More quilts from PIQF 10-25-08

More quilts from the World Competition. If anyone knows the websites for any of the artists for whom I don't show websites, please let me know so I can post them. I'm surprised more are not members of SAQA!

The work of Laura Fogg is justifiably awarded prizes and admiration. She creates very realistic views of landscape and nature, give each a depth that draws the viewer into the scene.Laura always includes some three dimensional aspects in her work and when I see one of her quilts I always look to see if I can find it. She doesn't hide it, mind you, but most people just don't look.

Lfogg@mcoe.usmendocinoquiltartists.com

 http://www.pameladruhenthreadscapes.com/

This is one of my favorites from PIQF 08. The crispness of the foreground and the fuzziness of the background make the viewer feel they are looking through a window on this winter scene. I longed to sit in a comfortable chair with my quilting on my lap and just enjoy the peacefulness.

Pamela uses a piecing technique similar to that of Ruth McDowell. Then she adds lots of thread painting to shape and accent the objects in the quilt.

Another triptych, they seem to be increasingly popular. This one is nicely made, but to me the middle panel is out of sync with the two side panels. I can just imagine it as a diptych!

This is a great nest, it has the illusion of being cupped to hold the eggs - nice color.

The nest is balanced on the third panel with these lovely trees. There is calligraphy on the backgrounds throughout the quilt, but under the nest and trees and other things it is very difficult to read. http://www.haddrickonfabric.com.au/

More PIQF Quilts 10-24-08

[Note: I have added information to Franki Kohler's quilt posted 10-22-08]

The Pacific International Quilt Festival has entry categories, of course, but it also shows a variety of quilts which are not included in the judging. According to the program there were seventeen special exhibits including selected quilts from the "World Quilt Competition". Always a highlight for me! Here are a few quilts from that exhibit that I think are special.

I was attracted to this quilt by the way the triptych fits together and by the color. It has a lot of embellishment that can't been seen until viewed close up. I love quilts that say one thing from a distance and something more in the details. http://www.janetcook.co.uk/

I think the color in this quilt is wonderful, but it doesn't translate very well to my computer screen, perhaps better to yours. I like the closeup views framed and superimposed on a view of the whole forest.

This is a charming quilt and it is impeccably made. Perfect stitches, smooth applique and piecing, machine quilting that flows with the design and it hangs square and flat.

What a perfect little mouse (shrew?), with his sparkling eye he looks ready to jump off the quilt and run across the floor.

The same with this little fellow. Although this is not the kind of quilt I collect I would absolutely love to have it on my wall so I could examine it in detail time after time. http://www.kayhaerland.com/

The undersides of the mushrooms here and in the bottom picture are done with the 'chenille' cutting method making the mushrooms look very real.

More PIQF quilts 10-23-08

Since there were over 1000 quilts hanging at PIQF I can only give you a tiny view of those that I found interesting for some reason.

A quilt made by a group divided into six sections and working independently.

Even at 96" x 72" this quilt contains an amazing amount of detail.
And it is a raffle quilt! If you are interested in tickets you can contact the guild at: TMQNewspatch@yahoo.com The date of the drawing is in November 2008.

Another scene, this time by Mary Ellen Parsons who is a gifted quilt maker, teacher and a member of Monterey Peninsula Quilters. The squares (a la Vickie Johnson) make a nice border without confining the view.

The detailed faces are nicely rendered in thread and paint. http://www.parsonagewine.com/quilt.html

More PIQF Quilts 10-22-08

Tuesday evening the drive home from Tehachapi was fast and easy, not much traffic except on the notoriously slow Hwy 395 which is only two lanes most of the way. Further north the highway widens, but I didn't drive on that part. I have no idea why I have been dragging so much the last several weeks, but I decided a day of rest wouldn't hurt and might help. So, I spent Wednesday mostly in bed - reading, napping, trying to figure out my new cell phone. By evening I felt a lot better, but I had pledged 24 hours just to rest, so I did. Now it is 2am on Thursday and I thought I would spend some time online. The pictures below are those that I tried to send on Monday evening from Tehachapi. I'll work on some more for tomorrow.

Franki Kohler was an online friend for several years before we met in person. I admire her exacting work and her dedication to learning new techniques and styles. Franki is the author of "Fast and Easy Fabric Postcards" from C&T Publ. You can see her postcard work at http://www.postmarkdart.com and www.Art2Mail.com

This is the first time I can remember seeing photos and sun prints combined and it works nicely. I like the inclusion of the checkerboard, a traditional patchwork pattern.

[Franki wrote to fill me in on these quilts.The photos down the right side are sage, frise lettuce, royal oak lettuce, estilbe. On the lower left is an image of hellebore.]

An elegant and colorful quilt in one of my favorite color combinations.

The beaded inner "border" is an inspired touch. I wish she had added what kind of leaf this is. I do not know.

[The image is a Woodwardia fern - which is very large - Franki removed about half of the leaves to make a more defined image.]

This is such a striking work. The pawpaw leaves caught my eye - there is a resemblance to chestnut leaves.

Using leaves that are not perfect makes the image more interesting.

Sorry, I missed the label on this quilt, but Sue has kindly sent this info:

"Prickly Sow Thistle, 50 x 43, 2007
I am frequently drawn to take a closer look at plants that are classified as common weeds. Prickly Sow Thistle is indeed quite prickly, but it is also a colonizer on disturbed ground, helping to prevent soil runoff, and the seeds are a favorite of finches. Cyanotypes on cotton, heliographic print on cotton, artist-painted and commercial fabric, machine stitching, hand beading."

It is Sue Reno's "Prickly Sow Thistle" showing both the leaves and flowers. Gardeners everywhere will recognize this plant as a determined garden invader. The blue/yellow/green combination grabbed my attention - it is one of my favorite color schemes. http://suereno.com/ http://suereno.blogspot.com/

I sent Sue an e-mail asking about the different terms used in regard to these quilts. Her reply:"I find "sun print" or "sun dyed" to be confusing terms--it could refer to cyanotype, prints done with Setacolor, or prints done with Inkodye. So in my personal lexicon I have adopted "heliographic" to refer to the prints I do with Setacolor transparent paints. Even so it is not completely accurate--helio means sun, and I sometimes do prints using the heat from my coal stove in winter, as it is primarily a wicking process and doesn't rely on ultraviolet light like cyanotype does. I suppose I could call them monoprints, but that conjures up other associations, so I am sticking with heliographic. I like the way it rolls off the tongue!"

And so do I! Del

No pictures! 10-20-08

Sorry, I am at a motel in Tehachapi that supposedly has high speed, but I cannot open or send e-mails or pictures. And one reason I stayed here was to catch up on my mail. Guess I will pack up and after having lunch with my friend Mabel I will just head home. Perhaps I can be there in time to post some pictures this evening. Have a good day!!

Quilts from TCQC 10-19-08

"Night Maple" Ruth B. McDowell 2004 48"W x 57"L

Ruth's artist's statement reads:
"The shapes of the trunk and branches of Japanese maples are wonderful silhouettes in the winter. The use of a big collection of indigo dyed fabrics in the background gives a feeling of late evening to the quilt. One big polka dot from one of the indigo fabrics was carefully placed among the branches." www.ruthbmcdowell.com

You may notice as the weeks go by that I am very fond of quilts with trees. Which is also obvious in my blog posts. This quilt by Ruth McDowell fits with this time of year and takes me back to my childhood in western Oregon. As with all of her quilts, this one is machine pieced, even the tiniest little branches, and machine quilted. It also has some small spots of hand applique and embroidery.

The indigo fabrics come from many different countries, including Japan, Holland, and the USA.

More PIQF quilts 10-19-08

I always find the Santa Clara Convention Center a difficult place to take good photos - I suppose it is the lighting. Also, the camera flash reflects off the letters on the signs and obliterates some of them, so straight on images are almost worse than none at all. Some of these pictures were taken by Mary and some by me.

There seemed to be more animal quilts than usual, or maybe I just noticed them more this year. The first set of three pictures show one of several quilts Nancy Brown had in the show. As I have said before, she does exquisite handwork which I admire very much. These little doggies are after my heart - even if there isn't a poodle!

http://www.members.aol.com/nancybrownquilts/

I believe Sandy Curran's work has appeared at previous PIQF shows. However, I can't check because I am not at home with my textile library. Her other cat quilts I have seen have been appliqued, so perhaps this is a new direction for her. http://sandycurran.com/default.aspx

Barbara McKie is well known for her beautiful flower quilts which combine printing on fabric and intricate quilting. This is the first of her animal quilts I have seen. It was one of the sensations of this year's PIQF show. On first seeing the quilt many people, including myself, thought it was really fur. But, no, the combination of painting and stitching that Barbara has done make the animals very realistic. A great quilt.

http://www.mckieart.com/Pages/main_pgs/Main_home_frame.html

Mary and Joe are still on dial-up, so doing a blog and moving pictures around takes an eternity. I will be somewhere else tomorrow night and if they have high speed I will post some more PIQF quilts. If not I will have to do it after I return home later this week.