My friend, Natalia, and I attended the 2011 International Quilt Festival in Houston. More than simply utilitarian, these quilts are works of art. Styles ranged from traditional to contemporary, incorporating a variety of techniques including hand quilting, embroidery, appliqué, machine quilting, piecing and fusing. Here are a few of my favorites.
“The Laneway” by Grace Whiting from the O Canada exhibit. Techniques: Some machine piecing and quilting; hand appliquéd. Delicate threads create the foliage while the quilting pattern echoes the undulations of the fallen snow.“Bouquet” was hand-pieced, appliquéd, embroidered and quilted by Keiko Morihiro from Japan as her 30th wedding anniversary present to her husband. Winner: Master Award for Traditional Artistry.“Twitter” was assembled using recycled materials, including newspapers, to represent the artist’s vision of an environmentally responsible social network.From the Art-Whimsical category, “Tokyo – Wish You Were Hair” by Pam RuBert. The artist made the quilt for an exhibition “exploring the intersection of fiber art with new technologies.”
“Dixie Dingo Dreaming” by award-winning fabric artist, Susan Carlson. Her work is like a collage that fuses small fabric pieces into a recognizable image.
