Diablo Valley Quilters' Guild Show Day 2

The 2017 Diablo Valley Quilters Guild show was recently held in Walnut Creek, California. Here are some of our favorite quilts!

Note: For great deals on quilt books and fabric, please visit our eBay store.Also, we're posting free patterns continually Quilt Inspiration's Twitter page !

Pacific Fisher by Nancy Tietz

Nancy explains about the cute little animal depicted here in her original design: "Fishers belong to a family of mammals that includes weasels, minks, and otters. They live in low-to-mid elevation forests and require cavities in trees to safely rear their young. This quilt was made for my daughter-in-law who just received her Ph.D. from U. of California, Davis, using the data she collected from the U.S. Forest Service for her dissertation.
I learned this applique technique from David Taylor, a well-known applique artist that taught classes at The Cotton Patch in Lafayette, California. Kerry Reed did the longarm quilting for me. "

Modern Plaid by Sally Socolich

Sally notes, "This pattern projects a more modern dimension to traditional plaids. Please see the other side of the quilt (shown below)  for my take on making the most of leftover plaid units for an even simpler modern effect. "

Back of quilt, Modern Plaid

Quilted by Sally herself, this could be a wonderful way to re-fashion plaid shirt fabric into a wonderful, cozy quilt.  The original pattern was created by Mabry Benson and published in a Quilters Newsletter magazine from 2001.  You can see a photo of "Plaid Stars" by Mabry Benson in an article at eQuilters.

Winter Stars by Karen Michaels

Karen notes, " This quilt began 24 years ago, with a photo in a quilt magazine. It contains blocks made by 9 members of my guild's block exchange group. I named the quilt early on, and every winter, I'd wonder where where it was. Over the years, it morphed from the photo's simple straight set with no sashing, to the current look. "

Detail, Winter Stars

Karen continues, "I quilted it myself, though it was really too large for me to handle. I'm certainly happy that this was the year to finally finish my winter quilt!"  We admire the excellent workmanship and lovely en pointe setting of these star blocks.

Rainbow Ride by Janice Spahn

Janice says, " A few years ago, during a quilt shop-hop with some very dear and fun friends, we challenged each other to make the quilt "Four Play."  It is a four patch scrappy pattern with a fun name and one inch strips." The pattern is found in the book .Small Pieces, Spectacular Quilts, by Mary Elizabeth Kinch and Biz Storms.

Detail, Rainbow Ride

Janice continues, "When I started my quilt, I decided to add discipline to the blocks by using a rainbow color concept. Once I made the smaller blocks, I just had to add more blocks and change the layout of the blocks. The result is the quilt before you." Janice quilted this work herself, and Kathe Hayden and Annette Biggs helped with the block positioning.

Out of the Blue by Diane Chambers

Diane writes, "Out of the Blue" was assembled from a Craftsy kit of Kaffe Fassett fabrics, bought to nudge me out of my comfort zone. Much to my surprise, I had to fight my controlling tendencies with some of the print combinations. I liked the end result; so I dubbed it 'Out of the Blue.' "

Detail, Out of the Blue

Diane quilted this work herself, and she adds, "I used the expertise of published quilters
Angela Walters, (triangles), Lori Kennedy (straight and curvy juxtaposition) and Sally Terry
(feathers without backtracking) to inspire me in my choice of Free Motion Quilting motifs.
 More details can be found in my April 20, 2017 and August 15, 2017 Blogspot posts at Diane Loves 2 Quilt.


Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration.

Perfect Pet Quilts - part 2

Have you ever made a quilt of the image of your pet?  We love our furry friends and are always drawn to quilts that celebrate cats and dogs. Smile along with us, as we present Part 2 of some of our favorite pet quilts !

Maynard, 54 x 81", by David Taylor (Steamboat Springs, Colorado)

David notes, "Maynard was adopted from a photo shot by my friend Hilary Spillane of her bulldog. I love the way Hil captured the stark white of a winter's day in Northwest Colorado." We can almost sense Maynard's curiosity to see what's ahead  as he pushes his short little legs through the drifts of new-fallen snow.

Close up, Maynard by David Taylor

David continues, "When I saw the image, I knew I had to turn it into a quilt, as I had been eager to try a white-on-white quilt. Of course, I ended up using different colors of thread to quilt the snow and sky - lavender, green, tan, and a lot of blues."

Cassidy, Chase, Mashatu and JasPurr, 31 x 34", by Nancy S. Brown (Oakland, California)

Nancy states, "The source of my quilting energy and my inspiration are all of the wonderful animals of the world. This quilt depicts the happy family of Cassidy and Chase ( Rhodesian Ridgebacks), Mashatu ( a Savannah cat), and JasPurr ( a gray and white cat). Nancy has used beautiful and subtle gradations of neutral colors to depict this elegant and attractive family of canines and felines.

Close up, Cassidy, Chase, Mashatu and JasPurr by Nancy S. Brown

Nancy has perfectly captured dog Cassidy's extremely handsome face and soulful brown eyes! Her original design is machine pieced, hand appliqued, and hand quilted.

Bathtub Beach by Sandi MacMillan (Florida)

Sandi writes, "Bathtub Beach is my favorite spot on [Florida's] Treasure Coast. I have spent a lot of hours face-down, snorkel-up, enjoying all the creatures on the living reef in the naturally protected and warm water. My design evolved from the literal 'bathtub' on the beach. A banner-flying bi-plane seemed Florida-appropriate for the lettering. The mouse as pilot...well, why not?  The cat's face is from A Year of Cats... in Hats! by Sheila Haynes Rauen."

Closeup, Bathtub Beach by Sandi MacMillan

Sandi continues, "I hope this quilt makes you smile as much as Bathtub Beach makes me smile."  We love the lighthearted humor in this quilt, and we think the quilting, especially the fun bubble pattern on the bathtub and the sand, is very appropriate for this delightful piece.

Family Resemblance, 39 x 31", by Patt Blair (Mount Baldy, California)

Patt tells an interesting story of how she was inspired to create Family Resemblance: " I did this piece as encouragement to students to 'Just try it !'  This was a royalty- free clip art contour drawing [on the internet], for which I searched for animal coloring tips. I first thought the highly wrinkled bulldog was the mom (I was getting angry!)  but later learned this was three generations of English bulldogs." 

Close up, Family Resemblance by Patt Blair

Patt explains that her work was created by hand-dyeing and hand-painting solid white finely woven cotton to create the images of the dogs. She then used her domestic sewing machine for quilting the foreground and the background. She adds,  "I am mostly inspired by things with a heartbeat".  Her inspiration and talent is certainly evident in the very expressive lines and movement she gives to these bulldogs. Patt's work allows us to see their loveable personalities hiding just underneath their serious faces.

Cornered by Wendy L. Starn (Alexandria, Louisiana)

Wendy says, "In August of 2008, my son found a tiny kitten under the hood of the car, covered in grease and fleas. He cleaned her up, and she won his heart, as well as the scorn on our other two cats. Boris, the black cat is determined to be Alpha male, and is also proud of his prowess at catching (catnip) mice."

Close up, Cornered by Wendy L. Starn

Wendy adds, "Moose, the orange cat, is the mighty hunter of lizards and bugs, who is afraid of everything.. Oslo, the kitten, sleeps, dreaming no doubt of how best to annoy her two big brothers."
Wendy's vividly colored background blocks,  which showcase the cats perfectly, are comprised of variations of the "Puss In the Corner" pattern. Her very creative work is hand-stamped with feline images, thread-painted, and collaged.

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration of Maynard (in a Faculty exhibit at the 2014 Road to California); Cassidy, Chase, Mashatu and JasPurr (at the 2012 Pacific International Quilt Festival); Bathtub Beach (at the 2015 World Quilt Show in West Palm Beach, Florida); Family Resemblance (in a Faculty exhibit at the 2014 Road to California); and Cornered (at the 2013 Houston International Quilt Festival).

Beating the Heat at the 2015 Arizona Quilt Show #3

This is our 5th year of attendance, and we always enjoy seeing the variety and creativity displayed by members of the Arizona Quilters' Guild at their annual show. Here is part 3 of our virtual show including some top award winners.

Silk and Satin by Sheila Groman

Winner of a blue ribbon (1st Place - Other), This rainbow-shaded crazy quilt has a very contemporary look.  Each block is shaded in a different hue of the rainbow. There is even a bright sun rising in the upper right corner of the quilt. Flowers (of course), baskets, fans, butterflies and hearts were used in the blocks, along with some very creative stitches.   Sheila says, "Hand embroidered surface embellishment is satisfying and rewarding for me."

Ghost Walk by Karin Scanlon

This improvisational piece was beautifully composed, and the fabrics added a softness and depth not seen with commercial dyed fabrics. The original piece won 2nd place, Art/Abstract.  Karin Scanlon says, "I used some of my hand painted and stamped fabrics as well as linen in this abstract piece."   We loved the serene colors in this piece. 

Spiky by Vicki Bohnhoff

This Spiky quilt is a finished UFO from a class Vicki took at Quilt Camp in the Pines in 2008 (Inner Light with Deb Karasik).   The stitching with heavy-weight rayon thread was like nothing we've seen before... it really makes this quilt sparkle. 

Vicki says, "My couching design with Razzle 12-weight thread added detail and excitement."  We can't imagine how many thousands of knots were used to finish the lines of stitching.  The quilt was awarded Honorable Mention at the show.

Winter Chickadee by Diane Hansen

Diane Hansen won First Place, Applique-Small for her depiction of a little bird, inspired by a copyright-free photo.  Diane says that Winter Chickadee was started in a class with David Taylor. There are 100 different fabrics and thread choices in this quilt.  The textured quilting was so well done, it makes the applique work blend into the scene.

Life Lessons: Playing With Blocks Can Be Perilous by Linda Engstrom

This quilt won First Place, Art/Abstract (blue ribbon) along with the special City of Mesa award (teal ribbon).   Linda Engstrom says, "As grief therapy during my mother’s final illness, leftover fabric was improvisationally pieced, assembled into 'balancing' blocks inspired by Ann Johnston. The shadowy echoes of the design in the off-white background can be seen in this close-up photo. 

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration. 

Birds on quilts: painted, printed, appliqued and stitched

Here's a quilted tribute to the seemingly endless variety of birds that exist in the world of nature.  Today, we're bringing you some outstanding quilts with very life-like representations of birds.

The White Raven, 40 x 32", by Virginia Greaves (Georgia, USA)

 Virginia states, "Legend holds that black ravens were kept at the Tower of London to protect the monarchy. My piece presents a rare white raven to the Tower and ask the question of what that would mean for the monarchy and the Tower."  Inspired by a photo  by Mike Yip of the white ravens on Vancouver Island, Virginia used machine applique and machine quilting  to create this striking piece. We really admire the intricate details in the bird's feathers and especially in the creation of the Tower in the background.

Botswana's Beautiful Bird, 31 x 32", by Barbara McKie (Connecticut, USA)

Barbara writes, "While in Botswana, Africa, on safari in the spring, I photographed a colorful bird, and it inspired this quilt." The bird, a Lilac Breasted Roller, is highlighted against the pale blue dye-painted background.  Barbara has done a wonderful job of conveying the stunning colors of this exotic bird with her combination of digital imagery and quilting. 

Close- up, Botswana's Beautiful Bird by Barbara McKie

Barbara notes that her techniques include photo transfer, dye-painted silk, machine applique, and quilting. Each section of the bird was finely stitched in a different color to match the underlying image.

Eagle Eyes by Margery Hedges (Texas, USA)

Margery notes of her original art quilt,  "I enjoy doing close-up views of animal faces, and this look of intense concentration makes you feel as if you are really face-to-face with this awesome eagle."  Margery's techniques include hand painting with jacquard textile acrylic paint,  machine thread painting, and quilting on cotton fabric. We are impressed with the fierce, compelling look Margery has captured on the eagle's noble countenance.

Did You Wash Your Beak?  by David Taylor, Colorado, USA..

David Taylor's applique quilt was inspired by a photo by Steve Byland.  David notes, "Bird have always been my favorite subject matter to turn into quilts. I hope I captured the attitude of the mother bird, as she looks appalled at her baby's manners. I spent weeks debating with myself over the background color, and ultimate stayed true to Steve Byland's photo."

Close up, Did You Wash Your Beak?  by David Taylor

Winner of a Judges' Choice Award by Carolie Hensley at the 2013 Houston International Quilt Festival, David's materials include commercial cotton prints and purchased, hand-dyed, painted fabrics.  In addition to the details on the birds, we admired the leafy textures in the background of this quilt.  David will be teaching his techniques at the March 2015 Empty Spools seminar.

Wild Goslings, 24 x 32", by Cherrie Hampton,  Oklahoma, USA

Second place winner in the Wall Quilt category at the 2013 Pacific International Quilt Festival, Cherrie states, " "I took a jump into art quilting when I began learning about paint and other product to apply color to fabric. Without patterns to follow, I feel the freedom to create fiber art which, although built on a traditional quilting background, expands that framework to personally expressive art using my fiber fixation."

Close up, Wild Goslings by Cherrie Hampton

We love the realistic look of these darling babies as they sit in repose amongst a beautiful background reminiscent of a Claude Monet impressionist painting.  Cherrie expertly created her original piece using ink painting, machine applique and free-motion quilting. Angelina, net and other embellishments were added.

Cock of the Walk, 39 x 58", by David Taylor (Colorado,USA)

Third place winner for Pictorial Art Quilts at the 2013 Houston International Quilt Festival,  David notes, "This is my second rooster quilt, and this one has a whole lot more attitude. Finding the perfect hand-marbled fabrics was the key to the feathers......that, and amassing enough different red "textured" prints for his wattle."

Close up, Cock of the Walk by David Taylor

David's original design was inspired by a photo by Robert Churchill. It was created with commercial cottons, purchased hand-dyed, painted fabrics, and variegated cotton thread.

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration.

Fun in the Sun: Day 3 of the Arizona Quilters' Guild 2013 Show

Are you ready for Day 3 of the Arizona Quilters' Guild 2013 Show?  We have some great quilts to show you today. 

Majestic Sedona by Nancy M. Howell

Best of Show winner for 2013, Majestic Sedona  (named after a city in northern Arizona) is from the "Sedona Star" pattern by Arizona quilter and teacher, Sarah Vedeler at Sarah Vedeler Designs. Nancy also won the blue ribbon in the Mixed Techniques-Large Quilt category. Nancy says, "This quilt was a block of the month pattern using paper piecing, foundation piecing, machine applique, and machine embroidery. I used only batik scraps on a black background.

Close-up, Majestic Sedona by Nancy M. Howell

Here's a close-up of some of Nancy's beautiful machine embroidery  applique work on the corner embellishments of  the Sedona Star pattern.

Kaufman's Radiance by Gerri Smit

Blue ribbon winner in the category of quilts using techniques other than patchwork and applique, Gerri writes, "This whole cloth quilt is made using Robert Kaufman radiance fabric. I stitched it with APQS longarm [quilting machine] with IQ attached. The binding was a technique taught by Sharon Schamber."

Close-up, Kaufman's Radiance by Gerri Smit

In this close-up you can see the beautiful machine quilting done by Gerri Smit using a design that reminds us of Art Deco patterns, including the Egyptian fans on the border.

Have a Seat! by CJ Fuhrman

C.J. writes, "[This quilt is from] a Four Corners pattern I made at camp to coordinate with my three mini wooden chairs. The pattern was published in 1994." This cute and cozy quilt is accentuated by the striped, diagonally pieced inner border and the matching diagonally pieced binding.

Close up, Have a Seat! by CJ Fuhrman

Notice that each of the chair backs is a different pattern. This navy chair has a back consisting of two small nine patch blocks.

Pedro by Barbara Nicholson

Third place winner for Small Pictorial Quilts, Barbara writes, "I started this quilt at the Rocky Mountain Applique Adventure in October 2011 with instructor David Taylor. Using my photo, I drew the pattern, hand appliqued it, and machine quilted it."  We especially like the monochromatic green fabrics used to comprise Pedro's body and the detailed rendering of his eye and feet.

Echoes of the Past / South West Echoes by Norma Suckle

Norma says, [This] quilt consists of twelve individual 20" blocks with southwest designs. The 10 " center applique design is surrounded by sixten 4 " and appliqued blocks. We recognize this as an Elizabeth Anne pattern, a designer who specializes in Americana quilt patterns and southwestern designs.

Close-up, Echoes of the Past / South West Echoes by Norma Suckle

Here's a close-up of one of the hand-drawn appliqued, figures, the southwest goat. The cobalt blue figure stands out clearly against the terra cotta and beige background.


Image Credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration.