Highlights of the Road to California Quilt Show! part 3

Welcome to the Road to California Quilter's Conference and Showcase! The Road to California, as it is called, takes place in Ontario (Southern California), and features over 1,000 quilts by artists from all over the world. Around 40,000 people gather to see the show, take classes, and shop. Join us in admiring some of the stunning quilts from this year's show.

Also check out our E-Bay shop for great bargains on quilt patterns, books, and collectible items !
For more free quilt patterns, please visit us on Twitter.

The Elephant in the Room by Sandra Mollon, California

Third place winner in the category of Animal Quilts, Sandra remarks, " With its commanding gaze, the photo of a young bull elephant was one I wanted to work from. I wanted to add color, in the ears, and concentrating on value to convey the depth and texture."

Sandra's intriguing work is raw edge fused and  machine quilted, with some mixed media.We really admire Sandra's wonderful quilting work which accentuates the many features and textures of the elephant's face.

Spring Thing by Claudia Scheja, Germany

Third place winner in the Applique Wall Quilts category, Claudia notes, "Every year in early spring, I look forward to the first green leaves and flower buds. This quilt with a combination of traditional shapes and modern fabrics brings color and light and this feeling of the spring the whole year."

Claudia did all the sewing and applique by hand, then quilted her work on a longarm machine. We really like her elegant, flawless workmanship; and her award is well deserved.

Pensive Pause by Linda Anderson, California

Second place winner in the category of Human Image Quilts, Linda writes, "Traveling in India, our senses were alive with color, tastes, sounds and smells. Women were wrapped in stunning colors everywhere we looked, whether doing hard work or relaxing. This woman seemed to take a break in her efforts to sweep the area, quietly drawing into herself amidst the busy congestion all around her."

Linda's original design contains cotton fabrics, raw edge applique,  and all hand painted pieces,  It is machine stitched with bamboo batting. Linda has done a very expressive job of showing the contrasts of light and shadow in her fascinating work.

Gilded Star by Amy Allen, Hawaii

Amy explains, "This quilt was made by enlarging the templates from the [free] Star Gazer pattern, adding applique, a pieced border, and finishing if off with prairie points."

Amy continues, " I really enjoyed working with the mirrored fabrics through the quilt and tying it all together with original mirrored quilting designs." We really like the red ribbon inner border and the prairie points outer border which causes the quilt to "pop" against the neutral background.

Train to Nowhere by Cheryl See, Virginia

First place winner in the category of Applique Wall Quilts, Cheryl says, "My goal was to make a Hawaiian style quilt that was less traditional and innovative in design. The town center is surrounded by buildings and then a circular train track and train stations."

Cheryl adds, "As I progressed, the North, South, East, and West of the quilt became my personal NSEW and I included signs of every city I have lived in and every house number as well as my workplace. The four larger houses represent houses I have lived in." This is a wonderful design idea for a Hawaiian quilt, and we especially like the tiny embroidered flowers around the train stations, which add a charming touch to Cheryl's quilt.

Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2020 Road to California show.

Highlights of the 2018 Pacific International Quilt Festival ! (part 1)

The Pacific International Quilt Festival is the largest quilt show on the west coast of the U.S.A. Many thanks to our good friend, quilt artist Bonita McFadden, for her excellent photos. Let us know which quilts are your favorites !

Note: For quilt patterns, vintage jewelry,  and other treasures, visit us on E-Bay - We're Top Rated Sellers! And for continuous listings of free quilt patterns, please check us out on Twitter.

Marie's Treasure, 77 x 77", by Marilyn Badger (St. George, Utah)

Best of Show winner, Marilyn says, "This quilt is a tribute to my favorite Aunt. She crocheted doilies like no other. When I saw this hand-dyed doily in [fabric designer] Wendy Richardson's booth, I knew I wanted to make this quilt. Tie that together with some beautiful Paula Nadelstern fabric and lots of beads and crystals; and this is what you get."

Closeup, Marie's Treasure

This stunning center medallion, done in radiant ombre colors,  is actually a crocheted doily carefully appliqued to the quilt background. Marilyn's spectacular original design is machine appliqued and longarm machine quilted. More photos of this breathtaking award winner can be found on The Quilt Show Blog.

In the Old Way, 48 x 36", by Linda Anderson (La Mesa, California)

 Linda explains, " Traditional textiles in Oaxaca, Mexico,  are disappearing over time. Each village has its own design motif that tells their story. Trying to continue this tradition, this woman still dresses her granddaughter in the old way from time to time. That'll be the day when she is as old as gradnma and carries on the tradition of textile with her granddaughter."

Closeup, In the Old Way

Linda's very artistic original design is machine appliqued. This exquisite quilting emphasizes the tender affection expressed by the grandmother as she imparts cherished cultural adornments to her little granddaughter.

My Rhodie, 54 x 46", by Andrea Brokenshire  (Round Rock, Texas)

Blue ribbon winner for Best Innovative Quilt and Viewer's Choice Award winner, Andrea notes, "I made this to celebrate my parents. This quilt was inspired by a visit to the Rhododendron Gardens in Portland during the spring high bloom.

Closeup, My Rhodie

These delicate light and bold deep tones of pink are so lovely!  Andrea's original design is machine appliqued and sewing machine quilted.

Water is Life, So Why Are We Doing This, 61 x 44, by Thom Atkins (Santa Cruz, California)

Blue ribbon winner for Best Use of  Color in an Innovative Quilt,  Thom states   "[This was] inspired by a painting of a breaking wave by F.J. Anderson. I decided to make it a commentary on what we are doing to our oceans, hence the bits of distressed plastic embedded in the foam. "

Closeup, Water is Life

Thom continues, "I machine appliqued cotton fabric and lace, then hand-sewed on glass, pearls, and shell beads around the bits of plastic. I was looking for "beautiful" and "terrifying."  Thom's unique original creation is designed for maximum three-dimensional impact; so the the viewer feels almost like being in the ocean, looking through the pipeline effect of the wave.

In Full Bloom 83 x 69, by Claudia Pfeil ,  (Germany)

Claudia writes, "That'll be the day..........when everything is 'In Full Bloom', a magic hidden garden. The day when you relax and enjoy the peace and nature."

Closeup, In Full Bloom

Claudia's gorgeous, fanciful garden with these vibrantly colored, bead-embellished happy flowers is machine pieced, hand-appliqued, and longarm machine quilted.

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Bonita McFadden for Quilt Inspiration.

Highlights of the 2017 Houston International Quilt Festival - part 4

The Houston International Quilt Festival is an awe-inspiring event, with more than 1,600 quilts on display, and over 60,000 visitors!! It's hard to describe the scale and visual impact of this event. Here are more highlights of this fantastic show.

Note: We've listed lots of lovely items at very low prices at Quilt Inspiration's E-Bay store !

Sawyer by Gail E. Thomas (British Columbia, Canada)

Gail Thomas says, "Grandchildren are glorious gifts... I hand-painted [Sawyer's] portrait and the stenciled border on cotton batik fabric. Free-motion quilting and hand embroidery add a bit of depth. I used antique buttons on the jeans to bring the quilt to life."

Cum et Iris by Sandra Ruano Navarro (Madrid, Spain)

The Latin phrase "cum et iris" translates to "when a rainbow." This dramatic, original design uses a combination of geometric forms and optical effects to simulate the swirling motion of a twister, with rainbow color flashes, as seen through a window. The quilting extends the swirled lines to the very edge of the quilt. Machine applique was used to create the swirls.

Lichen by Betty Busby (New Mexico, USA)

Betty Busby says, "I was inspired by the endless variety of lichen a tough little family of plants that can grow even on bare rocks in the desert." Inspired by macro-scale images, she created Lichen with machine applique, fusing, and painting, using silk and non-woven materials.

Victorian Jungle by Barbara McCraw (Texas, USA)

This beautiful quilt won the Ina Stentiford Memorial Floral Quilt award. It was hand appliqued, embroidered and embellished, machine quilted, and hand beaded.

Barbara McCraw says, “My favorite old movies always showed women draped in beautiful fabrics, gathered, ruched and pleated. Fabric covered the walls, and urns were filled with opulent flowers and feathers. I used that inspiration to design my quilt and then used animal prints and African batiks to create the flowers.”

Gossiping Ducks and Hungry Tiger by Linda Anderson (Texas, USA)

This dramatic, photo-inspired quilt was entered in the Painted Surface category. Linda Anderson says, "I saw a Tang Dynasty percussion performance on a trip to China. These three men wear the clothing of that period. The background reflects the title, referring to conversations between “gossiping” ducks, while the large drum speaks of the hungry tiger waiting for his meal." This piece was machine appliqued and painted using cotton fabrics.

Pua Haka (Anthurium flower) by Misa Murofushi and friends (Tokyo, Japan)

The anthurium is also called “pua haka” in the Hawaiian language. This quilt was entirely hand pieced and hand appliqued by Misa Murofushi and friends.  The block design is by Kathy Nakajima,  who has authored many Hawaiian quilt books. You can see another Kathy Nakajima-inspired quilt on our 2015 post, Hawaiian quilts by Japanese Masters.

The dark applique shapes really stand out on the bright floral blocks, pieced from floral and Kaffe Fassett fabrics, making the flowers and baskets appear to be lit from behind.

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration.

Welcome to the 2017 Pacific International Quilt Festival: Day 2

Welcome to PIQF! This annual quilt show takes place each October in Santa Clara, California. Here are some of our favorites and some of the highlights of this show. We'd love to hear which ones are your favorites.

(Note: For great deals on quilt books, fabric and other treasures, please visit our eBay store!)

Braveheart , 64 x 46, by Linda Anderson (California)

Blue ribbon winner for Best Sewing Machine Workmanship, Linda explains, "I love to tell stories of people and cultures. Everyone has a story. I like to find a moment that captures something unique about a person, or a circumstance at any time in history."

Detail, Braveheart

Linda continues, "On a trip to China, we witnessed a Tang Dynasty performance of music and dance.This warrior presented such a powerful presence of command and leadership, I wanted to tell his story of courage, which is the symbol in the background ( on the upper right).
Linda's magnificent original design is machine appliqued and sewing machine quilted. She did a spectacular job of portraying the fine details of the warrior's facial features and costuming.

Carousel ,36 x 36,by Yvonne Chapman (Australia)

Blue ribbon winner for Best Use of Color in the World Quilt Competition, Yvonne notes, "This was my 'Tradition With a Twist' entry for the Australasian Quilt Competition 2016, the twist being that one of the horses here was real. As a child, the tradition during the summer was for a fair to operate on the town square. The carousel was my favorite ride, and I always thought MY horse was the REAL horse."

Detail, Carousel

Yvonne adds, "I love the way the lights reflected on the horses and tried to replicate that in this quilt."
Her original design is machine appliqued and sewing machine quilted. We can almost hear the carousel music playing, as these vibrant hues take us back to the merry-go-rounds of our youth. 

Swan Song, 46 x 30, by Sally Wright (California)

Sally writes, "Swans swam in a brook next to the site of our wedding; and it is said that swans mate for life. So marking our 30th wedding anniversary in 2014, these loving swans rest in their nest in the reeds bordering some imaginary lake."

Detail, Swan Song

Sally comments further, "They were rendered in fused applique from my own drawing, then painted and free motion quilted on an ombre ground. " We love the way these lifelike swans convey such a sense of serenity and gracefulness. Sally's original design is machine appliqued and sewing machine quilted.

Lime Light, Star Bright by Mel Beach (California)

Mel says, " I am fascinated with mandalas, both for their meditative qualities, and [for their] beauty. This modern mandala is pieced using the slice and insert technique." [a way to join fabrics at random angles while maintaining an even top edge].

Detail "Lime Light, Star Bright"

We really like the way these quilted loops and ovals complement the bold, angular geometric lines of this fascinating pattern. Mel's very intriguing and contemporary original design is machine pieced and sewing machine quilted.

Supernova by Marilyn Badger (Utah)

Blue ribbon winner in the Traditional Quilts category, Marilyn states, "Stars are my favorite design. Supernova evolved from my desire to make a red and black quilt."

Look at all the amazing details and precise piecing here ! Our photo really does not do justice to this jaw-dropping quilt, which is paper pieced, hand appliqued, embroidered, beaded, painted, and longarm quilted. 

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration.