Quilts of the World part 5: Israel

Part of the 2016 Pacific International Quilt Festival was the World Quilt Competition XX, which is a special exhibition within the larger P.I.Q.F. This competition, which is open to quilters from many countries, starts out each summer on the East Coast of the U.S.A.; the best quilts from that show then go on tour to the various regional shows in America. We hope you enjoy this presentation, continuing with quilts from Israel.

Please note: We're selling beautiful quilting and crafting books and fabrics at low introductory prices on e-Bay! Also, we're continuously posting free patterns on Twitter!

Looking Forward, 41 x 51", by Hava Katzir

This compelling piece is comprised of two quilts hung as a diptych with contemporary stylized figures of a woman and man. The woman is the larger of the two images; she looks straight ahead with one eye open, while keeping the other eye closed to the man on her left. Hava Hatzir says, "Between the time I was with someone, and the knowledge of being alone, I’m looking straight ahead!"

Looking Forward is comprised of snippets of interesting, colorful fabrics in a collage style.  The fabrics were machine pieced, machine appliqued, and sewing machine quilted.

Genesis, 65 x 65", by Rachel Chowers

Rachel explains her inspiration for this quilt by quoting the Old Testament of The Bible: "And God said, 'Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. And God said, "Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dryland appear, and it was so.'  And God Said, "Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night.' "

Rachel's original design is machine pieced, machine appliqued, and sewing machine quilted. The light blues, deep purples, and yellow-oranges provide a striking use of light and shadow to depict the creation of the world.

Air Roots, 40 x 40", by Ruth Amir

We admire the free flowing lines, stark contrasts and textures of this black and white quilt.  Ruth Amir says, "My opposite is black and white. My inspiration was the tree, phikus [ficus], with its long air roots falling down from its branches. I created this impression of Air Roots by using many kinds of threads and yarns."
Air roots or banyan roots are typical of ficus species trees.  You can see a photo of a famous ficus tree in Israel in an article at The Times of Israel.

Through Fire and Water, 42 x 49", by Judith Schonewald

This original bargello design was quilted in waves, then overlaid with jagged spikes of orange and yellow "fire".  Judith Schonewald says, "The opposites are fire vs. water. They are very frightening and very powerful. They are both so beautiful, but also very destructive, however, the world can’t be without them."

Judith's use of raw edge strips with loose threads provides intriguing substance and texture. Through Fire and Water is machine pieced, machine appliqued, and sewing machine quilted.

Chaos, 5250 square inches, by Pnina Yulius

Pnina explains her very innovative work: "The black typifies the darkness and cold and the white typifies the light. The red color strengthens the heat coming from the light that is opposite to the cold coming from the darkness." Chaos is machine pieced, machine appliqued, and sewing machine quilted.

Pnina continues about her original design: "This quilt is made from a variety of materials, including velvet, lace, organza, silk, and cotton. It is also made from various, different pieces to illustrate [the concept of]  chaos. The idea is from the story of creation, the first chapter. The earth was in chaos and the light was born from the darkness."

Inside-Outside, 58 x 49", by Noga Shraibman-Cohen

Inside-Outside features a small gray figure sitting on the horizon of the central image, surrounded by natural shapes and vibrant colors. The artist says, "The subject matter of this quilt is the contrast between one’s inner world and the surrounding outside world. The world can be colorful, happy and energetic. Life can be joyful on the outside while at the same time the person is introspective, disconnected, maybe sad, and the outside world does not touch him." Inside-Outside was machine pieced, hand appliqued, and sewing machine quilted.

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration.