FYI

I seem to have abandoned quilts in favor of jewelry, at least temporarily, and in case you're interested, I am blogging doggedly away over here. (I just threw in a quilt picture the other day, though - you know I can't resist for long.)

I did go to the quilt show, but predictably, all I bought was beads. I did look around at the quilts - I was most interested in the Tolkien quilt, which can be seen on the winners page. I also got a parking ticket, which may be why I am a bit grumpy about the whole subject!

I started updating the list of quilt shows while I'm here, but if it doesn't say "2010" on the date don't depend on it. I'm glad to see Houston is back to its proper place in early November next year. October 15th just didn't feel right!

Tulips and Vase

Made by Irene Kahmann; from the exhibit "Hands All Around XXI" at the 2006 Houston International Quilt Festival.

Field of Flowers

Made by Julie Hirota of California; entered in the category Innovative Applique, Small at the 2005 International Quilt Festival.

Fancy Iris

Quilt above made by Doris Teixeira of Brazil; entered in the category Art-Naturescapes at the 2005 International Quilt Festival.

Buttercup

Made by Holly Knott of Marcellus New York; shown in the judged show (category: Art-Pictorial) at the 2006 Houston International Quilt Festival.

Happy green day, or something like that

Here's a couple more quilts with a lot of green in them for your St. Patrick's Day edification:



Quilt above, "Rhubarb", made by by Karen Hampton of Indiana; entered in the category Art-Abstract, Small at the 2005 International Quilt Festival.



Quilt above, "Nebraska's Rising Sun", made by Sandi McMillan and Laura Franchini of Albion, Nebraska; winner of 1st prize in the category Two Person at IQF 2006.

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I went to the one-day version of the quilt retreat a couple of weeks ago - that is, other people stayed longer, but I just went for the one day. I was really glad I went at least for that long, because instead of taking those same blocks I've been stalled on, I took the not-quite-finished quilt of my mother's that I've been meaning to put the binding on for ages. I got that all cut and pressed and sewn on, and now I'm doing the hand-sewing on it, and it should be finished soon. (I'm usually quite good about doing the hand-sewing once I get to that point.) And then I got finished with that around lunchtime, and I spent the rest of the day cutting pink fabric. Remember that pink quilt I've been saying I'm going to make? Well, it's no longer a pile of uncut fabric; now I have a pile of squares instead, which should eventually become a pile of triangles. We'll see how long it takes me to get to that point.

I wish I'd stayed longer at the retreat, really, because a lot of people were there that I hadn't seen in ages and I didn't feel like I got to talk to all of them for very long. (Oh, and also? You ought to see what Cynthia England is working on. It's a long way from being finished, but what she has finished is absolutely gorgeous.)

Strata Garden

Strata Garden, originally uploaded by Mellicious.

Quilt above made by Scott Murkin of North Carolina; winner of third prize in the category Mixed Technique in the judged show at the 2007 Houston International Quilt Festival.

The Calico Cat brought home a picture of a (very) different quilt by this same guy from the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Show a couple of weeks ago - this one. Man, oh, man. (I like the one above better, though.)

Peace

I'm on a green kick!

Quilt above made by Suzanne Marshall; from the Faculty Showcase at the 2006 Houston International Quilt Festival.

Web of Life

Web of Life, originally uploaded by Mellicious.

Made by Ann Horton of California; entered in the judged show (category: Computer-Aided Machine Embroidery) at the 2007 Houston International Quilt Festival.

But Can He Sing?

But Can He Sing?, originally uploaded by Mellicious.

Made by Roberta Williams of Milwaukee; entered in the category Innovative Applique, Large at the 2005 International Quilt Festival.

Journal quilts by Ami Simms - and an interview

From the exhibit "Journal Quilt Project 2006: A Page From My Book" at the 2006 Houston International Quilt Festival.

There's a good interview with Ami Simms up, as part of the Save Our Stories project. It makes me want to make something to send in to Ami's Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative. (Actually, I think I have an idea about something to do for that. More later, if it pans out.)

(I think I've posted this picture before, but it seems to be the only thing of Ami's I have a picture of! Besides, they're related to the AAQI and they're cool.)

Everyday Best

Everyday Best, originally uploaded by Mellicious.

Made by Becky Goldsmith, Sherman, Texas. From IQF 2004.

Becky Goldsmith is one of the Piece O'Cake ladies so I bet this is in a book somewhere.

Drink

Drink
Originally uploaded by Mellicious.

Here's a water quilt I don't remember ever featuring before; it was made by Joan Sowada of Wyoming and entered in the category Art-People, Portraits, and Figures at the 2005 International Quilt Festival.

Seagrapes - and quilt shows

"Seagrapes" (above) made by Sarah Louise McClean of Fort Lauderdale; entered in the judged show (category: Art-Naturescapes) at the 2007 Houston International Quilt Festival.


I was thinking about making a list of upcoming big quilt shows, and I haven't really gotten very far yet (and you don't know with me whether I ever will!), but FYI, here's the ones for this year from the quiltfest.com people:

Feb 21-24: Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival, Hampton, Virginia
Feb 28-Mar 2: Quilt Festival of New Jersey, Somerset, NJ
May 1-4: Denver National Quilt Festival, Denver, CO
Sept 4-7: Pennsylvania National Quilt Extravaganza, Harrisburg, PA
Sept 18-21: World Quilt and Textile on Tour, Manchester, NH
Oct 16-19: Pacific International Quilt Festival, Santa Clara, CA
Nov 13-16: Greater Chicago Quilt Expo, Schaumberg, IL

I seem to have the jones to go to a quilt show. I actually went so far as to look up how much the fare would be to fly to Norfolk on the 22nd. (The cheapest on Southwest was $357 round-trip, which isn't TOO too horrible, but I'm not sure how my husband would react if I decided just to fly halfway across the country all suddenly like that!) What I think I'd really like to do is to plan something for this summer. Then I'm like, do I want to ask my aunt to come with me? Do I want to go by myself? I don't really mind doing stuff like that by myself. Sometimes it's easier - you can just do what you want to do and not worry about pleasing anybody else, you know?

Anyway, that decision can come later, if I ever even get that far. I came up with summer because we're going to Ohio in April already and I don't want to schedule myself too heavily. What quilt shows are in the summer? I know Columbus is, but my mother-in-law would kill me if I came to Columbus and didn't go see her. What else? Sisters, but that would be awfully expensive. And I guess there's that new Quilts Inc one in California, too. Is there anything else I'm forgetting? (Is there someplace where there's already a calendar?) I may have to do some more research!

Vacation

Continuing with the water theme. (I can go on a good while with this by the way, I have quite a few even if I limit myself to ones I haven't shown here before!)

Quilt above made by Keiko Kitamura of Hyogo-Ken, Japan; shown in the judged show (category: Art-Pictorial) at the 2006 Houston International Quilt Festival.

Leaving Ireland

Another very nice quilt of the watery persuasion.

Quilt above made by Robin Haller of Carbondale, Illinois; shown in the judged show (category: Art-Naturescapes) at the 2006 Houston International Quilt Festival.


(This picture won't be back, since this is one of the ladies who felt that their copyright had been violated. However, she was very nice about it - unlike some others. I really liked this quilt, though, and I'm sorry you can't see it too.)

Transformation

I know some people are getting more winter weather than they'd like - even here on the South Coast it's pretty darn chilly - but just the same, here is a nice winter landscape to admire.

Quilt above made by Pamela Druhen of Vermont; entered in the judged show (category: Art-Naturescapes) at the 2007 Houston International Quilt Festival.


(Hmm, I seem to have unconsciously had a water theme going the last few days, so maybe I'll continue with that!)

View from House Rock

Quilt above made by Sue Reno; from the exhibit "Small Wonders VIII" at the 2006 Houston International Quilt Festival. (I had a note on flickr that there was an article about Sue Reno in the September Quilter's Newsletter - I'm guessing that probably means September 2006, but I can't swear to that.)

River Walk

This is a test to see if you've ever been to San Antonio - if you have, you probably don't need to ask where this is!

Quilt above made by Nancy Sterett Martin of Kentucky; entered in the judged show (category: Art-Pictorial) at the 2007 Houston International Quilt Festival.

Owatatsumi (and friends)

Owatatsumi, originally uploaded by Mellicious.

I love Japanese woodcuts, so naturally when I see quilts made using those kind of designs I gravitate towards them - like a bee to honey and all that. :)

Quilt above made by Marie Karickhoff of Michigan; entered in the judged show (category: Art-Naturescapes) at the 2007 Houston International Quilt Festival.

This quilt with the same design source was at IQF way back about 2002. I don't know the quilter's name, but clearly it is made a bit differently than the other one. They are both lovely, though. (It's only the picture quality that is lacking in this one!)