Well, here we are, flying into November already! I thought, for the first time in quite awhile that I’d have two posts in October, but I didn’t manage to make it. Anyway, I went to quilt market last week and my tradition has been to post pictures of market, but, to be honest, market wasn’t terribly exciting this year. (I did post a few pictures over on my Instagram account.) Maybe it’s because I missed the Aussie twins so much, who knows. But for sure, market was smaller than I remember it in the past. And Sample Spree was definitely a bust — there were several vendors who didn’t even bother to have booths. Sample Spree used to be one of my favorite things about market, but I doubt I’ll spend the money to go again.
Luckily, the week after quilt market is the big International Quilt Festival in Houston and the quilts from the quilt show are all set up during quilt market. The quilt show seemed much bigger than I remember them this year and there were lots of beautiful quilts, so I thought I’d show you a few here. This is the 40th year of Quilt Festival and they celebrated by having a beautiful display of blue and white quilts. You’ve probably seen lots of pictures of the quilts on Instagram and other blogs, but here are a few that caught my eye.
The blue and white exhibit was so big, I couldn’t get a picture showing the whole display.
Note the Girl in the Pearl Earring quilt — top row, second from the left. I love the diamonds and what a fun idea — I wish I had taken a better picture.
After I looked at the Blue and White quilts, I seemed to migrate to the applique quilts. This is Sophie’s August Morning by Lynne S. Dahllmeyer-Hartman. It looks a lot like the Love Entwined quilt-a-long that was online a few years ago from a free pattern, but the card with the quilt said this quilt was from a pattern by Michelle Hill.
When This You See Remember Me by Donna Gilbert.
Joy in the Journey by Lahala Phelps.
Look at ALL those appliqued circles!
This next display was several quilts by Yukiko Hirano and they were gorgeous and all hand appliqued and hand quilted. I’d be happy if I could make one quilt this beautiful in a lifetime!
I loved the colors on this one.
Bouquet of My Gratitude by Midori Horie.
Promised Season by Sachiko Chiba.
LOOK at all those little appliqued pieces! And hand quilting!
Past and Future Meet by Noriko Kido.
This is Crazy for Ewe by Janet Stone. I saw somewhere that it received a well-deserved award. It’s an alphabet quilt and many of the fabrics are flannel. The applique pieces were raw edge and sewn down with a blanket stitch. I LOVED all the fun ideas for each letter of the alphabet.
Here are a few other random quilts that caught my eye. The Performance by Linda K. Ainsworth. A fun use of bear paw blocks!
Momotaro, The Peach Boy by Keiko Aso.
Baskets by Susan K. Haslett-Scholfield.
Color My World by Sue Bleiweiss.
These next two quilts were from a challenge of quilts with a total of 100,000 pieces. I didn’t realize it until I was looking at these pictures that they were all made by the same quilter — Amy Pabst. Now I wish I’d taken pictures of all the other quilts that gave her a total of 100,000 pieces.
Stars and Stripes – 5480 pieces.
Sawtooth Star – 3600 pieces.
Facing the Future by Kat Gay. I don’t usually like pixelated quilts, but this was just pretty. It has 8,000 half inch finished squares.
There was also a small exhibit of some quilts from the collection of Joe and Mary Koval.
Isn’t this one interesting without a side border? I’ve seen them without a top or bottom border, but I don’t remember seeing one without a side border before.
And this one is a 1976 Bicentennial Folk Art quilt. Above the elephant it says I’ll Try and above the donkey it says Let’s Be Friends. As the sign says, the workmanship isn’t that great, but the content says it all. Very appropriate almost 50 years later!
There were so many beautiful quilts at the quilt show and this is just a small sampling. Thanks for sticking it out to the end!
XOXO,
Anna
Yay yay yay
thank you for sharing so many wonderful quilts! I loved color my world and the applique’ of course.
Amazing
yes that one quilt is Love Entwined exactly designed by Esther and not Michele Hill – they got the name wrong on that card – it was beautifully done. I saw two finished ones when I went a couple years ago. I have mine started and never even finished the center!
Beautiful ; I’m especially partial to those stunning applique quilts! What labours of love! Shame the market wasn’t was it used to be.
Wow! Not twice in October maybe, but I’m pleasantly surprised to see a new post from you. I also was going to catch one more before the month ended – ha ha ha.
WOW so many beautiful quilts! Thanks for sharing and keeping details. I love the appliqued alphabet quilt. Looks far beyond my skills, but beautiful to see. What a shame about the Sample Spree. :-/
Those applique quilts are stunning! And the hand quilting? Such beautiful stitching and what patience she must have had. It would take me a lifetime to handquilt like that and it would not be so beautiful. Thanks for sharing with us Anna Banana!
The Japanese quilters are amazing! I loved going to Quilt Festival in Houston. I went so many years ago. What a treat to see it through your lens. You’ve had a busy two months!
The quilts are gorgeous, so much talent under one roof. I wish we had events like that around here but until then I enjoyed yours. Thanks for taking us along.
Amalia
xo
I am big fan of Joe and Mary Koval, Piece by Piece