Tiny Houses and Miniature Landscape Quilts

At the recent 2016 International Quilt Invitation Exhibition in Brigham City, Utah, we fell in love with the tiny house quilts created by Stephanie Crawford (UK) and the small landscape quilts by Mary Ann Hildebrand (Texas).  We hope you enjoy these incredible miniature works of art as much as we did!

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Fantasy in the Style of George Birrell by Stephanie Crawford (United Kingdom)

Black and White Building at the Tower of London by Stephanie Crawford

The window mullions and the wrought iron fence were created with machine stitching:

You can get an idea of the size of these tiny quilts in the photo below.  They were displayed on the end of a post.  Stephanie Crawford's Black-and-White Building is shown below her Sea Front at Brexill-on-Sea, which we featured in a previous post:

The Vaults at Fountains Abbey by Stephanie Crawford

We felt as if we were drawn into these vaults, thanks to the perspective, depth and texture which Stephanie Crawford created through her thread painting:

Life on the Mesa by Mary Ann Hildebrand (Texas)

Check out the way in which Mary Ann Hildebrand used batiks to represent the texture of the buildings and rocks:

Life on the Mesa previously won 1st place in the art-miniature category at the 2013 Houston International Quilt Festival.  It is shown in situ, below, at the Brigham City Museum:

Japanese Tea Garden by Mary Ann Hildebrand

In the photo below, Japanese Tea Garden is shown on display; to the right is Spring Crocuses by Jan P. Krentz:

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the Brigham City Museum (August, 2016).  We really appreciated the excellent lighting as well as the quality of the work within this show.

Best of the 2014 Pacific International Quilt Festival - Day 2

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 Day 2 of our photos.... let us know which quilts are your favorites !

Chinese Journey in Three Parts by Stephanie Crawford, United Kingdom

Best of World prize winner in the World Quilts category, Stephanie says, "This quilt was inspired by an extraordinary trip to China to visit my son, who was living in an ancient temple precinct in a remote part of Hubei. I have three outstanding memories of our journey together from Beijing to Wudang, and this triptych represents them. "

Close-up, Chinese Journey in Three Parts by Stephanie Crawford

These breathtaking views show us a stunning view of the scenery of China, along with some graceful and regal architecture. Stephanie continues about her original design,  "This quilt is wholecloth. It was painted and machine appliqued, then free motion quilted. "

Ruby by Kay Donges, Georgia, U.S.A.

Kay notes, "My quilt goes the whole nine yards by incorporating applique, piecing, and embellishments in order to create a stunning portrait of a mysterious woman. The brightly colored border provides a great contrast to the sophisticated deep black background of this intriguing portrait.

Close-up,  Ruby by Kay Donges (Georgia, U.S.A.)

Kay's original design uses beads, an earring, and jeweled stones are used to embellish the exotic beauty of Ruby. 

The Grapes by Aliza Inbar, Israel

Aliza writes, "One of the seven symbols of Israel is grapes. The grapes represent the richness of the land. They were the inspiration for this quilt. The background is log cabin with fusing on the top and machine quilting. We especially enjoyed the beautiful composition and symmetry of the grapevines and the fruit on Aliza's quilt.

Close-up, The Grapes by Aliza Inbar

The split-complementary color scheme of mauve, violet, aqua green, and yellow-orange really highlights the contrast between the background and the grapevines. Aliza's work is machine appliqued, machine pieced, and machine quilted.

The Peaceful Ones by Denise Havlan, Illinois

First place winner in the Innovative Quilts category of the World Quilt Competition, Denise notes, ["This quilt depicts] two Hopi maidens enjoying the morning sun." Denise has done an outstanding job of  displaying the dignity and serenity of these two Native Americans against the background of their high desert homeland. 

Close-up, The Peaceful Ones by Denise Havlan

Shimmering gold highlights enhance the traditional hairstyle of this Hopi maiden. Denise's original work is machine pieced, hand and machine appliqued, and machine quilted.

Close-up,The Peaceful Ones by Denise Havlan

These prickly-pear cacti sparkle with pretty crystals, and the cactus blossoms show an eye-catching variation of pinks, reds, and violets.

Mount Rushmore by Mary E. Barry, California

Mary writes, " Deciding to make a trip to Mt. Rushmore, I told my husband we needed to do a road trip. It was so impressive! I took many lovely photos to make the quilt, then came home and hand dyed lots of fabric to use with some stash fabric. I then dedicated it to our cherished freedom."  Note that Mary has added the word "Liberty" in block letters at the bottom;  and the bald eagle, the U.S. National Emblem, soars through the sky at the top of the quilt.

Close-up, Mount Rushmore, by Mary E. Barry

Here is a close-up of the stately countenance of George Washington, the first President of the United States. Mary has chosen the perfect shade of gray fabrics which almost perfectly match the gray stone of Mr. Rushmore. Her original design is machine pieced, machine appliqued, and machine quilted.

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration