It would be impossible to describe the International Quilt Festival in Houston to one who has never attended. There were roughly 55,000 attendees from over 35 countries, with more that 1,100 vendors' booths and over 45 special exhibits of quilts and related needle art. It can be overwhelming, but oh, the inspiration that abounds! All quilters should put this experience on their bucket list.
We took a plethora of pictures, which we will spread out over several posts, so as not to overwhelm you (though that would give you a more accurate feel of Festival.) We will share a couple of the quilt exhibits in their entirety in their own posts. For today, we'll show you a few highlights. Above are views of the exhibitors booths from the second floor.
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| We were not alone in loving the Dutch Heritage reproduction fabric in this booth with Petra Prins. She sold out of all of her stock before the Festival was over! The samples below show why. Stunning!! |
One of the exhibits that we found intriguing was The Millefiori Quilts, sponsored by Quiltmania Editions. The attention to detail in composing these intricate quilts is almost beyond imagination.
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| Polychromatic Medley, by Christine Belding; hand-pieced using English paper piecing, from the book Millefiori Quilts, by Willyne Hammerstein. |
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| Detail: Polychromatic Medley |
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| Detail: Polychromatic Medley |
Hexagons were everywhere! Here are the girls in the Moda booth demonstrating English paper piecing with hexies, using mini charm packs (Moda candy) of Grunge fabric. They even handed out a sample of the Moda candy so we could all try it. Start small, and you, too, could end up stitching a Millefiori quilt, totally by hand! Why not?
And we just have to say that the David Bowie quilt hanging in the Moda booth was incredible!!
For your viewing pleasure, here are a few more quilts in exhibit that we enjoyed. Stop back soon and see some more of our favorites!
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| Winter Memories, Chieko Shiraishi; Japan Hand appliqué, hand embellishing, hand quilting, hand embroidery |
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| Detail, Winter Memories |
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| Whooper Reflection, Judith Roderick; New Mexico, USA Hand-drawn with soy wax and gutta-dyed, machine quilted; hand-painted silk |
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| The Peaceable Kingdom, Margery Hedges; Texas, USA Machine appliqué and quilting; hand appliqué, painting |
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| Second Chances, Rhonda Dort; Texas, USA Hand piecing, appliqué, quilting and embroidery; machine embellishment and embroidery Made with vintage linens, doilies, trims, ribbons, laces |
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| My Favorite Paisley, Yoko Izumi; Japan Hand piecing, hand embellishment, hand quilting |
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| No Bake Appliqué, Wendy Reed; Maine, USA Hand-appliquéd and quilted, potholder method |
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| Wendy asked for a photo of us with her quilt; here you go, Wendy! And congratulations on your ribbon! |
That concludes this taste of the Houston Quilt Festival. There is so much more to see. Stay tuned!
Wow! Thanks for the great photo! So sweet of you. Thanks for sharing these wonderful quilts. You two are the best!
ReplyDeleteYour quilt was fabulous, Wendy! We were glad you told us to look for it. The potholder method sounds like one worth exploring. Loved your appliqué!
DeleteLook forward to seeing more. Going to Houston one year is on my bucket list. Hopefully sooner than later.
ReplyDeleteHope you make it, Cynthia! It is worth the exhaustion; SO much to inspire, both in the exhibits of quilts and the vendors' booths.
DeleteWow! What a treat for the eyes!
ReplyDeleteIt definitely was!
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