Maltese Inspiration

Two main islands, Malta and Gozo
make up the country of Malta

Certainly a major benefit to living in Europe, is the opportunity to travel, and my husband and I (Kara) are trying to make the most of it. Last fall, we knew we wanted to plan a trip somewhere south and decidedly warmer than Germany in the winter. I scoured the travel blogs and came up with Malta for our end of March trip. While it wouldn't be hot, it would be warmer than where we were, and it looked like there were a lot of interesting things to do and see. When I told people where we were going, they usually looked at me with a strange look and said, "Malta? Where's Malta?" 

As with any place that either Teri or I visit, we always look for inspiration for future projects, and Malta was no different. What stood out to me was that no matter what type of stitching we might do—appliqué, landscapes, embellishment, or piecing—this tiny country had inspiration for it all. Please join me as I take you, through pictures, to the islands of Malta. 

When we walked into our rental—a renovated Maltese farmhouse—the first thing I noticed were the amazing tile floors. One of the bedrooms was filled with beautiful tiles, not just on the floors, but on the walls as well.

In the kitchen

It's hard not to see a quilt!

This will definitely be a block we make someday.

Notice the Maltese Cross in the upper left.

Rose of Sharon style.

Wouldn't this scene be beautiful done in either appliqué or embroidery?

There are so many ways this peacock could be interpreted in fabric.

Malta and the neighboring island, Gozo, are packed with stunning landscapes and interesting rock formations. If you are a landscape quilter, both islands are a feast for the eyes. 

St. Peter's Pool

The color of the water was stunning

Note the person on top for scale.

More of the amazing Mediterranean!

We visited this sleepy fishing village early in the morning.

The island of Gozo is famous for its bobbin lace. While we didn't get to see any lacemakers in action, we were still able to view some of their work.

So many bobbins!

Some of the different designs.

So delicate!

One of the places we visited was a museum built on the site of an original Roman townhouse. I was surprised to see that the Romans must have been quilters! Or, more accurately, some of our quilt designs may have come from their mosaics.

Tumbling Blocks.

A closer view.

English paper piecing?

That this Roman mosaic is still intact is mind blowing.

By now, my husband is quite used to me stopping in the middle of our walks to take pictures of flowers. I think there might need to be a "Flowers of Malta" project.

The color of these beauties is so intense.

These could be found blanketing the landscape.

I love the grey tones in the leaves.

Such beauty in rocks.

I can already see these done in silk ribbon.

Little yellow puffballs.

Malta was far more beautiful than I could have imagined—stitching inspiration was everywhere! Hopefully, you have enjoyed coming along with me on my visit to Malta and have been inspired by what it has to offer. 

Now, I think I am going to go and stitch one of those tiles...

The Texas Quilt Museum

Last week, I (Teri) went on vacation to San Antonio, Texas. As always, when we travel, we stopped in several quilt shops and antique stores during our day trips to visit wineries or eat barbecue. My favorite day trip was definitely our drive to La Grange, where we went to the Texas Quilt Museum. It was everything I could have hoped for, and more! How lucky am I to have a husband who will drive two hours each way during vacation so that I can look at quilts?!

When we arrived at the museum, I was a tiny bit disappointed that pictures were not allowed; however, I was given permission by the manager to take a few photos so that I could share them with you. The current exhibit is only there for a couple more days, but I was thrilled to have been there to see the magnificent quilts they have on display now. The main room was hung with Antique Indigo Quilts from the Poos Collection, by Kay and Lori Lee Triplett. 

The view from the front of the museum was breathtaking!

Since I couldn't take photos of each quilt to study further when I got home, I purchased the book, which includes the quilts hanging in the exhibit. Now I can relive the beauty of those indigo quilts from my easy chair! 

Indigo Quilts, by Kay and Lori Lee Triplett

This was one of my favorites!

After examining each quilt in detail, we entered the next room, which displayed some of the quilts that were on exhibit in Houston last fall, at the International Quilt Festival. As you know, Kara and I love fairy tales and stories, so you can guess how excited I was to see two quite diverse quilts depicting stories. The museum manager, Julie Maffei, offered to take photos of me with the quilts for our blog. Try to zoom in to study the details. The work on both is magnificent!

Marchen (Fairy Tale), by Kayoko Hibino; Japan
There is nothing about this fairy tale quilt that I don't love—
from the stories that are illustrated to the color and fabric choices,
and of course, the spectacular embroidery and quilting. 

Adventures in Wonderland, by Fabia Diniz Mendonca; Brazil
The more I studied this quilt, the more I found. I am in awe of anyone
with a talent for quilting this kind of detail. And there were so many
fabulously quilted elements of Alice's adventures included!

Cheshire cat, detail

The Mad Hatter, detail

The Queen of Hearts, detail

Alice, detail

Many thanks to Julie, who allowed me to take a sampling of photos to share, and who walked me through the displays to be sure I didn't miss anything. 

The third exhibit included quilts by San Antonio artist, Jane Dunnewold, whose innovative quilts are creatively Inspired by the Masters. Each piece includes various types of vintage stitched pieces—including crewel, needlepoint, punch needle, doilies and quilt blocks—stitched together to portray a renowned masterpiece by a notable artist. To see more about this display, you can go to Jane's website to see her work: http://www.janedunnewold.com/inspired-by-the-masters.

Julie then took me to The Pearce Memorial Library, which houses an extensive collection of books and resources about—you guessed it!—quilts. They started with a couple hundred books, but now have more than 6,000 books. This is a room where one could spend a day, getting lost in the pages of the quilt world!

Stumpwork flowers based on Shakespeare works

An exhibit of toile, from Mary and Joe Koval's collection.
Each drawer held a piece of antique toile, and the story told in the fabric is detailed.
In the drawer above is The Story of Joseph, Red and white French toile on linen, c. 1806.

The current exhibit is soon ending, but the upcoming exhibits look just as promising. If only I lived closer! 

Next to the museum is a flower garden, and what quilter does not love a flower garden? This one, indeed, is inspired by a quilt, or quilt blocks; even the name, Grandmother's Flower Garden, is a popular quilt block design. Won't you join me on a pictorial stroll through the garden?

I love irises!

The sundial in the center of the garden

The redbud trees were abloom, while at home, we were getting a foot of spring snow. 

My husband found a cool, comfortable resting spot. He even told me to take my time at the quilt shop next door!

He had a pretty nice view of the garden from his shaded bench.

The left side of the mural...

...and the right side.

What a great day we had in La Grange, Texas, visiting the quilt museum, its garden, and the quilt shop right next door. There were even a few antique shops in the town. If you are ever in that area of Texas—even if it's a two-hour drive—it would be well worth your time to visit! For more information about the Texas Quilt museum, you can visit their website by clicking here.  

What about you? Have you visited a quilt museum that you could recommend to all of us? Please leave a comment below, so we all know what should go on our quilt museum bucket lists. Inquiring minds want to know!