More favorites from the Joy of Quilts show

The Quilt Guild of Greater Houston held its bi-annual quilt show this past week-end and here are a few more favorites that were in this amazing show.... starting with one of my own, Mmm, Pot Pie.

Mmm, Pot Pie (a Michael Miller challenge) by Cathy Winter, quilted by Pam Biswas

Mmm, Pot Pie was made specifically for a Michael Miller Challenge given to the Modern Quilt Guild.  Sadly, my quilt was rejected and never displayed at QuiltCon in Austin earlier this year.  How exciting that it won a 3rd place ribbon in the Small Wall Quilt category at the Joy of Quilts show!  Click here and here to see earlier posts about this quilt or click here to go to Pam's website.

Spring Landscape by Jo Sweet

My friend Jo stitches amazing photographic pieces, though the image is entirely rendered with thread and small bits of fabric.  They are often inspired by photographs she or her husband have taken.  This tiny quilt was easily the smallest quilt in the show, except possibly for the miniature quilt category.  Jo states "Every spring the earth presents a lovely gift to Texans.  All manner of wildflowers take their turn embellishing the land, but the bluebonnets truly enchant."  I totally agree with you, Jo!

The next quilt is in keeping with the Texas theme....

Boot Scootin' Boogie detail view of boots

Boot Scootin' Boogie by Suzanne Purvis, quilted by Jane Plisga

I first saw this pattern on display at Quilt 'n Sew Studio in Katy and learned that it was featured in the Sept/Oct 2000 issue of the Fons and Porter magazine (click here to purchase).  The pattern is called Boot Scootin' Boogie, and is on my "quilt bucket list".  I fear that this list only grows lately -- might be time for me to get busy and sew sew sew.

Making a basket quilt has been on my quilt bucket list for years. Now I can check 'basket quilt' off of my quilt-bucket list.  Below is my Red Summer Baskets quilt which is the only one of the four quilts I entered in this show that did not win a ribbon.  Regardless, this is my all time favorite quilt and lives proudly on my living room wall.  After reading the judges' comments, I understand why they did not like my awesome quilt (also quilted by Pam Biswas), and I disagree, but that's OK.  It is what makes entering quilts shows so challenging and fun as you cannot predict what the judges will love or not love.  I know that I love my Red Summer Baskets and I will not fret over the judges' opinions.  Click here and here to learn more about its making.

On display to the left of my quilt are two quilts: City Living by Pam Tedeschi, which won an Honorable Mention in the category of Pieced Wallhanging Small, and The Bottom of My Spool Drawer by Susan Pain.  I served as the Co-Chair of Daytime Programming of QGGH with Susan Pain seven or eight years ago.  We had a blast working together.  The other fun thing to note - making a spools quilt is on my quilt bucket list, as is making a city horizon of my own.

Brody's Bots and Aiden's 'Droids both by Susan Pain

Can you guess that these two quilts are for young brothers, who happen to be Susan's grandchildren?  These quilts are fun and playful and perfect for her grandsons.  Nice job, Susan.

Nathan's Quilt by Ellen Brodsky Gaber

This Astros quilt is the first quilt Ellen ever made.  It uses many of her son's Astros t-shirts and was a labor of love.  Ellen states that her son "is passionate about baseball and loyal to his home team."  This describes one of my sons perfectly and I am not surprised that he loves Nathan's Quilt.  It looks like I will be making a quilt from my son's Astros t-shirts .... one day.

Zen Batik by Suzanne Purvis

Suzanne's was inspired to make this quilt using a jelly roll and a few more pieces of batiks after seeing a post on Pinterest.  I love this look, and the simplicity appeals as well -- may have to make one of these too.

The photo below shows a close-up view of a beautifully embroidered quilt, a hexie quilt!

Second Chances by Rhonda Dort, detail

Second Chances by Rhonda Dort

This quilt, Second Chances, is another by the talented Rhonda Dort.

Second Chances by Rhonda Dort, 2nd detail

This quilt is named Second Chances because Rhonda has given a second chance to life, or as shes states: She is "giving life to old, stained, tattered and torn vintage linens, buttons and ribbons.  Each hexagon is heavily hand embellished.... created with what might have ordinarily been unusable vitage pieces, easily discarded."  This is a design and execution of Rhonda's own creation.  A lovely creation it is too.  Good job Rhonda!

Cascading Blooms by Suzanne Purvis and Cotton Pickin' Bee, quilted by Linda Beiswanger

I love the modern take on traditional hexagonal flowers in this quilt.  They look like they are cascading down from the heavens above.  Lovely job to the Cotton Pickin' Bee!

Anwyn's Quilt a.k.a. Rainbows by Fran Urquhart, quilted by Jane Plisga

Let's end this post with one last Modern Traditional quilt, and one also using hexagons.  Jane made this quilt for her granddaughter, Anwyn, after her granddaughter saw the pattern in the Spring 2014 issue of Modern Patchwork.  The only alteration Jane made was to add more colored circles than were shown in the original pattern.  The colors reflect those found in a rainbow and stand out nicely against the mixed neutral, stormy grays of the background.

IQA: Embellished

More prize winners from the International Quilt Festival of last month.  These quilts are from the Embellished category.

 

detail of Une Belle Amitie

 Une Belle Amitie

by Cynthia Williford and Harold Williford

of Houston, Texas

"This quilt pays homage to the Presentation Quilt attributed to Mary Simon and currently housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (occ.#197424).  My son, Harold, reinterpreted and redrew the original blocks with my hand applique and embellishment techniques in mind.  We worked together for seven years on this quilt."  For more of Cynthia's beautiful quilts, look at her website:  http://www.cynthiawilliford.com/cynthiawillifordgallery.html

Techniques:  needleturn applique, hand embroidery, silk ribbon work, beading, stump work, hand quilting.

Design source:  designed by Harold Williford, inspired by Baltimore Friendship Album by Mary Simon.

Materials:  cotton, velvet, silk, new and antique lace, wool batting, cotton backing, silk ribbon, silk floss, buttons, beads, charms.

 detail of Naturally Crazy

 Naturally Crazy

by Linda Steele 

of Park Orchards, Victoria, Australia

 Linda stated "I designed this quilt to represent the joy of Crazy quilting, which is enjoyed all over the world."  Linda has both a website:  http://www.lindasteelequilts.com/   and a blog:  http://lindasteelequilts.blogspot.com/  Click on either to follow her spectacular work.

Techniques:  Crazy quilting embroidery, silk ribbon embroidery, hand applique, beading, machine quilting.

Materials:  cotton fabric with wool/poly batting

An original design by Linda Steele

Winner of Third Place in Embellished division.

detail of Coeurs de la Soie

"When I saw the beautiful heart designs Barbara was working on, I began looking forward to machine quilting the beautiful work she had done.  Having always wanted to quilt on silk, it was a pure pleasure."

 Coeurs de la Soie

by Patricia Kerko and Barbara Goodman

of Sunset, South Carolina

Techniques:  machine embroidery, free-motion machine quilting.

Materials:  silk dupioni, Aurifil thread, Hobbs Heirloom 80/20 batting, Hobbs Tuscany wool batting under the hearts, cotton backing.

Design source:  Sarah Vedder's Silk Hearts embroidery designs.

 detail of Red Letter Daze

 Red Letter Daze

by Janet Stone

of Overland Park, Kansas

"This quilt was inspired by Quaker cross stitch samplers.  Each block was pieced or appliqued, bound, and then appliqued to the background.  The red letters and scrolls were drawn freehand and then free-motion embroidered.   And, of course, I had to add embellishments."  For more on Janet Stone, click here for a direct link to her profile page on the Quilt Show.

Techniques:  Machine piecing and applique, free-motion machine embroidery, machine quilting, hand couching, embellishing.

Materials:  cotton fabrics; poly, silk, cotton, and metallic threads; metal, glass, shell, and crystal embellishments; wool batting.

An original design by Janet Stone.

Winner of Second Place of Embellished category.

CQJP 2012

It's official -- I've signed up with another group for a year of productive creating and sharing.  This group is the Crazy Quilt Journal Project 2012.  Check out their website for more information at  www.cqjp2012.blogspot.com 
(Note: The deadline for signing up ended yesterday, but you can always play along independently!)

My goal -- to make 12 new crazy quilt blocks, perhaps to incorporate beading in each as well as fun and funky embroidery with the eventual end result of a finished quilt/quiltart piece -- hope I can keep up with one a month ..... always good to have lofty goals, right?

Happy Veteran's Day

Today, November 11, is Veteran's Day in the United States so this post is in honor (and in memory) of the many Military women and men who have served our country.  

 detail of the quilt below

Thank you to all the USA Military Veterans, and especially to my Sister-in-law Mary, my brother Garry, my dad Louie, and my Papa Herb (may he rest in peace).  Here a few quilts inspired by the USA flag.

Betsy Ross Never Imagined This

 by Nancy McLerran of Santa Rosa, CA

This lovely crazy quilt was exhibited in the Mixed Technique category of the International Quilt Association show recently in Houston.  In her statement, Nancy says "I wanted a quick Independence Day crazy quilt"  (hmm, quick and crazy quilt don't seem to go together in my mind!)  Originally planning to finish in one month, Nancy's quilt turned into "a three-year odyssey" with this lovely result.  Her design was inspired by a Sisters, Oregon poster titled "Patriot's Needle". Nancy won an award in the 2010 Road to California quilt show.

 Other flag quilts have been exhibited in previous Festival Shows.  The quilts shown above and below are from the 2008 Festival show in Houston.  I wished I recorded the name and maker of both quilts ... but sadly, I did not.

Flag patterns and kits are abundant.  Below is a pattern available through Embellishment Village.

I have not made a flag quilt ... yet.  But thought I would share the fleece flag I made in 2007, even if it is inspired by the Texas state flag rather than our national Stars and Stripes.

Texas flag blanket

made with the students of Mrs. Williams' 4th grade class of 2007-08

currently in a private collection

Students in my son's 4th grade class helped design and create this flag.  Each student decorated one of the puzzle pieces, inspired by things special to Texas.  The flag was in the annual school auction, helped to raise money for the PTO and now is in a private collection.  I discovered something fun about the dimensions of the Texas flag while making this blanket ... did you know that the three rectangles of color are all the same size?  and that the longer side of the rectangle is exactly double the shorter side?  Of course today, you can find ready-made fleece blankets in the Texas flag design ... or be daring and design your own!

Crazy for Quilts

Alliance for American Quilts is focused on tracking our quilting heritage. This year's contest, "Crazy for Quilts", encouraged participants to make a 16" square crazy quilt. A special exhibit at the International Quilt Festival featured all the quilts. They are a delightful collection, as evident by this First Place winner:

"Crazy Cow Polarity"

by Kathryn Wagar Wright of Highlands Ranch, Colorado
First place, Ages Over 30

All 85 entries are being auctioned off on eBay over a three week period as an annual fundraiser for the Alliance for American Quilts. "Crazy Cow Polarity" was one of the quilts offered in the first week of the eBay auction (which I was outbid on). I did successfully bid on this quilt:

"A Little Fairy Tale"

by Lisa Ann DuCoing, from Carson City, Nevada

Lisa's artist statement: Fairies are 1920's postcards printed to fabric and embellished with wings to make fairies. The wings are all freehand. These are my wayward fairies. This is my way of honoring women who have been forced into an unpleasant life, throughout the world, just because they happened to be born female.

The second week is currently underway with many quilts available, including this fun one:

"Crazy for Ewes"
by Sheila Rauen of Knoxville, Tennessee
Honorable Mention Winner

Classic crazy quilts are also featured, such as this lovely one by Ruth Ann Mundy.

"Victorian Rose"
by Ruth Ann Mundy of Elkton, Michigan

Join the fun of eBay bidding and support the Alliance for American Quilts at the same time (but don't bid against me!)

"One Crazy Hot Mama"
by Pamela Allen of Kingston, Ontario, Canada

Fear not as many great quilts will be 'up for grabs' in the last week of the eBay auction too (on eBay, search for "Alliance for American Quilts fundraiser"). The following will be on the auction block next week:

"Rose Song"
by Betty Pillsbury of Middleburgh, New York



"Whoooo's There?"
by Christie Eckardt of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emerates



"Folly Flash"
by Yvonne Porcella of Modesto, California

Click here to access the lists of each week's featured quilts, then bid on one -- help raise money for the Alliance of American Quilts.
In their official words: The Alliance for American Quilts, a national nonprofit organization founded in 1993, supports and develops projects to document, preserve, and share the history of quilts and quiltmakers. The AAQ brings together groups and individuals from the creative, scholarly and business worlds of quiltmaking to advance the recognition of quilts and their makers in American culture.

Visit www.AllianceforAmericanQuilts.org for more information.