14
We always love to see Helen Godden's latest quilt. She seems to get at least one, and sometimes several quilts, into Houston each year. When we saw the sign say "Helen Godden," we knew we would love it. But then we stopped and looked closer...What is it made of....YARN??
Take a look at Lindsey and check out the close ups.
0
It's all about value with Circular Reasoning. The variation in value placement results in a high energy quilt and keeps your eye moving.
The pattern for Circular Reasoning can be found in Lynn's book, Every Last Piece.
Watch Lynn Carson Harris in Show 2310: Big Impact With Bits, Scraps and Tiny Blocks.
Original Photo: Lynn Carson Harris
4
Here are the quilts for the first team from the over 320 teams that participated in the International Miniature Quilt Exchange (IMQE). 201 teams submitted their quilts to be a part of the Exhibition in Houston 2018 and we are featuring the 24 teams selected for the first IMQE Exhibition.
Click here to learn more about the International Miniature Quilt Exchange (IMQE).
Enjoy the quilts from Team 102 created by Coleen Thackray and Alison Giachetti.
Title of Quilt: Allo, Aloe from Zimbabwe
Quilter's Name: Coleen Thackray
Location: Harare, Zimbabwe
Allo ‘Aloe from Zimbabwe..... When I first applied to join the miniature exchange I wondered if a twin would want someone from Zimbabwe, to many a pariah country. It turns out Alison actually knew people who had spent a few years working here which was a great introduction. From initial communication we found some common details, Alison sharing her name with my sister, the fact that we had almost identical cats as profile photos! While quilters are quilters worldwide my fascination is how different life, language and homes are between different countries. This was my inspiration in using a traditional block to form ethnic shaped Kraal houses, no mud walls or thatch roofs though! Then an interest of mine, local flora. A couple of aloe varieties, appliquéd on fabric printed from locally written articles, surround by flying geese.... representing the beautiful Fish Eagles of Zimbabwe with their haunting calls. While I really did want to use only local fabrics working in miniature scale did not work for large scale wax or Java print fabrics so more American fabrics crept in.....My appliqué flowers were actually carefully cut from hoarded Ricky Tims’ fabric bought at the IQC Africa 2013! This was a fun experience.
Title of Quilt: The Touch of Class
Quilter's Name: Alison Giachetti
Location: Lafayette, Colorado, US
My teammate and I each tried to create quilts that reflect something of ourselves and our communities. My goal was to represent family, community, and country. I designed my quilt based on a photo taken by my spouse at a local ballet school, and made it with fabrics obtained from local businesses and from an amazing quilt store we found in Casper, Wyoming during a visit to view the total solar eclipse in August 2017. By participating in IMQE, I gained an increased understanding of my teammate’s country, Zimbabwe, including, if only to a small extent, what it is like to live there. Coleen and I continue to develop our connection. This is my first quilt. I joined the exchange to push myself to take that first step – something I had intended for over 5 years. The design was partially planned in EQ7, so I began learning that software. During the planning and construction, which uses multiple techniques, I learned to hand appliqué, and hand and machine quilt. Among my unexpected discoveries: I prefer a needle in hand to one in the machine; hand sewing is like riding a bicycle (once learned never forgotten); I love hand appliqué; and some battings are impossible to hand quilt! Thanks to TQS and others for all they taught me and the excitement they bring to the craft. This quilt and all others that follow are dedicated to my mother who would have been surprised that I chose this road.
26
In the Antique Quilts of the British Isles exhibit at Houston 2018, this quilt was on the end and grabbed everyone's attention as they entered the Quilt Display side of the Convention Hall. Take a look at the closeups. The last picture is the BACK of the quilt.
0
Lynn says that Butterfly Effect was a long time in the making. It was inspired by a photo of polyester double knit quilt that her friend Jessica Wilson purchased at a thrift shop.
She went through her solid stash and cut squares in groups of four from each color. It took four squares to make each butterfly block. She was very happy when this large, 95" x 95", quilt was finally on her bed.
Butterfly Effect is shown in the gallery section at the beginning of her book, Every Last Piece.
Watch Lynn Carson Harris in Show 2310: Big Impact With Bits, Scraps and Tiny Blocks.
Original Photo: Lynn Carson Harris
4
Cristóbal Balenciaga. Design by Eisa Dress, detail. Summer 1956. Ruffled silk taffeta. Crin petticoat lined in organza-covered silk taffeta. Palais Galliera, Fashion Museum of the City of Paris, Paris Musees. Photo Pierre Even.
Walking through the Balenciaga exhibit gives one pause. From the low lighting (to preserve the textiles) to, what at first glance appears to be a sea of mostly black garments. But give your eyes a moment to adjust. It is then that the splendor of these extraordinary fabrics, held within a very tight and limited palette by a master designer, truly reveal themselves. And while there is black, there is also shimmer, translucence, texture, and depth that become a delight for the viewer. As a quilter, you can appreciate and respect the person who challenges himself to work only in a monochromatic color.
Cristóbal Balenciaga, the name alone garners reverence in the world of fashion design. A designer, whose stunning and revolutionary garments were sought after across the globe by women of influence and wealth, was a complex individual and a mystery to many. Private by nature, he did not give interviews, avoided the glitzy party scene and let his staff handle the clientele. His preferred realm was the studio, where he could imagine, test ideas, and push the limits of fabric, all the while creating clothes that were often revolutionary in design and execution. Similar to a pilot testing the limits of an aircraft to understand the capabilities of the craft itself, it was Balenciaga’s understanding of both the structure and capabilities of a fabric that allowed him to push his ideas as far as his imagination desired.
Born in 1895, an early education in tailoring began alongside his seamstress mother, who gave sewing lessons to local girls and made dresses for the vacationing wealthy. Accompanying his mother to fittings gave Balenciaga a glimpse into another world filled with beautiful objects and understanding of English tailoring. The French magazines his mother ordered allowed him another source of study.
His incredible talent was obvious from a very early age, and by 1913 he was a buyer for a Spanish department store. Five years later, at the age of 23, he opened his first salon in the city of San Sebastian. More salons followed, and by 1937 he made his debut in Paris. It was quite a feat for such a young designer.
With WWII dragging on, the wealthy clientele purchased much less often, but that was the case for many in the fashion world. Rationing and restrictions by the French government were actually a benefit for Balenciaga. As a Spanish citizen, he could travel to his other salons in Spain and bring fabrics back to occupied Paris.
With less and less orders to fill, he used this time of great chaos to lock himself away to study the structure and make of each and every fabric and trim. No matter how inexpensive or unappealing the piece, he wanted to test its limits, capabilities and how it could be manipulated. Many consider this to be the time that Balenciaga went from being a good designer to master couturier.
Cristóbal Balenciaga. The 'Chou' dress and cape. Winter 1967. Image courtesy of Amon Carter Museum.
Using this fundamental and deep understanding, he created dresses wrapped in yards of voluminous folds held together seemingly as if by magic. The 'Chou' dress with cape enveloped the wearer with clouds of airy fabric, while the famous 'envelope' dress was held together by just two jeweled straps at the shoulders. This dress in particular, while a stunning feat of fabric manipulation with its unusual shape, was problematic for one client in particular. The very narrow lower opening made a trip to the restroom almost impossible. The dress was returned by the owner shortly thereafter.
Cristóbal Balenciaga. Dress. Winter 1967. Bias-cut gazar. Straps embroidered with pronged rhinestones and pearlescent beads. Trimmed and hemmed with crin mesh ribbon. Balenciaga Archives, Paris. Photo Pierre Even.
It is this extraordinary skill of manipulation and execution that is currently on display at the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, Texas. And while you may not be personally interested in garment construction, it is well worth viewing to learn and understand the incredible attention to detail and construction that was used for each and every item Balenciaga created. The show, Balenciaga In Black, runs through January 6, 2019.
4
We've made it easy to get a gift certificate for a full year of quilting for yourself or a friend. You can even pick the date the gift will arrive. Cool...that's 2 people off the list. Click the button and get some shopping done now. (Tell your family to just click below. The new 1-Year Membership will extend your current membership.)
5
Jenny Bowker tells the emotional story of her quilt, After the Last Sky. It is a tribute to the victims of the Rabaa Square Massacre in Cairo, August 14, 2013. The quilt acknowledges photojournalists risking their lives to show the truth.
Jenny's quilt won 2nd Place - People, Portraits, and Figures at the Houston International Quilt Festival 2018.
Star Members can watch Jenny in Show 1804: Quilting Outside the Blocks.
5
Loving quilting is synonymous with loving fabric...and usually translates to all fibers. Many quilters usually are participating in other fiber activities...knitting, cross stitching, garment making, needlepoint, punch-needle, rug hooking...the list is long! When my friend Michiko of Michiko's Suede Shop told me about a shop in Portland within walking distance to downtown, I had to seek it out! Located in Chinatown, Kiriko is filled to the brim with beauty. Not only vintage Kimono fabrics by the yard, but to my surprise, it is an actual sewing room where most of the products are created on the spot! Whether it be clothing, scarves, coasters, ties, totes, or other beautifully stitched items! This is a must-visit island of creativity. Piles of fabrics surround the sewing machine and ironing board and you just know something wonderful is being created!!! Definitely add this shop to your must-visit list in Portland, Oregon. You won't be disappointed at the beauty within. If you cannot make it there, they have a website, Kiriko, and orders over $100 within the US ship for free. I hope you enjoy yourself!
Click here for Anna's YouTube Channel.
 |
4
Gift Memberships
Give a Full Year of Quilting
.jpg "2019 Sponsor - BERNINA Q 24")
Learn about
Apliquick appliqué tools!
Watch Show 1912
with Rosa Rojas (free!)
Apliquick - 3 Holes Microserrated Scissors
