Here We Go - Hang On!

The World Quilt Show, West Palm Beach, Florida 2014 was quite an experience. Heck, just being in West Palm Beach after all the winter weather we had been having here, was a wonderful experience! Perhaps it was good (for my pale skin) that I was not plunged right into hot sunny weather, as I sure was anxious to spend time in the sun, and I would have come home with a sunburn no doubt. Mother Nature saw fit to dump an incredible amount of rain on that area the first two days I was there, but I wasn't unhappy with the timing, as we were inside all day anyway. (see previous post to read about the 22" of rain!) So - here we go. I'll take you on a whirlwind tour over the next few posts. Hang on to your (sun)hat!

There were 19 concurrent shows under the roof of the West Palm Beach Convention Center. In a prime spot, just outside the main entrance into the Show area, was the 2013 Guild Challenge by the Martin Co. Quilter's Guild, to which my friend Sandi belongs. So of course, that was the first show we "toured". Sandi won two ribbons in this 2013 Challenge, and one of her ribbon winners was clearly visible from the booth where we paid our entrance fee in the main lobby. How exciting for her!
The Challenge was "Black and White". Members were to make a black and white piece, with the option of adding up to two other colors, as long as their combined total did not exceed 25% of the surface of the quilt. Sandi entered two challenge pieces, did not add any additional color on either, and won ribbons on both of them!

Is This my Best Side? done in white bridal satin and black leather, won Best of Show in the Challenge. As well as the challenge of working with leather and slippery satin, she drew the zebra head, and machine quilted it. Upon close inspection you can identify other creatures in the quilting- an elephant, a hyena, flamingos and antelope. She hand painted a piece of glass for the eye- it was very realistic! Great work Sandi and very worthy of the Best of Show ribbon!!

Her other winner was  It Makes No Difference - Black or White which won Honorable Mention for Machine Appliqué. Sandi created the vertical striped fabric by strip-piecing, cut the figures and machine appliquéd them. It is her statement on the blending of cultures.












Following are some of the other Challenge entries and winners.





Denise Cargill won the Best Embellishments ribbon for her piece First Morning Light. She "used silk, tulle and satin as well as cotton to create the flowers and vines. The 3-D flowers, leaves and cardinals are machine embroidered and then appliquéd to the Montana Star background. The star was created with assorted black and white fabrics plus a textured black tulle layered over a solid white Kona fabric to create the gradation from light to dark."












Winter Light by Carol Cheek was one of my favorites. The brick-like background is a technique taught by Gloria Loughman in her book Radiant Landscapes. I thought it was very effective.













Here's a closer look at that background, because I can see you squinting, trying to see it better...

Peekaboo Houses - Renovated by Millie MacKenzie won an Honorable Mention ribbon for Hand Quilting. "Thanks to Betty Alderman for her original block design, Peekaboo Houses. I have taken liberties with the design of the quilt to bring it into the  21st century- replacing the vintage 1930's look with bold geometric elements and hand quilting with machine stitching. Details: hand embroidery, fusible appliqué, single and double prairie points, asymmetrical design and machine quilting."

Equus by Sandee Monk won Best Contemporary. "I've never done a quilt in black and white nor attempted thread painting before. So this challenge really took me out of my comfort zone. I first painted selected areas black and then stitched the whole cloth.Total time: approx. 120 hours." It also won Viewer's Choice.














Yes, you read that right. This piece began as a large piece of white fabric. She painted in the black areas, and then thread painted the entire piece. ie all that you see is thread!!!! It was awesome!

Birds and Birches by Jane Taylor won Honorable Mention for Hand Appliqué. "When I visited Russian countryside in 2012, so many groves of birch trees grew along the roads. They were straight and very angular. This quilt pattern reminded me of these beautiful trees. I added the green birds as my accent color. They reminded me of parakeets, but these birds are not native to Russia. I guess this is good use of poetic license!"

This is Cracks by Dori Hawks. "I have always loved Black and White quilts, especially their crisp clean lines. Instead of using a fabric that has both black and white, I used thread and machine quilting to add that element to this quilt."

Lady Montesco's Sunglasses by M. Luanne Carson took home an Honorable Mention Contemporary ribbon. "Inspiration came from learning to draw a beautifully proportioned cup (the Holy Grail?) and creating a diamond-shaped design from two layers of a sheer striped fabric. The negative space of the cup's curves became the dress neckline/shoulders and inspired the exaggerated hat style. Embellishments: a silver and black chain to outline the sunglasses and lips, plastic-coated wire coils for the necklace, ribbon, luminescent paint, rattail and buttons. Fabrics: cottons, rayon georgette, wool and synthetics."



These last two I don't have much info for, other than names (sometimes, in my excitement, I forgot to photograph the cards). Shame on me...



This is Still of the Night by Nancy Smith. I liked her use of fabrics.

This last one is by Barbara Uttormark and won Honorable Mention Modern.


You can see more pieces from this Show on our Guild Blog by clicking here. And if you click here, to go to the Martin Co. Guild's site, you will see more winners and their makers. There are several there which I missed getting photos of, so it's worth look. Also the lighting/coloring is better.

Peace,
Linda

"Whatever creativity is, it is in part a solution to a problem." ~ Brian W. Aldiss