Best of the Pacific International Quilt Festival 2019 (day 1)

Held annually in Santa Clara, California, the Pacific International Quilt Festival is the largest quilt show on the west coast. It features a wonderful variety of beautiful quilts! Here are some of the highlights of the festival. Let us know which ones are your favorites!

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For Such A Time As This, 68 x 70, by Kathy Wylie, Canada

Top prize winner, the Best of Show award, Kathy says, "For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven...[In this quilt], time is portrayed by clock numbers, monthly birth flowers and birthstones, leaves changing color with the seasons, moon phases, and the shapes of an hourglass and infinity."

In this close-up, you can see the pretty pale yellow daffodils, the birth flower for the month of March. Kathy's stunning original design is hand-stitched with turned-edge applique and domestic machine quilting.

Family Reunion, 81 x 81, by Barbara McCraw, Texas

Top award winner, Best of World, for the World of Beauty quilt exhibition, Barbara explains, "I designed my quilt after spending several years studying on Ancestry.com. I found my maternal great-grandparents and soon after that, I woke with the vision of the completed design, with them featured in the center." Barbara has produced a breathtaking quilt, well deserving of the Best of World award.

This block is labeled, "In memory of my Ancestors", as they are seen working in the cotton fields. Barbara's original design is hand-appliqued, machine pieced, and sewing machine quilted.

Here are Barbara's maternal grandparents, wed in 1904. They are lovingly encircled by a Baltimore-album style wreath, adorned with three-dimensional flowers and embellished with delicate beads.

Barbara adds, "When [this center block] was done, I decided to design 12 blocks encircling the center, representing my life, my loves, and my dear family. It took nearly 3 years to complete."  Barbara has published a book that tells the story of this momentous work: My Family Reunion Quilt : A Sentimental Journey in Applique.

We Three I'iwi, 60 x 48, by Phyllis Cullen, Hawaii

Phyllis notes, "It is my pleasure to present four of my favorite techniques to create this tribute to one of Hawaii's native birds." For her vibrantly hued original design, Phyllis won the blue ribbon for Best Use of Color in the Innovative Quilts category.

Phyllis continues, " [The techniques here are] free fabric collaged birds, painted branches, sun printed background, machine appliqued, and free motion quilted on the longarm. There is no greater pleasure than painting with fabric and thread."

Trip Around the World II, 38 x 39, by Inger Blood, California

Blue-ribbon winner of the Janome Best Sewing Machine Workmanship Award in the Wall Quilts, category, Inger remarks, "This quilt was inspired by an antique quilt from the early 1900s. Dupioni Silk was used to create the center pattern. Borders were quilted using ruler to extend the center design into the borders. "

These tiny little pieces in the center of the quilt, are less than one-half inch square! Inger machine- pieced them with amazing accuracy. For the border pattern, Inger adds, "Design created with the ruler work was filled with free motion quilting on a domestic sewing machine."

Cat Groove, 44 x 55, by Sue de Vanny, Australia

Second place winner in the Modern Quilts category, Sue writes, "The inspiration for Cat Groove is from my own drawings, 'Art Deco/Retro'. Improvident pieced design inspired by artist Wassily Kandinsky, feline salt and pepper shakers of the 60's/70's, and the music 'Something for Cat' from the Breakfast At Tiffany's soundtrack."

Here's the happy face of a most content kitty! Sue's fun, whimsical original design is machine pieced, machine appliqued, and sewing machine quilted.

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2019 Pacific International Quilt Festival.