Highlights of the 2015 Pacific International Quilt Festival - Part 3

We had a fabulous time at the 2015 Pacific International Quilt Festival, the largest quilt show on the Pacific coast of the U.S.  Beautiful quilts were displayed from around the world. All the quilts were designed and constructed at a high level of talent. We are showing some prize winners, but we also will be showing some real gems that did not win. For a complete list of prize winners in the World Quilt category, please click here. Last week, we featured Part 2 for Day of the Dead; and now, here is Part 3!

Black Crown Crane, 22 x 28", by Claudia Gano, Carmel Valley, California

Black Crown Crane won a blue ribbon for Best Interpretation of Theme, "On Pins and Needles."  Claudia writes, " I design quilts in my mind. I can spend weeks or months on the design. Meanwhile, I pull fabric out from my stash. I usually end at the fabric store purchasing more fabric."  (We can certainly relate to that story!)  The Black Crowned Crane, a beautiful bird which is listed as vulnerable to extinction, is native to the continent of Africa.

Close-up, Black Crown Crane by Claudia Gano

Claudia's original design is embellished by gorgeous thread painting. It's clear to see why Claudia exclaims, " For this quilt, I spent lots of time purchasing thread."  We think that Claudia's hard work has really paid off in her marvelous creation, which drew lots of "oos" and "ahs" from quilt show viewers.

Fields of Quilted Dreams, 54 x 71", by Mel Beach

Mel notes, " [This quilt] celebrates the tradition of cotton production and innovative modern quilt making in American. The white (symbolizing cotton) and the brown (symbolizing soil) rows depict the cotton fields being harvested." Mel's intriguingly designed quilt is sewn from solid color fabrics manufactured by American Made Brand from cotton grown, spun, and dyed in factories all in the United States.  These "yummy" colors remind us of a dish of lemon, lime, and orange sherbet, all topped by blue and chocolate sprinkles.

Close-up, Fields of Quilted Dreams by Mel Beach

In this close-up, you can see some of the many different quilting patterns. Mel adds, "The squares and free motion quilting motifs within represent the many processes in fabric production: the yellow prairie point for the harvesting in the fields, spinning saw blades of the cotton gin, fibers spun together into thread, woven on the loom and then rolled onto bolts... for quilters to create the...modern quilts of their dreams."

Trumpets and Tucks, 42 x 42",  by Jennie Rayment , England

Internationally known quilt teacher and author, Jennie has been quilting since 1989. She's an expert in making three-dimensional quilts by folding and tucking the fabric, much as one might do origami paper folding. At PIQF, Jennie had her own one-woman  quilt-show-within-a-show. We loved this quilt above, done in lovely autumn colors of peach, apricot, warm cream, and maize gold.
These techniques are featured in Jennie's book on Tucks, Textures and Pleats.

Close up, Trumpets and Tucks by Jennie Rayment

Jenny notes, " Tucked Trumpets and Crossed Over Tucks" all combine to create a tactile and textured hanging. Play away....it's fun for all with fabric fiddles to delight. Free motion quilted."

Jazz, 69 x 49", by Evelyn Wickham, California

Evelyn's quilt is part of the "Mid Century Mod: Modern Quilts", which is a relatively new category for PIQF. Evelyn says, " When I start a quilt, I have a vision in my head of what it will be when I finish. ... As I'm choosing fabric and threads, working on the quilt, I can't wait to see how it will turn out."  We're glad to report that this one turned out spectacularly! The lime and aqua are a winning color combination, and the long narrow triangles interspersed with circles remind us of the "op art" movement of the 1960's.

Closeup, Jazz by Evelyn Wickham

Evelyn concludes, "And then it's done - and like an author, I am surprised. It often turns out so different from my vision. Just as wonderful, but different." Evelyn's refreshing original design is machine pieced and sewing machine quilted.

Swirling Circles and Stripes by Mary Mashuta, California

Mary explains, "[Fabric designer] Emily Richardson's over-dyed dot fabrics were added to Kaffe Fassett's woven strips for the Swirling Petals blocks ( in the quilt center). His 'Target' print fabric made a fun border. The colorway selected complemented the block fabrics, and it was fun to combine hand-embroidered chain stitch with my machine quilting."
This quilt was part of a special exhibit featuring Mary Mashuta and her latest book, Foolproof Walking-Foot Quilt Designs: Visual Guide Idea Book (C and T Publishing).

Closeup, Swirling Circles and Stripes by Mary Mashuta

This pretty machine quilting was done with a walking foot attached to the sewing machine, with the feed dogs ( the metal teeth right below the needle) engaged. It is the opposite of free-motion quilting, where the feed dogs are lowered into the machine and do not help to move the fabric past the needle.  Mary explains how to use contact paper to create your own quilting designs which can be done on your home sewing machine. There are a total of 30 quilts pictured in Mary's new book. We really enjoyed meeting Mary at this show and chatting with her about her eye-catching and interesting quilting projects.

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration.

Winner of 'Kaffe Fasset Quilts: Shots and Stripes' !

~The winner of the 2013 book,  Shots and Stripes: 24 New Projects Made with Shot Cottons and Striped Fabrics is Jan Hutchison, who said:  "I'm a long time lover of KF shot cotton - thanks for the chance at winning the book." ~

Our thanks to STC/Melanie Falick Books for generously donating a copy of the book for this giveaway! Here are some images from the book, plus some more Kaffe Fassett quilt inspiration from our archives.

Whereas quilting fabrics are first woven and then printed or dyed with a color and/or pattern, shot cottons are woven using two different colors of hand-dyed cotton thread: one color for the warp, and another color for the weft.  In Shots and Stripes, Kaffe and Liza show how to use these luscious fabrics in 24 different projects that are inspired by ethnic textiles. Here is a beautiful "Swatches" placemat and table runner project:

 The project shown below is a contemporary take on the traditional "Lady of the Lake" pattern.

There are many more intriguing projects in this book, including this fantastic "African Collage" quilt, below.

This book has garnered a five-star (*****) rating at Amazon.com ! Check out the reader reviews at this link: Kaffe Fassett Quilts: Shots and Stripes.

Say It With Flowers and Stripes by Mary Mashuta in Kaffe Fassett's Quilt Romance

We featured "Say It With Flowers and Stripes" in a 2010 post called Voices in Cloth 2010 Show.

Garden Rainbow Quilt by Roberta Horton in Kaffe Fassett's Country Garden Quilts

We featured Roberta's "Garden Rainbow Quilt" in a 2010 post called Look to the rainbow.

The Gift Quilt by Brandon Mably in Kaffe Fassett's Country Garden Quilts 

We originally featured Brandon's design in a 2011 post called The Gift Quilt.   In 2011, we also featured designer Lori Allison, in a post called Simple Shapes. Over the years, Lori has created some fantastic quilts with Kaffe Fassett fabrics; a few of our favorites are shown below.

Funky Stripes by Lori Allison, pattern at Quilters Warehouse

Blooming Patchwork by Lori Allison, pattern at Quilters Warehouse

Rays of Sunshine by Lori Allison at Design Tyme

Last but not least, here is a fun block-of-the-month quilt made in all Kaffe Collective fabrics. Lori says:  "I really loved making color-graded setting triangles in a huge array of red and yellow prints!" For more information contact Lori Allison at Design Tyme.

Voices in Cloth 2010 Show

Over the weekend, we attended the Voices In Cloth 2010 Quilt Show by the East Bay Heritage Quilters in Oakland, CA. What a talented group of artists ! Join us as we show you some of the fabulous quilts displayed at the show.

Homage to 'In the Beginning' by Joan Sextro

We're enchanted by the beautifully appliqued dancing flowers which give this quilt such a lively personality. The curves of the flowers in the center appliqued medallion are repeated in the quilt fabric. Joan notes that whenever she visited friends and family in Seattle, WA, she would stop at the In the Beginning quilt shop, where she loved their designs, as typified by the outer printed border.

All My Stars, 96 x 96, by Nancy Ritter

All My Stars, detail view



Nancy was inspired by American Jane patterns to make this intricately pieced quilt. For the diamond 8 point stars, she cut into some of the treasured fabric that she brought back from Provence, France. Nancy writes, "Using 132 sawtooth stars from a block exchange, I was already halfway done. A fun quilt to make." A closeup of the construction of the stars, above, shows the excellent piecing.

Say It With Flowers and Stripes, 65 x 78, by Mary Mashuta

This lovely quilt was designed for Kaffe Fassett's Quilt Romance book, as Mary's yearly assignment from him. She revamped a two-template depression era quilt, whose blocks consist of one striped fabric and one floral. The continuity of this quilt is enhanced by the diagonal striped binding, which provides a stately frame. The contemporary stripes and the vibrantly colored florals coordinate together for a sophisticated effect. For more information on Mary's beautiful designs, books and workshops, visit her website here.

Come Sail Away With Me, 79 x 92, by Sondra Von Burg


Sondra writes, "My friend Linda Hanafee is always making these free form sailboat blocks, and since I quilt them for her, I finally decided that I needed one of my own. I added lighthouses, a couple of docks, and bait shacks. The turquoise sky is the only fabric that did not come out of the scrap box. Self-quilted by the artist.

Come Sail Away With Me, detail view


Sondra has indeed made wonderful use of the scrap box, as you can see in the adorable lighthouse with the whimsical cat's face near the top.

Japanese Sampler, 87 x 84, by Margo Weeks


Margo notes, "I was given some Japanese fabric samples many years ago. Last year, with the help of Rebecca Rohrkaste, I put this quilt together. The hand quilting of water and the small dots helped bring this piece together." Self-quilted by the artist.

Japanese Sampler, detail view


 The snowy white accents of the flowers against the navy background provide a very refreshing and crisp look to this quilt.

Batiks In Motion, 50 x 58, by Karen Springsteen


Karen says, " This quilt is adapted from a class taught by Christie Batterman at The Cotton Patch in Lafayette, CA. I splurged on batiks, learned to piece curves, and worked with lots of color." Karen has made beautiful use of color-rich batiks in this wonderful, eye-catching quilt. Quilted by Jenna Bailey at The Quilting Co. of Walnut Creek, CA.

Pineapple Journey by Arleen Kukua

Arleen writes, "Over one hundred years ago, my Japanese ancestors migrated to Hawaii to harvest pineapple and sugar. This quilt is dedicated to their hard labor. No paper piecing, no foundation." We'd say that Arleen is no stranger herself to the hard work of quiltmaking, judging from how beautifully this quilt turned out, with its vibrant rainbow colors and exquisite patchwork.

Black and White and Turquoise, 59 x 77, by Patricia Bagdon


For this highly innovative quilt, Patt drew her inspiration from the quilts of Gee's Bend, a small town southwest of Selma, Alabama. The quilters of Gee's Bend, descended from sharecroppers, have become famous for their strikingly attractive quilts with large, brilliant colorways. Patt's quilt perfectly captures the style, bold artistry, and contemporary feel of these internationally acclaimed quilts.

Full Circle, 72 x 72, by Rebecca Rohrkaste

Full Circle, below, was included in the Quilt National 2001 exhibit and book, and won the Viewer's Choice award that year.


Rebecca tells us: "I was spurred to undertake an immersion in red through a friend's commission for a quilt. Even though it is non-objective and abstract, it is full of personal history, symbolism, and emotional experience." This stunning and dynamic quilt is owned by East Bay Heritage Quilter, Mabry Benson.

Image credits and links: All images are shown with permission of the artists and the East Bay Heritage Quilters of Northern California. Other credits mentioned by the artists: The Cotton Patch, Lafayette, California; The Quilting Co., Walnut Creek, California; In The Beginning, Seattle, Washington; American Jane. The fabrics for "Say it with Flowers and Stripes" can be obtained at Glorious Color.