at! Thanks for sharing your story about making it.

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  41. Wow! Thanks for sharing the story behind this quilt. How wonderful that you could express so much about yourself through the elements you put into it.

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  42. This is just stunning! I love it and the story behind it.

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  43. What a meaningful, and impressive final quilt!

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  44. What a great story about this quilt. So many elements are hidden in this fabulous quilt. Thanks for sharing!

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  45. this is a wildly fun sampler! Hope you visit my blog too.

    margaret gunn
    www.quiltsoflove.blogspot.com

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  46. love your quilt...and i spy jenny's quick curve ruler i think.... xoxo

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  47. I just love everything about this quilt...the story, the blocks, the way you culd probably sit and look and talk about it for hours. What a fantastic piece of art!

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  48. That is such a work of art, both front and back.

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  49. Your quilt is a one-of-a-kind! I'm saving orphan blocks to make something similar one day.

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  50. Awesome, truly a wonderful compilation and great story :)

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  51. What a great collection of blocks - shows that blocks don't need to have anything in common to come together into a great quilt.

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  52. Wow, I keep looking at it and spotting different things. I love it. Juliex

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  53. This is awesome! So original - I 'll need to go hrough your past posts to see all the cool elements.

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  54. Congratulations on finishing this truly complex quilt, - there is nothing like it.

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  55. I loved looking at this quilt. Since mine is also created for my sister who is about to be a teacher I couldn't get over the details of yours and its representation of you as a teacher.

    And great that you had other people contribute to your learning. I am going to look at the other posts about the separate elements. I can tell a lot of time, thought, and love went into this one.

    Nicely done!

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  56. this is amazing and inspirational! I love all the different elements and I expect you will never tire of looking at them all! Thanks you, Carly for stopping by my blog and leaving your lovely comment. Karen ;-)

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  57. WOW! Your quilt is wonderful and what an inspiration! Thank you for sharing the story about it and for visiting my blog and leaving a lovely comment:)

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  58. Your quilt is really amazing and tells a powerful story. Thank you so much for sharing.

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  59. This quilt is thrilling and beautiful to look at. This is one I would love to spend hours searching for new things

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  60. Fantastic, Creative, One of a Kind, Interesting, Makes you want more...all words to describe your beautiful quilt. I am very traditional but love your work!! We need more creative quilters!! Thanks for sharing!

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  61. What a neat story quilt! Every time I look at it, I see details I missed earlier. Great job!

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  62. Wow! I want you for a teacher! Gorgeous quilt and so uninhibited.

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  63. That is such an amazingly beautiful quilt. And what a great symbol of all you stand for. Beautiful, work. Also, great to see you are from Saskatchewan also!!

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  64. All I can say is...WOW - how inspiring. You make me wish I lived in SK so my daughter could be taught by you. Thanks for sharing this part of yourself!

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  65. Wow is the word! This is just so interesting and fun and cool!

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  66. Hi Carly, your quilt is amazing. Love the WWBD. And I can't believe how small those pinwhells are!

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  67. Your quilt is fantastic...a work of art and so meaningful. Thanks for sharimg your story!

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  68. I love everything about this quilt, it's so brave, personal and adventurous - and it came out amazing and complex and beautiful. I cant even imaging the courage needed to start quilting it! (reminder - must be more brave)
    A quilt can be many things. Thank you for sharing so much of yourself!

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  69. Wow I don't know what to say - it it amazing! I'm almost speechless, you should be so proud.

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  70. Wow how wonderfully collaborative and symbolic-and of course beautiful! Thanks for visiting and commenting on my quilt and what a pleasure to discover yours!

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  71. The story this quilt tells is amazing. Well done on a such a great piece.

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  72. I love this quilt and it's story! Thank you for sharing it through the Blogger's Quilt Festival so I got to see it.

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  73. It's amazing! Good luck in your teaching career!

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  74. This is truly an amazing quilt, and I love the meaning behind it!

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  75. a story interpreted as a quilt, how cool is that!

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  76. What an inspiring memory quilt. Wow! Where will
    you hang this quilt?

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  77. What a great project and finished beautiful quilt! Thank you for sharing. :)

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  78. This is such an amazing quilt with an even more amazing story. No doubt you will inspire your students as you have inspired me. Thank you for sharing. Smiles~Beth

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  79. That is really cool. I love these abstract quilts and I would love to make one. It seems that the to do list always grows when I see all the inspiration out there. Thanks for your comment on my blog and thanks for sharing your wonderful quilt!! :)

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  80. Oh my what a fantastic improvisational quilt! I love it! I bet it was a fun quilt to pull together as well as having to think in terms of math to put all those different size blocks together. It really is a fun quilt to look at! Congratulations for a job well done! P.S. Thank you so much for stopping by my blog and commenting.

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  81. amazing quilt!!!! glad to finally find you I see you name on so many comments
    Ann

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  82. Just gorgeous! I love it all, especially the cathedral window adn all those tiny little pinwheels! You are going to be a great teacher! Especially if you have the patience for those itty bitty pinwheels! :)

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  83. This is awesome and so full of life!

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  84. This quilt is awesome! I love discovering all the different elements in it. It is truly a work of art!

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  85. Your quilt looks so unique and modern!

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  86. What an amazing quilt! I enjoyed reading the story behind it, and think I might have to spend a bit of time here visiting your blog. Thanks for sharing.

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  87. Great job, can't decide which side is my favorite as both are so wonderful.

    Thanks for visiting and commenting.

    Come see my entries 64 (repro. applique) and 85 (antique appliques).

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  88. Nothing delights me more than to read a quilt. I love quilts that deliver surprises of all kinds everytime you look at them. Your quilt does that and therein lies its beauty for me. Browsing through you blog, I fell in love with the sweater too.

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  89. This is a brilliant quilt- I love all the wonderful symbols in it. Thanks for sharing the quilt's wonderful story.
    Thanks for stopping by the blog- it is always nice to meet other bloggers from western Canada( I call Edmonton home) I also am an educator- I teach a full day Kindergarten class. I hope that you will come and visit me again.
    Warmest regards,
    Anna

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  90. It is beautiful, i love this:))))

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  91. Your quilt is fantastic - a wonderful amalgamation of so many different elements to create a unique quilt. And thanks for sharing the great story behind it

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  92. Love all the different pieces coming together to make this beautiful quilt!

    http://eileen-themissingpiece.blogspot.com

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  93. What a wonderful teaching aid for a quilt class. How many quilts have you made? I can see you are a "Go Getter". Quilting is pretty addictive.

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  94. What a wonderful keepsake you have now! You did a wonderful job and thanks for stopping by my place!

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  95. Thank you for stopping by my blog and commenting. Your quilt is very cool!

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  96. Love it! A lot of thought went into that quilt.

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  97. joli exercice de style , vraiment original

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  98. Your quilt is so unique! I hope you treasure it always.

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  99. What an incredibly cool quilt - I love how much meaning is build it and it's so unique! The back is really cool as well.

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  100. Awesome quilt! What a lot of thought, work and love went into the making of this!

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  101. Wow! what a beautiful work of art! It looks so complicated.

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  102. Thank you for visiting my blog and leaving such a nice comment. Your quilt is phenomenal. Absolutely beautiful. I just added your blog to my growing lists of those I follow!

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  103. Thanks for visiting my blog. I love your quilt and especially the love block.

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  104. Amazingly beautiful and so very intersting to expore the whole thing. I love it!

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  105. Really nice to see the variety of blocks and techniques that you have in your quilt.

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  106. This is so interesting, thanks for sharing.

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  107. What a fabulous quilt, very interesting!!!

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  108. What an inspiration! I love your quilt and process.

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  109. What a story! Beautiful quilt!

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  110. An outstanding quilt! Beautifully done and artfully approached, and I love the concept behind the quilt. You must be a wonderful teacher. Thanks so much for sharing your inspirational quilt.

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  111. I have always wanted to make a true sampler quilt. This one is stunning!

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  112. This is so wonderful! So much more interesting than an ordinary sampler and more meaningful too. My favorite part is yoda!

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  113. What a wonderful quilt-- and story! All those disparate elements turned into one amazingly unified whole. It makes me smile to look at it. Thanks so much for sharing!

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  114. wow, that is amazing! I love the collaborations!

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  115. Oh, I enjoyed reading the story! And it really is a great quilt. So many different facettes! Thanks for sharing! Wishing you a happy and successful life (as a teacher)!
    Christine

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  116. What a meaningful quilt. I love how it all came together!

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  117. WOW! This is THE most wonderful quilt! I think it should win prizes, money, awards, ribbon, "and the list goes on" (like you repeated in your profile lol!) I taught and now sub and just love the story! Those are some really lucky kids! Beautiful all the way around! Thanks for sharing and peeking at my blog! Happy thoughts sent to you!

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  118. Wow that's an impressive quilt, well done! I love how it looks so good with pieces which are so different.

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  119. Hi Carly! I'm not even sure where to start with the comments here! There is so much going on and thank you for explaining the meaning of a lot of the blocks. A great story and a great 1st entry in the festival! Thanks for stopping by my BQF blog too! Lily.

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  120. Fabulous quilt! I love it. Thanks for sharing.

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  121. Carly, your work is fantastic!! amazing! and thatnk you for visiting my blog!
    hugs from Russia,
    Masha

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  122. nice collaborative quilt. thanks for sharing and have a great day

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  123. What a great quilt and I love that so many hands had, well, a hand in it! =)

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  124. What a beautiful and amazing quilt!

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  125. Read back on this and just had to say how awesome it is. Love the story and the meanings behind the different blocks and design elements. I hope whoever you pass this down to someday gets the full story so they can appreciate all that went into it and how it is a reflection of you.

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Who doesn't love comments? I appreciate every single one and try to reply to each. Unless you're a no-reply commenter. Then I can't. And I have a little sad moment. Like a dropped ice cream cone. So if you're a no-reply commenter and have a question, check the comment thread and I'll try to reply there. :-)