Quilts Celebrating Creativity ! part 4

Here is the 4th and FINAL part of our photos from the Santa Clara Valley Quilt Association 2019 show! This year's show, titled Quilts Celebrating Creativity,  featured some outstanding works by talented quilters. We hope you enjoy these quilts as much as we did.

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

Modern Fancy Forest by Patti Joki

Patti notes, "Happy to have this completed in just a little over a year. It was fun to see how the animals came together, and each one is unique. The scrappy border [binding] was a 'must'!

Close-up, Modern Fancy Forest

This fun, pieced pattern by Elizabeth Hartman is very imaginative and includes all sorts of forest animals.

Greetings from California by Geri Patterson-Kutra

Geri explains, "This quilt was made to be sent to a fellow quilter in Australia as part of the "Quilts Across the Pacific" in 2019. My intention was to make a quilt that reflects the beautiful mountains of California that greet me every morning."

Close-up, Greetings From California

This contemporary,  intriguing design reminds us of an urban landscape quilt, with the rolling hills of California's Coast Range rising above the buildings of the city. Geri quilted this work herself and did a wonderful job of selecting various pattern motifs.

Heart Throb by Sue Frame

Sue writes, "The idea for this quilt came from a non-attributed photo in the "Los Altos Town Crier" [publication]. I made many changes, designed the background and piecing, selected the fabrics, and had fun with the quilting!"

Sue adds, "The cardiogram quilting [pattern] in the border stripe was adapted from a suggestion by classmates in a 'How Should I Quilt This?" class in Sandy, Utah. Sue's work is such an adorable fun-loving look at our friends in the animal kingdom.

A Burst of Spring by Rochelle Matthews

Rochelle states, "This pattern called for pink and orange, which grabbed my attention. Plenty of applique to satisfy me, and the hunt for giant rick-rack to intrigue me."

Rochelle attributes the pattern to Bunny Hill Designs, which produces whimsical patterns with very cheerful motifs. In this close-up, you can see some of the giant "happy flowers" energetically blooming forth from their spring baskets.

Floral Peek-a-Boo by Susan Okada

 Susan says, "I have been quilting for some time now, but over the past few years, I began to explore methods other than the traditional blocks. When I saw the samples of Louisa Smith's quilts, with the backgrounds pieced with gentle curves peeking through a partial foreground, they spoke to me. I had found a stepping stone to move outside the box."

Close-up, Floral Peek-a-Boo

 Susan's quilt was made in conjunction with a "Double Vision" workshop presented by designer Louisa Smith, who teaches innovative layering, where squares and rectangles can be turned into circles and ovals with no curved piecing. The vibrantly colored floral fabric and the circular foreground shapes give the illusion of looking through a round window into an enchanted, secret garden.

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration.

Quilts Celebrating Creativity ! part 3

Here are more quilts from the Santa Clara Valley Quilt Association 2019 show! The Santa Clara Valley lies at the southern end of San Francisco Bay in Northern California. This year's show, titled Quilts Celebrating Creativity,  featured some outstanding works by talented quilters. Here are some of our favorites!

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

Headed Outback, 46 x 42", by Randa Mulford

The colors and patterns drew us to this outstanding quilt.  Featured quilter Randa Mulford says, "Louisa Smith’s Double Vision workshop inspired me to dip into my sizable stash of Australian aboriginal fabrics. Once I got started, I just had to keep cutting out and adding more motifs from these fabrics as appliques until I had a whole parade of down-under creatures headed somewhere - to the Outback?"

Layers of colorful ovals create a sense of three dimensions in this contemporary art quilt. For more information on "Double Vision" quilts, on which this design was based, please see Louisa Smith's workshop page.

Flowers for Our Lady of Guadalupe, 27 x 27", by Carole Donovan

Carole Donovan says, “Freddy Moran taught a class using flowers cut out from fabric. We made a black and white background and glued the cutout flowers on the fabric to make a design."

Carole continues, "I wanted to make this quilt for special friends who celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. I liked my first try so much that I had to keep it for myself and made a similar design just for them.”
We love the broderie perse (collage) style of this original design!  You can see the raw edge flowers in the closeup photo, below.

Afternoon in Paradise, 24 x 33", by Randa Mulford

This wonderful landscape quilt was based on a photo Randa Mulford took during an afternoon visit to Paradise Meadow at Mount Rainier National Park. It appears to be framed, but the "frame" is actually a border made with wood-grain fabric! The quilt was begun in a workshop taught by Lenore Crawford. Randa says, "Recreating the scene with its late afternoon sunlight and flowing stream out of fused fabrics was a new challenge for me, but I like how it came out."

Marilyn's Home, 18 x 24", by Karel Peer

The Santa Clara Valley Quilt Association is participating in an exchange program known as "Quilts Across the Pacific", where each member has a sister quilter in Australia with whom to share designs, patterns, and quilt ideas. Karel Peer says, “This quilt, made for my Australian partner Marilyn Urane, is a quilted rendering of her home in Newscastle, NSW. [It was made with] commercial and hand painted fabrics."

There is a lot a detail in this little quilt; the flowers in this closeup photo were created with small buttons, and the windows and doors were outlined with embroidery floss.  The roof was made with ruched fabric.

Sufficiency, 46 x 37", by Therese May

This large, expressive fish was created by Therese May, who was a featured quilter at this year's show. She says, “This fish represents the potential for more and more abundance. [The] drawing [was] printed onto fabric and machine quilted.”

On her website, Therese May states, "I make the quilts that feel good to me and that convey what I have in my heart. I’m an artist, a painter and a quilter. I like to think in pictures and to share that vision in my art." For more of her drawings, which serve as inspiration for art quilts, please see Therese May's website.

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2019 Santa Clara Valley Quilt Association.

Beating the Heat at the 2015 Arizona Quilt Show #2

It was 95°F for this year's Arizona Quilt show... but, as they say, it's a dry heat! Moreover, it was the perfect occasion to enjoy an air-conditioned quilt show. This is our 5th year of attendance, and we always look forward to seeing the variety and creativity displayed by members of the Arizona Quilters' Guild. Let's beat the heat with a look at this year's fantastic quilts... here is part 2 of our virtual show!

Arizona Grand by Wanda Seale 

We really enjoyed this stunning landscape quilt by Wanda Seale.  Although the scene has a photo-realistic appearance, it is not a digital quilt.  Wanda says, "Capturing the iconic splendor of our favorite landmark, I appliqued specific fabrics to showcase the depth and colors of the Canyon."

Georgetown Wedding, 74 x 75", by Ann L. Petersen

Award-winning quilter Ann Petersen has created another stunning quilt in colors that remind us of chocolate and cotton candy.  Ann's original design was based on the traditional Double Wedding Ring pattern, combined with Georgetown Circles.  At the 2015 show the quilt won First Place - Mixed Technique Large.

This is a close-up photo of the Georgetown Circles with appliqued centers. (For more information on the traditional Georgetown Circle block, see the post by Martha Dellasega Gray.) It's no surprise that Georgetown Wedding also won the award for Exemplary Machine Quilting – Stationary. At the 2014 Houston International Quilt Festival it won a blue ribbon in the Innovative Pieced category.

 Midnight Dahlia by Elaine Putnam, quilted by Gina Perkes

There was a spotlight shining on the corner of this quilt, but we tried our best with this photo.  This Midnight Dahlia (a pieced Dahlia on a black background)  won First Place, Pieced – Medium.  The quilting, by Gina Perkes, was awarded a special ribbon for  Exemplary Machine Quilting (Track Mounted).   Here is a photo of the pastel center of the Dahlia:

Midnight Dahlia was inspired by Marti Michell’s Giant Dahlia templates and Sharon Schamber’s Piece-lique method. You might be interested to know that Sharon's daughter, Cristy, has a tutorial on the Piece-lique technique at her website, Sew Much Like Mom.  We'll be posting more close-up photos on our Exemplary Quilting Board on Pinterest.

Brimill - Icelandic Horse by Georgia Thorne

Georgia Thorne won a Judge's Recognition award for her artistic depiction of an Icelandic horse.  She says, "Inspired by a Threadplayers (fiber art group) challenge to design a fiber art piece using Zentangle details, I chose an Icelandic horse with his flowing mane and tail."  The background fabric is a silver-and-white diamond print; Georgia echoed the pattern with diamond-shaped shadows.

Each section of the horse had a different Zentangle design rendered in machine embroidery and applique.

Out of Egypt by Florence A. Evans

Out of Egypt won 2nd place in the Pieced – Large quilt category. It was made of Egyptian-themed fabrics and strip-pieced panels, inspired by a class on Strips and Curves taught by Louisa Smith.   This is such a successful design; we loved the way in which Florence used the bright blue to provide a focal point.

close up, Out of Egypt by Florence A. Evans

In the close-up photo you can see some of the fun Egyptian-themed fabrics in this quilt, including silhouetted camels at sunset (upper right).

In Memoriam by Maggie Hagen, quilted by Pamela Dransfeldt

We enjoyed this intricate applique quilt, which features patterns from the 1858 Bird of Paradise quilt top in the American Folk Art Museum.  Some of the blocks and borders are Maggie's own design. The Bird of Paradise block patterns can be found in A Bountiful Life: An Adaptation of the Bird of Paradise Quilt by the late Karen Mowery.

There is a lot of detail in this quilt: the edges of some flowers and leaves were embellished with French knots.  Pamela Dransfeldt used echo quilting around the flowers, and created veins in the leaves.

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration.  We appreciate the assistance of Cathy Tognoni !

Quilt Inspiration classics: Aquarium quilts and seascapes

This week, we're going positively aquatic! Today's quilts will make you feel that you can dive right in to the underwater scenery. The quilts we're showing include fish, turtles, and other sea-dwelling creatures, in settings that evoke the color and movement of the sea. What a way to keep (your) cool !

Koi, 40 x 68 (or miniature Koi, 11 x 13), by Lydia Russell Albers and Carol Morrissey, at O Carol Designs

Carol Morrissey is renowned for her vibrant, artistic designs. We love "Koi", above, by Lydia Russell Albers and Carol Morrissey, with its orange and red fish cavorting among stylized blue waves. The miniature version (11 x 13) features a single koi, which would make a beautiful motif within an Asian-inspired quilt.   Another stunning aquatic quilt is "Follow Me", below, which measures 40" x 50". The giant green sea turtles are so realistic...the turtle in the foreground appears to be swimming right towards us!

For more aquatic designs by Carol Morrissey, check out Swim Party,  Clown School (with a school of clownfish, of course), and Standing Room Only, to mention just a few ... we're particularly fond of  The Toad ( formerly known as Prince) (!)  Her patterns can be found on the patterns page at O Carol Designs. 

Seascape I and Seascape II,  by Marjan Kluepfel

Marjan Kluepfel is a fabric artist whose work has been shown in galleries around the world.  The inspiration for her magnificent seascape quilts comes from her scuba diving trips on reefs around the Hawaiian islands, and Australia. Seascape I is in a private collection, but Marjan offers a pattern for the dreamy Seascape II, which is shown above. The brightly colored hand-dyed fabric, which blends from blue-green up to yellow,  creates the impression of the sun penetrating the ocean depths; and the textural embellishments really bring the reef to life.   Marjan teaches some great workshops, including one devoted just to seascapes.  Her work can be viewed in her online galleries.

Blue Lagoon, 41 x 41, and Sandhill Cranes, 67 x 63, by Louisa L. Smith, at Quilt Escapes LLC

Louisa L. Smith is a fabric artist, designer, and teacher, whose work has been described as "painting with fabric".  The radiant Blue Lagoon is an example of a "creative nine-patch" quilt, while Sandhill Cranes uses a special curved diamond template; these are just two of the projects in the One Patch Plus book by Louisa L. Smith and Lisa Harris. In these quilts, a few dramatic elements are appliqued on top of pieced backgrounds that evoke the sea and sky. As in all of Louisa L. Smith's art quilts, the colors and values of the fabrics are expertly blended to create a sense of depth and movement (witness the beautiful blue Cycloid II).  Also check out her classes and lectures, which include "The Wonderful Art of Stripping"!

Beach Walk, 59 x 73,  including Whale Watch, by McKenna Ryan, at Pine Needles

Beach Walk has become a seascape classic; we especially like the Water Ballet (jellyfish) and the Whale Watch block, shown above...okay, we like 'em all.   Her other aquatic series include Sea Breeze, which includes a cute pufferfish (Koo Koo Puff); and her newest design, Something Fishy.  And here is something fun about the Pine Needles site:  you can send a free electronic postcard of any quilt block to a friend (how cool is that?)  Check it out by clicking on the exquisite LOVE quilt block (or if you happen to know someone who is snooty, consider sending The Snooty Sisters !

Aquarium Art Quilts: For even more inspiration,  take a quick peek at a few quilts by these outstanding quilters (you'll be glad you did): Janice Potter's Lion of the Sea;  Jean Baardsen's Raffle Reef and aquarium quilts;  Mary Butler's  Into the Deep;   Betty Busby's aquarium quilts at bbusbyarts;  Debra Harry's aquarium and mermaid quilts; and Stacy West's underwater gallery.

Fish samplers:Hmmm, a fish sampler sounds like something on a sushi menu (sashimi, anyone?) But of course we're talking about fish sampler quilts. See the Under The Sea series by Barbara Bieraugel, who lives in Hawaii (lucky devil). Now someone just has to design a sushi sampler quilt so we know what to order at the sushi bar!

Image credits and links: Images are shown with the generous permission of the artists.  This article was first published at Quilt Inspiration on August 9, 2010.

Aquarium quilts and seascapes

This week, we're going positively aquatic! Today's quilts will make you feel that you can dive right in to the underwater scenery. The quilts we're showing include fish, turtles, and other sea-dwelling creatures, in settings that evoke the color and movement of the sea. Plus, we're providing all the links to patterns which you can use to create your own underwater fantasy. What a way to keep (your) cool ! (note: at the bottom of the post there are two quiz questions... if you know either of the answers, please leave a comment.)

Koi, 40 x 68 (or miniature Koi, 11 x 13), by Lydia Russell Albers and Carol Morrissey, at O Carol Designs

Carol Morrissey is renowned for her vibrant, artistic designs. We love the classic "Koi", above, by Lydia Russell Albers and Carol Morrissey, with its orange and red fish cavorting among stylized blue waves. The miniature version (11 x 13) features a single koi, which would make a beautiful motif within an Asian-inspired quilt.   Another stunning aquatic quilt is "Follow Me", below, which measures 40" x 50". The giant green sea turtles are so realistic...the turtle in the foreground appears to be swimming right towards us!

For more fabulous aquatic designs by Carol Morrissey, check out Swim Party,  Clown School (with a school of clownfish, of course), and Standing Room Only, to mention just a few ... we're particularly fond of  The Toad ( formerly known as Prince) (!)  This spring we also featured some of Carol's glorious flower quilts in an article called In Full Bloom... take a peek at that article to see her luscious orange poppies. The patterns can all be found on the patterns page at O Carol Designs. 

Seascape I and Seascape II,  by Marjan Kluepfel

Marjan Kluepfel is a fabric artist whose work has been shown in galleries around the world.  The inspiration for her magnificent seascape quilts comes from her scuba diving trips on reefs around the Hawaiian islands, and Australia. Seascape I is in a private collection, but Marjan offers a pattern for the dreamy Seascape II, which is shown above. The brightly colored hand-dyed fabric, which blends from blue-green up to yellow,  creates the impression of the sun penetrating the ocean depths; and the textural embellishments really bring the reef to life.   Marjan teaches some wonderful workshops, including a workshop devoted just to seascapes!  Her work can be viewed in her online galleries where you can feast your eyes on all of her extraordinary art quilts.  

Blue Lagoon, 41 x 41, and Sandhill Cranes, 67 x 63, by Louisa L. Smith, at Quilt Escapes LLC

Louisa L. Smith is a fabric artist, designer, and teacher, whose innovative work has been described as "painting with fabric".  The radiant Blue Lagoon is an example of a "creative nine-patch" quilt, while Sandhill Cranes uses a special curved diamond template; these are just two of the projects in the One Patch Plus book by Louisa L. Smith and Lisa Harris. In these gorgeous quilts, a few dramatic elements are appliqued on top of pieced backgrounds that evoke the sea and sky. As in all of Louisa L. Smith's art quilts, the colors and values of the fabrics are expertly blended to create a sense of depth and movement (witness the beautiful blue Cycloid II).  If you would like to learn more, check out her classes and lectures, which include such subjects as "The Wonderful Art of Stripping"!

Beach Walk, 59 x 73,  including Whale Watch, by McKenna Ryan, at Pine Needles

NEW!  Beach Walk is McKenna Ryan's brand new series quilt, and we're so pleased to have the opportunity to showcase this design. We especially like the Water Ballet (jellyfish) and the Whale Watch block, shown above...okay, we like 'em all.  The kits for Beach Walk will be released this month, and you can get all the details at the Pine Needles website - the home of McKenna Ryan Designs.  Another delightful aquatic series by McKenna Ryan is Sea Breeze, which includes a cute pufferfish (Koo Koo Puff) and other denizens of the deep.  And here is something fun about the Pine Needles site:  you can send a free electronic postcard of any quilt block to a friend (how cool is that?)  Check it out by clicking on any of the above links, or click on the exquisite LOVE quilt block (it's on our sidebar this week).  (p.s. If you happen to know someone who is snooty, you might want to send her The Snooty Sisters e-card... be sure to type in "just kidding" in the message line!)

Quiz Question 1:  In quilting, what is a "sushi roll"?

Quiz Question 2: What, or who, is a "surf quilter"?

If you know the answers to either of our quiz questions, leave us a comment below, and stay tuned... the correct answers will be posted later this week!

Image credits and links:  Images are shown with the generous permission of the artists.