Best of the September quilt show! Day 2

Welcome to a new season of quilt shows ! We had a wonderful time at the Diablo Valley Quilters' show in Walnut Creek, California ! Here is Day 2 of  some of our favorites from this fun show.

California Jane by Kathy Fitzpatrick

Kathy notes, "I started this quilt in 2009 with the Diablo Valley Quilters' California "Dear Jane Group" and the book by Brenda Papadakis.  I finished in July 2015."  That's actually pretty fast work, as the average Dear Jane quilt has approximately 225 different blocks !  Kathy's work is a true masterpiece and clearly destined to be an heirloom quilt for her loved ones.

Closeup, California Jane by Kathy Fitzpatrick

Gorgeous shades of sapphire and periwinkle blue provide an eye-catching contrast against the white background. The blues alternate with lemon yellow and gold blocks. Kathy pieced, appliqued and hand-quilted California Jane by herself.  We'll be posting more close-up photos on Pinterest.

Santorini Afternoon by Fran McNamee

Fran explains, "[This quilt was] pieced from my original design and photo of Santorini (a Greek island on the southern Aegean Sea).  The [piecing] technique came from Sue Rasmussen's class at the Empty Spools Quilt Seminars at the Asilomar Conference Center in Pacific Grove, California." Fran's delightful, realistic depiction of this sun-dappled, volcanic island shows her excellent use of perspective, light, and shadow to give dimension to the white-washed buildings.

Close-up, Santorini Afternoon by Fran McNamee

The vibrant blue tile of the ancient church rooftops mirrors the blue of the jewel-like sea. Fran designed, pieced, and quilted this fabulous project by herself.

Complementary Colors by Lynne Douglas

This quilt with its whimsical, expressive face reminds us of a Picasso abstract painting !  We especially loved the blue hair braid that graces the subject's face. Lynne is a member of the Creative Fiber Artists group in this guild and explains, "The challenge was complementary colors. Orange is my favorite color, so I had to use its complement, which is blue. I love doing portrait quilts, and this was so much fun to do." Lynne pieced and quilted this original design herself.

Giant City in Fall by Suzi Dillinger

Here's a quilt done in languid, watercolor fabric that perfectly depicts a quiet afternoon in autumn. Suzi notes, "Giant City State Park in Illinois was one of my mother-in-law's favorite spots." The quilt was based on Suzi's original photo of the park. Free-motion quilting over tulle adds to the texture of the water, woods and sky.

Pickled Pepper by Debby Horton, quilted by Loretta Jones

Debby writes, " I made this quilt at a class taught by Vicki Wind at Wooden Gate Quilts in March 2014. This was my first paper-pieced quilt!"  We think that Debby's quilt turned out spectacularly.  The vibrant colors and energetic prints are extremely eye-catching, and the border of little birds gives an especially cheerful touch. The pattern was designed by Judy Niemeyer.

Sunny Spring Frost by Diane Chambers, quilted by Christine Zachow

Diane says, " Sunny Spring Frost is based on the 'Earth, Wind, and Fire' pattern by Linda Ballard. Her class called for three color families with six fabric in each, but I instead explored jewel tones and their pastel counterparts. My 'families' were jewel, pastel, and yellow. 'Sunny' refers to the center of each Ohio Star and the diagonal yellow chains; 'Spring' to the color palette; and 'Frost' to the batik backing and binding."

Sunny Spring Frost by Diane Chambers

These gorgeous, color-saturated batiks remind us of bowls of ice cream sherbet in a rainbow of hues!  We admire Diane's excellent fabric selection and workmanship.  Christine Zachow  quilted the blocks with large butterflies and flowers.

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration.

Best of the September quilt show ! Day 1

Welcome to a new season of quilt shows ! We had a wonderful time at the Diablo Valley Quilters' show in Walnut Creek, California ! Take a look at some of our favorites from this fun show.

Gorgeous Gerty by Lynne Douglas

Lynne Douglas says, "I started "Gerty" in Susan Carlson's [collage quilting] class.  I love working with bright colors, and "Gerty" shows my love of color."

Gorgeous Gerty by Lynne Douglas

Lynne Douglas continues, "I used lots of glue and tulle and then quilted all the pieces down." She created dramatic black eyelashes for this elegant giraffe. 

Fabric Flowers by Diana McClun, quilted by Kathy August

Diana McClun is a renowned California quilter and the co-author of Quilts! Quilts!! Quilts!!! with Laura Nownes.  Diana says, "Fabric Flowers is an original still-life made with collage techniques from a class in Asilomar."  She used nine separate floral fabrics for this broderie perse design.

close up, Fabric Flowers by Diana McClun

This detailed still-life even includes a ladybug and a bumble bee.  The yellow fabric is a dyed and stamped fabric by Jane Dunnawold.

Gramma's I Spy Quilt by Cindy Sloneker, quilted by Genese Hoskins

Cindy Sloneker says,  "This is my version of Freddy Moran's Zig Zag pattern.  We have a new grandson, and this is the quilt he plays on at Nana's house, where he and his grandparents play I-Spy games."

close up, Gramma's I Spy Quilt by Cindy Sloneker

There are so many cute fabrics to see in this quilt, including a pink kitty, Linus with his blanket, and a football. 

Dancing Girls of Roussillon by Linda Fribley, quilted by JoAnn Carpenter

The Dancing Ladies pattern is in American Jane's Quilts for All Seasons by Sandy Klop.  Linda Fribley says,  "After a trip to France in the Provence area and the village of Roussillon, I fell in love with the yellow, ochre and red cliffs and the fabrics of Provence, and had to make this quilt."   The center of the quilt is comprised of nine-patch blocks made with blue, red, yellow and green prints.

close up, Dancing Girls of Roussillon by Linda Fribley

The border contains a total of 32 dancing ladies adorned in colorful Provence fabrics.

Ryokan by Susan Greene, quilted by Carmen Franklin

We've always loved the Amish-inspired houses in this pattern by ThimbleCreek Quilt Shop.  Susan Greene made this quilt as a 40th anniversary present for her brother and sister-in-law. Each of the twelve houses incorporates a traditional quilt block. 

close up, Ryokan by Susan Greene

Susan Greene says, "Note the Cherrywood [fabric] blocks within the houses, and the  wonderful quilting by Carmen Franklin."

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration

More Kaffe Fassett Quilts

A luminary in the world of textiles and quilting, Kaffe Fassett has inspired quiltmakers all over the world to work with color in an instinctive way.  Here are more colorful quilts that feature Kaffe Fassett collective fabrics, along with some of the original quilts from his bestselling books. 

Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend by Karen Welch, 2015 Arizona Quilters Guild

Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend was inspired by the Bordered Diamond design in Simple Shapes, Spectacular Quilts, which is one of our favorite Kaffe Fassett books. Teals and greens, pinks and lavendars dominate the florals which are mostly bordered in polka dots. Small white diamonds rest the eye.   In the closeup photo below you can see Karen's beautiful hand quilting which echoes the diamond shapes.

Dot Dot Dot by Kris Lovetro, quilted by Debbie Stanton, 2015 Arizona Quilters Guild

Dot, Dot, Dot was based on the Cartwheel pattern by Liza Prior Lucy in the book, Kaffe Fassett’s Quilt Grandeur. Kris Lovetro says, "Dot... was made as a Dresden Plate challenge, but ended up being a fun quilt to make. I love the colors and all the DOTS!" The edges of the plates are embellished with rick rack which echoes the curves in the background fabric.

Tango Stripes, 61 x 78", by Toni Terhaar, quilted by Annette Blandin, 2014 River City Quilters Guild

Tango Stripes was based on the On-Point Handkerchief Corners quilt in Kaffe Fassett Quilts: Shots and Stripes, but instead of the whole surface being covered with blocks, Toni Terhaar floated the blocks within a wide gold border.   We love the effect, which makes the on-point blocks really stand out.  Toni Terhaar says that she wanted to challenge herself by matching all of the stripes in these blocks. 

Kisses by Diane Escobar, quilted by Deb Coleman, 2013 Diablo Valley Quilters Guild

This quilt was based on the Dominique's Treasure pattern by Colette Belt at Quilter's Paradise.  Diane says that she and a friend both purchased the quilt kit at a retreat.   The easy design is made with a combination of Kaffe Fassett and other floral prints against a pastel background.

Rail Fence by Kaffe Fassett and Liza Prior Lucy, quilted by Judy Irish

The very traditional rail fence design looks like disjointed rectangles when viewed closely, but from a distance, the contemporary optical effect pops out.   The muted hues and wide range of values, from almost white to black, make this design pop. The quilt appeared on page 150 of Kaffe Fassett Quilts Shots and Stripes.  As of this writing, a quilt kit with the original fabrics is available at Glorious Color.

Amish Nine Patch quilt by Kaffe Fassett and Liza Prior Lucy, quilted by Donna Laing

This Nine Patch design is actually made with sets of four-patch blocks, which are continued in the cornerstones of the sashing, giving it the feel of an Irish chain design.  The beauty of the Amish design is timeless in these shot cottons.

Two Toned Boxes, 90 x 90", by Kaffe Fassett and Liza Prior Lucy, quilted by Judy Irish

This classic design with its light and dark shadows really showcases the colors of the shot cottons. The quilt appeared on page 106 of Kaffe Fassett Quilts Shots and Stripes.  Each block has the same center square, which ties the design together. It would be easy to overdo the quilting in the simple shapes, but Judy Irish has kept it beautifully simple.

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration.  The quilts by Kaffe Fassett were exhibited at the 2013 Houston International Quilt Festival.

Kaffe Fassett Quilts

A luminary in the world of textiles and quilting, Kaffe Fassett has inspired quiltmakers all over the world to work with color in an instinctive way.  Here are colorful quilts that feature Kaffe Fassett collective fabrics, along with some of the original quilts from his bestselling books.  Also, scroll down for the free Autumn Triangles Quilt pattern by Liza Prior Lucy and Kaffe Fassett.

Thanks, Again by Sheila Arnold (Arizona Quilters' Guild, 2015)

Sheila Arnold says, "Kaffe Fassett fabrics and a solid grey negative space bring a traditional hexagon block into the modern genre." This quilt was based on the Science Fair pattern by Julie Herman at Jaybird Quilts.  We like the way the hexagons create an asymmetrical zig-zag border.

We enjoyed the various feather and swirl quilting designs within the hexagons.  The quilt was presented to Patricia Benner, the outgoing president of the Arizona Quilters' Guild.

Targets, 59 x 78",by Jaime Watson (River City Quilters' Guild, 2014)

This brightly colored quilt was based on the "Right on Target" quilt pattern from Kaffe Fassett's Country Garden Quilts. Jaime Watson says, "I had the Targets fabric but couldn't figure out what to do with it until I saw Kaffe Fassett's design.  He saved me!"

This easy pattern alternates log cabin blocks with squares done in the focus fabric. Jaime Watson even used the focus fabric within some of the blocks, creating a see-through effect! 

Long Diamonds Quilt by Kaffe Fassett, Liza Prior Lucy, Sally Davis and Judy Stockler, quilted by Judy Irish

This easy half-rectangle quilt is a great way to feature striped fabrics. The pattern for Long Diamonds is in Kaffe Fassett Quilts: Shots and Stripes.

Prismatic Blooms, 59 x 81", by Jill Orr (Diablo Valley Quilters' Guild)

Jill Orr says, "I loved the design of this [bordered diamonds] quilt in Kaffe's Simple Shapes, Spectacular Quilts book.  It came together very quickly which helped me keep busy as I was waiting for fabric to come in the mail to finish another quilt!"

Jill Orr used a whole variety of large and small floral print fabrics with an emphasis on pastel hues.  The finished quilt top was free-motion quilted with a spiral design.

Fireworks at the East River, 60 x 54", by Fumiko Tanabe (Japan)

This quilt was exhibited at the 2015 World Quilt show in Florida. Fumiko Tanabe says that the inspiration for her original design came from watching the July 4th fireworks.  The unusual Kaffe Fassett border fabric really enlivens this quilt.  From a distance it looks like feathers, but upon closer inspection, we see that it is a Chard fabric from Kaffe's 2012 collection in the Autumn colorway.  As of this writing, you can find the fabric at Hannah's Quilts.

close up, Fireworks at the East River by Fumiko Tanabe

Fumiko constructed the New York Beauty blocks in a variety of polka dots and floral fabrics to express the bright colors of fireworks in the night sky.

Lady of the Lake quilt by Liza Prior Lucy and Kaffe Fassett

The Lady of the Lake quilt, made in 9 different muted hues of shot cottons, is one of the most popular designs in Kaffe Fassett Quilts: Shots and Stripes. The white half-square triangles make up the sawtooth design. The blocks are separated by a neutral gray sashing with half-square-triangle cornerstones.

On Point Handkerchief Corners quilt, 85 x 85", by Liza Prior Lucy and Kaffe Fassett

Two sizes of blocks create an interesting graphic design in this handkerchief corners quilt, which was featured in Kaffe Fassett Quilts: Shots and Stripes.  Since the stripes provide plenty of pattern, the blocks were simply quilted in the ditch.  In constructing these half-square-triangle blocks, it is necessary to line up the stripes on the diagonal.

Autumn Triangles Quilt, 72 x 84", a free pattern by Liza Prior Lucy and Kaffe Fassett at Westminster Fabrics (PDF download)

Image credits:  Original photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration. The Kaffe Fassett quilts were photographed in the Where Have All The Flowers Gone exhibit at the 2013 Houston International Quilt Festival.

Best of the 2015 Springville (Utah) Quilt Show (part 2)

We enjoyed our fun trip to the 42nd annual quilt show at the Museum of Art in Springville, Utah. It was very professionally staged and contained some outstanding works of quilting art. Here is Part 2 of award winners and some of our favorites from top quilters in the state of Utah.

Garden Party Ladies by Bonnie B. Quigley, quilted by Janae Tanner

Bonnie explains, "Our quilt group in Connecticut wanted to do a block trade. What could be more fun than "ladies in hats"? We used Moran/Marston's Collaborative Quilting as a jumping off point, straightened out the "lady" a bit to fit the needs of our groups, listed a few color rules, and then the fun began." 

Close up, Garden Party Ladies by Bonnie B. Quigley

Bonnie continues, "....We showed off our personalities in hats, shoes, stockings, and dresses -- all before the block due date. Paper pieced flowers, prairie points, rickrack, and black and white all add to the happiness of this quilt for me."  The delightful whimsy of this quilt extends to the striped, polka-dot, and flower border. We really enjoyed this adorable quilt.

My Town by Ruth Peterson Ewers

Ruth notes, "This quilt was started in a class taught by Freddy Moran and Gwen Marston who encourage you to "wing it." The house in the upper right hand corner is the house I grew up in Washington D.C. Enjoy this quilt for what you see in it. I hope it makes you smile."

Close up, My Town by Ruth Peterson Ewers

Ruth's town is full of magical surprises, like this whale who appears in the night sky, like a giant weather vane attached to the housetop.  Green yo-yo's - resembling bushes - decorate the "lawn" in front of the pink house.

Another part of this delightful scene are the three dimensional cars, zooming along the border on their wheels made of buttons. A long black zipper runs diagonally across the quilt, resembling a road.

Radiant Star by Barbara Walsh, quilted by Virginia Gore

An Award of Excellence winner, Barbara notes, " My favorite part of quilting is the planning and fabric selection. This quilt started with a pillow in my living room. I found the perfect coordinating fabric which I used for the border. This will hang in our dining room."

Close up, Radiant Star by Barbara Walsh, quilted by Virginia Gore

Rich earth tones of deep coral, burnt orange, and terracotta highlight the blues and greens of the curved flying geese border done in batiks.  This quilt was based on the beautiful Glacier Star pattern by Judy Niemeyer.

 Blossoms and Butterflies by Kristen White Webb

Another Award of Excellence winner, Kristen writes, "Blossoms and Butterflies is a long term study in applique. This quilt began as my first applique quilt and was finished years later when I had become accomplished in the art of applique. Over 50 butterflies are hidden in the quilting done on my long arm machine."

Close up,  Blossoms and Butterflies by Kristen White Webb

Kristen adds, "Ginny Affleck from St. George, Utah, taught me how to needle turn applique and started me on this quilt. I am indebted to her and my mentor, Joan Terry from Salem, Utah."
Kristen has mastered her craft, and you can see how these cheerful folk art flowers display her outstanding workmanship. Can you spot the butterflies that Kristen has quilted into the background ?

Fabulous applique and background quilting combine to make this a spectacular work of art. Kristen concludes, "I am passionate about every aspect of quilting !"

Birds in the Garden by Marget Kunz

Marget states, "This quilt is an Edyta Sitar design that was included in her Craftsy class.  I decided that it needed a border. Also, the center block in the original was an appliqued block. The Dresden fans were super quick and easy to do, and I had a great time with the quilting on the border."

Close up, Birds in the Garden by Marget Kunz

Marget did a wonderful job with the intricate quilting on the ivory hued background fabric. These muted and toned batiks in green, teal blue, rose wine, and mauve, give an elegant vintage feel to this charming quilt.

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration.