Highlights of the Pacific International Quilt Festival ! Day 4

The Pacific International Quilt Festival (PIQF) is the biggest quilt show on the West Coast of the US. We had a great time at the 25th annual show in Santa Clara, California. There were nearly 1000 quilts on display from around the globe. Here is Part 4 of our highlights of the show!

Please note: We're selling beautiful quilting and crafting books and fabrics at low introductory prices on e-Bay! Check out all our new listings!
Also, we're continuously posting free patterns on Twitter !

Beginning True, 36 x 36", by Sue de Vanny (Australia)

Sue notes, " In the harsh Australian outback, driving cattle under the sweltering sun....., they can't do it without man's best friend...a dog. It's official name is Australian Cattle Dog, commonly known as Australian Heeler, or Blue Heeler. This dog has been working Australian farms for generations. The breed developed in the 1840's from a Blue Smooth High Collie crossed with a native dingo."

Detail, Beginning True by Sue de Vanny

Sue continues about her original design, "As a dog lover, [I find] this is a perfect subject in its link with true Australian beginnings." We love the intricate way that Sue has constructed the sweet face of this dog, with its large, soulful eyes. Sue's fascinating work is machine pieced, machine appliqued, and sewing machine quilted.

The King of the Barnyard Meets The Big Apple, 72 x 72", by Joanne MacNevin (Massachusetts, U.S.A.)

Honorable Mention winner in the Traditional Quilts category, Joanne says, "The male peacock - such a beautiful and amazing bird ! And doesn't it seem that he himself is completely and totally convinced of his own magnificence - willing, almost compelled to display it to anyone, anything, anywhere? ..Surely New York City has never seen his like. Let's see how the "Big Apple" (New York) receives the "King of the Barnyard!"

Detail, The King of the Barnyard

Joanne's lovely original design is machine pieced and sewing machine quilted.  We really admire all the many hours of work that obviously went into the piecing and quilting of this dazzling work.

Le Chat de Mondrian, 59 x 64", by Connie Kincius Griner (North Carolina, U.S.A.)

Connie explains, "This quilt is a fantasy in the form of a cartoon. In it, I imagine the artist, Piet Mondrian, living in an attic room in Paris. His signature palette of primary colors brings life to his drab surroundings. Even his cat and mouse are transformed by his artistic genius. "

Detail, Le Chat de Mondrian

Connie's beautiful workmanship creates these very clean, geometric lines and edges which are so necessary to the depiction of this contemporary kitty. Her original design is machine pieced, machine appliqued, and sewing machine quilted.

Effervescent Textiles, 67 x 66", by Kathryn Sandner (California, U.S.A.)

Circles in a variety of patterns cover the surface of this Effervescent quilt. Kathryn says, "The premiere edition of Simply Moderne showcased a quilt by RachaelDaisy on the cover. Her [Bubbles] quilt inspired this piece."

Each circle was turned under and machine appliqued (giving an appearance of depth to the layers of circles), and longarm machine quilted.

Necktie Century Archeology, 99 x 80", by Cathy Perlmutter

Cathyl Perlmutter says, "This quilt incorporates 68 neckties, from 1950 to today. I arranged them chronologically, as if an archaeologist were digging them up. The earliest, a tie along the bottom, features a bathing-suit clad pinup girl. Above come the 1960s (paisley galore), the yuppy 70s, and so on. In the lower left are neckties related to love, sex, and childbirth – including a Viagra tie. This quilt encapsulates fashion trends and ideas of masculine interests and sexuality!" The ties shown below feature neon Volkswagens, a golf course, a Monopoly game, and young Elvis clutching a hound dog.

You can see more details of the ties and construction at Cathy Perlmutter's blog. Necktie Century Archeology was hand appliqued, hand quilted, and embellished with 100+ vintage buttons.

Not Forgotten, 80 x 78", by Janet Fogg (Oregon, USA)

Winner of a Judge's Choice award, Janet Fogg says, "Exactly twenty-five years ago I attended my first quilt show and was astounded by the beautiful work. Inspired to create quilts of my own, I couldn’t decide whether to focus on traditional or innovative designs. So, from the very beginning, I combined the two genres in my designs. Today, I present you with Not Forgotten, a well loved character juxtaposed somewhat transparently against a cliff of traditional baby blocks." beside the sea."

Not Forgotten was machine pieced, hand appliqued, and longarm quilted. The beautiful hand dyes are by Jeanette Viviano.

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration.

The Best of Cat Quilts! Part Two

One of the things that has been so exciting about this Best of Cat Quilts series is the amazing range of  techniques and styles that these artists have brought to their works. We think that today's artists will knock your socks off with their sublime creations. All we can say is: Life (in quilting) is good! We hope you enjoy The Best of Cat Quilts - Part Two.

My Cats Garden, 52 x 50, by Maggie Walker, at Maggie Walker Design

"My Cats Garden", by Maggie Walker, is a wonder to behold. This dreamy album quilt features exotic cats and tropical orchids, set against a luminous backdrop. The quilt includes a striking Burmese, Birman Blue Point, American Tabby, Persian, Abyssinian, Maine Coon, British Tabby, and an Egyptian Mau (wow! Did you know that the Egyptian Mau is the only naturally spotted breed of domesticated cat? You can "spot" him in the lower left of the quilt.) The center medallion, shown below, features a Bombay and Siamese Lilac Point cat frolicking in an idyllic garden.

Many talented quilters have fallen in love with My Cats Garden: take a look at one fabulous rendition here (the related post is here.) For more information and the complete pattern, visit the My Cats Garden page. Cat fanciers and quilters should also look at Maggie's delightful House Cats. We're enthusiastic about so many of Maggie Walker's quilts that we could go on and on... instead, we'll simply invite you to browse all of the designs at Maggie Walker Design.

Jamie and Jessie, by Grace J. Errea, at Amazing Quilts by Grace

Amazing quilts by Grace....it's not only the name of a website, but an accurate description of the quilts of Grace J. Errea.  A contemporary fiber artist, designer and quilter (and cat owner), Grace J. Errea began quilting in 2000. Her exceptional work illustrates and has been recognized for its primary use of values, and secondary use of color. Her focus on value is fundamental to her inspiring botanicals, landscape scenes and portraits... you can clearly see how this approach works in practice by looking at this fascinating before-and-after picture of the cat shown above, from Grace's photo-inspired art quilt workshop (you'll be amazed !)  Also take a look at her brilliant - and fierce - Eagle.  You can see an entire list of inspiring classes on her workshop page. For a visual treat, visit Grace J. Errea's online galleries.

Kitty Corner, 89.5 x 89.5, by Janet Fogg, at Janet Fogg Quilts

We've admired Janet Fogg's quilts for a long time, and it perhaps goes without saying that Kitty Corner is magnificent. It is no surprise that this quilt has won three Viewers Choice awards, four first place awards, and one best of show award in the competitive quilt arena (for the entire list of awards, click on the above link). We can only imagine just how impressive this Kitty must be, considering the grand scale of this quilt (89.5" square) !  If you have not yet seen Janet Fogg's gallery, we promise that you will be mesmerized by her original, artistic creations (cat lovers and quilters: be sure to take a look at the regal kitty named Neferkiti). Recently, Janet announced the opening of her quilting design studio, which is housed in a restored 1917 colonial near Portland, Oregon; you can read about her studio and workshops on her design studio page.

Image credits: Images are shown with the generous permission of the artists; we sincerely thank them for their inspiring works.

Stay tuned! On Friday we'll post the third and final installment of The Best of Cat Quilts, featuring some very cool cats with a contemporary flair. As a friend of ours would say: Be there, or be □ !