Welcome to the 2021 Pacific International Quilt Festival - part 2

Welcome to the Pacific International Quilt Festival! Unfortunately, due to time constraints, we could not view all the quilts this year! Therefore, we are showing a small sample of the quilts in this large show. Here is Part 2 of our photos.

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Free Wheeling, 66 x 66", by Claudia Clark Myers

Here is an outstanding quilt by Claudia Clark Myers. We love optical illusion quilts, and this one is expertly done, from its design and construction to its glorious use of color. Winner of a red ribbon in second place in the Innovative Quilts Category, Free Wheeling is a three-dimensional "fool the eye" depiction of static, moving and broken wheels. It is Claudia's original design, made using a combination of paper piecing and applique construction.

Claudia explains that Free Wheeling was made for, and accepted into the National Quilt Museum's traveling exhibit, New Quilts from an Old Favorite.  But then, that exhibit was cut short by the Covid-19 pandemic.  This masterpiece is machine pieced, machine appliqued, and longarm machine quilted.  You can see more of Claudia's work at her website, Claudia Clark Myers quilts.

To The Moon and Back by Sharlene Van Rooy, quilted by Holly Casey Quilts

This fun quilt was featured in the special New Quilts of Northern California exhibit at PIQF, and it really made us smile! It was a challenge quilt sponsored by Pinnacle Quilters of San Benito County (California). Sharlene says, "The quilt represents our love of camping and includes many memories from our travels.  The camper in the middle is placed within a compass that points north, south, east and west.

Each quadrant has highlights of Sharlene's travel and camping experiences. The couple is depicted above, all decked out with their binoculars, canteen, and hiking stick. Sharlene says, "The quilt represents our love of camping and includes many memories from our travels.  Now that we are retired, the compass indicates that we will be heading East."

Spring Harmony, 52 x 58", by Kathy McNeil

Spring Harmony was awareded a Blue Ribbon for First Place in the Innovative category at PIQF.  The quilt is a tribute to Japanese gardens, which are a feast for our eyes in the spring.  Kathy says, "Enter through the Torii gate, sit by the stream, waltz across the bridge and find a place to fall in love again."

Kathy McNeil is renowned for her landscape and portrait quilts with their exquisite, realistic detail. The red bridge and pagoda are precisely rendered in this piece.  Kathy has a way of using print fabrics to realistically depict landscape elements, such as the rocks, flowers, and trees in this landscape. You can see more of her beautiful work at her website, Kathy McNeil Art Quilts.

Blooms and Feathered Friends, 42 x 42", by Linda Bergmann, quilted by Lin Squires

A gorgeous rendering of a Sue Spargo design, Blooms and Feathered Friends is hand appliqued using Australian Wool. Each element stands out brilliantly against the dark background, creating an explosion of color. The lively birds and flowers are elegantly embroidered. 

Linda Bergmann says, "Applique is very relaxing but also very time consuming." We can only imagine the hours that went into this delightful creation with its numerous fabric and thread colors, stitch types, and French knots.  It won Honorable Mention at the very competitive PIQF show.

Ebb and Flow, 82 x 75", by Liat Rorer

This original design is by Liat Rorer, who used variations in hue and tone to depict movement, keeping your eye flowing from one section to the next. Liat says, "The recent world events have created a constant ebb and flow, moving from fear and depression to moments of love and hope... Ebb and Flow represents this by moving from dark to light and warm to cool in unexpected ways, while our eye tries to find a clear image."

The quilt was machine pieced and longarm machine quilted in meandering lines (see the closeup below.) You can find Liat Rorer's creations at Liat Quilting on Instagram.

Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2021 Pacific International Quilt Festival.

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 !
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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).

Highlights of the Road to California Quilt Show! part 4

Here are some more highlights from the Road to California Quilter's Conference and Showcase! The Road to California, as it is called, takes place in Ontario (Southern California), and features over 1,000 quilts by artists from all over the world. Around 40,000 people gather to see the show, take classes, and shop. Join us in admiring some of the stunning quilts from this year's show.

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

My Big Face by Cindy Stohn, Arizona

 Cindy explains, "As a study in color, I created this self-portrait inspired by the painting style of Chuck Close. I first created the image using paint chips on a 1/2 grid, then I transferred the concept onto fabric."

Cindy continues, "Free motion quilting using multiple layers of thread rings adhere the circles to the pieced square top. Over 120 colors of fabric and 56 colors of thread were used to create this illusion. No software, paint, or fusible products were used." We really admire the unique technique used to create this pixelated image.

Spring Harmony by Kathy McNeil, Washington

Kathy states,"[This quilt reflects] my love for Japanese gardens. The unusual border represents a Tori gate through which you enter the garden."

The artist's comments on the description card were very brief, but we think this fabulous project with beautiful colors and extensive quilting turned out to be gorgeous! Kathy is well known for her detailed and exquisite applique work, and her realistic fabric landscapes.

Plitvice by Elizabeth Eastmond, California. Quilted by Darby Myers

Elizabeth notes, " I was inspired by the array of color in Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia; the leafy greens and yellows of the meadows and trees, the jades, teals, and deep blues in the sixteen lakes and many waterfalls. This quilt is hand-pieced, using the English paper-piecing method."

Elizabeth continues, "While many rosettes are similar to the New Hexagon Millefoire Quilt by Katja Marek, I eventually took off on my own, creating and combining where I wanted." We admire Elizabeth's hand-piecing talent !

Urban Wheels by Inger Blood, California

Inger says, "On a fall walk in the forest, I liked the sun filtering through the trees onto the forest floor. Not wanting the composition to be literal, I applied filters to my photo to emphasize color and design."

Inger adds about her original design, "The composition was built from commercial batiks. [It was] free motion quilted on a sit-down machine. " We really like the fabric hues and the stained-glass effect of Inger's work.

Flower Power by Marilyn Badger  and the QUTI's , Utah. Quilted by Marilyn Badger and Linda Brown

Marilyn writes, "Our friendship group consisting of Linda Brown, Linda Finney, Teryl McKnight, Vickie Wardrop, Susan Recknagel, Sharon Freidman, Shirley Baptist, and Marilyn Badger are called QUTI, which stands for 'Quilting Under the Influence.' We decided to make a group quilt to enter in our local show, and Flower Power is the result."

Marilyn adds, " We spent many enjoyable hours together piecing, appliqueing, embellishing, and enjoying wine at the same time."  The original design for this fabulous work is by Claudia Clark Myers, who has often collaborated with Marilyn in the past.

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2020 Road to California show.

St. Patrick's Day and Celtic Quilts

Next week is St. Patrick's Day, which honors the patron saint who brought Christianity to Ireland in the 5th century A.D.  Here are some quilts we've admired featuring Celtic designs, symbols, and the color green!

Also 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 ! )   

Celtic Fox by Kathy McNeil (Washington, USA)

Celtic Fox won first place in the Art-Whimsical category at the 2017 Houston International Quilt Festival. The fox sits on a new moon, accompanied by an owl and hare.  Kathy's original design was created with hand applique and machine embroidery; cotton fabrics were used, along with velvet and commercial trims.

Kathy McNeil says "The Celtic Fox symbolizes a need to think quickly, to employ cleverness and wisdom.  Often described as cunning, that word comes from "kenning" meaning "to know and understand.  In Celtic mythology the fox takes on the role of a shape-shifter... associated with transformation and the need to take a new approach to our lives."

Medieval, 46 x 31", by Karen G. Fisher (Arizona)

Medieval was awarded first place in applique at the 2017 Quilt Arizona show, along with honorable mention at the Pacific International Quilt Festival.  Karen Fisher says, "I love medieval art, so I combined Celtic knots, dimensional pieced-work squares, and tile designs. 

This award-winning quilt is machine pieced, machine appliqued, and sewing machine quilted by Karen G. Fisher.

Emeralds and Lace by Karin Crawford (Utah)

Karin Crawford says, "Ireland is the Emerald Isle and I have loved traveling there and seeing all the green.  This Triple Irish Chain is every shade of green and white.  It makes me think of emeralds and lace."

Emeralds and Lace was quilted by Kim Peterson, whose outstanding work particularly shines in the border elements.

Celtic Dreams by Nanette Sturgill (Utah)

The large central panel of this stunning quilt is a piece of hand dyed cloth.  The central applique design is taken from a copper bowl uncovered in Italy dating from circa 200 BC; they are zoomorphic representations of birds.

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2017 Arizona Quilters Guild show (Medieval), the 2017 Springville (Utah) quilt show (Emeralds and Lace, Celtic Dreams) and the 2017 Houston International Quilt Festival (Celtic Fox).

Highlights of the 2016 AQS QuiltWeek / 2

The 2016 AQS QuiltWeek in Phoenix, Arizona was one of the best shows ever!  With hundreds of quilts and some very special exhibits by renowned quilters, it was an incredible show. Each of these quilts has a fascinating story... here are some of our favorites!
Please note: We're continually posting free patterns on Twitter ! Check us out @quiltinspire. 

Captain Kimo, 49 x 53", by Nancy Sterett Martin (Owensboro, Kentucky)

This was a stunning piece that started with a whole-cloth quilt.  Silk painter Karen Sistek, who is a friend of Nancy Sterett Martin, found a photo of a heron by photographer Kim Seng, whose website is CaptainKimo. With permission from Mr. Seng, Karen hand painted the heron on silk. After steam-setting the dyes, she mailed the project to Nancy to quilt.

With a magnifying glass, Karen studied the detail of the feathers in the original photograph and decided to "quilt it like she saw it." She then cut white silk bias strips and sewed them onto the belly of the Heron to make it look like feathers blowing in the wind.  We love the effect.

Captain Kimo has won numerous awards including Best Wall Quilt - Home Machine Quilting at the 2015 American Quilters Society show in Paducah, KY and Third Place at the show in Phoenix.  For more information and a gallery of work by Nancy Sterett Martin, please visit her website at Quilt Patches.

Reborn, 51 x 65", by Molly Hamilton-McNally (Tehachapi, California)

Reborn won a blue ribbon for Best Original Design.  Molly Hamilton-McNally was born in Beijing, worked as a financial consultant, and moved to the U.S. in 1989.  After her late husband passed away in 2000, and looking for a hobby to occupy her time and to help in the healing process, she began to study the art of quilting. About Reborn, Molly says, "At times we all face periods of darkness and depression, and must find our way back to the light.  Molly found her path to happiness through an unexpected passion, the art of quilting.  Just as the Phoenix rose again - this quilt represents her rebirth."  

Molly specializes in the hand-turned, reverse stained-glass appliqué, and her mastery of the technique shows up in this flower.  Some of the applique motifs were echoed in the quilting, as shown below.  For more information and photos of her work see her website, Quilt with Molly.

Carpathian Mountain Sunset, 46 x 41", by Cathy Geier (Waukesha, Wisconsin)

Winner of Honorable Mention - Wall Quilts - Landscape at this show, Carpathian Mountain Sunset was inspired by the beautiful colors in a photograph called Pink Azaleas in the Carpathian Mountains, by Ukrainian photographer Leonid Tit.  You can read the story and see the original photograph at Cathy Geier's blog.  She made this quilt with strips of fabric. The sun's rays were made with yellow and white tulle and stitched with yellow and light threads.

On her blog, Cathy Geier explains,"I like straight lines and straight rows in this kind of pieced landscape. The straight lines lend a formality and a linear quality to them making my landscapes look crisp and sharp. Because of this, I use a tear-away foundation to piece." Her process is described in her 2014 book, Lovely Landscape Quilts: Using Strings and Scraps to Piece and Applique Scenic Quilts.

High Country Colors, 60 x 43", by Kathy McNeil (Tulalip, Washington)

Hand appliqueing thousands of little scraps of fabric together, Kathy McNeil creates stunning quilts that look like paintings.  She says, "High Country Colors was inspired while hiking through the North Cascade Mountains to Lake Ann.  The colors in the high meadows during the fall are truly spectacular!" 

The close-up photos reveal some of the fabrics Kathy used to create the trees and mountains in this landscape.

You can see more of her original art quilts along with quilting supplies and patterns at Kathy's website: Kathy McNeil Quilts.

Summer Lake Sandhills, 60 x 40", by Joanne Baeth (Bonanza, Oregon)

Summer Lake Sandhills received the award for Best Wall Quilt.  Joanne says, "This quilt features a refuge scene in Summer Lake, Oregon... Huge flocks of sandhill cranes migrate through the area in the spring and fall." Joanne's award-winning quilts incorporate a variety of techniques including thread painting, fabric painting, and machine quilting, which creates incredible texture.  Here are some of the beautiful details....

The bushes along the waterway are depicted with loose embroidery-type stitches.  You can even see that the bushes are reflected in the water (below):

To show that this intricate detail was applied to a very small bird, here is a closeup with my friend's finger next to one of the cranes (not touching).

For more information about Joanne's work please visit Joanne Baeth Fiber Arts.

Fern Rising, 79 x 84", by Claudia Pfeil (Krefeld, Germany)

We've seen Claudia Pfeil's work on the web, but it is even more stunning in person. Fern Rising was awarded 1st place - Large Quilts - Longarm Machine Quilted.  It is resplendent with color, swirls, circles, quilting and thousands of Swarovski crystals.  By appliqueing black fabric alongside the "ferns", she created shadows and a three-dimensional appearance.   In addition to quilting, the edges of many of the shapes are couched with metallic yarn and/or thread.

Other shapes were created with translucent fabrics that reveal the patchwork background of the quilt.

In addition to creating her own works of art, Claudia owns a quiltshop in Krefeld, Germany, runs an APQS Showroom, and teaches longarm quilting worldwide.  You can find more information about her projects and teaching schedule at her page on Facebook.


Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration.