"Decisions, Decisions" by Serena Vrnak, quilted by Patricia Harrison When you walked into the quilt exhibition you walked under and through a fabulous exhibition of red and white quilts. It was well done and very dramatic - I loved it! Introspection by Maya Chaimovich I've been fortunate to see Maya's work in another venue. Someday I'd love to create collages, but if I remember right, Maya uses vintage fabrics and clothing and must have a huge stash of cool stuff. I wasn't the most organized quilt show attendee. I wandered around and went from one special exhibit into another without realizing what I was doing, lol. These next few photos are from the SAQA exhibit "Eye of the Needle" and are quilts which are based on photographs the quilters took themselves. Bryce Canyon by Susan Jackan Venetian Reflections III by Shelly Brucar I have no idea who made this quilt - SORRY! Surviving the Storm by Carole Frocillo Reflection by Gwyned Trefethen Millstones by Casey Puetz Still Life in Blue by Suzanne Mouton Riggio Memories by Jennifer Day Ok, so after I wandered through the SAQA Eye of the Needle exhibition I wandered into the Tactile Architecture exhibition. Here are some of the great quilts with buildings. I was blown away by all the details in these quilts! Parkside Reflections by Donna Deaver Midnight in Paris by Gabriella DiTota Ludmila Aristova - sorry I forgot the name of the quilt. I mentioned that I wandered around? Well here is where things go to pot. I wandered out of Tactile Architecture and into another exhibition. I'm not bothering to organize the photos because that would take so much time. You see for every photo you see here, I have another of the quilt label and these are all in numerical order so I get the right name with the right quilt when I go to post them. Clear as mud? I though so, lol. Summer Wind by Marina Landi and Maria Lucia Azara Born Free by Denise Sargo WOW! And I have a closeup shot of her stitching. Detail Rose Garden by Yoshimi Suzuki And now I've wandered back into Tactile Architecture! Japanese Tea Garden by Mary Ann Hildebrand Reflection #7 by Donna Deaver This awesome quilt is a reflection of parking garages in a store front window! Amazing! Rome Wasn't Built in a Day by Carol Goddu Perspective in Threads by Betty Tatum Glimpses of India by Meena Schaldenbrand Moody Beach Maine 1957 by Margot McDonnell Detail of one of her houses And continuing the wander... This is a great example of a modern quilt and the importance of negative space - and the importance of the quilting in the negative space. Waterfall and Flowers by Sheri Zalar On the River by Mary Ann Van Soest Jesus the True Vine by Cindy Garcia I loved that bright sapphire blue Cindy used in her quilt. It created an unusual color combination and highlighted her design very nicely. Carnevale by Sue Krause Treedom by Alexandra Zalar Spiral Flower Fantasy by Robbi Joy Ecklow I'm not surprised Robbi's middle name is Joy, her quilts are so bright and happy. Dotting Inside the Box by Sandi Snow Her quilting is brilliant - and she won the 1st Place ribbon for Art-Abstract Small Be Jeweled by Bonnie McCaffrey This was so pretty, I took a detail shot for you. Crazy Diamonds by Betty Pillsbury It has been a long time since I've seen a crazy quilt at a show - here is a detail shot of her stitching. Detail Happy by Robbi Joy Ecklow Arizona Starry Night by Alicia Sterna Prince Charming's Shoe Sale by Pam Rupert Ah, the good old prince knows how to flatter and flash his white teeth. Actually, this is a modern fairy tale of Cinderella and her step sisters buying shoes. Look out the window at their pumpkin cars! Ring of Stars by Sharon Hansen Tick Tock by Betty Goldsmith By this time I had wandered into the Celebrating Silver Exhibition by SAQA. It is the year of their organization's Silver Anniversary. As you'd suspect, the SAQA artists created some marvelous quilts to celebrate. Beginnings by Jennifer Day Arianrhod - Goddess of the Silver Wheel by Sheila Frampton-Cooper Detail Art Quilt by Roseline Young I liked all the texture and the different fabrics she used. Here is a detail shot - Detail This next quilt amazed me because the figures were formed of cheesecloth and 'sculptured'. Precious Time by Mary Pal Here is a detail of the cheesecloth. Detail Moonshine by Elena Stokes Elena is one of the contributing artists in my book Lovely Landscape Quilts. (Yes, that was a shameless plug!) Embracing the Silver Years by Jayne Gaskins The hair was wonderful - here is a close up of the thick rich gray head of hair. Go Grandma! Detail Silver Hills by Cynthia St. Charles Angel of Silver by Wendy Bucey Um... I have no idea where I am now but I have 3 more quilts to show you. This one with the bottles was on the cover of Quilting Arts magazine this month - the thread painting is awesome. Turning Bottles into Stained Glass by Sara Sharp Rhythm and Roses by Karen Eckmeier Bohemian III Rain by Sandra Peterson Well, that is it for me for this week. I hope you've loved seeing the quilts! It's April and it's raining here in Wisconsin and I ended with a rainy quilt today totally by accident. That means it will be a good weekend. I hope you all have a great week! Comments welcome.
"Decisions, Decisions" by Serena Vrnak, quilted by Patricia Harrison When you walked into the quilt exhibition you walked under and through a fabulous exhibition of red and white quilts. It was well done and very dramatic - I loved it! Introspection by Maya Chaimovich I've been fortunate to see Maya's work in another venue. Someday I'd love to create collages, but if I remember right, Maya uses vintage fabrics and clothing and must have a huge stash of cool stuff. I wasn't the most organized quilt show attendee. I wandered around and went from one special exhibit into another without realizing what I was doing, lol. These next few photos are from the SAQA exhibit "Eye of the Needle" and are quilts which are based on photographs the quilters took themselves. Bryce Canyon by Susan Jackan Venetian Reflections III by Shelly Brucar I have no idea who made this quilt - SORRY! Surviving the Storm by Carole Frocillo Reflection by Gwyned Trefethen Millstones by Casey Puetz Still Life in Blue by Suzanne Mouton Riggio Memories by Jennifer Day Ok, so after I wandered through the SAQA Eye of the Needle exhibition I wandered into the Tactile Architecture exhibition. Here are some of the great quilts with buildings. I was blown away by all the details in these quilts! Parkside Reflections by Donna Deaver Midnight in Paris by Gabriella DiTota Ludmila Aristova - sorry I forgot the name of the quilt. I mentioned that I wandered around? Well here is where things go to pot. I wandered out of Tactile Architecture and into another exhibition. I'm not bothering to organize the photos because that would take so much time. You see for every photo you see here, I have another of the quilt label and these are all in numerical order so I get the right name with the right quilt when I go to post them. Clear as mud? I though so, lol. Summer Wind by Marina Landi and Maria Lucia Azara Born Free by Denise Sargo WOW! And I have a closeup shot of her stitching. Detail Rose Garden by Yoshimi Suzuki And now I've wandered back into Tactile Architecture! Japanese Tea Garden by Mary Ann Hildebrand Reflection #7 by Donna Deaver This awesome quilt is a reflection of parking garages in a store front window! Amazing! Rome Wasn't Built in a Day by Carol Goddu Perspective in Threads by Betty Tatum Glimpses of India by Meena Schaldenbrand Moody Beach Maine 1957 by Margot McDonnell Detail of one of her houses And continuing the wander... This is a great example of a modern quilt and the importance of negative space - and the importance of the quilting in the negative space. Waterfall and Flowers by Sheri Zalar On the River by Mary Ann Van Soest Jesus the True Vine by Cindy Garcia I loved that bright sapphire blue Cindy used in her quilt. It created an unusual color combination and highlighted her design very nicely. Carnevale by Sue Krause Treedom by Alexandra Zalar Spiral Flower Fantasy by Robbi Joy Ecklow I'm not surprised Robbi's middle name is Joy, her quilts are so bright and happy. Dotting Inside the Box by Sandi Snow Her quilting is brilliant - and she won the 1st Place ribbon for Art-Abstract Small Be Jeweled by Bonnie McCaffrey This was so pretty, I took a detail shot for you. Crazy Diamonds by Betty Pillsbury It has been a long time since I've seen a crazy quilt at a show - here is a detail shot of her stitching. Detail Happy by Robbi Joy Ecklow Arizona Starry Night by Alicia Sterna Prince Charming's Shoe Sale by Pam Rupert Ah, the good old prince knows how to flatter and flash his white teeth. Actually, this is a modern fairy tale of Cinderella and her step sisters buying shoes. Look out the window at their pumpkin cars! Ring of Stars by Sharon Hansen Tick Tock by Betty Goldsmith By this time I had wandered into the Celebrating Silver Exhibition by SAQA. It is the year of their organization's Silver Anniversary. As you'd suspect, the SAQA artists created some marvelous quilts to celebrate. Beginnings by Jennifer Day Arianrhod - Goddess of the Silver Wheel by Sheila Frampton-Cooper Detail Art Quilt by Roseline Young I liked all the texture and the different fabrics she used. Here is a detail shot - Detail This next quilt amazed me because the figures were formed of cheesecloth and 'sculptured'. Precious Time by Mary Pal Here is a detail of the cheesecloth. Detail Moonshine by Elena Stokes Elena is one of the contributing artists in my book Lovely Landscape Quilts. (Yes, that was a shameless plug!) Embracing the Silver Years by Jayne Gaskins The hair was wonderful - here is a close up of the thick rich gray head of hair. Go Grandma! Detail Silver Hills by Cynthia St. Charles Angel of Silver by Wendy Bucey Um... I have no idea where I am now but I have 3 more quilts to show you. This one with the bottles was on the cover of Quilting Arts magazine this month - the thread painting is awesome. Turning Bottles into Stained Glass by Sara Sharp Rhythm and Roses by Karen Eckmeier Bohemian III Rain by Sandra Peterson Well, that is it for me for this week. I hope you've loved seeing the quilts! It's April and it's raining here in Wisconsin and I ended with a rainy quilt today totally by accident. That means it will be a good weekend. I hope you all have a great week! Comments welcome.
Pictures and details of Ben Quilty: Notes on Chaos at Tolarno Galleries, Melbourne, February 15 – March 17, 2018 – Contemporary art with installation views
"Canning Season" Because we are deep into September... that means it's harvest time:) YaY! (click here for a canning guide) Because I grew up on a farm, we had plenty of room for growing. Every year we had several large gardens to take care of and when September rolled around, You could always find my mom, along with my sisters and I in the kitchen with jars piled high! It's my favorite time of the year... So of course I had to design this cute little block of canning jars:) (don't worry...canning is easy) Sew a white strip to each side of the gray strip and press towards the gray... like this. Now choose your fabrics for the jar sections. Here I have chosen; orange for carrots or peaches green for peas or sweet pickle relish gold for pears or sweet corn purple for beets or plums aqua for an empty jar! (vintage of course) red for cherries or tomatoes Sew 4 easy corner triangles onto each jar. The larger squares go on the top... and the tiny squares go on the bottom. Trim off the seam allowances... and press towards the triangles. Now sew a lid onto each jar. Press seams open for less bulk. Sew jars into 2 rows of 3 across. Press seams open again:) Sew the 2 rows together to form your Canning Season block! Back of my Canning Season block. Don't you just love how canning jars look lined along the shelves of your pantry? Now build your cute barn with a silo around your Canning Season block! All of the bounty from your garden is now put away so that you can have a taste of summer during the long cold winter:) YaY!... 4 of the barns on my design board. Now get to sewing and have a barn buildin' kind of day! (after you get all of your canning done... of course:) xx Lori (cute canning supplies)
I thought I'd post a few pictures I took along the way making Blue Ridge Mtn. (This is the quilt they chose to be the cover of my book!) It has all my favorite colors and someday I'd like to make a large version of this quilt! How many 'somedays' are there do you think?! Especially for us quilters... we have more ideas than we have time. Well, here is my design, all in strips on my little portable design wall. From here, I sew all my strip segments together and then transfer them to a tear-away foundation. (I love Create-A-Pattern by Bosal Foam and Fiber, it comes off the bolt at 46 inches wide and is so handy for the type of quilts I make.) Ok, you might be wondering what you are seeing? Well... its kinda hard to explain... but sometimes I really don't sew all those angles from my strip segments together, I use glue. I'll admit it - I really don't like piecing all that much. (True confessions - from a quilter - can you believe it!?) I. Really. Don't. Like. Piecing.It takes too much time. I just glue down the background strip, glue the angle from the top strip closed and then glue the top strip on top of the bottom strip. Once all the strips are in place on the foundation, I just use monofilament thread and stitch them down. Piece of Cake. Because I use a tear-away foundation, all I have to do is fold and sew along grid lines that I drew on the foundation earlier. (Hmmm. I'll have to explain that in another post. Actually, I have a patent on this type of quilt top construction. I use it to make all my watercolor quilts too!) Anyway, here is the quilt top, now all I have to do is add the flowers and quilt it. And here is the finished quilt - Ta Da! Blue Ridge Mountain Sunset by Cathy Geier
One of the things I love this week was getting a photo of a wren. I've often caught sight of them down by the pond because I think they like the heavy shrubbery on three sides. There is a meadow there as well and loads of grasshoppers which I know wrens are fond of. However, it was right in front of my kitchen window that I managed to grab two quick shots of this little guy while he was checking out the decaying plants. In the third shot I took he was a complete blur. This was my redworked wren from that Crabapple Hill Designs series, Flight of Fancy. Perhaps I've shown you all of them now. We don't have the banks of sumac here like those that lined the farm driveway, but there are a couple of bushes. Amazing reds this time of year. Before I forget, the header photo is one I took a number of years ago. Hudson's Farm puts pumpkins on a cart in this field every year and you are on your honour to pay for one. You can see the cash box there on the left by the big pumpkin on the end. Remember I started a Medallion quilt back in August. I have been working on it a little. I set up the next round which are Spools and have 7 of them sewn. Every little bit moves it forward I figure. I may have more time to devote to it as my Dreamy Hearts quilt is a finish! It was my October OMG at Elm Street Quilts. I'm happy with it and it is now tucked away to be a Christmas gift. It is very soft and warm and single bed sized. Recently there was a great little blog hop hosted by Carol at Just Let Me Quilt. Sewists shared their patterns for quick little quilty gifts you can make. Two of our Thursday Likes group shared their work at these posts, Pieceful Thoughts and Life in the Scrapatch. And I love this too. Lena generously shares her free pattern for this lovely Moon Flower block at her Lena Pugacheva Art Quilts site. Lena also hosts the Friday link party, Creations, Quilts, Art. Just love this too- both the hands and the message. The photo is by Newfoundland photographer, Ned Pratt, and is used by Nonia, a non profit organization that has been selling hand made goods by Newfoundland and Labrador women for over 50 years. These are the hands of one of those women. I know by working with wool and fabric I am doing what my mother, both grandmothers and the one great grandmother I knew as a child did. That great grandmother had snow white hair, sewed quilts by hand but it was her gold tooth that fascinated me. I'm thinking this morning about how the fate of humans all over the globe may well be in the hands of scientists and researchers. They are working tirelessly to achieve the perfect concoction of a vaccine for us, one that will be safe in and of itself and also protect us from this awful virus, a monumental task. I am very thankful for them, their knowledge, unceasing labour and care. Here is a link to a Q & A with one such American researcher talking about how their quest is going. Also love these meet ups on the net;- Not Afraid of Color, Creations Quilts Art, Paying Ready Attention, My Quilt Infatuation, Confessions of a Fabric Addict, Alycia Quilts, Traffic Jam Weekend, Viewing Nature With Eileen and Quilt Fabrication.
I fully intended to complete and display this little table-topper and during my first-week-of-July ‘red, white & blue’ extravaganza. But reality hit and it didn’t happen. However, after having this project on my list for 2 years now, I figured I’d just go with the momentum, whether it was past the holiday or not.This was...Read More
I am still enjoying my photos from the Festival of Quilts, even though this is not exactly news anymore. They have a competition category called Quilt Creations, where you may enter every quilty th…
I am still enjoying my photos from the Festival of Quilts, even though this is not exactly news anymore. They have a competition category called Quilt Creations, where you may enter every quilty th…
Visit the post for more.
Photo I took of a white phalenopsis orchid, then photo transferred to fabric. 15x19
Elderly Appalachian woman laying out her quilt.
While shopping at the antique mall, one of the things I’ve been noticing re-surge more and more are Victorian Crazy Quilts and all of their lovely styles and forms. Since I cannot begin to to…
Peter Gentenaar, a paper artist based in the Netherlands, creates ethereal, large-scale sculptures of organic shapes that float in mid-air as they hang from the ceilings. Some look like aquatic plant life while others resemble the qualities of bright, delicate spring flowers. Gentenaar's craft evolved from his love for paper, a passion he acquired from the many years he spent working in a printmaking shop. His unusual, stunning work defies conventional thinking regarding paper's colloquial, everyday use. Read more after the jump.
Partner, when you said you like handquilting I hope you reallllly meant it. Oh, and I hope you don't mind that I've never done it before either.
Whether we know it or not, there is always some influence that triggers a quilt. It could be anything. This blog shares my quilts and the journey of their creation.
“Flowers Of The Cosmos” by Fumiko Nakayama Let me just say right up front that this quilt show exceeded expectations in every way. Something I really love about Japan is …
I made a Colorwash of exclusively Kaffe Fassett fabrics many of which are early and out of print. It is not the Kaffe Collective which includes fabric by Brandon Mably and Philip Jacobs. It is exclusively Kaffe. This wallhanging is made from the kit of 2.5" squares that will be offered to students of Colorwash 360. I used one of the larger prints on the back and I thought the black Fern print was perfect for the binding. Are you interested in making a Colorwash wallhanging too? If you haven't heard, I have an Online Course launching on October 1, 2018 called 'COLORWASH 360'. You'll learn gradation from light to dark (value) as well as gradation from one color another...And, how to select fabrics that work best. 'COLORWASH 360' opens for pre-sale on September 1. Subscribers will receive 24 hours early access to sign up for the course and purchase the limited edition kits of pre-cut squares or larger blocks to cut multiple squares yourself. Both Batik and Kaffe Fassett Fabric kits will be available in limited quantities to students of COLORWASH 360 only. If you aren't an Exuberant Color subscriber for the mailing list....click here to subscribe.
Mother Earth by Galyna Grotto, at Quilt Canada 2017.
Yesterday, I was able to attend the Lowell Quilt Festival . Until a client of mine entered a quilt there a year ago, I didn't even know a...
Opalescence - An Art Deco style quilt inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright stained glass works
We were a bunch of sickies this week…which, on one hand I hate being sick…but on the other hand we stayed home and did nothing…and it was glorious. Almost like in the summer…but with colds. ;) I broke open two charm packs from Robert Kaufman of Doe. One charm pack is the Doe coordinating...Read More
I still can’t get over how wonderful and beautiful the quilts from the Home Machine Quilting Show (HMQS) were. You can see pictures from Part 1 and Part 2, and today will be my final round of…
The applique motif I have come up with here is taken from a pieced and appliqued quilt made by Susan McCord, an Indiana farm woman, in 1860. She appliqued her stem but I have used chain stitch and appliqued on to an old piece of crazy quilt.
Thank you for visiting my Bloggers' Quilt Festival entry! I made Volare earlier this year as a commission for a friend's son. It's a generous single (twin) bed size, and the background is made from about 130 curved, free-form shapes (up to about 18in long) which I drew by hand full-size, then cut up to use as pattern pieces - all carefully numbered. Below is a photo part-way through cutting the pieces on our sitting room floor: I hand-painted all the planet fabrics. They're appliqued to the background, with an extra layer of batting underneath them - the trapunto gives them some fullness and dimension. Then I had fun adding lots of detail, by applique, thread-sketching, and in the quilting. I also found some great space fabrics, which I used for the astronaut on an EVA near Saturn and the space shuttle approaching Mars. While I initially positioned the planets in correct order from the Sun, Saturn moved closer through design influences. And with the exception of Earth which is extra-large (diameter 7in) to show detail, their sizes are also in order - if not to scale. Call it artistic license! I'm not sure what my favourite detail is; the visitors on Mars, the International Space Station (below), Halley's Comet (between Saturn and Uranus), the tiny plane (look north-east of Earth), or the Southern Cross (bottom). There's more information and photos on the main post about the quilt here, and there are a number of progress posts, too (in order: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8). Thanks again for visiting, I hope you'll be back. In the meantime, do go and check out all the other BQF entries!
