Highlights of the 2024 Pacific International Quilt Festival

The Pacific International Quilt Festival is one of the top shows in the country. This year was especially busy because of Ladies in Hats, a quilt we helped to finish and enter in the show. Here are a few of the outstanding quilts we admired.

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Cat and Mouse, 40" x 36",  by Katherine Donaldson

Winner of Best Wall Quilt, Cat and Mouse was a celebration of the Year of the Tiger.  Katherine Donadlson says that this quilt was inspired by a neighbor's drawing of a tiger.  The mouse was added to soften the tiger's effect and to provide a friend.  The technique was fabric collage, combined with longarm machine quilting. 

Royal Treasure, 83 x 83", by Marilyn Badger (Utah)

Winner of Best of Show, this original design is another in Marilyn Badger's series of doily quilts using hand dyed vintage doilies by Wendy Richardson and fabrics by Paula Nadelstern and Cherrywood.  Machine pieced, machine appliqued and longarm machine quilted.  Due to crowds we were unable to photograph the full width of the quilt, but it certainly has tremendous visual impact.

Granny Squares, 44 x 45", by Melinda Gerber (California)

Melinda Gerber says, "Each week for close to a year I crafted a block using an EPP of my own design I titled Marigold.  [The block pattern] is composed of twelve honeycombs and four squares. Although all 49 blocks are the same structure, by using whole or partial motifs or pattern matching, it gives each blocks its own flavor and, in many cases, obscures the interior shapes used."

Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2024 Pacific International Quilt Festival.

Twelve Days of Christmas: Day 8

Christmas is drawing near, and we wanted to share some of the beautiful holiday quilts we've seen over the years. Here is Day 8 of  our series: Twelve Days of Christmas Quilts.   

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Christmas at St. Andrews, 84 x 84,  by Marilyn Badger, Utah

 

 

Second place winner at the 2019 Pacific International Quilt Festival and Best of Show winner at the 2020 Road to California show, Marilyn notes, " In all my years of quilting, I never made a Christmas quilt until now. This Claudia Myers original design was my inspiration." Marilyn goes on to explain that in keeping with the Scottish theme of Christmas at St. Andrews, Scotland, Claudia Myers gave her six yards of plaid fabric, which Marilyn fussy cut to make sure it lined up perfectly in the background. 

 

This stunning pattern appears to combine blocks of Hawaiian quilting, which are the red flowers, with partial blocks done in the Mariner's Compass or New York Beauty pattern. On Marilyn's website, she explains that this work is "pieced and appliqued with cotton and silk fabrics, stitched with metallic and kimono silk thread, hand embroidered, embellished with painted lace trims, Lumiere paint, Swarovski pearls and crystals with vintage jewelry in center."

Marilyn's spectacular quilt, with its dazzling motifs and rich, luxurious embellishments, truly exemplifies the splendor of the Christmas season.

Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2019 Pacific International Quilt Festival.

Highlights of the Road to California Quilt Show! part 4

Here are some more highlights from the Road to California Quilter's Conference and Showcase! The Road to California, as it is called, takes place in Ontario (Southern California), and features over 1,000 quilts by artists from all over the world. Around 40,000 people gather to see the show, take classes, and shop. Join us in admiring some of the stunning quilts from this year's show.

Also check out our E-Bay shop for great bargains on quilt patterns, books, and collectible items !
For more free quilt patterns, please visit us on Twitter.

My Big Face by Cindy Stohn, Arizona

 Cindy explains, "As a study in color, I created this self-portrait inspired by the painting style of Chuck Close. I first created the image using paint chips on a 1/2 grid, then I transferred the concept onto fabric."

Cindy continues, "Free motion quilting using multiple layers of thread rings adhere the circles to the pieced square top. Over 120 colors of fabric and 56 colors of thread were used to create this illusion. No software, paint, or fusible products were used." We really admire the unique technique used to create this pixelated image.

Spring Harmony by Kathy McNeil, Washington

Kathy states,"[This quilt reflects] my love for Japanese gardens. The unusual border represents a Tori gate through which you enter the garden."

The artist's comments on the description card were very brief, but we think this fabulous project with beautiful colors and extensive quilting turned out to be gorgeous! Kathy is well known for her detailed and exquisite applique work, and her realistic fabric landscapes.

Plitvice by Elizabeth Eastmond, California. Quilted by Darby Myers

Elizabeth notes, " I was inspired by the array of color in Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia; the leafy greens and yellows of the meadows and trees, the jades, teals, and deep blues in the sixteen lakes and many waterfalls. This quilt is hand-pieced, using the English paper-piecing method."

Elizabeth continues, "While many rosettes are similar to the New Hexagon Millefoire Quilt by Katja Marek, I eventually took off on my own, creating and combining where I wanted." We admire Elizabeth's hand-piecing talent !

Urban Wheels by Inger Blood, California

Inger says, "On a fall walk in the forest, I liked the sun filtering through the trees onto the forest floor. Not wanting the composition to be literal, I applied filters to my photo to emphasize color and design."

Inger adds about her original design, "The composition was built from commercial batiks. [It was] free motion quilted on a sit-down machine. " We really like the fabric hues and the stained-glass effect of Inger's work.

Flower Power by Marilyn Badger  and the QUTI's , Utah. Quilted by Marilyn Badger and Linda Brown

Marilyn writes, "Our friendship group consisting of Linda Brown, Linda Finney, Teryl McKnight, Vickie Wardrop, Susan Recknagel, Sharon Freidman, Shirley Baptist, and Marilyn Badger are called QUTI, which stands for 'Quilting Under the Influence.' We decided to make a group quilt to enter in our local show, and Flower Power is the result."

Marilyn adds, " We spent many enjoyable hours together piecing, appliqueing, embellishing, and enjoying wine at the same time."  The original design for this fabulous work is by Claudia Clark Myers, who has often collaborated with Marilyn in the past.

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2020 Road to California show.

Highlights of the 2018 Pacific International Quilt Festival ! (part 1)

The Pacific International Quilt Festival is the largest quilt show on the west coast of the U.S.A. Many thanks to our good friend, quilt artist Bonita McFadden, for her excellent photos. Let us know which quilts are your favorites !

Note: For quilt patterns, vintage jewelry,  and other treasures, visit us on E-Bay - We're Top Rated Sellers! And for continuous listings of free quilt patterns, please check us out on Twitter.

Marie's Treasure, 77 x 77", by Marilyn Badger (St. George, Utah)

Best of Show winner, Marilyn says, "This quilt is a tribute to my favorite Aunt. She crocheted doilies like no other. When I saw this hand-dyed doily in [fabric designer] Wendy Richardson's booth, I knew I wanted to make this quilt. Tie that together with some beautiful Paula Nadelstern fabric and lots of beads and crystals; and this is what you get."

Closeup, Marie's Treasure

This stunning center medallion, done in radiant ombre colors,  is actually a crocheted doily carefully appliqued to the quilt background. Marilyn's spectacular original design is machine appliqued and longarm machine quilted. More photos of this breathtaking award winner can be found on The Quilt Show Blog.

In the Old Way, 48 x 36", by Linda Anderson (La Mesa, California)

 Linda explains, " Traditional textiles in Oaxaca, Mexico,  are disappearing over time. Each village has its own design motif that tells their story. Trying to continue this tradition, this woman still dresses her granddaughter in the old way from time to time. That'll be the day when she is as old as gradnma and carries on the tradition of textile with her granddaughter."

Closeup, In the Old Way

Linda's very artistic original design is machine appliqued. This exquisite quilting emphasizes the tender affection expressed by the grandmother as she imparts cherished cultural adornments to her little granddaughter.

My Rhodie, 54 x 46", by Andrea Brokenshire  (Round Rock, Texas)

Blue ribbon winner for Best Innovative Quilt and Viewer's Choice Award winner, Andrea notes, "I made this to celebrate my parents. This quilt was inspired by a visit to the Rhododendron Gardens in Portland during the spring high bloom.

Closeup, My Rhodie

These delicate light and bold deep tones of pink are so lovely!  Andrea's original design is machine appliqued and sewing machine quilted.

Water is Life, So Why Are We Doing This, 61 x 44, by Thom Atkins (Santa Cruz, California)

Blue ribbon winner for Best Use of  Color in an Innovative Quilt,  Thom states   "[This was] inspired by a painting of a breaking wave by F.J. Anderson. I decided to make it a commentary on what we are doing to our oceans, hence the bits of distressed plastic embedded in the foam. "

Closeup, Water is Life

Thom continues, "I machine appliqued cotton fabric and lace, then hand-sewed on glass, pearls, and shell beads around the bits of plastic. I was looking for "beautiful" and "terrifying."  Thom's unique original creation is designed for maximum three-dimensional impact; so the the viewer feels almost like being in the ocean, looking through the pipeline effect of the wave.

In Full Bloom 83 x 69, by Claudia Pfeil ,  (Germany)

Claudia writes, "That'll be the day..........when everything is 'In Full Bloom', a magic hidden garden. The day when you relax and enjoy the peace and nature."

Closeup, In Full Bloom

Claudia's gorgeous, fanciful garden with these vibrantly colored, bead-embellished happy flowers is machine pieced, hand-appliqued, and longarm machine quilted.

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Bonita McFadden for Quilt Inspiration.

Welcome to the 2017 Pacific International Quilt Festival: Day 2

Welcome to PIQF! This annual quilt show takes place each October in Santa Clara, California. Here are some of our favorites and some of the highlights of this show. We'd love to hear which ones are your favorites.

(Note: For great deals on quilt books, fabric and other treasures, please visit our eBay store!)

Braveheart , 64 x 46, by Linda Anderson (California)

Blue ribbon winner for Best Sewing Machine Workmanship, Linda explains, "I love to tell stories of people and cultures. Everyone has a story. I like to find a moment that captures something unique about a person, or a circumstance at any time in history."

Detail, Braveheart

Linda continues, "On a trip to China, we witnessed a Tang Dynasty performance of music and dance.This warrior presented such a powerful presence of command and leadership, I wanted to tell his story of courage, which is the symbol in the background ( on the upper right).
Linda's magnificent original design is machine appliqued and sewing machine quilted. She did a spectacular job of portraying the fine details of the warrior's facial features and costuming.

Carousel ,36 x 36,by Yvonne Chapman (Australia)

Blue ribbon winner for Best Use of Color in the World Quilt Competition, Yvonne notes, "This was my 'Tradition With a Twist' entry for the Australasian Quilt Competition 2016, the twist being that one of the horses here was real. As a child, the tradition during the summer was for a fair to operate on the town square. The carousel was my favorite ride, and I always thought MY horse was the REAL horse."

Detail, Carousel

Yvonne adds, "I love the way the lights reflected on the horses and tried to replicate that in this quilt."
Her original design is machine appliqued and sewing machine quilted. We can almost hear the carousel music playing, as these vibrant hues take us back to the merry-go-rounds of our youth. 

Swan Song, 46 x 30, by Sally Wright (California)

Sally writes, "Swans swam in a brook next to the site of our wedding; and it is said that swans mate for life. So marking our 30th wedding anniversary in 2014, these loving swans rest in their nest in the reeds bordering some imaginary lake."

Detail, Swan Song

Sally comments further, "They were rendered in fused applique from my own drawing, then painted and free motion quilted on an ombre ground. " We love the way these lifelike swans convey such a sense of serenity and gracefulness. Sally's original design is machine appliqued and sewing machine quilted.

Lime Light, Star Bright by Mel Beach (California)

Mel says, " I am fascinated with mandalas, both for their meditative qualities, and [for their] beauty. This modern mandala is pieced using the slice and insert technique." [a way to join fabrics at random angles while maintaining an even top edge].

Detail "Lime Light, Star Bright"

We really like the way these quilted loops and ovals complement the bold, angular geometric lines of this fascinating pattern. Mel's very intriguing and contemporary original design is machine pieced and sewing machine quilted.

Supernova by Marilyn Badger (Utah)

Blue ribbon winner in the Traditional Quilts category, Marilyn states, "Stars are my favorite design. Supernova evolved from my desire to make a red and black quilt."

Look at all the amazing details and precise piecing here ! Our photo really does not do justice to this jaw-dropping quilt, which is paper pieced, hand appliqued, embroidered, beaded, painted, and longarm quilted. 

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration.

Best of the 2014 Pacific International Quilt Festival - Day 1

The Pacific International Quilt Festival, known as PIQF, is the biggest quilt show on the west coast of the United States. In this series, we're displaying some of the fabulous, innovative, and just plain fun quilts we saw there.  This year's theme is  "The Whole Nine Yards", meaning "to show maximum effort in work or play."  Let us know which quilts are your favorites !

Exuberance by Marilyn Badger,  Utah

Blue ribbon winner for Best of Show, Marilyn says, "Two years in the making, all the hand stitching on this quilt was done while caring for my husband of 40 years during his illness. .... Before he passed away, he named it. Six months after his death, I was finally able to face the quilting machine again and it took another six months to complete the quilting. "  We congratulate Marilyn on her courage and expertise in completing this amazing project. 

Close up, Exuberance by Marilyn Badger

In this close-up, you can see some of the stunning detail on the center medallion. Marilyn's original design is hand and machine appliqued, machine pieced, and long arm quilted.

Under the Ginkgo Tree by Tanya Brown, California

Tanya notes, " A moment of contemplation, while sheltering beneath a gingko tree. Ink on cotton [plus] stitching." We admire this artist's wonderful talent in creating such realistic detail with her nuanced and skillful use of light and shadow.

Close up, Under the Ginkgo Tree by Tanya Brown

This is a charming juxtaposition of one of the world's oldest living trees sheltering a young child, filled with innocence and wonder. Tanya has done an especially lovely job on the child's delicate facial features. Her original design is machine quilted.

Fly Me To The Moon by Jerry Granata, California

First place winner in the category of Innovative Quilts, Jerry writes, "I put the 'whole nine yards' of fabric in this retro-feel quilt including cotton, lame,satin, sheers, hand-painted, and ribbon.It was inspired by a painting by Juan Carlos Espejo."  Jerry's stunning work is machine appliqued,  machine pieced, and machine quilted.

Close up, Fly Me To The Moon by Jerry Granata

This "movie star from outer space", as we like to think of her, poses in front of a background of sophisticated and varied quilting motifs. Her elegance and glamor are embellished by her pearl necklace and her lame jacket. Jerry adds, " Threads used are silk, poly, metallic, and nylon....Quilting motifs were free-motion quilted on my Baby Lock Aria ( machine) and were not marked." 

Blue Tone by Aki Sakai,  Tokyo, Japan

First place winner in the category of  Traditional Quilts, Aki states, "The materials are cotton and linen. Techniques used are hand pieced, applique, embroidery, and yo-yo quilt. I have been quilting for about twenty years. I always tried new techniques for my quilts, and my quilting has become more detailed."

Close-up, Blue Tone, by Aki Sakai

We marveled at all the tiny, precise details of this charming quilt. The miniature yo-yo's connecting the blocks are only about one-fourth of an inch in diameter. Aki's breathtaking original design is hand appliqued, hand pieced, and hand quilted.

Here Kitty Kitty by Claudia Gano, California

Here's a whimsical, happy quilt which really caught our eye !  Claudia says, "This is the whole nine yards dream of Kitty Kitty's, complete with birds, butterflies, ponds, and the fragrant smell of a dahlia forest. ....This fantasy quilt was started in a workshop with Freddy Moran, creating machine appique flowers on a black and white fabric. I glued and fused the different fabrics. The trees were made of many pieces of fabric."

Close up,  Here, Kitty Kitty by Claudia Gano

Claudia adds," I free motion stitched and thread painted the quilt. It was a fun quilt to make."  Her delightful work, with its riotous bursts of color, is machine appliqued, machine pieced, and machine quilted.

Image credits:  Photo were taken by Quilt Inspiration

Best of AQS Quilt Week 2014: Phoenix, Arizona

From February 5-8 the American Quilters Society held a Quilt Week® in Phoenix, Arizona. What a spectacular show! We hope you enjoy these award winning quilts.

Wandering ‘Round My World, 60 x 38”, by Beth Schillig (Columbus, OH)

Winning the award for Best Innovative Quilt, this quilt really drew us in with its beautiful hand-dyed green, blue and purple color scheme and intriguing textures.  We felt as if we were looking down on the oceans from far above the earth. The construction was also fascinating; the large and small circles float atop the heavily quilted panels.

close up, Wandering ‘Round My World by Beth Schillig

This original piece features turned-edge machine applique enhanced with decorative machine stitches. Each circle is filled with stylized floral appliques. Beth Schillig used  lots of freehand machine quilting and hand beading to adorn this beauty.

Magnolia, 84 x 84”, by Claudia Clark Myers and Marilyn Badger (Duluth, MN)

Magnolia is another show-stopper and crowd favorite by Claudia Clark Myers and Marilyn Badger. The machine appliqued flowers almost appear to be spinning on the surface of this quilt.  The flowers involve a new technique Claudia wanted to try, which was to piece the block, applique the flowers, then assemble and embellish the quilt.

close up, Magnolia by Claudia Clark Myers and Marilyn Badger

We loved the kaleidoscopic effect of the fabrics at the center of the flowers, and the lovely feather quilting, which really showed up in the white flower petals.

Isabelle, 93 x 93", by Kathi Carter (Vineyard, UT)

It was hard to get an unobstructed photo of this Best of Show quilt, as it was surrounded by throngs of admirers.  We were impressed with the dramatic, Asian-inspired design of circles and waves, which were decorated with thousands of turned-edge machine-appliqued leaves (approximately 2800, to be exact).  Kathi Carter says that she worked on Isabelle off and on for over 4 years and it is the most challenging quilt she has ever done.

Isabelle by Kathi Carter

The leaves were appliqued with nearly-invisible monofilament thread. In this photo you can see the embroidery on top of the leaves.  The quilt design is based on the Japanese Garden pattern by Karen Kay Buckley and the quilt is named after Kathi Carter’s new great-granddaughter, Isabelle.  For more information on techniques, see this interview with Kathi Carter.

Savoring Twilight in Venice, 35 x 42”, by Patsy Kittredge (Sedona, AZ)

Savoring Twilight in Venice is another award-winning, photo-inspired quilt by Patsy Kittredge.  We really enjoy the lifelike quality and artistic composition of this piece.  Patsy says, "This quilt is all about the light as evening approaches. Day gives way to night as Patsy’s daughters enjoy a quiet moment in Venice."

close up, Savoring Twilight in Venice by Patsy Kittredge (Sedona, AZ)

There is so much detail in every element of this piece.  In this photo you can see the wood grain texture which was quilted onto the wooden railings, and the many-colored fabrics which lend a shimmery quality to the girls long hair.  Patsy won a third place ribbon for this quilt.

A Pocket full of Paisleys, 57 x 71”, by Lorilynn King (Longmont, CO)

This stunning and sparkling quilt, A Pocket Full of Paisleys, has been racking up awards over the last year, including this blue ribbon in the Wall Quilt - Innovative/Art category. Lorilynn says:  "I decided to really, “really” learn my embroidery software so I digitized the designs myself." The paisleys were machine embroidered, then attached to the luminous quilted background. 

A Pocket full of Paisleys by Lorilynn King

Lorilynn started digitizing the designs in mid-2010 and began stitching the final version in March of 2012; from that point, the quilt took 10 months to complete.  Each paisley petal is made of individually embroidered pieces.  The scalloped edges are made with many individual half-circles with piping on the edges.  Here is one more close-up photo...

The embroidery detail is so impressive on this quilt.  Lorilynn King used Isacord embroidery threads, Superior Kimono silk thread, Yenmet metallic thread, and YLI Candlelight thread.  The hand-dyed fabrics provide a rich backdrop for this quilt.

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration.