Happy Earth Day !

Since 1970,  Earth Day has been observed on April 22 to raise awareness of sustaining our planet's natural resources. It is now celebrated in more than 192 countries each year. We chose the map quilt below, because it reminds us of the iconic photo of Earth from outer space, as shown on the Earth Day Flag.

The Island, 41 x 38", by Alicia Merrett, U.K.

Alicia writes, "Maps have fascinated humankind from the birth of civilization; now we have progressed to contemporary aerial photography and GPS.  Maps describe features of the earth, tell us where places area, and lead us to destinations. Maps can also be products of the artistic imagination."

Alicia has done a fabulous job of creating an island with apparent mountains, roads, rivers, and even little buildings in settlements shown in the close-up below.  

Close up, The Island by Alicia Merrett

Alicia continues, "This island is completely imaginary - it just exists conceptually on a blue ocean. But, I have borrowed the cartographic symbols of a typical aerial view and used them to describe it."  We love the vivid, clear fabric colors used in this highly innovative and fascinating original design.   Alicia's work is  machine pieced, appliqued, and quilted. It was displayed at the 2015 World Quilt Show in Florida, U.S.A.

Pacific International Quilt Festival Day 8

P.I.Q.F. 2012  is a great place to see very innovative and creative quilt designs !  Let's go !

Here's Looking At You, 57 x 65, by Elizabeth T. Ward,  Sunnyvale, California

This dapper, rainbow-striped zebra with the three-dimensional tail is really a fun design !  Elizabeth writes, "My vitamin has always been the desire or itch to create and be with creative people. Create something; be it fabric, clay, sculpture, drawing, painting -- it's my reason for being. This design (machine pieced and machine quilted) is an original by Susan Charles who also did the quilting. I had a blast recreating it with  Kaffe Fassett fabrics and giving it my touch."


Edo Fukagawa, Old Tokyo in the 17th Century, 89 x 42,  by Chieko Baba, Japan

This fascinating work by Chieko Baba, over 7 feet long, is all hand-pieced and hand-quilted. In the traditional Japanese hues of indigo, taupe, and gray, it commemorates the capital city of Tokyo, Japan, in the 17th century, when the city was built along a series of elaborately winding moats.  Chieko says,  "A long time ago, Edo (now known as Tokyo), was a beautiful water town."

Close-up of Edo Fukagawa, Old Tokyo in the 17th Century 

We were amazed by how skillfully quiltmaker Chieko Baba crafted tiny pieces of fabric into very realistic looking tile roofs, windows,  kimonos, and other fabulous details. Can you find the miniature Japanese fans displayed on the wall outside the store?  

City Lights, 54 x47, by Alicia Merrett, United Kingdom

Alicia writes, "Maps fascinate me. I feel that  mapmaking is an ancient and crucial activity of humankind. Maps tell us where places are; help us find our way, describe features of the earth, and they can also be aids to wielding power. I used color, line, and texture to construct my complex pieced maps. City Lights is an imaginary map, inspired by the aerial views of a city and the surrounding countryside, with its roads crisscrossing the fields, as seen at night from an airplane."  We really like Alicia's intriguing, unique design, which is machine pieced, machine appliqued, and machine quilted. 

Unknown Universe, 54  x 26, by Helga Burkart, Germany

Helga notes, "Our universe has so many planets and stars; it is so fascinating to me that it inspired me to create this work. This is a free technique with different hand-dyed fabrics ( some from me), machine sewed and quilted. Please do not miss the black hole near the bottom."  (Can you see it ?) We think that Helga's work is very contemporary, well-planned, and most original. Notice the circular quilting which complements the shape of the planets in orbit. 

Hawkesbury, by Kay D. Haerland, Australia

Here's a gorgeous landscape quilt, with many three-dimensional leaves and flowers created by tiny bits of fabric.  Kay writes, "The landscape along the Hawkesbury River  (near Sydney, in New South Wales), is fascinating, with its steep sandstone cliffs, topped by eucalypts and trees and shrubs clinging in the crevasses. Seen from a boat on the river, from the train or a car crossing the bridges, it changes its mood with the light, the weather, the time of day, and the seasons.  I love the play of the intense purple of the Jacaranda tree against the vibrant orange rock."