Tokyo International Quilt Show 2011 02-19-11

I have never been to the Tokyo Quilt Show - it is but a dream!  But there are people who do go and then post pictures.  There are 211 images in the Flicker set posted by http://bemused.typepad.com/bemused/

Go to:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/22514067@N00/sets/72157625919155444/with/5393900486/ 

 
This is a detail of a really awesome quilt. 
B'mused explains that many of the photos are not labeled with the title or the name of the maker because the labels are in Japanese and she doesn't read Japanese.  As many of you know I strongly disapprove of posting pictures of people or quilts without an attribution, however, in this case, we all at least have a chance to see the unbelievable work the Japanese quilt makers are doing. 

This URL will give you the same Flicker set in a slightly different format:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/22514067@N00/5393169351/in/set-72157625919155444/

And here is different set from Smile Box:
http://secure.smilebox.com/ecom/openTheBox?sendevent=4d6a49334e5459304d6a553d0d0a&blogview=true&campaign=blog_playback_link


And, in case you missed it in last night's post, here is the URL for the Road2California winners:
http://www.road2ca.com/2011winners/road/winners.html

Friday Feet 02-18-11

Here are the cutest feet I know of! 
 
I have always loved Corky's little feet - so neat and tidy.



 
And here are all four sweet feet.
 
At last!  Pictures of all the winners at Road2California have been posted:

http://www.road2ca.com/2011winners/road/winners.html

Still more Valley Quilters QShow 02-17-11

This quilt was front and center when we went into the quilt show.  The quilting was very nice.

This sweet design was, as the sign says, hand painted on cotton, then the images were cut out and hand appliqued to the background. The breed of each cat is shown in the machine quilting.

An interesting variation of Double Wedding Ring.  Nice color.

More Valley Quilters QShow 02-16-11

Marilyn Ball seems to applique and do piecework with equal ability. She made "Going South", the quilt I posted yesterday, and she also piece this wonderful traditional "Thousand Pyramids".  

It is a much more difficult piecing job that one would think.  All those bias edges are easily stretched, so the piecer must be careful when sewing them by hand or by machine.  She has achieved a great classic coloration.

 

Great fun for a grandmother to receive these exuberant images to make into a quilt.

The addition of Josey's image is an inspired touch.

A lovely traditional applique with a nice choice of fabrics.

Valley Quilters 31st Annual Quilt Show, Hemet, CA 02-15-11

As I said the other day, I have been going to the Valley Quilters Quilt Shows almost every year for the thirty-one years they have held them.  I didn't go the first year and I have missed a few others, usually because I had my winter bronchitis.  It isn't a large show and most of the quilts are quite traditional, but they are very nicely done.  Besides, the ladies in the guild are always friendly and welcoming.

 This was surely my favorite quilt this year, so much so that I photographed individual blocks - each a little gem.

As you can see, the judges also liked it.

 
Not a realistically shaped nest, but a wonderful fabric choice.

That is a real feather - remains of the bird that lived here.

 

 Great details - the books, the pencil, the little bell.

Such perfect hand applique.

My Valentine's Evening Date 02-14-11

He was not much of a live wire!  But I loved being with him.

Quilt from TCQC by Els Vereycken 02-13-11

This is the last of the quilts that I added to the TCQC during the Studio Art Quilt Associates online auction last autumn. 

"Winter"  Els Vereycken  2010  12" x 12"

Gray ink/paint on white cotton with black stitching.

 

A very plain back.  I suspect Els used a fabric from her "fabric library" that she didn't think she would ever use on the front of a quilt.  Notice that she turned up the bottom half inch of the image on the front of the quilt.

I was attracted to this piece because of the simplicity of the design and execution.  It is one of those works that is so striking from a distance and pulls me in closer to see the detail. 

Els lives in Belgium, but doesn't have a website that I can find. But here are a few websites that show some of her quilts.  http://www.quiltingdaily.com/media/p/15682.aspx  http://www.howoriginal.net/Snowflakes/artist_pages/els_vereycken.htm  http://www.quiltingdaily.com/media/p/2836.aspx

Linda Colsh tells me Els is in the group  http://www.q-art.be/  with her - check it out.

Valley Quilter's 31st Annual QShow 02-12-11

I have been traveling out to Hemet/San Jacinto to this quilt show most of the last thirty years, even before I knew my friend Liz.  I think it was the first QShow that Floyd ever went to.  Liz has gone with me almost every year for the last eighteen or so years - it is our Spring ritual.  We usually see lots of wildflowers and baby animals, but this year was a disappointment on both items.  We saw no baby animals, mostly because the area has been built up so much that there aren't the open pastures and farmyards there were even ten years ago.  And we only saw three small clumps of poppies.  I expected masses and masses, but I suppose the rain was too early (December) or maybe the flowers are just later this year for a reason I don't understand. 

I haven't had time to work on the pictures I took of the quilts, so they will wait until next week.  But one thing that we always see at quilt shows are quilty license plates....

 

I guess if you "read" the heart shape that this plate says "Love Quiltin'".

 

Here is a Lexus ES driven by a quilter.

 

Lots of Oregon plates in the parking lot - of course, retirees come down for the winter to get away from all the rain they have up there in God's Country.  The light washed out the license plate frame which says something about the "Sweet Adelines:" organization - I like the bumper sticker that relates.  

This lady drives a Grand Caravan.   I wish I were still driving my Caravan, but it wasn't a Grand because my garage is a little too tight for the length.  However, they no longer make the "Sport" which had a shorter wheel base.  I don't find my Lexus RX very comfortable and I REALLY miss those sliding side doors.

 

There was a small flock of cattle egrets in the grassy area beside the parking lot.  I don't think I have seen them in the Hemet area before and I haven't seen many lately while driving up I-5.  But it is migratory bird season, so maybe these guys were just passing through.  They don't have their apricot colored breeding plumage yet.

Even without wild flowers and baby animals we had a great time together and saw ladies from Surfside Quilters Guild in San Clemente who had made the journey out to see the show.