12X12 Quilts in Thomas Contemporary Quilt Collection 6 09-02-23

Another six quilts from past SAQA Benefit Auctions.  These are all leaves or trees from various years and countries.  I am fond of trees and their leaves, but I also look for different techniques and artists with a  distinctive style.  Four of the artists  shown here show their particular style.  

"Autumn Leaves"  Aileyn Renli Ecob - California  2012   12X12 

Commercial cotton fabrics, cotton batting, cotton thread.

Beautiful hand applique.  

"Rainbow  Trees"  Nikki Wheeler - Canada  2011  12X12

Various fabrics, fusing, machine finished edges, Machine quilting. 

"Evergreen"  Brenda Gael Smith -Australia  2011   12X12

Brenda's distinctive style.  Commercial cotton fabrics, Machine pieced and quilted. 

"Possibilities"  Deborah Boschert - Texas  2009 12X12

Deborah uses many of the same motifs in her various quilts. 

Cotton fabrics,  fusing, sequins, embroidery, Machine quilting. 

"Coastal Patterns - Banksia"  Susan Matthews - Australia  2013  12X12

 Canvas, ink, polyester thread, wool fabric.

Collagraph printint, lino block printing, fusing, free motion machine stitching.

"Laurel Leaves"   Terry Grant - Oregon  2008  12X12

Cotton fabric and thread.  Machine applique, machine quilting.

Terry does very exacting work and experiments  with  new techniques  that   she reads  about  or  invents for herself.  This quilt has such depth.  

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Trees in TCQC 05-07-23

Our current challenge in the San Diego group is trees.  I have done a lot of tree quilts over the years and there are quite a few in the Thomas Contemporary Quilt Collection.   I looked through the 12"X12" pieces in the Collection and picked out these six to post tonight.  As you see they are mostly parts of trees; roots, leaves, fruit, and whole trees.  Everyone sees the subject in their own way and I am always delighted to see someone's vision.  The bottom quilt by Caroline Higgs is an amazing fused applique which is machine quilted around each leaf, twig, and trunk.  You can find the artist's name on the sidebar and click to find more information about the maker and the quilt.  

Village Series #7 Kristin La Flamme  2007

Evergreen  Brenda Gael Smith - Australia  2011

Rainbow Trees  Nikki Wheeer -   2011

Gingko with Fruit  Aileyn Renli Ecob - California  2014

Lake in the Woods   Sandra Hart -   2011

Essence of India  Caroline Higgs -    2018

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Nikki Wheeler 12X12 Quilt in TCQC 05-06-12

This brightly colored quilt is another of the wonderful gifts from the members of the online group "Twelve by 12" to thank me for sponsoring their Quilt Festival exhibit at Houston/Cincinnati/Long Beach.
www.twelveby12.org
Nikki Wheeler has been making and using "paper fabric" in her quilts and used it for the trees in this piece. You can Google "paper fabric" for descriptions of the process - one is http://www.joggles.com/fabricpaper.htm 

"Rainbow Trees"  Nikki Wheeler  2011 12"X12"
Cotton, paper, flat beads.  Machine appliqued and quilted.
 http://www.nikkiwheeler.blogspot.com/

Nikki lives in Washington State and I grew up in Oregon, so we can't help but be tree lovers, even of bright fantasy trees.  The background quilting reminds me of Van Gogh's skies.   Reversing  the bead colors is very effective - they are flat disks with a hole from edge to edge. 

 
The back is covered with fused hand dyed cotton, so the quilting cannot be seen.

 
A signature, but no label - no way of knowing how to contact the artist.  Anyone who wants to promote sales of their work should always put a contact of some kind on the label.  I know how to get in touch with Nikki, but nobody else would be able to trace her through this quilt.