Batik Beauties (3)

We love batiks! Their striking beauty is enhanced by incorporating strong light/dark contrasts. These quilts provide numerous opportunities for the eyes to enjoy the intense colors of the fabrics.We hope you enjoy these photos.  (For Part 1, CLICK HERE; for Part 2, CLICK HERE.)

p.s. Check out our E-Bay shop for great bargains on quilt patterns, fabric, and new & vintage jewelry. For continuous free quilt patterns, please visit us on Twitter ! 

Ragtime by Barbara Deloria, quilted by Karen Roxburgh. 

Here is a gorgeous rainbow quilt with stunning Tonga Batiks!Barbara Deloria says, "As a volunteer at the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum (in Golden, Colorado), the variety of innovations observed was inspiring.  "Ragtime" was an attempt to experiment with fabric and color outside my comfort zone."

 This quilt was made from a quilt kit using Tonga Batiks by Timeless Treasures and the Syncopated Rhythm quilt pattern by Karen Montgomery. As of this writing, you can still see a photo of the kit at The Sewing Room in Calgary, Alberta.

Winding Ways by Christine Nelson, quilted by Dianne Martini. 

Christine Nelson says, "I was intrigued by this unsual pattern.  It was interesting making the blocks and trying out different arrangements. I hope you want to take a second look at this quilt to figure out what is going on with those blocks."  (There's a lots of curved piecing!) The pattern source was "Blue Onion" by Saginaw Street Quilts.

In The Shadows by Susie Weaver, quilted by Kris Neifeld

Optical illusion quilts are so much fun. Susie Weaver says, "Sometimes it's really hard to cut a beautiful batik into small pieces... sometimes you just want a "chunk" of it to enjoy.  The "shadow" gives the blocks more visual interest by adding that bit of dimension.  It's just yummy!" This quilt project was taught by Susie Weaver herself ("In The Shadows" quilt class). 

Catalina Sunset, made and quilted by Pamela Dunlap.  

Pamela Dunlap says, "Catalina Sunset is a study in oranges using my own arrangement of both 4" and 8" tall "rocket ships".  The quilting designs represent petroglyphs I've seen in Arizona."  Pattern source: Sheila Christensen's triangle block ("rocket ship"). 

If you enjoyed this post, you might be interested in the following FREE PATTERN DAYS:

Free Patterns for Rainbow Quilts (CLICK HERE)

Free Patterns for Optical Illusion Quilts (CLICK HERE)

Free Patterns for Thousand Pyramid Quilts (CLICK HERE) 

Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2024 Tucson Quilters Guild show.

 

12 Days of Christmas: Winter Snow Storm

Merry Christmas to all our readers! To celebrate the season, we're posting 12 of our favorite Christmas quilts from recent shows.  We hope you enjoy the beautiful details expressed in these masterpieces!

p.s. Please see our E-Bay shop for great bargains on patterns and vintage collectibles. For continuous free quilt patterns and blog updates, please visit us on Twitter.

Winter Snow Storm by Char Gasker

We loved this modern quilt, with its modern evergreen trees set against a snowy gray and white background. Char Gasker says, "To ease the boredom of the pandemic, I decided to take an online class.  I loved the Crazy Christmas Trees pattern* so much that I created this larger version using my stash and some purchased fabrics."

This quilt was machine quilted (computer guided) by Char Gasker. *Note: The original pattern was designed by Karla Alexander and published by Cut Loose Press.

Image credits: Photos were taken at the 2022 Arizona Quilters Guild show.

Winter Snow Storm

December is here, and snow is now hitting many places in the Northern Hemisphere.  Here is a lovely "trees" quilt that reminds us of the beauty of the season.

Also check out our E-Bay shop for great bargains on quilt patterns, fabric, and vintage jewelry!
For more free quilt patterns, please visit us on Twitter.

Winter Snow Storm by Char Gasker

We loved this modern quilt, with its modern evergreen trees set against a snowy gray and white background. Char Gasker says, "To ease the boredom of the pandemic, I decided to take an online class.  I loved the Crazy Christmas Trees pattern* so much that I created this larger version using my stash and some purchased fabrics."

This quilt was machine quilted (computer guided) by Char Gasker. *Note: The original pattern was designed by Karla Alexander and published by Cut Loose Press.

Image credits: Photos were taken at the 2022 Arizona Quilters Guild show.

Modern Quilt Month 2020 ! part 3

We're celebrating Modern Quilt Month at Q.I., and we couldn't be more excited about these quilts!  The characteristics of modern quilts may include the use of bold colors and prints, high contrast, graphic areas of solid color, improvisational piecing, minimalism, and negative space.  Here are a few modern art quilts we admire.

P.S.  For continuous listings of free quilt patterns, please check us out on Twitter !
For low-cost quilt magazines and vintage collectibles, check us out on E-Bay - we're Top Rated Sellers !)

Hide and Seek by Barb Tatera

Third place winner in the Modern Quilts category, Barb notes, "As you look at 'Hide and Seek', I hope your eyes travel around the quilting finding something interesting in both the fabric and the quilting!"

This bright white background is perfect for highlighting the periwinkle, lavender, and pastel lemon tones of the foreground objects.  In this close-up, you can see the line of the triangular flying geese pattern that provides an excellent geometric contrast to the colorful, eye-catching circles.

Barb quilted her creation herself, and did a spectacular job. This beautiful, perfectly medallion is one of our favorite quilting motifs.

"Olive You!" by Maggie Nichols, quilted by Jessica Jones

First place winner in the category of Pieced Small Quilts, Maggie writes, " The olive green fabric and the name of this quilt,  'Olive You!' is in memory of my mom, Julia Songer. She taught her nurses, while [a patient] at Mercy Hospice-Johnston, how to prepare her martini each night. Cheers!"

"Olive You" is based on the Blue Onion quilt pattern by Karla Alexander at Saginaw Street Quilts. This is a delightful study in monochromatics, with intriguing lighter-hued fabrics providing background contrast. 

Opposites Attract by Betty Hahn

First place winner in the category of Art/Abstract Quilts, Betty says, "Black, white; curved, straight; short, long; near and farm move to integrate to become whole." Betty's quilt is a fascinating study in contrasts.

Betty painted her original design on her iPad, had it printed on silk, and quilted it herself. 

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2020 Quilt Arizona show.

Modern Quilt Month 2020 ! part 1

We're celebrating Modern Quilt Month at Q.I., and we couldn't be more excited about these quilts!  The characteristics of modern quilts may include the use of bold colors and prints, high contrast, graphic areas of solid color, improvisational piecing, minimalism, and negative space.  Here are a few modern art quilts we admire.

P.S.  For continuous listings of free quilt patterns, please check us out on Twitter !
For low-cost quilt magazines and vintage collectibles, check us out on E-Bay - we're Top Rated Sellers !)

Bliss by Kathy McNeil (Washington)

Kathy's modern quilt was inspired by a quote from mythologist and writer Joseph Campbell. He said, "Follow your bliss, and the universe will open doors for you where there were only walls........Wherever you are- if you are following your bliss, you are enjoying that refreshment, that life within you, all the time."  Kathy explains that her bliss is quilting, and her husband's bliss is mountain climbing.

To us, this enthralling design looks like the photo of the planet Earth as seen from outer space: a big blue marble, lit by the sun. The ombre quality of the fabrics, as they move from deeper shades to lighter shades, gives a wonderful sense of depth and dimension.

Desert Oasis by Wendy Lopez (Arizona).  Quilted by Eunice Hill

This quilt pattern is In A Nutshell by Karla Alexander. Wendy notes, " The colors used reminded me of Sedona Arizona's red rocks and monsoon rains. Blocks were made by stacking five contrasting fabrics, then cutting freehand curves."

Wendy adds, "Different centers and rays were added for interest." Wendy's intriguing and distinctive quilt contains lots of texture and clearly defined edges, much as a rock formation might exhibit rugged texture. 

Antelope Canyon Mosaic by Kimberly Lacy (Colorado)

Third Place winner in the Abstract Quilts category at the 2020 Road to California show, Kimberly notes, "This quilt was inspired by the dramatic colors of the undulating sandstone formations in Antelope Canyon, Arizona." In addition to her website, Kimberly's work is also featured at Jacquard Products.

Antelope Canyon is an example of a "slot canyon", which is a long, narrow deep channel, with steep vertical walls that are eroded into sandstone or other sedimentary rock. Some canyons like this are only 3 feet across at the top, so the sun's rays enter at all different angles, then bounce off the walls and are reflected on opposite surfaces.  By quilting these small geometric patterns into the quilt top, Kimberly has succeeded in creating a luminous, glowing effect. She adds, " The colors of the canyon wall change at different times of day."

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2020 Road to California show (Antelope Canyon Mosaic, Bliss) and the 2020 Arizona Quilters Guild show (Desert Oasis).

Beating the Heat at the 2015 Arizona Quilt Show #4

It was 95°F for this year's Arizona Quilt show... but, as they say, it's a dry heat! It was the perfect occasion to enjoy an air-conditioned quilt show. Many of the quilts reflected the hot colors of the desert and exotic locales. Here is part 4 (and the finale) of our photos.

Painted Beauty by Barbara Janson

Barbara Janson created this portrait of a painted Surma (Ethiopia) woman by using fusible applique and acrylic paint.  The leafy headdress was made with 3-D applique, and various fibers were used to depict twigs. In the closeup photo, below, you can see the facial decoration, as well as the necklace and earrings made of real beads.

Painted Beauty was inspired by the photography of Hans Sylvester, whose recent work features the Surma and Mursi people of the Omo Valley in southern Ethiopia. A collection of Hans Sylvester's photographs, presenting the beauty of the tribes' ancient tradition of temporary body decoration, can be seen in the 2009 book, Natural Fashion: Tribal Decoration from Africa.

Cosmati Revisited by Linda Schoenfeld

This vibrant blue-and-orange quilt was based on 13th century stone floors created by the Cosmati family in Italy. Linda Schoenfeld's design was based on her own photos of the decorative mosaic floors. 

An impressive amount of planning must have gone into designing the pieced elements, including the stone-colored background blocks.

Not a City by Betty Hahn

We are fascinated by this digital quilt, which won First Place, Art/Painted or Digital Images.   It reminds us of a cityscape with lights reflected in water.  But wait... the image is Not a City!  Betty Hahn explains that image is "a photograph of [the] demise of my computer screen because of a grandson magnet event that “killed” it." 

Betty accented the fried computer screen with quilting - in orange thread - that reminds us of a computer chip.

Focus If You Can by Alicia Sterna

We really liked the composition and colors of this floral art quilt, which won Honorable Mention.  Three sunflowers in bright batik colors are set against block and white striped fabric, which creates illusions of movement.  The machine quilting was beautifully done.

Stateline Road by Nancy Hawkes

There's a sense of serenity to this row quilt, with a setting sun that tops pieced designs made with blue, green and violet batiks.  Nancy Hawkes says that most of this quilt was made from pieced sections that never made it into other quilts. It was beautifully hand quilted as shown below.

Nancy Hawkes is a member of the Mavericks Art Quilters and Cactus Patchers quilt groups.

Off the Wall by Carol Caplan

Carol Caplan says, "This guy lives on a wall in our backyard, although not this size!"  The background was the perfect setting for the dark lizard.  It was based on the Run for Color pattern by Karla Alexander.

Colore e Forma by Christy Schliesmann

Thirty-four different batiks, and many different colored threads, make an eye-popping design in this 12-point star quilt by Christy Schliesmann.  Christy says that the pattern was "a piecing challenge I couldn’t resist and fabrics I loved using."

Winner of Honorable Mention, the paper-pieced quilt was based on the Florigia quilt pattern by Cat Nix for Anthology Fabrics. The star points are constructed from French Braid wedges.  As of this writing, you can still download the free 23-page (!) pdf pattern from Anthology Fabrics.

Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration.