Best of the Pacific International Quilt Festival 2019 (day 1)

Held annually in Santa Clara, California, the Pacific International Quilt Festival is the largest quilt show on the west coast. It features a wonderful variety of beautiful quilts! Here are some of the highlights of the festival. Let us know which ones are your favorites!

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For Such A Time As This, 68 x 70, by Kathy Wylie, Canada

Top prize winner, the Best of Show award, Kathy says, "For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven...[In this quilt], time is portrayed by clock numbers, monthly birth flowers and birthstones, leaves changing color with the seasons, moon phases, and the shapes of an hourglass and infinity."

In this close-up, you can see the pretty pale yellow daffodils, the birth flower for the month of March. Kathy's stunning original design is hand-stitched with turned-edge applique and domestic machine quilting.

Family Reunion, 81 x 81, by Barbara McCraw, Texas

Top award winner, Best of World, for the World of Beauty quilt exhibition, Barbara explains, "I designed my quilt after spending several years studying on Ancestry.com. I found my maternal great-grandparents and soon after that, I woke with the vision of the completed design, with them featured in the center." Barbara has produced a breathtaking quilt, well deserving of the Best of World award.

This block is labeled, "In memory of my Ancestors", as they are seen working in the cotton fields. Barbara's original design is hand-appliqued, machine pieced, and sewing machine quilted.

Here are Barbara's maternal grandparents, wed in 1904. They are lovingly encircled by a Baltimore-album style wreath, adorned with three-dimensional flowers and embellished with delicate beads.

Barbara adds, "When [this center block] was done, I decided to design 12 blocks encircling the center, representing my life, my loves, and my dear family. It took nearly 3 years to complete."  Barbara has published a book that tells the story of this momentous work: My Family Reunion Quilt : A Sentimental Journey in Applique.

We Three I'iwi, 60 x 48, by Phyllis Cullen, Hawaii

Phyllis notes, "It is my pleasure to present four of my favorite techniques to create this tribute to one of Hawaii's native birds." For her vibrantly hued original design, Phyllis won the blue ribbon for Best Use of Color in the Innovative Quilts category.

Phyllis continues, " [The techniques here are] free fabric collaged birds, painted branches, sun printed background, machine appliqued, and free motion quilted on the longarm. There is no greater pleasure than painting with fabric and thread."

Trip Around the World II, 38 x 39, by Inger Blood, California

Blue-ribbon winner of the Janome Best Sewing Machine Workmanship Award in the Wall Quilts, category, Inger remarks, "This quilt was inspired by an antique quilt from the early 1900s. Dupioni Silk was used to create the center pattern. Borders were quilted using ruler to extend the center design into the borders. "

These tiny little pieces in the center of the quilt, are less than one-half inch square! Inger machine- pieced them with amazing accuracy. For the border pattern, Inger adds, "Design created with the ruler work was filled with free motion quilting on a domestic sewing machine."

Cat Groove, 44 x 55, by Sue de Vanny, Australia

Second place winner in the Modern Quilts category, Sue writes, "The inspiration for Cat Groove is from my own drawings, 'Art Deco/Retro'. Improvident pieced design inspired by artist Wassily Kandinsky, feline salt and pepper shakers of the 60's/70's, and the music 'Something for Cat' from the Breakfast At Tiffany's soundtrack."

Here's the happy face of a most content kitty! Sue's fun, whimsical original design is machine pieced, machine appliqued, and sewing machine quilted.

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2019 Pacific International Quilt Festival.

Best of the 2014 Pacific International Quilt Festival - Day 3

The Pacific International Quilt Festival, known as PIQF, is the biggest quilt show on the west coast of the United States. In this series, we're displaying some of the fabulous, innovative, and just plain fun quilts we saw there.  This year's theme is  "The Whole Nine Yards", meaning "to show maximum effort in work or play."  Here is Part 3 of our photos!

Discovery by Phyllis Cullen, Hawaii

As Phyllis mentions on her website, this quilt is a portrait of her granddaughters, Violet and Zephyr. Phyllis says, "Everything goes into my work - the design, dozens of fabrics, dozens of threads, and all my love for my grandchildren and their wonder at the world around us."

Detail, Discovery by Phyllis Cullen

Phyllis' original design is machine appliqued and longarm quilted. The warm colors of the child's hair and hibiscus flower contrast nicely with her shaded and tinted violet dress.

From Mountains to Desert by Carolyn Villars , California

Carolyn notes, "This view of the San Gabriel mountains from among Joshua Trees on the desert floor demanded attention, so I  fractured and enlarged the scene to surround the original view. Fabric was selected as for colors in a painting and fused on [the background]. "

Detail, From Mountains to Desert by Carolyn Villars

Carolyn's original design is machine appliqued and machine quilted. We enjoyed this scene of the springtime sky juxtaposed against the blooming cactus flowers and the rugged, snow-capped mountains.

Dinghy by Shelly Burge, Nebraska

Shelly notes of her original design in vibrant hues, "When creating this quilt, I went the whole nine yards with color. I decided not to use realistic colors in this pictorial design, but instead to focus on value placement and the use of unexpected color choices. I used commercially printed fabrics for this original hand appliqued design. I machine quilted it on my home sewing machine, frequently changing thread color to match the fabrics in each area."

Trees by Jane Alameda, California. Longarm quilted by Cindi Jo  

Done in sage green, gold, and chocolate brown, with an ivory background, this quilt works well in reflecting all four seasons. The pretty en pointe setting, complete with a small nine patch in each corner, adds lots of visual interest.

Detail, Trees by Jane Alameda

This geometric Amish pattern is a favorite of ours. We really admire Jane's precise workmanship, and the graceful feathers quilted into the triangular borders by Cindi Jo.

Zoo Holiday by Nancy S. Brown, California. Longarm quilted by Laura Lee Fritz

Nancy Brown is well known for her very talented depictions of our animal friends. Nancy writes, "The San Francisco Zoo [residents] have decided to take a holiday and do "the whole nine yards" in visiting the many tourist attractions of San Francisco, California.   Look for the bear wearing the jail cap making his escape from the  notorious Alcatraz Island prison and the elephants in their journey across the Golden Gate Bridge.

Closeup photo, Zoo Holiday by Nancy S. Brown

The artist adds, "This whimsical quilt was designed by Nancy Brown (Tulip) and made by her Bulbs. "  Here's a charming and soulful giraffe emerging above the well known fog banks of San Francisco Bay. Her original design is machine pieced and hand appliqued.

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration

West Coast Wonders

At the West Coast Wonders exhibit at the 2013 Houston International Quilt Festival, we saw some gorgeous quilts with scenes from the Golden State, California. They reminded us of the technicolor postcards sent to friends and family from favorite vacation spots. We hope you enjoy the great artistry of these "postcards in cloth."

Storm over the Golden Gate by Linda Stone, California

Linda's original design was based on a vacation photograph. She says, "this picture was taken as we went under the Golden Gate Bridge on a cruise ship. We went on a Mexican cruise and ended up in San Francisco, due to the swine flu. This is the first in [my] California Landmarks Series of photo realistic quilts. It is machine appliqued and machine quilted using fusible products." Linda has used her excellent sense of perspective to perfectly depict the massive size of the bridge, which stands in resplendent orange-red against a complementary hued backdrop of blue-violet, red-violet, and lavender.

Hollywood and Highland, 39 x 42", by Linda Stone , California

Here's another one of Linda's California Landmark Series quilts. This time, she's at the intersection of Hollywood Blvd. and Highland Ave. in downtown Hollywood, site of the famous ACL Chinese Theatre, the Dolby Theatre, where the Academy Awards are presented, and a shopping mall.  The right hand panel of the quilt shows the enormous elephant sculpture at the entrance to the mall, and the top panel depicts the beloved "Hollywood" sign mounted on the hillside by real estate developers in 1923, which has been restored several times.  Linda notes, "There is so much history of the film industry within and in view of this mall." 

Close up, Hollywood and Highland by Linda Stone

A lifelike pair of feet stand on the cement  path as a visitor studies the  footprints and handprints of many current and past movie stars preserved in the cement. We loved the very creative machine quilting which accurately depicts the weathered pathway, host to millions of people from around the world. Also note the realistic turned-up jeans cuffs, which were finished with blanket stitching.  Linda's original design was machine and hand appliqued, hand-embroidered, couched, painted, and inked.

Monterey at Dusk by Melinda Bula, California

Here's another sophisticated art quilt whose original design is based on a photo. Melinda says, "We walked along the beach at Monterey Bay at sunset. I started taking photos as the sunset reflected off the water and the fog. The sailboats were bobbing in the water. Seals were barking on the rocks below."   This idyllic, peaceful setting is captured by Melinda's fused applique technique. We gazed at this quilt for quite a while, marveling at this artist's ability to perfectly place some very tiny pieces of fabric into the scene.

Close up, Monterey at Dusk by Melinda Bula

Melinda has achieved an elegant, soft watercolor effect with her expert use of pastel fabrics in cool tones.  She notes, "A local couple walked by us and joked that I was taking too many pictures trying to capture this moment. They commented, 'Honey, you can't take it with you.' And I said, 'Oh yes I can.' Little did they know it would soon be a quilt."

Monet in Pasadena by Melinda Bula (California)

Melinda writes, "California has many beautiful gardens, and I plan on seeing them all. At Huntington Gardens in Pasadena, I was inspired by the morning light hitting the lily pond. The water shimmered with reflections made me think of what the painter Monet must have seen. I always take my camera with me just for moments like this."

Close up, Monet in Pasadena by Melinda Bula

Melinda adds, "I created this quilt by using my fusible technique which approaches quilting as if I am painting. Only I do not use any paint; it is all fabric. I have hand-dyed most of the fabrics to get the colors that Monet might have used."

Tributary by Phyllis Cullen (Hawaii)

Phyllis has created a colorful depiction of a pristine hillside stream as it flows over rocks and past native flora. She states, "The beautiful and rugged California coast features river that flow from mountain to sea."

Closeup,  Tributary by Phyllis Cullen

In this close-up, you can see the black background fabric between the  raw edge appliqued pieces, which gives this eye-catching quilt the look of a leaded, stained glass window. Free motion quilting in horizontal wavy lines gives an energetic, rippling effect to Phyllis' work.

Pelican Express by Phyllis Cullen (Hawaii)

Phyllis notes, "The colors of a West Coast sunset are reflected in two of its most endearing birds [the pelicans]."  Phyllis' design is adapted from a stained glass panel by the Paned Expressions Company. To create this stunning quilt, Phyllis used the stained glass and fusible applique technique, plus free motion quilting.

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2013 Houston International Quilt Festival.