Welcome to the 2021 Pacific International Quilt Festival - part 2

Welcome to the Pacific International Quilt Festival! Unfortunately, due to time constraints, we could not view all the quilts this year! Therefore, we are showing a small sample of the quilts in this large show. Here is Part 2 of our photos.

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Free Wheeling, 66 x 66", by Claudia Clark Myers

Here is an outstanding quilt by Claudia Clark Myers. We love optical illusion quilts, and this one is expertly done, from its design and construction to its glorious use of color. Winner of a red ribbon in second place in the Innovative Quilts Category, Free Wheeling is a three-dimensional "fool the eye" depiction of static, moving and broken wheels. It is Claudia's original design, made using a combination of paper piecing and applique construction.

Claudia explains that Free Wheeling was made for, and accepted into the National Quilt Museum's traveling exhibit, New Quilts from an Old Favorite.  But then, that exhibit was cut short by the Covid-19 pandemic.  This masterpiece is machine pieced, machine appliqued, and longarm machine quilted.  You can see more of Claudia's work at her website, Claudia Clark Myers quilts.

To The Moon and Back by Sharlene Van Rooy, quilted by Holly Casey Quilts

This fun quilt was featured in the special New Quilts of Northern California exhibit at PIQF, and it really made us smile! It was a challenge quilt sponsored by Pinnacle Quilters of San Benito County (California). Sharlene says, "The quilt represents our love of camping and includes many memories from our travels.  The camper in the middle is placed within a compass that points north, south, east and west.

Each quadrant has highlights of Sharlene's travel and camping experiences. The couple is depicted above, all decked out with their binoculars, canteen, and hiking stick. Sharlene says, "The quilt represents our love of camping and includes many memories from our travels.  Now that we are retired, the compass indicates that we will be heading East."

Spring Harmony, 52 x 58", by Kathy McNeil

Spring Harmony was awareded a Blue Ribbon for First Place in the Innovative category at PIQF.  The quilt is a tribute to Japanese gardens, which are a feast for our eyes in the spring.  Kathy says, "Enter through the Torii gate, sit by the stream, waltz across the bridge and find a place to fall in love again."

Kathy McNeil is renowned for her landscape and portrait quilts with their exquisite, realistic detail. The red bridge and pagoda are precisely rendered in this piece.  Kathy has a way of using print fabrics to realistically depict landscape elements, such as the rocks, flowers, and trees in this landscape. You can see more of her beautiful work at her website, Kathy McNeil Art Quilts.

Blooms and Feathered Friends, 42 x 42", by Linda Bergmann, quilted by Lin Squires

A gorgeous rendering of a Sue Spargo design, Blooms and Feathered Friends is hand appliqued using Australian Wool. Each element stands out brilliantly against the dark background, creating an explosion of color. The lively birds and flowers are elegantly embroidered. 

Linda Bergmann says, "Applique is very relaxing but also very time consuming." We can only imagine the hours that went into this delightful creation with its numerous fabric and thread colors, stitch types, and French knots.  It won Honorable Mention at the very competitive PIQF show.

Ebb and Flow, 82 x 75", by Liat Rorer

This original design is by Liat Rorer, who used variations in hue and tone to depict movement, keeping your eye flowing from one section to the next. Liat says, "The recent world events have created a constant ebb and flow, moving from fear and depression to moments of love and hope... Ebb and Flow represents this by moving from dark to light and warm to cool in unexpected ways, while our eye tries to find a clear image."

The quilt was machine pieced and longarm machine quilted in meandering lines (see the closeup below.) You can find Liat Rorer's creations at Liat Quilting on Instagram.

Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2021 Pacific International Quilt Festival.