Delightful Doilies and Linens from the Mid Atlantic Quilt Show

A couple of weeks ago, Teri and I (Kara) were able to attend the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Show. We go there yearly, as it falls right before The Academy of Appliqué. It is a small show, but it usually has a great variety of quilts, and this year was no different. One exhibit in particular became our favorite, as it gave us lots of great ideas for our very large doily collection. This exhibit was created by Nancy S. Breland and was called Exploring Vintage Linens. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Color Progression

Birthday Party

Detail Birthday Party

Blue Bugles

Spider Web

Twinkling Stars

Pennies From Heaven

Detail Pennies From Heaven

Turn to the Sun

Golden Garden Spider

Detail Golden Garden Spider

Red and White Challenge

Knitted Doily

Carved Pearl Buttons

Detail Carved Pearl Buttons

Pearls on Purple

Calla Lily

Detail Calla Lily

Dazzling Doily

Lavish Linens

Detail Lavish Linens

I forgot to take a picture of the title, but what a great way to use a doily!

This was such a great exhibit, and there were many other wonderful quilts at this show. When Teri and I attended this show a little less than a month ago, we had no idea that our world would change so much in just a short amount of time. I moved up my departure date a week so that I could get back to Germany in case they closed the borders and am happy to be safely back with my husband and pups. 

Many of us have been asked to "shelter in place" for a while to help curb the spread of the virus. We like to look at it as mandated stitching time, and many other stitchers are, too! There are quite a few stitch-alongs going on and can be found on the various quilting Facebook groups out there. What are you working on while you are sheltering? Are you stitching along with a group? Please share what you are doing so others might get some ideas. We are stitching on next year's projects already, but we may take a break from that to see what we can do with some doilies. Thank you, Nancy Breland, for the wonderful inspiration!

Stay safe and healthy!

An Inspirational Walk Through Liechtenstein

At this time of year, for Teri and me (Kara), our dining tables have disappeared under copious amounts of threads and ribbon as we put together kits for the Academy of Appliqué. 

While Teri is diligently working on kits, I had to get my end of things finished a week earlier, as my husband and I would be heading to Bavaria for a work conference this week. Needless to say, putting a blog post together for either of us was going to be a challenge. With that said though, I thought why not bring our readers along, through pictures, on our trip to the Alps—specifically Liechtenstein!

Our daughter flew in to join us on the front end of the trip. She lives in Bangladesh, so it was a long flight and a very drastic change in climate for her. One of the things we wanted to do while she was with us was to visit Liechtenstein. Kaitlin had participated in Model UN in high school, and the country she represented was Liechtenstein. It had always been a dream of hers to visit, so off we went. 

We chose to go to the capital, Vaduz, to take a hike, view the castle, and see the state museum. All three things on our agenda did not disappoint, and hopefully you will enjoy our trip as well!

A view through one of the castle gates

The Prince of Liechtenstein and his family still live in the castle, so we could just view it from a distance.

A storybook view!

A beautiful stone carving along the trail!

It was 50 degrees on our hike, and these snowdrops were a glimpse of the coming of spring.

After our hike, we went to the Liechtenstein National Museum. Unfortunately, we arrived there with just an hour to go through the museum, but we made the most of it. It was definitely worthy of a trip back. I love being inspired by other cultures!

A beautiful national hat

Another hat with some fantastic embroidery!

A decorative handbag.

Crocheted lace collars

This wonderful example of filet crochet has many Liechtenstein symbols and crests.

Close-up

A stunning tapestry depicting the life of Christ

Close-up

A collection of religious jewelry

Not quite a quilt, but this certainly qualifies as appliqué!

A close-up of the coat of arms

I fell in love with these wooden hearts used to decorate the cows
as they come down from the mountains.

The "IHS" is in thanksgiving to He who has preserved the cows and kept them during this time.
They are called Apabfahrtsherz.

A block used for fabric printing

Last but not least, a beautifully preserved Kingfisher. I think this may be the next bird we stitch!

We hope you were inspired by our quick trip to the little country of Liechtenstein. While it may be small, it is big on beauty and inspiration! 

Birmingham Festival of Quilts—Japanese Beauty

As Kara mentioned last week, we enjoyed our two-week stint together, attending the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham, UK, and enjoying lots of day trips near her home in Germany. I (Teri) came home happy and exhausted—and laden with new needles and threads to try, a bit of fabric, and a fair amount of chocolate. (Oh, and thousands of photos!)

Two exhibitions at the Festival of Quilts that really drew us in had something in common: both featured the work of Japanese quilters. The first showcased the work of just one quilter, Shizuko Kuroha, far left. Her exhibit, Indigo & Sarasa; Pieces of My Life, was awe-inspiring, and she sat amidst her quilts placing tiny stitches in yet another work of art. You can find her work in her book Pieces of My Life—a story of fabrics and passions, published by Quiltmania. We hope you will enjoy her quilts as much as we did!

 

       

  

   

   

  

   

Wouldn't you agree that her work is absolutely stunning? The incredible detail in her handwork tells some beautiful stories! My pictures can't begin to capture the awesome work in Shizuko Kuroha's quilts. We were so glad to have seen them in person.

The 14th Quilt Nihon Exhibition was the other area where Kara and I spent a long time studying the fascinating detail in the handwork these quilts displayed. This exhibition is organized by the Japan Handicrafts Promotion Association, who trains instructors and promotes the art of handwork. (If you click that link, you may need Google Translate.) Following are a few of our favorites—it is all about the details!

 Many Cherries in the Garden, by Takeko Sato; 

Traditional Silver Award

Crocheted flowers, embroidered flowers

A bit of cross stitch

And these charming rickrack flowers!

Welcome to the Heavenly Flower Garden, by Yukiko Nakao; 

Traditional Bronze Award

Detail: center medallion

I love how these sprays of laurel leaves create a box around the center circle.

That sashing—perfection! 

For You, by Yumiko Takami;

Traditional Honorable Mention 

Detail: center medallion

Detail: border—some tiny quilting with trapunto!

Blue Sky–Feather Appliqué, by Yoko Suzuki;

Traditional Corporate Award

Detail: Those circles are tiny, and each feather in the border is appliquéd separately!

 Detail: And after it was all quilted, she embroidered it with feather stitches in concentric circles. Wow.

Final Baltimore, by Kimiko Hasumi;

Traditional Honorable Mention

We really loved this Baltimore Album-style quilt in this unique colorway. Kimiko Hasumi's use of fabrics and the subtlety of her color choices gives these familiar Baltimore patterns quite a different look and feel. It was certainly a one-of-a-kind Baltimore! Isn't it wonderful to know that the Baltimore Album quilts of old are being remade even in Japan? 

That's all for now. Are you inspired? We surely were!!