QuiltCon 2022 highlights (3)

The outstanding QuiltCon show was held in Phoenix, Arizona this year! Presented by The Modern Quilt Guild, QuiltCon is the largest modern quilting show of its kind. Hundreds of modern quilts were on display, including a juried show with entries from MQG members around the world. Here are some of the remarkable quilts we enjoyed.

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

Sam and Pam by Patti Coppock (Oklahoma)

If you need a reason to smile, this delightful quilt could do the trick. Sam and Pam seem to have so much personality! 

Patti Coppock explains that the quilt was inspired by a piece of artwork by her grandson, drawn a few years back. She says, "I enjoy hearing the interpretations people share describing the relationship between these two and the reasons for their expressions."  

Sam and Pam was hand appliqued, reverse appliqued, and machine quilted without a frame (domestic).

Dragon Dance by Sheila Frampton-Cooper (California)

Here is a stunning creation by Sheila Frampton-Cooper, who explains how the design came to light: "One day, looking through a yoga magazine, I noticed a simple line drawing of a Mandala, and something inside of me started to stir!  I grabbed my iPad and started drawing like crazy.  The design for this quilt was the first one that came through."

Dragon Dance was created with a mixture of machine piecing and applique.  It was machine quilted without a frame on a domestic machine.

Battistero di Firenze by Laura Armiraglio (Italy)

The stunning Battistero di Firenze was inspired by the flooring of the Baptistery of the Duomo of Florence, Italy. The technique used was reverse applique by hand (wow).  We are in awe of the technical mastery and the graphic, three-dimensional effect which Laura Armiraglio achieved.  The genius lies in the perspective: rather than viewing the floor straight on, Laura uses the perspective of a person standing on the floor, making the viewer feel as if they are in the midst of the scene.

Phosphorific (Tri Color) by Ben Millett (Iowa), quilted by Kristen Lee

An intriguing optical illusion was created by Ben Millett, who wanted to explore using a constant-sized block with varying-sized patches within it.  As he explains, "I was intrigued by the possibility of combining an isosceles right triangle and an orange peel in the same block, and changing the size of both shapes across a quilt. No-pin, no-glue curves add an organic feel to the orange peels, as if they are seedlings sprouting as they use the surrounding water."

Rhythm in Blues by Terry Sargent Peart (Seattle, Washington)

Blue is the color of serenity, as exemplified in this gorgeous quilt by Terry Sargent Peart.  She says, "I was enamored by the symmetry and complexity of the curves and the geometric shapes of this design by graphic artist, Matt W. Moore, who graciously gave me permission to turn it into a quilt.  I took his line drawing and enlarged it to full size for the pattern.  From the paper, I cut out each piece individually and used those as templates to cut and sew the various blues together."

2020 Temperature Quilt by Sarah Schreiner (Colorado)

Here is a quilt that cleverly depicts the cyclical nature of the weather. As a scientist and quilter, Sarah Schreiner used a radial design to represent the cyclical nature of the weather. There are 12 colored wedges, one for each month during 2020. Each strip depicts the high and low temperatures for each day. The temperatures ranged from <5 degrees Fahrenheit for the coldest (purples) to >100 degrees for the hottest (pinks) with 5-degree increments.

Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2022 QuiltCon show.

QuiltCon 2022 Highlights (2)

The outstanding QuiltCon show was held in Phoenix, Arizona this year! Presented by The Modern Quilt Guild, QuiltCon is the largest modern quilting show of its kind. Hundreds of modern quilts were on display, including a juried show with entries from MQG members around the world. Here are some of the remarkable quilts we enjoyed.

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

Jessica Big Skirt by Patti Coppock (Oklahoma)

Winner of a Judge's Choice award, and 2nd place in the Negative Space category, this quilt by Patti Coppock drew a crowd of admirers at the show for its dynamic design. Jessica Big Skirt was inspired by a drawing, done by Patti's granddaughter when she was 5 years old.  Patti says, "The skirt came together 'accidentally' when I was sewing tiny scraps together for placemats."

Jessica Big Skirt was machine pieced, hand appliqued, and machine quilted on a domestic machine. A fascinating collection of prints and batiks were used to create a dynamic collage.

Sacred by Karen Stone (Texas)

Sacred by Karen Stone is a gorgeous original lotus design made with hand dyed and commercial cottons and silks.  The solid color fabrics in the lotus shapes are contrasted with the prints at the upper and lower edges. Commercial and hand-dyed cottons and silks make up this award-winning applique quilt, which was quilted with a domestic machine.

Illusions of Victor by Linda Hungerford (Florida)

In January 2020, the Central Florida Modern Quilt Guild members were challenged to design and make a quilt based on the art of a midcentury modern artist.  Illusions of Victor was inspired by Victor Vasarely and his optical illusion quilts, these drunkard's path blocks and 45-degree diamonds are pieced from a variety of solid colors and values. The piece was domestic machine quilted with a walking foot and a ruler foot with echo guide.

Windisch by Robert Lowe (New Mexico)

 The inspiration for this piece was the beautiful architecture of the Mülimatt Gymnasium in Windisch, Switzerland designed by Studio Vacchini architects.  Robert Lowe says, "I was taken by the cathedral-like windows surrounding the entire sports complex, allowing an incredible view of the outdoors from within the facility."  This outstanding piece was machine pieced, and machine quilted on a domestic machine.

My Memphis by Corinne Sovey (Texas)

We loved this playful, energetic design! Corinne Sovey says, "I've always been a fan of Memphis design from the 1980s and this is my take on the design aesthetic.  I used turned-edge machine applique for the shapes and chose to add texture to the quilt by adding batting to some of the shapes so they would pop out of the quilt (faux trapunto if you will).  I quilted over some shapes and left the trapunto shapes unquilted so they would jump off of the quilt." This piece was machine quilted without a frame.

Crossed Ribbons #2 by Diane Wespiser (Massachusetts)

Diane Wespiser has created a fascinating optical illusion with Crossed Ribbons #2, which is based on a traditional "knots" block.  The sizes of the blocks were varied and reversed to connect to the grey ribbons, creating a more three-dimensional image.  The center block is the largest, and the peripheral blocks become smaller as they approach the edges. The impression is that of a convex surface. (This quilt was designed in EQ8.) The open spaces were quilted with radiant sun rays.

Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2022 QuiltCon show.