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Internationally recognized fabric designer Paula Nadelstern chose "Quilt Talk" by Tim Latimer of Lansing, Michigan, for her Judge's Choice Award in the Quilt Alliance Voices Quilt Contest.

"For my Judge’s choice, I often pick a quilt with beautiful design strategies and mind-boggling processes that aren’t part of my signature style. I’m attracted to the differences but also to the subtle similarities. I render my love of detail and texture with quantities of complex patterns while this artist’s quilting statement brims with detail and texture powered by his extreme stitching. I welcome him to the Semper Tedium clan."

Artist's Statement:

"This Quilt represents my obsession with quilting. The voices in my head are often about quilting and those voices in my head need to come out. I talk quilts and I make quilts, and the quilts represent my artistic voice."

Click Here to go to Online Auction. Part 2 Going on now and runs Through December 4, 2017!

The nonprofit Quilt Alliance presents a contest, exhibition and auction of small wall quilts every year. This key fundraiser supports this mission of documenting, preserving and sharing the history of quilts and their makers, and is an important opportunity to showcase and record the work of quilters in the U.S. and all over the world.

The 2017 theme is “Voices” and the only requirements were that entries must be a quilt (3 layers--top, filling and backing) and must be 16”x 16”. All techniques and materials were encouraged. As part of their mission, the Quilt Alliance records the stories of quilts and quiltmakers through their oral history projects. They value the human voice as well as your voice expressed in cloth and thread. They encourage everyone who makes quilts to enter their annual contest regardless of their style (traditional, modern, art) or technique (longarm, hand quilting, appliqué, pieced…) –all are welcomed and valued!

They invited entrants to share their opinions, memories, language, conversation and truths in the form of a quilt. Let all voices be heard!

Thank you to all of the artists who entered and donated a quilt (or quilts!) to the 11th annual Quilt Alliance contest!

Next year's contest will be StoryQuarters, helping the Quilt Alliance celebrate 25 years. Click here for more information.

Group 2 started November 27 at 9:00 AM EST and ends December 4, 2017 at 9:00 PM EST.

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I have to admit I love workshops...specifically quilting workshops where you get to spend intensive time with one instructor either for a day or week. It is an investment of time and money for sure. But, it is a bucket list quilting gift to yourself. In the past few years I have enjoyed the Empty Spools Seminars where I have learned new techniques from Sylvia Pippen, Sandra Leichner and Mary Lou Weidman. I do have to admit it is a blessing to live in Sisters, Oregon because our local quilt shop, The Stitchin Post, schedules workshops with the likes of Rosalie Dace, Hilde Morin, and Sue Spargo to name a few...plus Jean Keenan Wells and Valori Kennedy Wells are hometown artists and shop owners, which means I save on travel and lodging costs. This does not keep me from putting away a bit each month for a workshop outside my area. I love meeting other quilters from around the world who understand my passion for the quilting art form.

You have to be alert and proactive to get into a workshop because they fill up fast!!! Because I waited too long, I was #2 on the waiting list for the Sue Spargo and Tonye Belinda Phillips workshop...and, never moved up! Boo Hoo...but, really, who wouldn't show up to that class! Even though I didn't make the roster, I dropped by the classroom to have a peek at what I was missing. The samples were beautiful and I wanted to rush home and stitch to make myself feel better!!!

It was fun to see old friends stitching away. So, I put my name down for 2018...I am not going to be left out in the stitchers cold next year! Each time you take a class you get a bit more proficient...the little hexie stitching was by a stitching friend, Janet, and her mom on a bag. See how beautiful their stitches are. You improve your skill with each class and workshop!

Have a wonderful stitching day and I hope a class or workshop is on your quilting horizon!

Click here for Anna's YouTube Channel.

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The craziest question I've been asked during a seminar (Quilt Luminarium) - Boxers or briefs? Here's the answer. Play and share - 'tis the season!

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Star Members can learn more about Gail in Show 2111: Working with Curved Flying Geese and Foundation Paper Piecing & Creating a Contemporary Antique Quilt.

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As we shared before, unity can be thought of as everyone in a group working together. Unity represents calmness and order through repetition, either by shape or color. While Variety adds that bit of spice to a quilt without sacrificing the idea of the group working together as a whole. Remember...Unity adds harmony; Variety adds interest. Last week's focus on variety featured a look at what you as a quilter can do by pushing just one design. But how do these two principles come into play when you work within a very narrow palette? Or, let's use the example of how your guild challenge involves working with only a few selected fabrics. How do you achieve interest and variety?

In Week 24 we observed how taupe, which can at first appear to be very monochromatic, can in fact comprise a wide range of colors, textures and prints when used by a master quilter such as Yoko Saito.
Her book, Japanese Taupe Color Theory, dispells the notion that quilts and quilted items are dull and anything but boring. The handbags below are a perfect example of quilted works that keep within a narrow palette of color but still offer unity and variety.

Priscilla Knoble (Show 1505) has used her fluency in Japanese and quilting knowledge to share the world of Japanese quilting books with those desiring to make their own pieces. Her understanding of the Japanese esthetic and quilting techniques are a huge aid for those desiring to gain an understanding of the Japanese form of quilting. Priscilla shares Yoko Saito's method for repeating elements to create both unity and variety in the design of a quilt.

Unity/Variety
by Priscilla Knoble

Many traditional quilts use the concept of unity by creating multiples of the same block within a quilt.  Sometimes with these quilts, variety is found by using the same quilt blocks, but making them out of a variety of fabrics. Other times you will see a quilt, such as a Baltimore album, where each block is somewhat different, but still has rules of how it belongs within the whole.

If you’ve been to any quilt shows and seen quilts in the exhibitions from Japanese quilters, you will likely not be surprised that patchwork and quilting is an extremely large market in Japan. Although the introduction of this craft to the Japanese was primarily due to the influence of the quilting history in America, as with many things, they have added their own aesthetic and style to much of their work.

Yoko Saito, a celebrated artist known for her unique and intricate designs, is a master of using unity and variety within her quilts and in such a way that is fairly unique to the aesthetic that you often see coming out of Japan.

Ms. Saito loves houses and has written several books and patterns using them as the key design motif. In the Chatter of Houses (Houses, Houses, Houses; 2013; Stitch Publications) she has created an amazing quilt where each of the houses or buildings is unique, yet placed in a pleasing layout of center house blocks with two borders chock full of them.

In a completely different vein, in an often seen design arrangement, she will create a quilt that has detailed applique’ on top of a subtle and creative background.  In both the Julstjarna Poinsettia and Floral Bouquet (Floral Bouquet; 2015; Stitch Publications) that she designed, you will notice elements that are quintessential Yoko Saito.

First observe the background and borders that are often made up of at least two, if not three fabrics that are very close in color/pattern. Rather than making these with square designs, Ms. Saito will use gentle curves and scallops. Next she will tend to cover the seams between the borders and the central background with appliqué. In the case of both of these quilts, she uses intricate floral designs with stems, leaves and flowers where the stems follow the seams, all but making the background fabric transition disappear. To add even more interest and depth to the quilt she will use a subtle variety of monochromatic colors to keep your eyes dancing along the pattern. Note the variety of greens used for the leaves in Floral Bouquet or the greys/blues in Julstjarna Poinsettia.

The next time you see a pattern you would love to make or if you are designing one yourself, take a chapter out of Yoko Saito’s book and try one of her design techniques yourself.

Ricky had a chance to chat with Yoko Saito during the Houston Quilt Festival. Watch the interview and see more of her work.

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We'd call this block Criss Cross Applesauce, but we don't think that's its real name. Play Jinny's game and find out for sure.

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Each Judge at Houston chooses a quilt that did not win a prize but struck them as wonderful. David Taylor chose Marilyn Farquhar's See the Leaves for the Tree. Read the sign first to understand her fabric choices and then see this beautiful quilt.

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Here's the line up for 2018. Were any of your favorites on our list?

Show 2213: Ann Shaw

Get a 1-Year Membership for $49 and a choice of a Free Gift worth up to $24.95. That's up to a 50% savings and a great start to the Quilting New Year. 

A Free 1-Year Membership comes with a purchase of any of these 3 kits (including Ricky's).

Take a look.

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Ricky had a chance to talk to Yoko Saito, a celebrated Japanese quilt artist who is well-known for her detailed work and unique use of taupe color palettes, while in Houston. Acting as her interpreter was Priscilla Knoble (Show 1505: East Meets West: Season Your Quilts with a Japanese Flavor).