Wednesday, September 29, 2010

NW Quilting Expo 2010 Part Three: Ann Johnston, Featured Instructor



Quilter, author, and teacher Ann Johnston loves to experiment with fabric dye.  Her work is as beautiful as it is interesting, and was a real highlight of the expo for me.

 Fallen/2006 
Monoprinted dye on cotton sateen.

 9 Blue Characters/2007 
Machine pieced cotton sateen.  Hand quilted by Oswego Quilters.

 Arch #7 Freehand/2008 
Whole cloth monoprinted dye on cotton sateen.

 Striped Arch/2005
Whole cloth printed and painted dye on cotton sateen.

Arch and Circle/2005
 Whole cloth printed and painted dye on cotton sateen.


 Sand in the Wind/2006
Hand painted dye on cotton broadcloth


 Writing Uphill/2006
Hand printed and painted dye on cotton broadcloth



 Pencil and Ink Days/2007
Monoprinted dye on cotton sateen

 Looking Back (double cross#10)
Whole cloth iron stained silk

 Is it a Game?/2006
Hand painted dye on cotton broadcloth



 Weathered Memories/2008
Balace #30: In between
Wholecloth iron stained silk.

 Countless/2009
Hand dyed cotton broadcloth




 Dragon and Phoenix/2009
Hand dyed cotton sateen

 Ann Johnston



I love them all, but Sand in the Wind is my favorite.  What's yours?

With wishes, true and kind -- Joan

Monday, September 27, 2010

NW Quilting Expo 2010 Part Two: Jean Wells, Featured Quilter

I have to admit that when I turned a corner at the quilting expo and saw a Jean Wells quilt, I immediately felt a rush of quilting bliss!   If you are a fan of Jean Wells or have her book, Intuitive Color and Design, you know just what I'm talking about.  If you don't own Intuitive Color and Design, then all I can say is, "Why not?!?" Jean is a designer, instructor, gardener, proprietress of The Stitchin' Post in Sisters, Oregon, founder of the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show, and the author of over 27 books.  Seeing her quilts featured was when the quilting expo really started getting exciting for me.

Click on any of the pictures below for a closer look.

Landscape I

Colors of Provence

New York City Scape

Cross Cut II

Plum Envy

Firefly


Paradise in the Garden


Summer Celebration

 Pine I

Stone III  Pillars


Hidden Stone

Sticks and Stones


Mountain Rhythms


Landscape IV


Metolius I


Thank you, Jean.  Thank you, thank you, thank you!  You totally made my day!

With wishes, true and kind -- Joan

Saturday, September 25, 2010

NW Quilting Expo 2010 Part One: Quilts and Vendors

I was pleasantly surprised by the more modern quilts and art quilts displayed at this year's show,  and even more pleasantly surprised to run into two friends and Portland Modern Quilters, Tobey S. and Lisa P. Quilt shows are definitely more fun with friends!

Now, get a coffee, tea, or glass of wine, and sit back and enjoy some quilting eye candy:

France Fabric Foray with Fons and Friends by Bev Sheeley
Pattern: A Bouquet of Quilts by Rounds and Rymar
Primarily made with French fabrics from a 2007 trip on the Fons and Porter Tour de Provence.  The border commemorates the French red poppy fields in bloom.

Anthony's City by Laura Newton
"Three Dimensional Design" by Katie Pasquini and "Optical Illusions for Quilters" by Karen Combs
Made for her son based on computer games and representing going down into an evil city.


 The Cotton Club 19 year Anniversary Quilt by Cheryl Little
Quilted by Mom's Quilters and Karen Hanson
Made from 4" squares mailed to Cotton Club members from 10 counties the first 10 years of Boise Basin Quilters

 History and Tradition by Judy Eselius, Quilted by Myrna Ficken
Venice at Carnival from the book, People of the Book
Piecing, machine applique, and fusing.


Optical Sun by Sharon Stern
Inspired by a visit to a quilt show in Tokyo.

Fracture by Bonnie M. Bucknam
One of a series of quilts evocative of landforms, based on the "V" or triangle.


View Toward Indio by Bonnie M. Bucknam

The Long and Short of It by Mary Kay Price
Machine pieced cottons, hand quilted with embroidery floss and perle cotton.

The Best of Show Award: Autumn Beauty by Barbara Shapel
The back of the quilt is the same scene at night and in reverse.


 In the Playpen by Janice W. Hearn
Hand painted silk organza layered, fused, embellished with foil, decorative threads, and beads
and framed using Jean Wells' portrait method.
A small quilt.


 Fall's Fire by Mary Arnold
Inspired by a careful arrangement of leaves that the quilt maker picked up off the street.

Details by Linda Reinhart
A small quilt


Mason's Guitars by Pat Busby
Made for a grandson's thirteenth birthday.


  Me and My Shadow by Gail Stepanek and Ronda K. Beyer
Quilted by Ronda K. Beyer

Garden Scene by Mary Arnold
A small quilt, about the size of a piece of paper.

 From Ugly Duckling to Beautiful Swan by Sally LeRoy
Pattern Design by Carol Bryert Fuller
Inspired by the book, The Book Thief

 Converge by Mary Arnold

 This quilt was made as part of the Hoffman Challenge.  Unfortunately, the photo I took of the label came out blurred, so I can't make out the name of the quilt or it's maker. It stood out to me because of it's use of warmer colors with the cooler colors of the Hoffman Challenge fabric.

 Stream of Consciousness Defies Logic by Debbie Gehman, Niskayuna, NY.
Also part of the Hoffman Challenge.

 The Beauty of Metamorphosis by Connie Samara, Castle Rock, Colorado
Hoffman Challenge quilt.


 Shangri-La by Judy Beskow, Lake Charles, Louisiana
Hoffman Challenge quilt.

Busy Bee Designs of West Linn, Oregon had a very tempting booth.
 I just love a good Union Jack quilt (Busy Bee Designs - Victory Garden pattern).


 I was especially tempted by little fat eighths of fabric that looked like refined burlap but was very soft.  It turned out to be raw silk!  I can't believe I didn't buy any!

The Stitchin' Post (Sisters, Oregon).

I have some of these Valori Wells fabrics in a cooler color way, but now I'm drooling for these warmer colors!

Thanks for staying till the end, but I have a little secret.
My three favorite things about the show were quilts by Jean Wells, Ann Johnston, and Studio Art Quilts Associates, and I haven't even shown you those yet!  Stay tuned for Parts Two, Three, and Four.

With wishes, true and kind -- Joan