PIQF 2015 ~ International Quilts

Since I am not posting pix of the quilts I am currently working on until after our guild's quilt show, here are some pix I took yesterday at Pacific International Quilt Festival. Yep, I took the day off and went to PIQF. I've never been and my friend and customer Sandy (Sandra E) took me for my birthday along with Mo, her friend in Orland, CA and we had the best time! It was a very long day however so worth it. Thank you Sandy, love you!!!

Posting a few this morning and more tomorrow for my Saturday Morning Post. It's a mix of quilts that I was drawn to, some were ribbon winners, some not. Starting with some of the International quilts that were grouped in one part of the building... amazing quilts and quilters from around the world, starting with this one...

Deco by Lee Vause, Australia  64 x 72

I love Art Deco and of course, machine quilting so I was drawn to this quilt and it's quilting... wow. This is my first visit to PIQF and a big quilt show... ever! I was on sensory overload all day!!! Next is a quilt also made by an Australian quilt artist...

 Data Garden by Belinda Betts   67 x 67

Also a favorite because of the Tree of Life blocks in the center and again, the machine quilting... wow! Machine quilting has grown, check that, exploded! into it's own art form. The bar keeps getting set higher and higher with amazing workmanship. Inspiring most of the time and also humbling, reminding me of how far I have to go with my own skills. 

 Triple Feathered Star by Yvonne McKee 

from the United Kingdom  75 x 75

 Center star

This one is more traditional both in piecing and quilting however, WOW for the piecing!!! The second pic shows the center star which is made with teeny tiny HSTs, 1/4 inch at best as the second layer are 1/2 inch HSTs! The piecing was amazing, I know how challenging a feathered star is. The next pic is of the border, love the gold and red combined with purple plus the artist added beads along the edge of the binding. Below is one of the cornerstones with it's teeny tiny HSTs. The machine quilting, traditional and beautifully done!

There were several from Germany that had allot of embellishments as the one above, with crystals and lots of bead work. More on that later. For now here are two more from New Zealand quilt artists. The first is a whole cloth on a dark fabric with different color threads...

 Kowhai by Ross Munro  60 x 59

The detail and color is lost with my poor photography skills 

and old camera plus it was hard shooting the dark fabric. Still amazing!

 The second from another New Zealand artist... traditional and modern...
with straight line quilting

 Simply Red and Grey by Maree LeComte  71 x 71

and one more from a different part of the show (not international) 

that I really loved because it also combined Modern with Traditional

These are but a few of the quilts plus vendors... didn't have time to cover that part of the floor. Allot! I did, of course visit Jim and Nicky at ABMs Innova booth also representing their quilt store Sew So Shop in Yuba City, CA. Filled an order of thread at Superior Thread's booth. Chico's local quilts shops that are there... Sandy at the Rabbit Hole in Chico, Marsha and Morning Star Quilts in Paradise, and of course Honey Run Quilters in Chico...

Ronda, Lauren and Terri working the booth.

Kathy was there too doing a demo :0( my pic didn't work out)

and we just missed Carmen and Amanda who left following their morning shift.

PIQF goes on thru the weekend. Yesterday was the first day, If you have the opportunity... go! It's amazing.  Be prepared for sensory overload! 

I had fun this morning going over my pix plus The Quilt Show posted a slide show that Mary Kay put together of Part One of the ribbon winners at PIQF. Check it out with this link. The very first quilt in the slide show is made by Betty Sweet, from Magalia and a member of our Chico quilt guild, Annie's Star Quilt Guild. This same quilt won Best in Show at our last guild quilt show. It was great to see it again at PIQF let alone that she won a big ribbon there. We have some pretty amazing quilters in the Chico area. 

Enough fun, I have to get to work! and finish the quilt on my frame that will go into this year's show... coming up Nov. 7th and 8th. Have I mentioned that? yes, yes, so ignore me but come to the show or go to PIQF and get inspired! 

Tot Ziens, Jo 

Autumn Medallion Sampler

Perfection in Autumn batiks! 95 x 106

This quilt is made by Peggy S for an upcoming October wedding

LOVE!!!

Wonderful batiks, I believe Peggy told me this was a class

 at Morning Star Quilts in Paradise, CA.

Great choice for backing

Quilted with a Glide thread in Desert Sunset

Quilting design is Rapunzel

Batting is Quilter's Dream Cotton

Gorgeous job of piecing by Peggy!

Thank you 

This beauty definitely sets the mood for Autumn

with cool temps this week YEA!!!

and a little bit of moisture falling from the sky.

This change in the weather is good news and will help getting fires under control. Thoughts and prayers go out to many displaced families here in California effected by the worst fire season I've seen as a native Californian & survivor of three evacuations. Special prayers to those in Lake County with significant losses, including one life and many animals. Many many thanks to the women and men who put themselves in harms way in order to fight fires and help preserve as many homes as possible. Thank you and stay safe.
 

Five in Five

Five quilts quilted this week!

First up is a quilt Betty D made in a guild workshop

Batik Blast with Judy Sisneros

Wonderful paisley batik quilted with a Paisley design

with a Rainbow variegated Fantastico thread

The black fabric are strips folded and pieced into cut blocks

A challenge for many longarm machines but the Innova did just fine :0)

Same applied to the set in folded fabric Cindy G added to this quilt

 The stripe with stars fabric is the folded flange set into the inner border

This is a quilt Cindy made for the Wounded Warrior project posted on Facebook

with Morning Star Quilt Shop in Paradise, CA

Pattern is Steppin' Up the Squares by Mary Kay Davis

Also made in a guild workshop this month

Quilted with Star Spangled Banner e2e with a Red thread

matching the red backing

This is another quilt made by Betty D

Quilted with Raindrops

that played with the water drops in these cute duck prints

and check out the yellow duck backing :0) ...

A wedding gift quilt made by Alice C

Hawaiian prints for a couple that love Hawaii

 Quilted with an e2e of Hibiscus Flowers

by Sweet Dreams Studio

The fifth quilt finished up this week is completely different

This is a vintage quilt made with 1930's prints

Real ones, not repros. 

I consider myself honored to see and work with a few vintage quilt tops. As much as I would love to see all hand pieced quilt tops hand quilted, it's not always affordable and maybe not every old quilt top should be rescued. This top was not in the best shape with many of the blocks falling apart that had been repaired by machine. Parts of the quilt were faded and the piecing was very puckered. Linda D brought this quilt in to be quilted. Rescued from a neighbor whose wife had passed away, Linda and I decided to use a wool batting for two reasons. It's a natural product and it would help fill in the puckered areas of the piecing. 

When Linda came in to pick up this quilt she brought me another top she finished. I can't wait to quilt it! Modern, we already settled on a great design from Digi-tech. Really nice quilt, very similar to Kelly's style. Love it! and so did Kelly! 

Rose, a customer brought an old quilt into my studio this afternoon. Made by a family member it had red and white nine patches alternating with white squares and it had a pink border and cornerstones. It was hand quilted with a cotton batting. The backing was made from some sort of feed bag or flour sack fabric. Well worn and loved, it was really special to see an old red and white quilt. (didn't think to take pix :0( it was a long day)

Thank you Betty, Linda, Cindy and Alice!

My quilting time is donated for as many Community Service quilts for the guild as I am able as well as Quilts of Honor and the quilt above that Cindy made will be donated to the Wounded Warriors project.

This is a Community Service quilt for Annie's Star Quilt Guild

Pieced by a guild member, now quilted and will go to another member for binding

 Quilted with Feathered Leaf e2e

 Wonderful backing!

The Houses Quilt was submitted to KIXE for their auction
Link with pic on ASQG website

One more, also quilted for the guild is a small quilt

made in like fabrics as our Opportunity Quilt

Brandie organized this project, purchased the fabrics and worked with volunteers to piece and applique the blocks. This little guy will be given to the person who sells the most Opportunity Quilt tickets. Quilted on the Innova as close to the same quilting done on the big quilt, I made one change and used a wool batting along with a layer of cotton to add loft.

 Brandie did allot of the applique, love her fussy cutting!
The quilt is back in her hands for binding and will be presented to the guild soon :0)

Even the little corner blocks were quilted as the big quilt

pictured here...

Happy I was able to make good progress

Today is also the one year anniversary for Helena and I

The day my Innova arrived and was set up in my studio

It doesn't feel like a year, but it also feels like I've always quilted on this machine.

Enjoy your weekend

Tot Ziens, Jo