Category Archives: International Quilt Festival

long beach highlights

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And now for the quilts (IQA Long Beach 2011)…

I love this fun tree quilt from the West Coast Wonders 2011 exhibit. It’s neat how you can peek through the leaves. Scroll down to see the wildlife on the back side.

California Beauty
by Felisa C. Lyons
La Habra Heights, CA

From the Hands All Around 2010: International Quilts is a candy-colored applique picture quilt. What a yummy stash Rachel must have!

Village in Galilee
by Rachel Covo
Ramat Hasharon, Israel

And here’s an amazing yo-yo quilt from the Festival Gallery of Quilt Art: Wonders of the World. Be sure to take a look at the detail below the quilt. Painting a picture with yo-yos would be a fun and challenging technique to try. Making all those yo-yos would also be a great take-along project.

Grace
by Shin-hee Chin
McPherson, Kansas

This year I white gloved at the SAQA exhibits, Creative Force 2010 and Sightlines. On my two-hour shift it was my privilege to not only share these beautiful quilts with visitors, but also to get to know the quilts better myself.

Sometimes at quilt shows we get so caught up in seeing everything that we don’t really see what we’re looking at before we snap a photo and rush on to the next wonderful thing so we can take it all in and finish our shopping before the bus leaves. It’s refreshing to take a deep breath, relax, slow down, and examine each detail with your own eyes.

Here’s a video from Luana Rubin of eQuilter.com showing some highlights of these two SAQA exhibits when they were at IQA Houston 2010. See more quilt show videos on the eQuilter video webpage. Or you can check the SAQA exhibitions webpage to find out if these exhibits are coming to a venue near you.

And finally a quote from quilt artist Desiree Habicht, whose quilt was displayed in The Space Between exhibit (Like the SAQA exhibits, no photography was allowed, but the quote is almost as lovely as her quilt).

“In art, the space between allows us a place to rest our eyes. In life it can be the calm between the storms or events. The space between can refer to a positive or negative or a reflection of what is really there.”

seeing red in long beach

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Looking through my photos from the 2010 IQA Long Beach Quilt Festival I discovered that most of the quilts that caught my eye happened to be red. So here’s a selection of red quilts straight from Long Beach to you!

Seven Steps To…..
by Lora Libigs Colby

Each of the double-sided leaves were first stitched around the outside edge, then sewn down to the quilt through the center vein, giving the quilt a wonderful touch of dimension.

Sunny Side Up
by Timna Tarr

This quilt was inspired by an 1840s quilt. I love the lively color palette and the attention to detail in the binding.

Rooted Series VII: Aquifer
by Kristin La Flamme

This quilt has a deeper meaning about home and roots, but it’s also just plain fun to look at with all the hand-painted details.

I Pray
by Harumi Iida

With some careful planning and piecing, a Log Cabin block becomes a Shinto shrine. Very artistic, and anything but ordinary!

Thanks for joining me on my virtual quilt show tour of red quilts. Have you ever made a red quilt? Please share a link, I’d love to see it!

look what followed me home from the long beach quilt show

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International Quilt Festival Long Beach was fabulous! I’ll show you some of the quilts later. For now here’s a little peek into my shopping bag:

#5. chalkboard cloth from The Fabric Patch. So fun! I have to admit this is the closest thing to fabric that I bought there. I don’t know why, there was certainly a lot of wonderful fabric to choose from. It just seemed like I’d seen it all before. Do you ever feel that way when you go fabric shopping?

#4. polka-dotted purse handles from Sewing Party. More fun! I told myself I wasn’t going to buy any more purse handles until I finish the two purses I’ve already started. But honestly, what girl can resist polka-dotted purse handles?

#3. kimono silk thread from Superior Threads. This absolutely yummy #100 silk thread is a brand new addition to Superior’s lineup. So new in fact, it’s not even in stores … yet. Be sure to ask for it at your favorite quilt shop.

#2. texture magic also from Superior Threads. I was amazed by the demos of all the different ways you can use Texture Magic. Can’t wait for the next quilt show to see for yourself? Check out the Texture Magic online videos.

#1. longarm quilter from Nolting. I test drove every longarm machine at the quilt show, no joke. This one was my absolute favorite. What I love best about it is how simple and easy it is to use. Can’t wait for the frame to arrive so I can get it all set up. *Happy dance!!!*

late breaking news

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I can’t believe it … I’m going to Houston!

My DH and I were talking about the show, and how I wouldn’t be able to see my quilt hanging there. He said, “You should go.” (Did I choose a good one or what?!) So I quickly booked a room and plane tickets before he changed his mind.

And just in time too; While I was talking on the phone with the reservation man this afternoon trying to work out how to get the festival rate for a non-smoking room for as many nights as I could without having to switch rooms halfway through my trip, rooms were literally being snatched up as we spoke. First there was a room in the block on Thursday, and next thing you know, it was gone! Needless to say as soon as he found something I reserved it immediately.

That’s all, I just had to share my good news! :-) As of today, I am officially on a shopping diet. Hopefully I can make everything I need from what I already have in my stash. I have three quilt tops to finish (two of which are not even started yet), as well as three workshops coming up, other various small projects, and the book proposal to keep me busy at home and out of the quilt stores. Gotta save up so I can bring along an empty suitcase to fill!

Now I’m going to try and focus on finishing the quilt top for the BOM at CBQ next week.

adventures of a quilting diva