Quilts to Celebrate Autumn!

Autumn is one of the best seasons to enjoy the glorious colors of our changing environment. Mother Nature brings out her prettiest deep greens, sunny golds, and vivid oranges and reds before beginning her winter repose. We've assembled a collection of quilts to celebrate the beauty of autumn leaves as portrayed in the textile arts.

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Ananda at Last by Cheryl Olson (Utah)

Ananda is a Sanskrit word meaning "bliss." This evocative quilt was made with machine and fused applique, hand dyeing, monoprinting and screen printing.  Hand-dyed silk and cotton fabrics were used. The design draws you right into the tableau, showing two people side by side, walking in the trees. The intense colors, hand dyed fabrics, surface design and quilting help create the dimensional scene.

Fabric artist Cheryl Olson says, "I wish to create each quilt with the hope that I can magnify my love to others and my appreciation and devotion to God." The principles of design and color theory play a major role in each of her quilts.For more of her beautiful works, see her website at Cheryl Olson's Art Quilts.

Autumn Harvest by Alexandra Tsubota (California)

Alexandra Tsubota started Autumn Harvest in a Gloria Loughman class which focused on the tile background. After completing the background fairly quickly, the project sat for over a year as Alexandra contemplated the design.  She says, "In the end, my love of pumpkins won out and it made its way off the UFO pile and onto the wall." 

The tile background reminds us of a trellis; we love the colorful pumpkins, squash, and flowers hanging among the vines. The quilting enhances the shape of the pumpkins and leaves.

Autumn Evening by Barbara Oliver Hartman (Texas)

Autumn Evening was awarded First Place in the Art - Naturescape category at the 2017 Houston International Quilt Festival. It was made from snippets of fabrics left over from previous projects. The fabrics were sorted by color, then cut with a rotary cutter and scissors into very small pieces.  The pieces were then sewn to a background using a free motion zigzag stitch.  No netting or fusing was used !

Barbara says, "Working this way is very satisfying, and by using materials that easily end up in a landfill, makes the point that anything can be useful in some way."  The first piece she made this way was in 1992 and was in the 1993 Quilt National exhibit.  For more information see Barbara Oliver Hartman's website.

Patchwork Pumpkin by Barbara Raisanen (Arizona)

Barbara Raisanen made this Patchwork Pumpkin in response to a Cactus Patchers challenge (a chapter within the Arizona Quilters Guild).  The challenge was described as follows: Choose a paint chip for which you like the NAME and COLOR; use that color for the dominant color of the project; and make a project that represents that name and color.  The lovely batiks (in pumpkin color, of course) add interesting textures to the pumpkin.

Birds' Choir by Bella Kaplan (Kfar-Giladi, Israel)

This outstanding art quilt was created with machine applique and quilting; it was painted, hand-dyed, and screen printed.  The textures, colors, birds and lettering perfectly capture the autumn landscape. The predominant orange and yellow hues are complemented by splashes of sky blue. Bella Kaplan says,  "This quilt tells the story of where I live (Kfar-Giladi, Israel). I represented its agricultural area, fields, flowers, orchard trees, and many types of birds.  I enjoyed re-creating all the colors."

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2018 Road to California show (Autumn Harvest), the 2018 Quilt Arizona show (Patchwork Pumpkin), and the 2017 Houston International Quilt Festival.

Best of Utah quilts: The 2018 Springville show ! part 3

We had lots of fun seeing the pretty quilts at the 45th annual Utah Quilt Show in Springville, Utah. It's a juried show, featuring quilts of all styles and sizes. We hope you enjoy the "eye candy" below !

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Joci at Meiji Shrine by Sandra Rindlesbach - Award of Excellence

Sandra notes, "Joci at Meiji Shrine is adapted from a photo of my daughter while on vacation in Japan. The quilt is completely thread painted with over 100 threads. It was started in a class by [art quilter] Jennifer Day. This is my first thread painted quilt. "

Close-up, Joci at Meiji Shrine

In this exquisite quilt, you can see every detail of Joci's face. We really admire Sandra's amazing work.

Everlasting by Helen Butler (Best of Show)

Helen explains, "This multi-faceted quilt has been year in the making and finishing. Begun in 2014, the Coxcomb pattern has intrigued me, as I was drawn to its circular design and secondary pattern. The coxcomb flower is known as an "Everlasting", being one that when it dies, it does not lose its color or shape."

Close-up, Everlasting

Helen adds, "Last, not but least, this quilt, as my family knows, has literally been everlasting in its completion, and now it's done. AMEN. This original design quilt features trapunto, stuffed work, thread play, piping, couching, and needleturn applique. Quilted on my domestic machine."  Many congratulations to Helen upon the completion of her stunning work, with such intriguing shapes and beautiful quilting.

Autumn Migration by Margo Faccini

Margo says, "I couldn't resist the wonderful colors in this [fabric] line, so I bought several yards of several pieces and have ended up with two fall colored quilts."

Close-up, Autumn Migration

We really like the center medallion of long-stemmed flowers, which is set off so nicely by the flying geese inner border. Margo's pretty work perfectly captures the moods and colors of a sunny autumn day.
  
Magnificent Mola by Ellina Poulson, quilted by Kim Peterson (Award of Excellence)

Ellina writes, "I purchased the mola several years ago in Midway, UT and then struggled with ideas to frame it. It finally came together this year."
Ellina is referring to the  textile with the circular motif in the very center of the quilt. 

detail

In this close-up of the center motif, you can see the gorgeous colors and patterns that went into its construction. Ellina adds, "The quilting by Kim Peterson exquisitely sets off the design."

Deep Blue by Aftyn Schwab, quilted by Carol Rawson

Aftyn states, "Deep Blue" is a one block wonder quilt, but it is an original design. I didn't want a normal one block wonder quilt in the way they are usually made. I wanted something completely different and organic - like the ocean. The organization of the blocks is inspired by the ocean. The lightest blocks are near the top, where the sun penetrates and causes [the water] to be lighter."
(Based on One Block Wonders: One Fabric, One Shape, One-of-a-Kind Quilts by Maxine Rosenthal)

Close-up, Deep Blue

Aftyn continues, " The symbolism between my quilt and the ocean is similar. As you go deeper in the ocean, the colors deepen due to the absence of light. This is the effect I wanted to replicate in my quilt. I chose to do the ocean because I absolutely love it. I think it's gorgeous, mysterious, endearing, and captivating. This quilt was made entirely by me, with my Grandma Evans as my technical advisor." This is such an energetic,  pretty quilt, with a perfect selection of fabrics to depict the myriad hues of the ocean against a background of sandy and gray neutrals. 

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration.