The Countdown to Christmas…

November 28, 20181 Comment

We are in the countdown to Christmas. I hope that you are getting

everything done for the big Day.

Here are some more photos from Houston and the International

Quilt Festival

Running Shoes

I really liked these red runners.

It is interesting to see these quilts up close and personal. It helps me break down how the

quilt was made. This one looks like it was created using raw edge applique or collage. And I love

the stitching on this piece as well.

The shadows and the laces are fascinating to me.

The colors of this wallhanging made me want to take a closer look.

I can’t imagine making such a small log cabin. The blocks below

show how small they really are.

It was so much fun being able to look at these quilts so closely. The designers

stood in front of their quilt and you could ask them all kinds of questions about how

they made their quilt. I love being able to pick peoples’ brains.

This blue bird looked like it was painted onto the background fabric.

The Architecture of Trees

Suzan Engler created this digital piece. I sat beside her at the Winners’ Circle meal.

The top 8 winners sit on the podium and told their story about the quilt they

created and why. It was very interesting to hear each person tell their own unique story.

Look at all that gorgeous color!

Ruby

Roxanne Nelson,a Canadian, won one of the three Judges’ Awards with this piece.

She also won at Quilt Canada last year with this piece as well. It is great when

Canadians win, we need to show the world that we can quilt too.

I hope you enjoyed the short show. There are more photos to come but I have

limited time right now to post. Have a great week!

Taking A Break..

November 16, 20181 Comment

I have been away for the past several weeks. The first week, I needed a break from

quilting, as I was working non stop for 2 weeks on samples for Northcott.

It was International Quilt Festival Market, in Houston, and they needed some of their samples

done. I promise that photos will follow in the weeks to come.

I was also in Houston. last week, for International Quilt Festival.

It was so much fun hanging out with my new friend, Darlene, from

South Carolina. And to make matters even more fun, Darlene won 3rd place

in the Large Applique Quilt Category. And guess who quilted her quilt for her?

You got it- me!

Darlene’s Quilt

Who would have guessed that blogging would actually bring two total strangers together?

Darlene and her friends were very kind in that I hung out with them at

Quilt Festival. We had so much fun, even rode on a metal bull. I will tell that story some other

time though.

This quilt is called “Hope.” The male designer was battling cancer and made this during his

struggle. It is beautiful!I It is made up of one large piece of fabric ; all the motifs pop off

the quilt due to gold thread being used. Very impressive!

A close up of the stitching.

This piece was created by a lady from Japan; the Japanese are so talented and usually win

some of the top honors at Houston and elsewhere. It is hand pieced and hand quilted.

This quilt looked very modern to me.

All that texture

The quilting is great too; so much texture, which I love.

Again, lots of yummy texture.

All the winners are announced on the first evening of the Festival. There is an Awards Ceremony

and all the top 9 winners are kept secret until then. After all the categories are

gone through, the top 9 winners are announced. It becomes very tense for some of the winners,

wondering what top award they have won.

I must admit that the Aussies are a rowdy bunch. They were hooting and hollering each time an

Aussie won an award. They seem like alot of fun and very supportive of each other.

The top 8 winners receive $5,000 for their quilts and the Best of

Show, wins $12,000. What a catch that would be.

I love the circles on this quilt, even the ones stitched into the background.

This spiral ring catch my eye because it is made out of velvet. I can’t imagine working with that

material in hand applique. You have to consider the nap of the fabric and if it frays or not. I

wouldn’t want to deal with that headache, yet it looks great here.

The berries also drew me in. I am trying to figure out what material is being used for the yellow

berries: wool, thread, or embroidery floss?

Any ideas?

This bug was also a big winner and the background had me stumped. It looked like each block

was separate from the other. Very interesting.

It was alot of fun hanging out at the Festival.

Darlene and I even walked around peeking into doorways of classrooms, trying to catch a

glimpse of all the Quilt celebrities. We were being quiet too so we wouldn’t get in trouble. I

managed to shake Linda Taylor’s hand. Maybe some of her talent will rub off on me. Here’s

hoping-ha!

Have a great week and I will have lots more photos to come.