Ladies in Hats

Ladies in Hats was exhibited at the recent Pacific International Quilt Festival in Santa Clara, California!  Our dear friend, Bonita McFadden, completed these 15 Ladies as her final quilting project of her very creative life.  We helped finish the quilt, and were thrilled that it was accepted for the PIQF show.

p.s. Check out our E-Bay shop for great bargains on quilt patterns, collectible items, and jewelry! Also, please visit us on Twitter !

Ladies in Hats by Bonita McFadden (California), quilted by Jessica Gamez (Arizona)

Starting with photos of her many quilting friends, Bonita drafted and appliqued these individual faces. For each lady she created a hat, embellished with feathers, tulle netting, ribbons, and buttons. Special fabrics were carefeully chosen to represent the many details such as the hair, glasses, and hats. Earrings and flowers were also added for a very creative touch.

Quilt Inspiration (Daryl Lynn) designed the setting, then sewed together the blocks, borders, and binding.  The quilted wreaths symbolize the circle of friendship.  Many thanks to Jessica Gamez of Arizona for her expert longarm quilting!

Closeup #1 

A classic and timeless French beret is done in metallic gold fabric with pink and green stripes. To add even more sparkle, Bonita decorated the beret with large one-half inch sequins, and tiny blue seed beads. This three-quarters profile face has one gold metal floral button earring, secured with a seed bead. The mouth, eyes, and eyebrows are outlined in satin stitch. Black print cotton blender fabric with midnight blue highlights is used for the hairstyle with its cheerful bangs at the forehead.

Closeup #2

Fabric printed in tan and gold wavy lines makes the perfect hairstyle for this lady in a cheerful blue sunhat. A large blue glass jewel decorates the striped flower at the corner of the hat. The cheekbones and nose are lightly padded with trapunto and delicate outline stitching. Bonita used blue circular rhinestones for the eyes which peek out from under the hat brim.

Closeup #3

This close-up shows a fedora hat with a taller, oval-shaped crown and brims which can be turned up or down. Purple metallic fabric comprises the body of the hat, with a band of striped fabric outlined in purple satin stitch. For this three-quarter profile of the face, Bonita added a dichroic copper glass bead as a single earring.

Closeup #4 

 For Closeup #4, Bonita used light blue sparkly rhinestones for the eyes and three-dimensional pink and purple silk ribbons folded into the shape of miniature ribbons for the hat. She designed a blue feather plume to adorn the hat and outlined the plume in satin stitch with pink metallic and silver metallic thread. 

 Closeup #5

Here's an example of a cloche hat, popular with the flapper girls of the 1920's. It is accentuated with a satin brim and satin flowers, adorned by pastel aqua seed beads. Bonita added light trapunto stuffing for the nose, clear plastic fabric for the eyeglasses, and tiny gold triangular beads for the earrings.

 

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

Highlights of Quilt Arizona 2019! part 5 (the finale)

Here is the finale of our Quilt Arizona photos! The Arizona Quilters Guild has over 35 chapters, and they all get together annually for the show. The 2019 theme was Jewels of the Desert: "Every quilt is like a gemstone, the dancing colors play through patterns to endlessly fascinate and amaze. This year your quilt should convey Arizona's iridescent beauty, from golden sunsets and emerald cacti, to clear sparkling memories."

Note: please check out our E-Bay shop for great bargains on quilt patterns, fabric, and vintage jewelry ! (For continuous free quilt patterns, please visit us on Twitter !)

Spring Cleaning by Patti Kupferer

This adorable small quilt has eight different mini quilts hanging from a clothesline. Patti Kupferer says, "The Gallon Bag Challenge [in my guild] required me to use the 12 different items/collections a fellow quilter had placed in the bag in a wall hanging." We enjoyed seeing the crocheted doll (in the lower left corner), the clothes line and pins, and decorative buttons.

Look at how tiny these little quilts are, compared to the gloved hand (below)!

Extra, Extra, Read All About It by Millie Burgheimer, quilted by Millie Burgheimer

Extra, Extra won a first place ribbon in the Mixed Technique category.  Millie Burgheimer based the quilt on a story of her dad selling newspapers.  The newsboys in this original design were created with thread painting.  The background is made of newsprint-themed fabrics.

Dresden Elegance by Gail Witt,quilted by Jessica Gamez
 

Dresden Elegance won the award for Exemplary Professional Machine Quilting, along with Third Place in the Mixed Technique category.  Gail Witt says, "I am inspired by Di Ford medallion quilts. My original design features hand appliqued center star, swirls and Dresden plates. Jessica Gamez' trapunto feathers and border Gothic arches are beautiful." Here are two closeup photos of her lovely quilting.

Treasures of the Southwest by Judith Tobias, quilted by Karen Toomey

This wonderful quilt features a hot air balloon, pueblo, saguaro cactus, and more.  The pattern is Enchanted Lands at SW Decoratives. Members of Quilts N More, a Fountain Hills (Arizona) group, created this quilt to donate to Quilt for a Cause which raises funds for research, education and treatment of breast and gynecological cancers. The beautiful batik fabrics lend so much beauty to this quilt.

See What You See Under The Sea by Magdalena Castillo-Cockrum, quilted by Eunice Hill

Magdalena Castillo-Cockrum won a First Place ribbon in the Pictorial - Non Original Design category for this collage-style quilt.  She says, "Turtles are beautiful and peaceful. I love watching them swim. Exploring fabrics to fulfill my expectations for this turtle was fun, exciting and adventurous. I am excited with my turtle’s uniqueness." The turtle brings to mind Laura Heine's Seawell Collage Sea Turtle design, enhanced with many other design elements and fabrics.

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Arizona at the 2019 Quilt Arizona show.

Highlights of Quilt Arizona 2019 ! part 4

The Arizona Quilters Guild has over 35 chapters, and they all get together annually for the Quilt Arizona show. The 2019 theme was Jewels of the Desert: "Every quilt is like a gemstone, the dancing colors play through patterns to endlessly fascinate and amaze. This year your quilt should convey Arizona's iridescent beauty, from golden sunsets and emerald cacti, to clear sparkling memories."

Note: please check out our E-Bay shop for great bargains on quilt patterns, fabric, and vintage jewelry ! (For continuous free quilt patterns, please visit us on Twitter !)

Mother and Baby Giraffe by Barbara Renoux

Barbara says, "I fell in love with the eyes of this family ! I decided the piece needed embellishments, so I added beads and needlework to really bring them to life. They are an exotic pair with exotic blooms!" This pattern is by Toni Whitney.

Barbara quilted this very fun, expressive piece herself. We love the fringe embellishment which comprises the mane along the back of the giraffe's neck.

Flying High by Martha Baltram



2019 Best of Show winner and First Place winner for large applique quilts,  Martha remarks, "This original design was inspired by the many birds that fly around our house and make their nests in our garden. I included high flying birds, bees, and ladybugs to round out my theme."

Close-up, Flying High

Martha's stunning work contains many spectacular applique motifs. Here's the center block, where two charming birds are building a nest. On Flying High, Martha did all the quilting work herself.

Cacti at First Light by Debra Goley

Debra states, "As an inspirational artist, I find clues from nature. The cacti that dots the landscape is brought within safe view. At dawn's light, the prickly pear thrives, stretching forth to the sun's rays."

Cacti At First Light shows a creative juxtaposition of textured light and shadow, as the leaves react to the early morning sun. Debra quilted her innovative work herself.

Spiky Spirals by Judy Salb, quilted by Jessica Gamez

Honorable Mention winner in the Paper Pieced category, Judy notes, "I've long loved this pattern by Karen Stone, called 'Happy Chihuahuas'.  I created the border, as I wanted to add something of myself to the design."


Close-up, Spiky Spirals

Judy's cheerful quilt is really a whirlwind of color and energy. She's done an excellent job of blending contemporary black and white fabrics with these vibrant, high-chroma hues.

Grandmothers' Spring Bouquets by Joyce Strassburg, quilted by Jessica Gamez

First place winner for medium size applique quilts, Joyce writes, "This was my first Edyta Sitar pattern. Her quilts have made me a true admirer. These bouquets remind me of my grandmothers' gardens; and I hope they make my descendants as happy as they make me."

Close-up, Grandmothers' Spring Bouquets

Richly saturated batiks, in a profusion of shades, highlight this beautiful foliage against a light background. We're certain that Joyce's descendants will always consider her quilt to be a treasured heirloom.

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2019 Quilt Arizona show..

Highlights of Quilt Arizona 2019 ! part 2

The Arizona Quilters Guild has over 35 chapters, and they all get together annually for the Quilt Arizona show. The 2019 theme is Jewels of the Desert: "Every quilt is like a gemstone, the dancing colors play through patterns to endlessly fascinate and amaze. This year your quilt should convey Arizona's iridescent beauty, from golden sunsets and emerald cacti, to clear sparkling memories."

Note: please check out our E-Bay shop for great bargains on quilt patterns, fabric, and vintage jewelry ! (For continuous free quilt patterns, please visit us on Twitter !)

Wilma and Howie by Monika Hancock, quilted by Debbie Stanton

Second place winner in the Medium Size Pieced Quilts category, Monika says, "I made this pattern using Kaffe Fassett fabrics. I also made this quilt to honor my long time friends, Wilma and Howie Young. Wilma passed away in May 2018. I love them both so much! "
Wilma and Howie is based on the Lloyd and Lola quilt pattern by Elizabeth Hartman.

Monika's excellent choice of vibrant complementary colors really help these two whimsical llamas to "pop" against the neutral background. What a wonderful tribute to her beloved friends !

Debbie Stanton's intricate longarm quilting on this piece adds a great deal of texture and visual appeal.

New York Beauty by Linda Wood, quilted by Jessica Gamez

First Place winner in the Scrap Quilts category, Linda notes, "The New York Beauty block is one of my favorite quilt patterns. I loved gathering all the fabrics to make this quilt."
This quilt reminds us of the famous paper pieced New York Beauty quilt by Karen Stone. We love the way the New York Beauty blocks are offset with triangle wedges, creating wonky stars.

This is one of the most spectacular scrap quilts we've seen. The rule in this guild is that a scrap quilt must have at least 50 different fabrics, and Linda has done a tremendous job of making sure that all her fabrics go together so well. She's produced a sophisticated, finished look for a scrap quilt which looks carefully planned and organized.

Loma Nat Watni- Bountiful Harvest by Linda Visnaw

Linda explains, "A bountiful Hopi harvest brings melons, pumpkins, beans, and corn. Hopi women form a circle in the plaza with wicker plaques to sing songs of prayer and gratitude, while men surround them to receive the gifts." Linda's quilt contains all of these items in a creative, original design.

Close-up, Bountiful Harvest

Linda's beautiful quilt is accentuated by her precision in creating the circular Hopi wicker basket motifs. We really enjoyed seeing all the details of her wonderful work.

Let's Play Ball by Carol Collett

For "Let's Play Ball", Carol won a special award for Exemplary Non-Professional Machine Quilting, and she also won an Honorable Mention award in the category of Art/Innovative quilts. She writes, "[This] free-form pieced quilt was fully quilted and imposed on a second fully quilted white quilt. Border/binding was totally glued using Sue Carlson's technique."

Close-up, "Let's Play Ball"

Carol adds, "The dog center [motif] was a section of a silk scarf." We really enjoyed this fun quilt, which is a great tribute to our faithful and friendly canine companions.

Sonoita by Karen Carns

Honorable Mention winner for Best Use of Theme "Jewels of the Desert", Karen states,  "[This is] a quilted wall art consisting of applique, walking foot machine quilting, free motion quilting, tulle overlay, and decorative trim. Cacti inspired by Carol Morrissey's 'Prickly Pear in Bloom' pattern."

Close-up, Sonoita

Karen's expert use of techniques has imbued her lovely quilt with a very realistic sense of texture and dimensionality. The bright cactus flowers are beautifully represented with colorful batiks.


Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2019 Quilt Arizona show.

Quilt Arizona 2017! day 2

We're back after a short spring break! For us, springtime in the desert means three things: spring flowers, spring training (baseball), and Quilt Arizona!  This is our 8th year blogging about this fun show, which draws visitors from many parts of North America. Here are some of our favorites from this year's show.

Please note: We're continuously posting free patterns on Twitter ! Check us out here !   

Lulu by Ann E. Hall, quilted by Marilyn Haskovec

Ann E. Hall selected from her beloved collection of Kaffe Fassett fabrics to create this magnificant creature.  She was inspired by the Lulu Elephant quilt pattern by Laura Heine at Fiberworks.  The geometric quilting by Marilyn Haskovec, along with the neutral background, provide a contemporary setting for the bright floral fabrics.

The elephant's ear was created with fussy-cut leaves, and his eye was depicted by a big daisy, as shown above.

Glorious Tweets by Merci Apodaca, quilted by Cecilia Hosford

The colors really stood out in this beautiful applique quilt! Merci Apodaca says she was inspired by the use of Kaffe Fassett fabrics on the Glorious Applique blog, and the pattern My Tweets by Erin Russek.  Thus, this quilt is titled Glorious Tweets.  The applique shapes were outlined with embroidery stitches, providing extra definition for the birds and flowers.

Mirror Image Clam Shells by Patricia Bliss

This hand-pieced clamshell quilt was entered in the scrap quilt category.  Patricia Bliss selected Asian themed fabrics for a pattern by Kaffe Fassett. The clamshell sashing was done in red with pretty gold accents. She machine quilted each individual clamshell with a branching design that emphasized the clamshell shapes.  We can't imagine the amount of work that went into this perfectly pieced quilt.

Almost Like The Blues by Joan McNamara, quilted by Jessica Gamez

Almost Like The Blues was awarded First Place - Pieced Large. This is an original design by Joan McNamara who wanted to create an equal focus on intricate piecing and quilting.  The intricate piecing reminded us of Burgoyne Surrounded.  Joan says she was inspired by Godwin Weaving.  The quilting by Jessica Gamez was outstanding.

Butterfly by Judith Salb, quilted by Jessica Gamez

This stunning Butterfly won two major awards: Exemplary Professional Machine Quilting (turquoise ribbon)  and First Place - Pieced X-Large (blue ribbon).  This rather famous butterfly pattern is by Tula Pink; this is the first one we've seen in person, and it was stunning. Judith Salb says, "The butterfly counts not months but moments." (Rabindranath Tagore)  "My butterfly is forever!"

Here is more beautiful longarm quilting by Jessica Gamez.  Can you find the quilted butterflies in the closeup photo, below?

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration.