"Harmony Within" by Sue McCarty won Best of Show at Houston International Quilt Festival in 2011.

Sue McCarty won the Janome of America Best of Show at AQS Paducah 2012 for Harmony Within. As you may recall, Sue's quilt also won Best of Show at Houston International Quilt Festival in 2011. Sue made this quilt for her husband on a longarm and "all the motifs are symbolic of the harmony two different sentient beings can find within marriage."

Artist Statement: "As a gift for my husband, I created this quilt to reflect our life together. All the motifs are symbolic of the harmony two different sentient beings can find within marriage. The dragon on the upper right prefers to float about in a world of creativity, while the fisherman at the bottom left is more down to earth. The center area encompasses a home together, with space for each individual. Challenges are represented by the frog and insects. Chinese calligraphy reveals values that hold the marriage together."

Techniques: A minimum of piecing and appliqué was used to form a "canvas" for the thread art; paint was added after machine quilting to enhance the design

Materials: Cotton sateen ; Black 80/20 and bamboo Winline batting; Cotton print backing ; Yenmet metallic. Superior metallic, So-fine, Bottom Line, and King Tut, and YLI variegated threads ; Swarovski crystals ; Vintage beaded trim

Design Source: Original Design

Main Quilt Photo from SAQA (Courtesy of the National Quilt Museum)