While I enjoy the big picture looking at paintings and quilts, what I am most intrigued by are the close-up details: the brush strokes and stitches, the weave of the fabric and the facets of the embellishments. So direct from Ontario, California, I bring you a close-up look at the details of a few of my favorite quilts. I hope you are as fascinated and inspired as I am by these intricate works of art from Road to California 2010.
Vases by Suzanne Marshall, MO
What I love most about Suzanne’s prize-winning quilt is the way she outlined each applique piece with hand embroidery.
The Sky’s the Limit by Linda MacDougall, CA
Linda MacDougall pays such attention to each exquisite detail in all her quilts. (Her Garden Party quilt won 2nd place in the Innovative Traditional category. You should be able to see it and the other winners soon on the Road to California website.) Notice the beads and crystals she used for the tiniest ice cream scoops.
I also like the way the iridescent sheer changes the colors of the fabric underneath it.
Flowers Galore by Cindy Shoop, CA
These pieced center circles look like stacked cover buttons or dimensional applique. It really makes a difference compared to plain circles.
Inner Beauty by Cathleen Miller, NM
Look at how the trapunto flowers and leaves tie the appliqued borders into the rest of this magnificent quilt.
When you take a closer look, you’ll see that it’s details like these that take a great quilt and make it a fantastic quilt! Visit the Road to California website to see photos of the rest of this year’s winning quilts.
Oh, thanks for the close-up views! I love seeing the overall quilt and then a peek at the how-to that the close looks gives.
The “Garden Party” quilt above was made by Suzanne Marshall,St. Louis, MO and not Linda MacDougall.
Thanks Darlene for clearing that up! Linda’s quilt was hanging near Suzanne’s and I mixed up their artist’s statements. I’ve edited my post to reflect the proper names.
Thanks so much, Laura, for liking my quilt, VASES. I didn’t get to go to Road to California, so I appreciate seeing a picture of the quilt wearing it’s ribbon.
Oh, It’s simply gorgeous! Wish I could have gotten a better photo for you though. You’ll be glad to hear though, that there was such a crowd of admirers around it, I was lucky to be able to get the shot I did. ^_^