Welcome to the 2014 River City Quilters' Guild Show: Day 2

The River City Quilters Guild is a prominent guild established in 1977 in Sacramento, the capital city of the state of California. We really enjoyed seeing the over 200 quilts in this year's show, and we'd like to share some of the highlights with you in these posts.

View of Arles With Irises, 80 x 65”, made and quilted by The Fab 5 Group (Carole Pirruccello, Cathy Brorby, Phyllis McCalla, Jan Bawart and Jan Soules.) First Place, Group Quilt-Large

These five panels represent five different views of the flowers in the fields of Arles, France. The artists say about themselves, " The Fab 5 art group took on the daunting task of trying to render, artistically, in fabric, [Impressionist painting] Vincent Van Gogh's  "View of Arles With Irises". Each artist worked independently on her slice [of the total panel shown here]. The resulting interplay of colors, techniques, and embellishments convey a "joie de vivre" ( a joy of life) to this amazing landscape.

Closeup photo, View of Arles with Irises by The Fab 5 Group

An amazing sense of movement is created here with with the circular quilting pattern, and the fabric appliqued in three dimensional rounded pieces. You can almost feel the wind blowing through the trees.

Closeup photo, View of Arles with Irises

These lovely three dimensional origami flowers in shades of purple remind us of little Dutch windmills. Tiny patchwork pieces provide a  dappled sunlight effect to the field behind the blossoms.  We're posting  more closeup photos of "View of Arles" at Quilt Inspiration on Pinterest.

Lava Lamp, 97 x 91.5”, made by Laurel Anderson, quilted by Lin Squires. 2nd place, 2-person quilt - Pieced and Applique

This quilt was inspired by designs of the 1960's and the Shimmer fabric line from Northcott. The fabric colors move from dark to light in 9 shades with shimmers of gold or silver.

close up, Lava Lamp by Laurel Anderson

The ovals are machine appliqued and all the other curves are pieced. A pattern is available at Laurel Anderson's website, Whisper Color.

Twilight Star of Indonesia, 37 x 37”, made and quilted by Susan Kooiman

Susan notes, "I chose this pattern to challenge myself and my paper piecing skills. It was the perfect opportunity to use my beloved batiks."  We love the vibrant split complementary color scheme of orange, red, and gold, combined with a deep blue violet. The circular flying geese border provides an especially innovative and creative effect. This quilt was based on a pattern by Judy Mathieson.

Close up, Twilight Star of Indonesia by Susan Kooiman

In the center of the pastel chartreuse star is a pretty gold brooch with a gleaming purple jewel. Circular gold stitching around the purple background ties the components of this center medallion all together.

Cats Rule, 65 x 80”, made by Kathy Mack, quilted by Shannon Freeman

We love cat quilts, and this one is a beauty!  This quilt was completed by Kathy Mack as a block-of-the-month quilt taught by Anelie Belden, using the Folk Art Cats design by John Simpkins for The Stitchin' Post.  Kathy says: “This is my first attempt at needle-turn applique.” The quilt won Honorable Mention for a Two-Person Pieced and Applique quilt. Each of the cats has button eyes and other embellishments. We couldn't resist taking lots of close-up photos!

Close up photos, Cats Rule by Kathy Mack

The cat jumped over the moon...

This cat has button eyes, embroidered whiskers, and an inscrutable expression...

Here is a cat with a beach ball and a daisy collar:

This cat is totally happy with his mouse... check out the halo over his head!

The stylized bushes are decorated with buttons shaped as gears...

Here is a sunny yellow cat...

This cat is chasing a dragonfly:

"Santa Claws" is comin' to town on his little green cat feet that look as if he is walking on stilts. He look all ready for Christmas Eve with his jaunty hat and belt with star round his belly.

 

Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration.

Welcome to the 2014 River City Quilters' Guild Show !

The River City Quilters Guild is a prominent guild established in 1977 and based in Sacramento, the capital city of the state of California. We really enjoyed seeing the over 200 quilts in this year's show, and we'd like to share some of the highlights with you in the next few posts.

Geraniums,  32 x 44", by Laurel Anderson

Laurel Anderson is an award winning textile artist and an accomplished appliqué quilt designer.  This incredibly realistic still-life was one of the much-admired quilts at the show.  Second place winner for Appliqued Large Quilt, Laurel writes,  "The quilt Geraniums was created with a variety of fabrics from Northcott. Their new ombre fabrics comprise the pot and leaves." 

Close up, Geraniums by Laurel Anderson

Laurel continues, "The petals are shaped with Terial Magic and dried over marbles."  When drying fabric by placing it over marbles, or other rounded objects, the fabric then retains its rounded shape when it is completely dry. These petals are sewn together in large groups which gives a lush, full, appearance to the plant. Note that Laurel has cleverly appliquéd a shadow at the base of the plant to enhance the realistic effect of this image.

Close-up, Geraniums by Laurel Anderson

The doily was cut out of fused fabrics with with a Silhouette Cameo. Laurel says, "It is fun to create wonderful things with my new toys." We especially enjoyed Laurel's elegant quilting of her gorgeous creation. You can purchase a pattern for this quilt, called Geraniums in Copper Bowl, at Whisper Color.  The alternative colorway is called Geraniums in Blue.

Mediterranean Sunset,  60 x 83", by Phyllis McCalla, quilted by Laura Jansen

Phyllis McCalla was this year's featured artist at the the River City Quilters' Guild show. Prior to Phyllis' professional quilting life she worked for the University of California, Davis for thirty-four years.  She retired in 2004 as a Program Manager for the Cancer Research Program. Phyllis began teaching quilting classes in 2006.  She is a member of the Pins and Needles Art Quilting group.

Mediterranean Sunset by Phyllis McCalla

Phyllis says, "Completed in September 2011, more than 24 fabrics were selected to make this bright quilt. The block is a Sylvia Einstein design." Longarm quilt artist Laura Jansen has done a magnificent job of quilting feathers and leaves into this stunning display of tropical color.

Hawaii in Bloom, 66,5 x 78, by Cathy Brorby, quilted by Annette Blandin

First place winner for Two Person Applique Quilts, Cathy Brorby says, "I designed this quilt to give myself a portable applique project. Hawaiian applique and the background fabric were both important sources of inspiration."

Close up , Hawaii in Bloom by Cathy Brorby

Here you can see an example of Kathy's lovely needle-turn applique. She has done a brilliant job of selecting fabrics with a split complementary color scheme of greens, blues, and oranges.

Multi-Fassetted Starburst,  44 x 44", by Peggy Sahmaunt

This fantastic quilt was made entirely with Kaffe Fassett fabrics.  Peggy says, "Each point is the apex of a triangle, first attached by basting, then by a bead."  As shown in the closeup photo below, only the points of these raw edge triangles are sewn down.

Close up, Multi-Fassetted Starburst by Peggy Sahmaunt

This starburst pattern, with its radiating circles of triangle points, reminded us of the pine burr block from the American South, even though the construction is very different.

Kimonos in Paris, Or Is That Pairs? size 70 x 67",  by Phyllis Leavitt McCalla, quilted by Cheryl Thompson

Phyllis notes, "After enlarging an 8 inch kimono to VERY LARGE, who could resist embellishing with origami flowers?" These two delicately colored kimonos are suspended in a garden of wildflowers, in a classic Japanese design which is simple, yet elegant.

Close up, Kimonos in Paris by Phyllis Leavitt McCalla

We loved the background fabric for this quilt, which reminded us of a gentle snowfall of early winter. Phyllis has done a wonderful job experimenting with different fabric folds to create a variety of fun origami three-dimensional flowers.

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration.

Life is like a cup of tea

"A woman is like a tea bag. You never know how strong she is until she gets into hot water." ~ Eleanor Roosevelt
Teapots make delightful collectibles. Plus, teapot quilts remind us of the joys of tea parties, tea ceremonies, and tea for two. We've been collecting tea-themed quilts and have been dying to share them with you. As they say, life is like a cup of tea... it's better when shared with friends!

China, 50 x 50, by Laurel Anderson, at Whisper Color


The "China" quilt by Laurel Anderson displays a complete tea set in Delft blues, surrounding a blue floral platter. Laurel explains that the quilt was made in honor of her grandmother, Charlotte, who loved beautiful things. The quilt is made on paper foundations except for the hand appliqued plate and platter.

TeaTime Floral III, by Holly Holderman, at LakeHouse Dry Goods


TeaTime Floral III is one of Holly Holderman's glorious designs; it has teacups in pale blue or ivory, hydrangeas, roses, and a songbird with speckled egg. The pattern for the Star Maker quilt, above, can be downloaded at the LakeHouse project page.

Cupsey Turvey, 45 x 56, by Karen Brow, at Java House Quilts




Can a quilt be both beautiful and whimsical, at the same time? If the quilt is "Cupsey Turvey", then the answer is 'yes'.  All fourteen cups are dancing, sliding and tumbling around the quilt, and some are even upside down! The cups are flanked by tossed spoons and the occasional flying teabag. "Cupsey Turvey" reminds us of this proverb: "A wise husband will buy his wife fine china, so she won't trust him to wash the dishes."

Tea With The Empress, 40 x 40, by the owners and staff of Always Quilting


We love "Tea with the Empress", above, which features 16 shapely teapots from Kay Mackenzie's bestselling and definitive book, Teapots 2 to Applique. The teapots are rendered in peacock feathers, lotus flowers and Japanese maple leaves in jewel tones of teal, purple, and garnet.  You can see the original quilt and read about the teapots at Kay Mackenzie's website, here.

Corner Tea Shop, 32.5 x 28.5, by Connie Cerdena at Jenny Creek Designs



Connie Cerdena's classic and classy "High Tea" designs are inspired by her own collection of teapots; she began collecting at age 15. "Corner Tea Shop", above, replicates the cheery windows of an English tea shop, with its chintzware-like background and checkered tablecloth... notice the steam rising from the spout of the teapot! For more inspiration, see High Tea, Sweet Violet Tea, and Tea with the Earl. All of the patterns are available at Jenny Creek Designs.

Teapots, as seen in Royal Dutch Tea, by Liz Schwartz and Stephen Seifert at eQuilt Patterns



If applique is not your cup of tea... (get it?) ...then you'll love this versatile collection of six different teapots designed by Liz Schwartz and Stephen Seifert. Use one, or mix and match them to create a teapot quilt with your own fabric stash.

Full Bloom Collection, and Garden Tea Party quilt, by Bari J™


We're smitten with the "Garden Tea Party" quilt, above, which has a border decorated with collaged teapots and flowers from Bari J's earlier fabric line.  The pattern is free at Bari J Online.

Dancin' Teapots II quilt by Virginia Anderson for In The Beginning Fabrics



"Dancin' Teapots II", above, is one of our all-time favorite teapot quilts. It won a blue ribbon in the small wall quilts category at the 2006 AQS show.  For a downloadable foundation piecing pattern, click here. Dancin' Teapots II has inspired many quilters... see the brightly colored Funky Teapot quilt with its piano keys border.

Oriental Teapot, 15 x 20, by Verona Flint and Kay Mackenzie; and Delicious Tea, 24 x 10, by Kay Mackenzie


"Oriental Teapot" reminds us of a Japanese tea house, with its hand-appliqued batik teapot, Asian-inspired fabric and decorative quilting stitches. To read about the quilt on Kay's site, click here and scroll down the page.


"Delicious Tea" features adorable apple teapots surrounded by apple fabric; it can be seen in Kay's quilt gallery. The teapots are based on the 2008 book, Teapots 2 to Applique. Kay also maintains a comprehensive site called All About Applique which is loaded with tips and tutorials.

Little Teapots by The Cloth Shop



The whimsical Little Teapots quilt, above, was an original Cloth Shop design that uses white and black fabrics for the background and lattice, and wonderful hand dyed Bali Batiks for the appliques. Teapots are shaped like a beehive, a house, and a strawberry, among others, and the teapots are surrounded by stacked teacups and little cupcakes !  A wool applique kit may be found at Out Of Hand.

Image credits and links: Quilt images are shown with the kind permission of the artists.