Category: International Quilt Festival

Machine Quilting – Part one

As you might expect, each year I look forward to the Machine Quilting Category at the International Quilt Festival. This year was no exception!!

I love quilts like this one where the shapes are simple but the quilting is insane!!…..

“Cosmic Curves” by Ben Darby

I would love to try something like it sometime in my life!!

This quilt won the 3rd Place Ribbon and is a staggering example of creativity…..

“BEE Yourself” by Simone Steuxner

Just look at the details added in the embellishments…..

And the final touch…..this great prairie point edging…..

The quilting on this next one was based on Mexican tiles…..

“Viva La Vida” by Karen Lambdin, Quilted by Vickie Owen

There is some great grid quilting on this one…..

I appreciate the colors in this next quilt……

“A Paradise of Primary Colors” by Naomi Iida

….but look at all of these quilted pebbles…..

One of my favorites in this category was this one…..

“Converging Hobbies: by Jane Schiemer

I LOVE the colors, the design, and ESPECIALLY the varied quilting….

Come back tomorrow and we will finish up the Machine Quilting Category!!

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If you don’t want to miss my personal tour of the International Quilt Festival in Houston, be sure to subscribe…….

Landscapes

I was surprised that there weren’t more landscape quilts in this year’s International Quilt Festival, but there were still some good ones…..

This quilt maker used hand and machine applique and embroidery to create this magical scene……

“Magical Gate of Forest Song” by Nina Yanchukovska

This embodiment of a Japanese garden is completely hand pieced and embroidered!!!

“Spring Harmony” by Kathy McNeil

This quilt makes me want to go on a road trip……

“Childhood Memories” by Kristine Selbmann

Look at the fun piecing in the sky background…..

This next nightscape makes use of many techniques, including painting, embroidery and applique….

“La Bella Luna 3” by Patti Louise Passteur

Look at the fun digitized quilting design in the moon…..

This collage-style quilt gives off a peaceful and serene vibe…..

“Tranquil Blues” by Shu-Hui Chen

….while this quilt makes me want to go for a long walk in the woods….

“Rock, Paper, Scissors” by Carol Monte, Nancy Hershberger & Tina Freudenberger

Some day I hope to make a quilt portraying water so I am keenly aware of the different methods that are used to make it realistic. This one is perfect…..

Come back tomorrow as we start on the Machine Quilting division. As you might guess, it is one of my favorites, so we will spend a couple of days there.

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If you don’t want to miss my personal tour of the International Quilt Festival in Houston, be sure to subscribe…….

In The American Tradition

Since we are celebrating Thanksgiving today, quilts expounding on the “American Tradition” are certainly appropriate

This exhibition is defined in this way……

I truly enjoyed these quilts that were based on traditional designs.

Back in the 1990’s, I was infatuated with Feathered Star Blocks and this quilt had SO many of them…..

“Bouquet of Feathered Stars” by JoAnne Lammert, quilted by Tammy CVaple

How can you NOT like this block…..

Flying Geese blocks are another favorite and this arrangement from Bonnie Hunter is so great!!

“Wild and Goosey” by Diana Mahrenholz

AND….look at that quilting…..AMAZING!!

This quilt is based on the “Gentleman’s Fancy” block, which is a square in a square, in a square, in a square in a square!!!….

However, the maker played with colors and adaptations of the block to achieve this great quilt…

“Beaded Vail” by Jami Robinson

This is a contemporary applique that reminds me of a Baltimore Album quilt….

“Affairs of the Heart” by Laura Lamphear, Quilted by Sue Whitaker

This quilt is truly an heirloom quilt. I can’t imagine piecing it…..

“Hertfordshire” by Theresa Radek, Quilted by Sue Pawlowski

Finally, there is this colorful quilt in the “Bears Paw” style…..

“Bear Path” by Minda Brown

I love the colors and the design!!

Come back tomorrow and we will look at some of the Landscape quilts…..

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If you don’t want to miss my personal tour of the International Quilt Festival in Houston, be sure to subscribe…….

In Full Bloom

I don’t know about you, but I adore quilts that feature flowers so “In Full Bloom” is an exhibit that I wait for each year.

The flowers in this first quilt are wonderful…..

“Amor Por Las Flores” by Marlies Janssen

…but work well against this background…..

I THINK that this background is a piece of fabric and not pieced but it is SO effective!!

I plan my flower beds to be a cacophony of colors and types of flowers, and this quilt reminds me greatly of that……

“Spring Song” by Linda Riesterer

The applique was perfect and the quilting added a great touch to the quilt…..

This sunflower quilt is another example of turning a panel into a Kaleidoscope quilt……

“Sunflowers Dreamscapes” by Kathy Kennedy

This is the panel that was used…..

I talked about this technique in a previous post….

We have spent a lot of time in tropical areas where bananas are grown so this quilt resonated….

“Banana Tree” by Kathy Skaggs

I appreciate the piecing in this quilt!!

This final quilt was simple in design but was extremely effective…..

“Mother Nature’s All Inclusive Flower Garden” by Kathy York

What a fun way to showcase floral fabrics!!

Okay….we are working our way through the categories and exhibits from the International Quilt Festival. Tomorrow we will look at some “traditional with a twist” quilts!!

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If you don’t want to miss my personal tour of the International Quilt Festival in Houston, be sure to subscribe…….

Houston Livestock Show Winners

Fairs are BIG business in Texas and the quilt competition is always fierce!!

These quilts were the winners at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, and they were so much fun!!

There was so much to see on this first one…..

“Cowgirls Are Women” by Peggy Baldwin-Clayton, quilted by Lisa Patterson

….and I spent several minutes taking it all in. Look at the earnings…..

…..and I love this quote….

This next quilt made me happy. I made a strip quilt in this basic design, but adding the black outside strips changes the look entirely!!

“Strip Happy” by Julie Mercer, quilted by Marleigh Gerdes

I know that this pattern from Laura Heine is everywhere these days, but I love seeing the quilts anyway!!! It reminds me of my Dad and his love of his cows!!!

“Paycheck the Cow” by Marcia Henry

This next quilt is cute but I REALLY love the title….a take on a George Strait song “Amarillo by Morning”. AND, since I lived in the Texas Panhandle (pretty close to Amarillo), it scratches another itch for me……

“Armadillo by Morning” by Mark Hamilton, quilted by LaDonyce Hamilton

I have a thing about quilts that are all straight lines, but appear curvy and this is a great example of that phenomenon…..

“Antelope Canyon” by Cathy Tullos

Another reminder of home was this quilt showcasing barns. Of course, my Dad’s barn never looked this good!…….

“Barn Fever” by Rhonda Lawton, quilted by Kathy Lloyd

This reminds me of several door windows that we have seen while visiting in England. Regardless of that memory, it would be a fun quilt to make!!

“Cottage Window” by Samantha Krebsbach

This next one is a simple design but the quilting makes it so interesting….

“Something Blue” by Cristina Kubicki Curtis

I had to show this quilt because I know that my Mom would have loved it……

“Broken Star” by Linda Parrish

The “Broken Star” quilt that she made was one of her favorites!!!

I hope that you enjoyed these few “Texas” quilts.

Come back tomorrow and we will enjoy some of the floral quilts of the “In Full Bloom” exhibit.

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If you don’t want to miss my personal tour of the International Quilt Festival in Houston, be sure to subscribe…….