Best of AQS Quilt Week 2014: Phoenix, Arizona

From February 5-8 the American Quilters Society held a Quilt Week® in Phoenix, Arizona. What a spectacular show! We hope you enjoy these award winning quilts.

Wandering ‘Round My World, 60 x 38”, by Beth Schillig (Columbus, OH)

Winning the award for Best Innovative Quilt, this quilt really drew us in with its beautiful hand-dyed green, blue and purple color scheme and intriguing textures.  We felt as if we were looking down on the oceans from far above the earth. The construction was also fascinating; the large and small circles float atop the heavily quilted panels.

close up, Wandering ‘Round My World by Beth Schillig

This original piece features turned-edge machine applique enhanced with decorative machine stitches. Each circle is filled with stylized floral appliques. Beth Schillig used  lots of freehand machine quilting and hand beading to adorn this beauty.

Magnolia, 84 x 84”, by Claudia Clark Myers and Marilyn Badger (Duluth, MN)

Magnolia is another show-stopper and crowd favorite by Claudia Clark Myers and Marilyn Badger. The machine appliqued flowers almost appear to be spinning on the surface of this quilt.  The flowers involve a new technique Claudia wanted to try, which was to piece the block, applique the flowers, then assemble and embellish the quilt.

close up, Magnolia by Claudia Clark Myers and Marilyn Badger

We loved the kaleidoscopic effect of the fabrics at the center of the flowers, and the lovely feather quilting, which really showed up in the white flower petals.

Isabelle, 93 x 93", by Kathi Carter (Vineyard, UT)

It was hard to get an unobstructed photo of this Best of Show quilt, as it was surrounded by throngs of admirers.  We were impressed with the dramatic, Asian-inspired design of circles and waves, which were decorated with thousands of turned-edge machine-appliqued leaves (approximately 2800, to be exact).  Kathi Carter says that she worked on Isabelle off and on for over 4 years and it is the most challenging quilt she has ever done.

Isabelle by Kathi Carter

The leaves were appliqued with nearly-invisible monofilament thread. In this photo you can see the embroidery on top of the leaves.  The quilt design is based on the Japanese Garden pattern by Karen Kay Buckley and the quilt is named after Kathi Carter’s new great-granddaughter, Isabelle.  For more information on techniques, see this interview with Kathi Carter.

Savoring Twilight in Venice, 35 x 42”, by Patsy Kittredge (Sedona, AZ)

Savoring Twilight in Venice is another award-winning, photo-inspired quilt by Patsy Kittredge.  We really enjoy the lifelike quality and artistic composition of this piece.  Patsy says, "This quilt is all about the light as evening approaches. Day gives way to night as Patsy’s daughters enjoy a quiet moment in Venice."

close up, Savoring Twilight in Venice by Patsy Kittredge (Sedona, AZ)

There is so much detail in every element of this piece.  In this photo you can see the wood grain texture which was quilted onto the wooden railings, and the many-colored fabrics which lend a shimmery quality to the girls long hair.  Patsy won a third place ribbon for this quilt.

A Pocket full of Paisleys, 57 x 71”, by Lorilynn King (Longmont, CO)

This stunning and sparkling quilt, A Pocket Full of Paisleys, has been racking up awards over the last year, including this blue ribbon in the Wall Quilt - Innovative/Art category. Lorilynn says:  "I decided to really, “really” learn my embroidery software so I digitized the designs myself." The paisleys were machine embroidered, then attached to the luminous quilted background. 

A Pocket full of Paisleys by Lorilynn King

Lorilynn started digitizing the designs in mid-2010 and began stitching the final version in March of 2012; from that point, the quilt took 10 months to complete.  Each paisley petal is made of individually embroidered pieces.  The scalloped edges are made with many individual half-circles with piping on the edges.  Here is one more close-up photo...

The embroidery detail is so impressive on this quilt.  Lorilynn King used Isacord embroidery threads, Superior Kimono silk thread, Yenmet metallic thread, and YLI Candlelight thread.  The hand-dyed fabrics provide a rich backdrop for this quilt.

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration.