Happy Halloween!

With Halloween time comes the time for the Houston International Quilt Festival, here in downtown Houston at the George R. Brown Convention Center.  My quilter friends and I (and Mom before me) usually get hotel rooms and stay downtown for several nights so that we can really take time to explore the booths and take in all of the beautiful quilts.  With the show being so scaled back this year, we scaled back also and just drove up for the day.  I'm not complaining!  I'm happy the show was in-person this year.  I do hope that it grows back to its previous size next year, though.  I've already got my calendar marked to make those elusive hotel reservations.

All that said, this month I'm going to just post pictures of some of the quilts that I saw at the show, in no particular order, which I loved some part of, that inspired me, that amazed me, or that is based off of one of Mom's patterns.  Oh!  One thing before I get started.  I've gotten A LOT of requests for the Trick or Treat quilt pattern.  It is at the top of my list to update an re-release, hopefully in the next couple of weeks.  I'm almost done updating the Yuletide Joy pattern, so that one will probably appear on the website first.  Progress!

The first quilt I want to show you is La Catrina by Cindy Stohn.  First because she's a good representation of Day of the Dead (which is right after Halloween), and second because it reminds me so much of one of my favorite photos of my sister and I.  This quilt was made without any technology, paint, or fusibles.  It is layers of hand cut fabric which were appliqued during free motion quilting on a hand-dyed background.  Over 66 colors of thread were used!  This is a really fantastic work of art, in my opinion.  The eyes are so realistic!

La Catrina by Cindy Stohn

Real life Catrinas, Jenny and Mary (several years ago).

Next up, I'm walk us through some of my favorite miniatures.  I do love miniature quilts... the teeny tiny pieces just blow my mind sometimes!  They're one of my favorite sizes to make because I know, with certainty, that I will be able to finish the quilt!!!

First miniature is Dream Weaver by Judy Spiers, which received a second place ribbon.  It's so bright and colorful!  At first, I thought the fabric had a really nice texture to it.  But no!  This quilt is make up of itsy bitsy pineapple blocks!  There are 225 blocks containing 17,325 pieces (who's counting?!), making up a quilt that is only 18 1/4 inches square.  Holy moly!

Dream Weaver by Judy Spiers

Next is Flower Baskets by Lahala Phelps.    This one amazed me because not only is it hand appliqued, but it is also hand quilted.  And so beautifully!

The first place ribbon went to this quilt, Emerald Labyrinth by Kumiko Frydl.  Just wow!  This is a miniature wholecloth quilt that uses thread painting to add color.  It is based on an image of El Barkookeyeh Mosque in Cairo.

Emerald Labyrinth by Kumiko Frydl

Firebird by Megan Farkas received honorable mention in the miniature category.  Those tiny princess feathers, though!  When I complain to myself about too much applique, I will just remember this little quilt, which probably contains as many applique stitches as some larger quilts!

Firebird by Megan Farkas

Soft Pride by Amy Pabst is another teeny tiny pineapple block quilt.  Incredible!  Can you believe it is ditched?!  This one contains 11,925 pieces.

Soft Pride by Amy Pabst

The last miniature for today is Cabin Fever by Patricia Caton.  I have lately found myself drawn to log cabin quilts.  So... I love miniatures and I love log cabins... of course I love this little darling!

Cabin Fever by Patricia Caton

Next exhibit at the show for me was Barbara Black's Joyful Journey exhibit, which had several quilts based on patterns of Mom's.  First, though, is Barbara's My Lifetime Quilt, which came from a leader/ender project over three years.  It contains 12,800 triangles, that are 1 1/4 inch each.  It's like Omigosh and Good Golly multiplied by ten!  After that quilt are the ones Barbara made from Mom's patterns... Ruffled Roses, Stars for a New Day, and Washington Medallion, respectively.

My Lifetime Quilt by Barbara Black

Ruffled Roses by Barbara Black

Old Stars, New Day by Barbara Black

Joyful Journey by Barbara Black

Now I want to post a few photos of quilts we saw that are based on Mom's patterns.  I saw a Ladies of the Sea and a couple of Halo Medallion Quilts.

Lady of the Sea by Chong Kropik

Closeup of Lady of the Sea by Chong Kropik.  That quilting is phenominal!

Starlight Rhapsody by Sandra Ching-Fong.  Love the red!

Ruby Halo by Karen Lambdin.  She added her own applique border, and changed up another border to the lattice border, which came from another of Mom's patterns.  LOVE!

Closeup of Ruby Halo by Karen Lambdin.  This quilting is just exquisite!

And now, just a couple that stood out to me, personally.  Now that I'm looking at the photos a week later, I think it's the quilting that drew me in the most.  These are just beautiful quilts.

A Legacy Intertwined by Paula Dornenburg.

Songkwangsa Temple by Mikyung Jang.  This is an original design using fused applique, thread drawing and thread sketching.  Jaw dropping!

Wreath of Roses by Sally Magee.  This beautiful work of art is hand appliqued, hand embroidered, and hand quilted.  I can't imagine the number of hours it took to complete.

Pure Velvet by Amy Pabst.  Another teeny tiny pineapple block quilt.  This one has 21,609 pieces.

Closeup of Pure Velvet by Amy Pabst.

Cake Plate by Salena Korpi Beckwith.  ALL SILK!  It is so perfectly pieced and beautifully quilted.  It's no wonder it received a blue ribbon!

 

Closeup of Cake Plate by Salena Korpi Beckwith 

Bee by Linda Fleschner.  Who doesn't love bees?  

Circles in Bloom by Robyn Cuthbertson.  This quilt is threadpainted and trapuntoed.  It amazed me!

Closeup of Circles in Bloom by Robyn Cuthbertson

The Garden of My Memories by Kayoko Hibino.  The fabrics used in the applique came from the quilter's mother's keepsake kimonos.  What a beautiful tribute to her mother.

Inherited Inspiration by Michelle Plourde.  The cording around many of the seams drew me in.  There is over 600 feet of custom cording in this quilt.

Bricks 'n Gears by Claudia Pfeil

Closeup of Bricks 'n Gears by Claudia Pfeil

Last, but certainly not least, this crazy quilt still has me staring at its photo for way too long, trying to figure out how the quilter actually put it together and planned it out.  It is hand pieced, appliqued, embroidered, and quilted... so, I suppose that means she could have put it together with less planning.  She made it to represent her wish that all of us help each other to make a happy and joyful world.  And, she used bright colored fabrics to express such a world.  I think we should all share in this belief!

Friend by Hideko Kawai

Closeup of Friend by Hideko Kawai.  Note that there are fish outlines stitched into the background, swimming right alongside the appliqued fish.

That's all I've got for now.  Stay safe, stay warm, and as always...

Keep quilting!

Jenny

Who Knew?

There are so many questions that I could ask that begin with, "Who knew?"  Like... Who knew that I, along with millions of others, would still be working from home after eighteen months?  Almost two years of the COVID pandemic keeping so many people in isolation, masked up, away from friends and family, and worse.  I pray that it comes to end sooner rather than later, and that we can all get back to a normal world again, whatever normal looks like in our futures!  Stay safe and healthy!

Who knew that Mom loved angels so much that she made two quilts of angels??  No me!  Last blog, I posted about The Angel Quilt and how we have re-released it on the Come Quilt website.  As it turns out, that was not the quilt that I was getting so many requests for.  She had also made a pattern for a quilt that she simply named Angels.  That one has also been updated and re-released on the website.  It's a cutie!  If I actually had the quilt, I would take more photos of it, and give you some closeups.  Alas, I have no idea where this quilt is living, so all I have to share is a photo that we found on Mom's computer.

Angels by Sue Garman

Who knew that I'd have so much catching up to do with posting photos of quilts that I've done?!  I'm embarrassed to say how long ago we finished these quilts, but let's just say they were done before the world went into lockdown.  My friend, Sheila, and I have boys that are just a month apart in age, and they used to go to the same summer camp together.  The camp does an online fundraising auction every year to help pay for camp for kids that can't afford it.  Sheila made these two quilt tops using shirts from the two camp groups that kids get assigned to, and I quilted them up for her, to be donated for that auction.  I love the backing that Sheila picked, with all of the positive words, and I chose an outdoorsy edge-2-edge pattern for the quilting.  This one is forest friends pano 001 by Kimberlee Diamond at Sweet Dreams Quilt Studio.  I need to check and see if that auction ever happened!

Omega quilt overall top.

Omega quilt closeup.

Omega quilt back.

Alpha quilt overall top

Alpha quilt closeup

Alpha quilt backing

Who knew that my friends were such prolific quilters?  I guess I do know this, but I'm trying to keep with the theme of this post here.  LOL!  I'm posting photos of two quilts that I quilted for my good friend, Becky.  The first is a vintage or antique top that she picked up, which is in excellent condition!  In keeping with a traditional, older top, and knowing that it's one of Becky's favorites, I went with a traditional Baptist Fan pattern for the quilting.  This one is also from Kimberlee Diamond, baptist fan pano 003.

Antique top overall

Antique top closeup

Antique top backing

The other quilt that I did for Becky is a very scrappy sew along quilt from Temecula Quilt Company.  In 2020, Temecula did a weekly scavenger hunt with clues for where to find the next part of the sewing instructions in one of their books.  Becky and her sister, Jerrianne, both made the quilts, and then had me and another longarmer friend, Cynthia, quilt each of them.  I love scrappy, and I love Civil War colors, so I love this quilt!

Scavenger Hunt quilt overall

Scavenger hunt quilt closeup

Who knew it would take me so many YEARS to quilt my sister's Hawaiian style applique quilt?  Back in June of 2017, we posted a photo of Mary's quilt top that she had finished.  I finally got it loaded on my machine and quilted it in a traditional Hawaiian style, with load and loads of echoes around the applique.  It still needs to be bound, so it's not completely complete, but it's certainly a lot closer!

Mary Hawaiian quilt overall

Mary Hawaiian quilt closeup

Who knew I'd be so obsessed with the Dream Big panels??  I made one for my son, very bright and electric, to hang in his room a few years ago.  And, I have a black and white one to finish "someday."  And, when the panels were released on Cuddle fabric, I bought and quilted two more.  They're so soft and cuddly, just like the name!  The first purple and blue panel, I quilted up using an edge-2-edge set from Sweet Dreams (again), called Hoffman Small Flower Panel 2 Bundle.  I love all of the hidden fairies, butterflies, and dragonflies floating around within the bubbles.  The light blue panel, I also quilted using a set of patterns from Sweet Dreams.  That set is called Hoffman Zen Dream Feather Bundle.  It has absolutely gorgeous veined feathers filling each petal perfectly!

Dream Big Cuddle Dark Overall

Dream Big Cuddle Dark Closeup

Dream Big Cuddle light overall

Dream Big Cuddle light closeup

Dream Big Cuddle light backing

Who knew I'd run out of steam writing, before I finished catching up the photos?  I think that's all I'm going to share for now.  I'll try to do a better job of posting more often so I don't have such a backlog of pictures to share.  See you soon!

Keep quilting!

Jenny