The day is beautiful and mild. All the windows in the house are open to let in the fresh air. The smell of onions and celery sautéing in the kitchen hang in the air with the promise of feasting.
Outside, it’s quiet but every time the wind blows, the neighbor’s trees shake loose their acorns and they roll down our rooftop and land in the driveway with a plop! My husband shakes his head. He swept up all the acorns this morning.
He scooped them all up in a box for me. I think these can be used to dye wool…
We are so thankful …
for our family, both near and far
for our children
for honest work that sustains us
for the love that binds us
for the cease-fire
(not taking sides, just tired of seeing the bodies of dead children)
for the promise of tomorrow.
My husband has a true appreciation for handmade items. So as I considered my knitting queue, I decided to make him a pair of fingerless hand warmers for the cool weather ahead. He has a wonderfully warm charcoal gray coat so I wanted yarn that would complement it. I found this hank at Nimblefingers, one of Houston’s local yarn stores.
Heritage Quatro by Cascade Yarns. Fiber content: 75% Merino Superwash, 25% Nylon. Yield: 437 yards, 100 grams.
For the pattern, I went to The Purl Bee and fixed on their Ribbed Hand Warmers. It is a nice gender-neutral pattern. As I started knitting, I noticed that the swatch was too flimsy and it didn’t seem like it would keep his hands warm. So I unravelled my knitting and doubled up the yarn. Much better.
Here is hand warmer #1 in progress.
Once the first one was all done, the second one went quickly.
These are the last two quilts from the International Quilt Festival last weekend. Undoubtedly, they both represent superior craftsmanship but what appealed to me most was the theme. If you read My First Post, you will understand why I love these quilts showing a woman’s hands at work.
This first quilt, “The Mending,” captures a woman’s hands mending fractured lives. In the quilter’s words:
Women find themselves continually mending the fabric of their lives, trying to restore beauty and function in the aftermath of war, greed and lust. This quilt began as a collage of photos collected over a decade of living, working and traveling overseas. The quilt top was then torn, cut, burned and shot – literally, tearing families apart. Finally, the woman’s hands are shown working to stop the destruction, mend the damage, and repair the vision.
The Mending by Lea McComas, Colorado.”
Upon seeing this quilt, I couldn’t help but think about atrocities committed against women. Just the other day, there was an article on CNN about how women and girls in Haiti continue to be raped in the makeshift tent cities that serve as their not so temporary homes. A BBC report recounts details of sexual violence against prisoners in Syria. There are many more stories every day.
I did not mean to lead you down an unhappy path. But my heart goes out to these women and I am ever more grateful for so many blessings in my own life.
On the other end of the spectrum, this next quilt represents the power of friendship and community-building. The artist made this quilt to commemorate her ten years as a quilter. Her design inspiration was “the people who gather at a quilting bee.”
Viva Quilt by Noriko Nozawa, Japan.
It is heartwarming to see so many hands at work. Each person contributes busily cutting, sewing and ironing and each leaves his or her mark on the quilt. This quilt fills me with joy and leaves me feeling hopeful about what people can do when they come together, each contributing their own unique gifts.
Pink Snow by Vivian A. Kapusta, Canada.Papaver Somniferum by Grace Meijer, United Kingdom. Award of Merit.The Button Box by Rebecca Navarro, Texas.Detail of tree branch covered in button flowers.Leaf Like Life by Dalia Eliraz, Israel. Workmanship Trophy.
… and Fauna
Rainbow Lorikeet by Helen Godden, Australia. Honorable Mention – Art Painted Surface.Show Your Colors; Stand Out From the Crowd by Kristin Vierra, Nebraska.
Home Sweet Home
Berne House Quilt. Made by members of the Bernese Quilters in Switzerland. 150 different blocks were made separately and then put together.Colores by Michelle Jackson, New Mexico. The quilter was inspired by a photo of an old adobe house in New Mexico.Lazy Afternoon by Michelle Jackson, New Mexico. “I love the character of older homes. This one was inspired by a photo of a house taken in Madrid, New Mexico, as it basks in the afternoon sun.”The Jennings Homestead by Suzanne Mouton Riggio and 26 members of the Milwaukee Art Quilters, Wisconsin. “… a group of 40 artists, have been meeting for over ten years in the business space [of the homeowners]. In gratitude … the group made a slice quilt of their Victorian home.”Tutti Frutti Village by Susan Bleiweiss, Massachusetts. Honorable Mention – Art Whimsical. The quilter used hand-dyed sandwashed cotton.
What’s black and white and red all over?
Lady Dova by Deborah Stanley, California. Inspired by the horse race scene from My Fair Lady.Searching for Coco Chanel by Teresa Shippy, California.The Red Shoes by Linda Stone, California.Flamenco by Jin Gook Yang, Korea.Wrath by Dianne Firth, Australia. “…wrath can be used to describe the uncontrollable forces of nature that wreak havoc on humankind through fire, flood, cyclones and other disasters.”Convergence by Latifah Saafir, California. “‘Convergence’ is about coming together and meeting at a common point; but, it is also about approaching limits.”
Peace Quilts
The Rainbow Staircase by Nairn Stewart, Canada. “The individual steps, which are high relative to the size of the figures, represent the obstacles which threaten women’s security.”Let the Sunshine In by Anna Hergert, Canada. “The collective spirit empowers women around the world, whether rich or poor, covered or uncovered, old or young, oppressed or free, no matter what our skin color or spiritual convictions.”
This is the second year of enjoying the breathtaking artistry of quilts at the International Quilt Festival Houston 2012. It was like seeing works of art at a museum. It was sometimes hard to believe that what I was seeing was actually pieces of fabric. My camera loved the quilts so there are many photographs. If you can’t wait to see more, you can visit the Textile Ranger at Deep in the Heart of Textiles. She was there too although we didn’t bump into each other!
These quilts were all award winners. For a complete winner’s list and even more quilt pictures, go here.
America, Let It Shine by Sherry Reynolds, Wyoming. The Handi Quilter® Best of Show Award. “The 5,121 Swarovski cystals represent the words of the Constitution, Star Spangled Banner, Pledge of Allegiance and the age of the country.”ElaTED by Ted Storm, The Netherlands. The Founders Award. “To challenge myself, I started with my least favorite color and fabric: brown and plaid.”Hot Africa by Janneke De Vries-Bodzinga, The Netherlands. The World of Beauty Award. “I was in Kenya during the dry season, took this photograph, and made a quilt of this impressive moment.”Crème de la Crème by Bonnie Keller, Chehalis, Washington. Award for Traditional Artistry. “I put the vibrant green Morris reproduction backing fabric with the right side facing inward in order for it to shadow through to the front, creating a subtle grayed background.”Fiesta Mexico by Karen Kay Buckley and Rena Haddadin, Pennsylvania. Master Award for Innovative Artistry. “The original appliqué and quilting designs were inspired by the bright colors in Mexican pottery and flora.”
Agujas 