Karen Miller quilt from Thomas Contemporary Quilt Collection 07-23-23

This is one of only two Katazome quilts in the Collection both by Karen Miller. And, I think, it is the only "fishy" quilt there is.   Lots of birds, but no fish or reptiles.  Guess they  are just not my "thing".

"California Gold"  Karen Miller - Corvallis, OR 2007  42"W x 19"L

Cotton and silk fabric, commercial batik fabric.  Stenciled with hand detail.

 Machine pieced and quilted.

Karen uses the ancient technique of Katazome to create her hand stenciled fabrics.  It is a very intricate and time consuming process, but the results are breathtaking.  You may have met Karen at her booth (Nautilus) at some of the larger quilt shows (PIQF, East Bay Heritage Quilters, IQF-LBeach), you could hardly miss her very beautiful fabrics and panels, many of them in indigo.  On her website she demonstrates the process she uses: 

http://www.nautilus-fiberarts.com/NewNFA/01AboutKatazome/index.php 

Look in the gallery section to see her finished work. http://www.nautilus-fiberarts.com/

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Quilts from the 2019 SAQA Auction 12-04-19

Here are the final three of the eleven quilts I purchased from the SAQA 2019 auction.   I have included the comments made by the makers on the auction page.  You can see all the quilts listed alphabetically by maker's name at:

http://www.saqa.com/auction-quiltviewALL.php

"Whimsy"  Cathy Heeter - Granger, Indiana   12"X12"

Random pieced black and white background. Improvisational raw edged collage of commercial fabrics.

Del sez:  I love the whimsy of this very original quilt.  Such verve!  Black and white with ORANGE and blue, how could it go wrong. 

"Bike in Belize"  Kathleen McCabe - Coronado, CA     12"X12"

Machine pieced and appliquéd, fused, then raw edge appliquéd and machine quilted. 

Del sez:  Kathleen told me this is inspired by a picture taken by a relative visiting Belize.  The color is so exciting and the slightly out of line trend is so interesting. 

"Butterflies on Bush Clover"  Karen Miller - Corvallis, OR

Katazome with artist's hand cut stencil, rice paste resist and indigo dye.
Del sez:  There is another Karen Miller quilt in the Collection, you can click on her name in the sidebar to see it.   I am so impressed with her skill at Katazome, each fine line she has cut into mulberry stencil material gives an individual mark unlike what anyone else could do.  And working with her own indigo dye is an art all of its own.  I like to include different techniques in TCQC.  

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Quilt by Karen Miller in TCQC 06-26-11

I have always had an "itchy foot" and sometimes just go off for a drive, just to be driving.  I don't always need a destination, but I was going to San Juan Bautista in June 2009 and decided to extend my trip to Philomath, OR, to see a one person exhibit of Karen Miller's work.  I didn't go with the intention of purchasing a quilt, but when I saw this one I couldn't resist.  I've never seen a golden trout in the wild, but I have caught a number of rainbows and browns.  The wild goldens are pretty much gone, perhaps there are a few in the high altitude wilderness preserves, where I will never go.  Instead I am able to enjoy this colorful school on my wall year round.   

"California Gold"  Karen Miller - Corvallis, OR 2007  42"W x 19"L

Cotton and silk fabric, commercial batik fabric.  Stenciled with hand detail.

 Machine pieced and quilted.

Karen uses the ancient technique of Katazome to create her hand stenciled fabrics.  It is a very intricate and time consuming process, but the results are breathtaking.  You may have met Karen at her booth at some of the larger quilt shows (PIQF, East Bay Heritage Quilters, IQF-LBeach), you could hardly miss her very beautiful fabrics and panels, many of them in indigo.  On her website she demonstrates the process she uses: 

http://www.nautilus-fiberarts.com/NewNFA/01AboutKatazome/index.php 

Look in the gallery section to see her finished work. http://www.nautilus-fiberarts.com/