Wednesday, February 24, 2016

QuiltCon West 2016, Part 2: The Quilts

I debated on the best way to show the quilts. I didn't take pictures of them all. In fact, you will notice that I missed a lot of award winners. You can find pictures and information on the all the winning quilts here. Also, you can see lots of interesting photos on Instagram--just use the hashtag #quiltcon2016.

For whatever reasons at the time, these were the quilts that caught my eye.

I will show them by category, and other than a few comments here and there, I will just list the name of the quilt and the maker. Okay? Let's get started.

MODERN TRADITIONALISM


"Whimsical Logs" by Leticia Chung. This was a 1st Place Winner. Tiny log cabin blocks.

"Amish-ish" by Ruth Beeby, Santa Clara, California. The maker said the name of the quilt (which I loved, by the way) came from the many discussions she had during the design process as to whether it was going to be sufficiently "Amish-ish."

"Escapade" by Elaine Poplin, Huntsville, Alabama. The pattern is "Metro Rings" by Sew Kind of Wonderful. Wish I had taken a close-up picture of the quilting--it was really beautiful.

"Migration Quilt" by Yara Greuter, Berlin, Germany.

"Solid + Plaid Modules" by Christine Barnes, Grass Valley, California.

"Delta Breeze" (the only picture taken of me next to one of my quilts--and this one was snapped by the official convention center photographer).

MINIMALIST DESIGN
"6one2" by Colby Lowrey, Minneapolis, Minnesota. 621 is the area code in Minneapolis. Other than that, the state itself is just grid quilting on a whole cloth quilt. I knew Mark would love this one.

"In Flight" by Dawn Golstab, Leander, Texas.

"Fossil" by Nancy Purvis, Garner, North Carolina.

"Just Point Me in the Right Direction"--my entry. Beautiful custom quilting by Darby Myers.

GLITZ FABRIC CHALLENGE
"Twizzle Glitz" by Heidi Grohs (my roommate), Salt Lake City. Subtle and stunning.

"Every Which Way" by Jen Sorenson, Northborough, Massachusetts. Check out this matchstick quilting.

TRIANGLE QUILT CHALLENGE
"Directionally Challenged" by Victoria Findlay Wolfe, New York City

"Making Triangles" by Dawn Golstab, Leander, Texas

"Modern Dresden" by Lori Landenburger, Anchorage, Alaska

PIECING
"Pointed Statement" by Amy Friend (or as I like to call her, "my friend, Amy Friend"), West Newbury, Massachusetts. This quilt won 2nd place in this category. Congratulations, Amy!

And I loved the quilting. Simple and so effective.



"Ephemera" by Jenn Rossotti, Kingsburg, California. Amazing.  She cut templates and then machine pieced.

Also, you will see Jenn's beautiful work quite a few times. I'm a fan. Glad we finally met.


"Diamonds Quilt #2" by Tara Faughnan, Oakland, California. I really loved the stitching on this one.

"Under the Radar" by Corinne Sovey, Austin, Texas. This won first place in Piecing.

"Plaid on Point" by Jenn Rossotti, Kingsburg, California. You can make your own version as the pattern is now available for free on the Robert Kaufman website.

"Piece 12" by Lissa Alexander, Dallas, Texas.

"Fish & Visitors" by Rebecca Burnett, Toronto, Canada. I stood and stared at this one for a really long time. Great optical illusion.

"Tessellation 4" by Nydia Kehnle, Monroe, New York. Beautiful color transition.

SMALL QUILTS
"Lines Lost and Found," Jenn Rossotti, Kingsburg, California.

 And the close-up. It won second place--well deserved. That is some amazing piecing.


"Hot Spot" by Krista Fleckenstein, Anchorage, Alaska.

"Sweet Lean To" by Chawne Kimber, Easton, Pennsylvania.

Want to see some tiny piecing?

APPLIQUE
"Cut & Keep" by Gina Pina, Austin Texas. This quilt probably intrigued me the most. I studied it for a long time. All the words are underneath a thin layer of fabric. I really loved this one. 

HANDWORK
"Double Wedding Ring" by Tara Faughnan. 

A closer view of this 2nd place winner. Gorgeous hand quilting.

USE OF NEGATIVE SPACE
"Fraction" by Louise Orth of Driscol, United Kingdom (I hope I have that info right--my photo was incredibly blurry)

"Skylight View" by Jenn Rossotti, Kingsburg, California. And this one needed a close-up--the flying geese are tiny and the quilting is phenomenal.

"The Whole is Greater Than the Sum" by Cassandra Beaver, Urbana, Ohio.

Beautiful quilting:

IMPROVISATION
"Embers" by Stephanie Ruyle. This is an amazing quilt from an overall perspective. But Stephanie had sewn in bits of reflective fabric and when you took a picture with your flash on, it turned from this
to this
Isn't that cool?

"Cumulative Effect" by Stacey O'Malley, Ottawa, Canada. This quilt was made from cumulative scraps of Stacey's first 25 quilts. (Note: Does she even look old enough to have made 25 quilts? She was so sweet and I'm so glad I had a chance to meet her.)

"Tranquility" by Kristin Shields, Bend, Oregon

"I've Got Your Back"--my entry.

This is actually the back of the quilt--the front is made from strip-pieced kaleidoscope blocks, and was made from fabric I received from Timeless Treasures, When Hayden, their marketing rep, said she knew the quilt was in the show but she couldn't find it, I told her it was probably because she was looking for the "front" of the quilt, and I had entered the back. Here she is taking a picture when she finally found it.
I'll end the quilt show with another favorite picture, thanks to @gina_pina.
There were so many wonderful quilts. I wish I had pictures of them all because I know I missed some beauties.

A FEW RANDOM THOUGHTS ABOUT QUILTCON (as there will be no Really Random Thursday tomorrow--I'm at a quilting retreat!).

This is the second year in a row I have attended QuiltCon. Due to the expense involved (because any way you look at it, attending these things can cause the expenses to add up in a hurry), if it had not been within reasonable driving distance, I would not have attended, especially not two years in a row.

When it is time for registration in June, it is really easy to get caught up in the frenzy of trying to get the classes you want--some of them can fill up in a few minutes--and then signing up for lectures, and if you are not careful, you can overbook yourself, to the point where you don't even have the time to slow down and look at the quilts.

I signed up for one full-day class (EQ7), and two half classes, which were both at night (6-9 p.m.). I am not in my top form at night, and the night class started just one hour after the full-day class (I would really try to avoid a full-day class and a night class on the same day if I attended again). My head was hurting from all those hours of trying to learn a new computer program (even though Christa Watson was an excellent instructor), and I was hungry because there had not been time between classes to grab anything (so big thanks to Dani @knitty34, for sharing part of a bagel with me while we waited for class to begin at 6 p.m.) I did just the minimum amount of sewing, and then chatted with people around me.

At the end of that class, I knew that I was going to cancel my other night class. It was a more advanced and fast-paced EQ7 class, Saturday night--when I was sure to be exhausted. Thankfully, there was someone on the wait list who was happy to purchase the class from me. A win-win--she was able to take the class, and I had some extra dollars for shopping.

There were one or two lectures that I had paid for (thankfully only a nominal fee, around $12 I think) and either I (a) completely forgot about or (b) was too busy enjoying a conversation, which I felt was more important at the moment.

The most frustrating thing was the way the keynote presentation was scheduled. The amazing Gwen Marston was the keynote speaker. She was scheduled from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Saturday night. Here is the problem: If you were in an all-day class it ran until 5 p.m. but you were still able to attend the lecture. If you had a night class (like I had originally scheduled, but then sold), you had the choice of attending the lecture, but getting to your 3-hour class at least half an hour late. So I sadly opted against the keynote when I registered. By the time I sold my class Saturday morning, the keynote was sold out. I hope the board will be able to address that situation at some point. I'm sure there were a lot of instructors who were also wishing they could have attended the keynote.

There is an amazing amount of talent at QuiltCon. I only have the experience of having taken three classes total (one in Austin, two in Pasadena) and I was fortunate that all three of my instructors were top-notch so I can't speak to anyone else's experience, but mine has been very good.  There are free demonstrations throughout the day (the one where I was able to connect with Anna Maria Horner was at the end of her demo on hand quilting) so there is a lot of availability to gain more knowledge or even to just hear the back story on big names in the industry.

To be able to meet people you have only connected with on the other side of a computer screen, or to reconnect with friends from far away, is the best part of QuiltCon, in my opinion. And I say that as an introvert who has probably used my daily word allotment for the whole month of February!

I'm not sure if QuiltCon 2017 is in the cards for me or not. It's in Savannah, which has always been on my bucket list. We'll just have to see how the rest of the year plays out.

One thing I can tell you is that I'm always on the lookout for quilting inspiration all around me. Pasadena did not disappoint. So don't be surprised if you see this cute top
or even the carpet of the convention center
show up in some form in one of my future quilts.

22 comments:

05 08
Debbie said... #

What a great post! I loved your 'quilt show' as you showed many I hadn't seen yet. And congrats on your entries - SO COOL! I love that you entered the back of that one!! ;-) Thanks for the tips too. Even though I've been once, it's good to hear others' perspectives. Thanks so much for sharing!

Svetlana said... #

Thanks so much for sharing all these gorgeous quilt photos and your thoughts on Quilt Con. I've never been to one so it's great fun for me to read your thoughts.

Jayne said... #

I'm not sure I will ever attend QuiltCon or even have a quilt entered! But I do love seeing the beautiful quilts and your post showed them so well! Thank you for being the unofficial photographer!!

Needled Mom said... #

It was such fun to see the beautiful quilts again, Cindy. It was such an amazing display. I hope that the staff can read your ideas and make improvements for future shows.

Anne / Springleaf Studios said... #

It's so nice to see more of the quilts from the show. Thanks for sharing. After attending last year, I feel like the connections to real people is a huge part of going to QuiltCon. I'd be happy hanging out with people and a few lectures and no classes at all. I hope to go to Savannah. The hubs and I are trying to decide if it could be turned into a vacation for us. A few days for me at QuiltCon and then on to other things with him.

Linda said... #

Thanks for taking the time to post all of that Cindy. I clicked on the link and looked at the winners, and although some caught my eye, I found your display far more interesting. Love your quilts and they are big winners in my book.
I attended International Quilt Festival/Houston in 2012, all by myself. We had just moved to a suburb near there, and I was only 2 years into quilting and very excited. I took two classes by Angela Walters - lots of fun. But walking around taking it all in, I felt my single attendee status keenly (and felt sorry for myself), as it seemed everyone else in attendance was there with quilting buddies. I love reading blog posts about these events because I doubt I'll ever attend another. ;)

felicity said... #

Thanks for this, Cindy - wonderful shots of quilts, many of which I didn't capture, so that is fun. I hear you on the Introvert exhaustion. It's a LOT.

ChristaQuilts said... #

It was so great to have you in the EQ7 class! I'm glad you enjoyed it :-)

Susan said... #

QuiltCon was definitely a great time - one that I will not forget! Though I'm sure many love to see pictures of the quilts, (and I don't mean to be a buzzkill over this), did the makers give permission to post? I only mention this because our guild is facing this issue, and trying to come up with a policy regarding quilt photos online. And I know there are several famous quilters who do not want their work online.

Archie The Wonder Dog said... #

Thanks for sharing all those lovely quilts!

Beth said... #

Loved your wrap up here and many of the quilts I had not seen on IG. I am planning on going to QuiltCon next year and it will be my first. So I am anxious to see who will be teaching but not to over book. Lots of good advice.

Robby said... #

Thank you so much for sharing your photos and your experience. I really enjoyed many of the quilts you posted, including yours.

Susan said... #

Thank you for sharing your experience with us Cindy! I doubt I will ever get to QuiltCon! And the quilts make me realise that I am NOT a modern quilter- I might use current fabrics (sometimes!) but my designs are much more traditional. I was wondering aloud to a friend the other day..."How many attendees are there at QuiltCon?" That would give me a true understanding of how big quilting is in the US. Cheers...Susan

Sinta Renee said... #

I would have loved to have been there... next best is seeing all the photos from the event! So sorry that next year takes QuiltCon back, away from the West Coast. Thanks so much for sharing Cindy!

Katy McCoy said... #

I looked across the room during the Diversity panel and was amazed to see you - just like in your pictures! I was going to come over but the next time I looked, you were gone so I was disappointed - just wanted to say how much I enjoy your blog and look forward to Thursdays!

I ended up with a half day class (from the waiting list), a full day class (from the waiting list) and two evening classes. I too was dreading the evening classes (morning person) but all my classes were about straight and FM quilting and so it wasn't too bad. I learned a lot. I was so lucky to have classes with Angela Walters, Jacquie Gering and Christine Camilleri. One of my evening classes with Shea Henderson (The Big Finish) was way too short - she had a lot to offer and should have been in a full day class. I think I would do the same registration again and then cancel if I thought it was too much - the way the registration works, it's hard to know what you're going to get so you just have to go for it. To Susan above, I thought the quilts that were picked for the judging were on the far side of the modern quilt genre. I think the pictures in the blog are very representative of the show but perhaps not so much of the whole movement. I belong to the Sacramento Modern Quilt Guild in Sacramento partially because part of the ethic of the Modern Quilt ethic is accepting lots of different kinds of quilts and not judging. That's also what I saw from the teachers at QuiltCon too. The mantra from the classes - A finished quilt is better than a perfect unfinished quilt!"

Wendy @ Wendysquiltsandmore said... #

Thank you for all these lovely photos. I keep seeing more quilts that I haven't seen elsewhere. Your own quilts certainly deserve to be there. They are all gorgeous. Yes, you included my favourite in the photos above. I love the Double Wedding Ring by Tara Faughnan. I love all the colour in it, and the fact that it's hand quilted. I didn't know about Tara until I started seeing the photos from QuiltCon, but I've started following her on IG now.

Deb Cox said... #

I wish to thank you so very much for sharing your experience at QuiltCon Cindy. I will never get there and you have inspired me with your own work (bravo) and all the exhibitors here. I was able to enlarge your wonderful photos and see a lot of the quilting. Incredible. Never will I manage such wonders but I due get excited trying something on my own scale. And isn't that what it's all about! Thanks again for all your work with your blog, I always look forward to it and know that it takes work. You are appreciated Cindy, very much so.

Cassandra said... #

I love hearing everyone's thoughts on QuiltCon. This was my first time, and it was delightfully overwhelming! I ended up taking two three hour classes during the two and a half days I was there, and that felt about right. It would have been nice to have another half day to walk through the vendors again and see some demonstrations so next time I may be looking at an extra day. Thank you so much for sharing my quilt!

lindaroo said... #

What a great wrap-up of the show. It's such a BIG show, with all that's going on! I'm so glad I got to experience it with a very kind and sociable friend, or I would have felt overwhelmed and lost, as described by another Linda in earlier comments. Thanks for doing the work of posting so many great quilts, so many of my favorites, too!

OPQuilt said... #

Great wrap-up and great points about the show. I love seeing everyone's post as they show quilts that I didn't see (and I really tried hard to see them all!). I totally agree on that keynote thing. If it is a keynote, carve out space for it!

Mary said... #

Thank you so much for your posts - you may, at times, write a longer post but I never tire of reading the post. I can't make that same comment to all bloggers. Something happened to my iPad and this post and lots of others ended up in my trash - yikes. Again, you gave information about the quilts and your thoughts which I appreciated. I live in southern CA and so looked forward to going to QuiltCon in Pasadena. Then I got that awful crud and it wiped me out or the cough did so I missed QuiltCon. So I really enjoyed seeing the photos and comments. I like to see the prize winners but there are always other quilts which give pause and those I enjoy seeing. I see haven't figured out the "fish" one but maybe if I keep looking at it. Thanks bunches!

Stacey @slostudio said... #

Hi Cindy - I just ran across this post and it is so lovely to see all the quilts together like this again! And you are too sweet about your comment on meeting me :) ha ha! It was so great to meet you, and I hope that we can see each other again at future events!