Houston International Quilt Festival Part 4

Here are some more photos of great quilts from the International Quilt Festival, held November 2-6, in Houston , Texas, U.S.A.

Out On a Limb by Joyce Paterson, with Ann Horton (Ann Horton Quilts) and Renee Gannon, Mendocino Quilt Artists, Ukiah, California

Second place winner for group quilts, this original design of very eye-catching panels shows the cats in the birdhouses, waiting hopefully for "dinner".  We enjoyed the vibrant colors, thread embellishment, and crisp applique workmanship.

Close-up of Out on A Limb

Here's a clever fellow, draped over the roof, who advertises himself as just "house sitting." We thought this was the most creatively humorous quilt of this year's festival and enjoyed seeing the smiles on the faces of fellow viewers. 

An Athlete On Ice by Yoshiko Miyamoto, Nishinomiya City, Hyogo Ken, Japan

Second place winner for Portrait Art Quilts, Yoshiko says," I was fascinated by an athlete's performance on ice in the figure skating competition during the Winter Olympics. I got completely jolted by his energy and spirit. It was so powerful, it jumped out of the television."   This is a beautifully executed original design, using hand embroidery and applique, plus machine piecing and quilting.

New York Sunset by Marco Sarzi-Sartori and Daniela Arnoldi, Milano, Italy

The artists were inspired by a photo taken during their last trip to New York. They write, "This quilt reproduces the partial view of the city of New York, with the warm colors of the afternoon. The higher the heat of the day, the greater the deformation of buildings, of verticality, and of parallels. The sky lights up in color and is full of vibrations."

Close-up of  New York Sunset 

If you click on the photo to expand it you will be able to see some of the pretty strands of yarn, twine, and fiber that the artists used to create the "deconstructed"  effect of the building shimmering in the sunlight. This work was truly unique, and we were impressed by the extremely innovative design and construction.