** Note: This is the third section of a nine part blog **
My Summer Vacation 2017 :: Kick off :: Part Uno
My Summer Vacation 2017 :: Part Deux
My Summer Vacation 2017 :: Part Trois
My Summer Vacation 2017 :: Part Cuatro
My Summer Vacation 2017 :: Part Cinq
My Summer Vacation 2017 :: Part Six of One
My Summer Vacation 2017 :: Part Six of Two
My Summer Vacation 2017 :: Part Six of Three
My Summer Vacation 2017 :: Part Seven
If you haven't read the previous post entitled " 'Nuf Said :: A Reflection of Quilting", please do - this post is tied to it.
Saturday morning, our quilt guild sponsored a bus trip to Vermont Quilt Festival. This would be my fourth time entering a quilt into the show.
The first one was in 2014 with the quilt "Falling in Love".
The second one in 2015 with the quilt "From the Inside Looking Out", and they had a special exhibition call "New England Stitches Special Exhibition" where "From the Outside Looking In" was displayed.
The third one in 2016 with the quilt "I Love Love Love".
This year, 2017, I submitted the quilt "Going on A Trip II".
A little bit of background about Vermont Quilt Festival's award system. The judge's gives points on each quilt and does not compare or judge it against another one. This year the point system was based on the following:
- 15 points maximum - Visual Impact
- 40 points maximum - Design
- 20 points - use of pattern and design
- 10 points - effectiveness of color in overall dseign
- 5 points - suitability of materials
- 5 points - border treatment
- 45 points maximum - Workmanship
- 20 points - precision of work, top and back
- 20 points - quality of quilting and / or needlework
- 5 points - binding and edges
- Purple Ribbon (Exceptional Merit) - 98-100 points
- Blue Ribbon (First) 95-97 points
- Red Ribbon (Second) 92-94 points
- Yellow Ribbon (Third) 88-91 points
Strap on your seat belt - ready for a tour of some of the beautiful quilts I saw? Let me preface that these quilts are the ones that caught my eyes. Some have many ribbons, some have no ribbons. You will see that the quilts are all over the place, traditional, modern, contemporary, lots of bling, simple and subtle. Also - some of the pictures in this quilt do not give justice to the actual quilt.
Ready? I will put the quilter's name and the description. And I'll sometimes add my own commentary.
This one below is "Aunt Sadie's Stars" by Nancy Simmons, Duncannon, PA. "My love of antique quilts and the 'Stars Upon Stars' quilt from the Grand Rapids Public Museum were my inspiration for this quilt. I used Edyta Sitar's 'Texas Star' pattern for the lonestars. Quilted on a home sewing machine"
This one below received a ribbon for "Best Traditional Quilt" and a blue ribbon (first)
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| "Aunt Sadie's Stars" by Nancy Simmons, Duncannon, PA. |
Next, "Friends of A Feather" by Catherine Searle Renault, Topsham, ME. "I've had this quilt on my 'to-do' list for almost 20 years. I finally was inspired to start it at our annual quilt retreat on Cape Cod in 2015. Longarm machine quilted by Margaret Gunn. This one received a purple ribbon (exceptional) and a special ribbon that goes to the Longarmer. Note that one of my dreams is to have Margaret Solomon Gunn do one of my quilts. I don't think she will ever do one of mine because of the bulk of the pieces and that I use batik fabrics.
This quilt has outstanding piecing and the quilting on it just makes the quilt even better. A good quilt takes into account the piecing and the quilting and both need to work hand in hand to complement the quilt.This quilt received a purple ribbon (exceptional merit) and "Best Pieced By Machine" award.
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| "Friends of A Feather" by Catherine Searle Renault, Topsham, ME |
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| Detail of "Friends of A Feather" |
I was drawn to this quilt first by the colors and then the movement. I also like how she took the time to do the four corners of the quilts to emphasize the middle of the propeller, which is also used in the body of the quilt.
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| "Expanding My Circles of Friends" by Elizabeth Schmidt, Englewood, FL |
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| Detail of "Expanding My Circles of Friends" |
Below is called "Floating Words" by Ann Feitelson, Montague, MA. "Looking into the cosmos. This is an original design. Quilted on a home sewing machine". She received a blue ribbon (first). I've seen her quilts over the years at various quilt shows - and I am always drawn to her use of colors and her original design. Even though we are both in Massachusetts, we still have not crossed paths. Notice the quilting design? It is very subtle, but it provides a sense of movement to a static fabric.
The one below is a sweet one. It is called, "Floral Impressions by Claudia Gass, Pierrefonds, Quebec City", she received a yellow ribbon (third). "This pattern by Debbie Kimball was completed because of my love of applique and the challenge to use oakshot fabrics. Each piece is lined with Ricky Tim's stabilizer. Double the work; double the fun! Longarm machine quilted by Phyllis Moody. The background color of this quilt color is washed out, and the colors she chose for the applique is pastelly. Because of these two combination, it gives a different feeling to the quilt, a more sweet and gentle quilt.
The one below, "Dahlia, Modern," by Kristen Brewer, Waterbury Center, VT caught my eye. A "simple" quilt at first glance, this is not simple at all. I love the gradation of colors and the treatment of the petals at the bottom of the quilt. This one received a blue ribbon (first).
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| "Dahlia, Modern", by Kristen Brewer, Waterbury Center, VT |
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| Detail of "Dahlia, Modern" |
Below is "My Baltimore Journey" by Darlene Donohue, Hilton Head Island, SC. "This quilt took 4 years to complete. I enjoyed working on each block and took it along wherever I went. I used silk thread and a freezer paper method for the applique. Two layers of batting give it a trapunto look. Longarm machine quilted by Ruth Quinn. This one received a purple ribbon (exceptional merit).
OMG. Just look at all the different pieces to this quilt. You have 16 blocks, then you have the half square triangles surrounding the blocks, then you have the border, then you have the 8 flowers surrounding the border, and then you have the half square triangles around the perimeter. Kudos to Darlene for doing this in 4 years. I love sampler quilts, one day, one day, I may tackle my own version of a sampler quilt. For most quilter, this quilt would like more than 4 years. Persistence and perseverance.
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| "My Baltimore Journey" by Darlene Donohue, Hilton Head Island, SC |
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| Detail of "My Baltimore Journey" |
This one below is called, "A New England Album" by Carol Duffy from Plymouth, MA. "Each month in 2016, I challenged myself to draw a tiny New England scene and then digitize it for machine embroidery. While "computerized" suggest that the artistry of something has been diminished, I propose this beautiful piece dispels that notion. Quilted on a home sewing machine." She received a blue ribbon (first) and a special ribbon award for "Best Machine Embroidery".
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| "A New England Album" by Carol Duffy from Plymouth, MA |
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| Detail of "A New England Album" |
Below is call "Le Petit Jardin" by Christine Wickert, Penfield, NY. "This quilt is a miniature version of a Deobrah Kemball design. It is made using only silk materials with the exception of the batting which is wool. Hand quilted. Christine Wickert has won many best in shows and ribbons in many quilt shows.
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| "Le Petit Jardin" by Christine Wickert, Penfield, NY |
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| Detail of "Le Petit Jardin" |
This below is called, "Vermont's Hope" by Janet Brunet, Colcester, VT. "I've wanted to do a black and white portrait quilt for a while; so, I immediately thought of 'Bernie' for the Mountain Art Quilters' Vermont-based challenge. Quilt is based on a photo by Win McNamee. Background is compromised of Bernie's quotes and slogans. Quilted on a home sewing machine. This won a blue ribbon (first).
The quilt below is called, "The King of the Barnyard Meets the Big Apple" by Joanne MacNevin, Pembroke, MA. "The seemingly supreme self confidence of a peacock on display was striking on a southern plantation visit. He did not discriminate. All there to wonder at his magnificence. Interpretation of a photograph using New York Beauty blocks seemed appropriate. Quilted on a home sewing machine." This quilt received blue ribbon (first) and a special ribbon for "Best Bling".
I kept coming back to this quilt over and over again. What a magnificent quilt. She does place blings (crystals) on the quilt - but she does not overdo it. The quilting itself is absolutely jaw-dropping. She should be proud of this quilt.
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| "The King of the Barnyard Meets the Big Apple" by Joanne MacNevin, Pembroke, MA |
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| Ribbons won by "The King of the Barnyard Meets the Big Apple" |
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| Quilting detail of "The King of the Barnyard Meets the Big Apple" |
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| Detail of "The King of the Barnyard Meets the Big Apple" |
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| "Technicolor Virtuvian Man" by Kim Belliveau, Newmarket, NH |
The quilt below was fabulous. These are hexagon pieces. This is called, "Granny Pink's English Garden" by Jennifer Billard, Amston, CT. "Made up of 6,097 paper-pieced hexagons, this quilt is an original layout / design inspired by my English grandmother, Edith Pink, who taught me this technique as a child. It is entirely hand pieced and hand quilted and dedicated to her. Hand quilted.
This quilt gave me the goosebumps - it was beautiful. The intricacy of the work and the layout is amazing. I can see the love of this quilt. This quilt received a special ribbon for "Best Pieced By Hand" and a blue ribbon (first).
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| "Granny Pink's English Garden" by Jennifer Billard, Amston, CT |
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| Detail of "Granny Pink's English Garden" |
This next one is stunning. This quilt is called, "Sapphires on Snow" by Norma Ippolito, Chester, VT. "After taking a paper-piecing design class in 2016 at VQF with Amy Garro, I was intrigued by her process. Combining oversized blocks with lots of negative space for quilting, "Sapphires on Snow" merges traditional with modern. Quilted on a home sewing machine. A special ribbon award was presented for something which I do not know and purple ribbon (exceptional merit).
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| "Sapphires on Snow" by Norma Ippolito, Chester, VT |
As Katie Beltz (one of the judges of the show) gave a tour of the winning quilts, Norma Ippolito was also part of the group. She is the one on the right side with an arrow pointing at her. I congratulated her quietly before we got to her quilt and I told her I have admired her quilts from previous years. I couldn't believe I was rubbing shoulders with an award winner. You know what she said to me in return? She said something along the lines of, "I've been eyeing your quilts too over the years", and she said "Congratulations". OMG. It was just a surreal experience. She admiring my quilt and here I was admiring her quilt.
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| Katie Balz speaking about award winning quilts. Norma Ippolito on the right. |
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| "Alice Payne" by Barb Vedder, Madison, CT |
Below, "Cauterskill Rising" by Janet Atkins, Athens, NY. Her work has also been shown in multiple quilt shows and have gotten ribbons. She also did a quilt called, "Murdererskill Crossing Quilt" a few years ago. She received a blue ribbon (first) and also another ribbon for something.
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| "Cauterskill Rising" by Janet Atkins, Athens, NY |
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| Detail of "Cauterskill Rising" |
Here's a quilt that can make me cry. This quilt is called, "It's Universal" by Anya Byam, Burlington, VT. " 'It's Universal' is my response to the upheaval and violence that's happening in the world. Using only solids allows the message of peace to be clear and bold. Within the dense quilting, peace is written in nine languages, emphasizing this universal wish. Quilted on a home sewing machine." This quilt is very appropriate with the current situation in the world. This quilt received a red ribbon (second) and a ribbon for Best Modern Style Quilt".
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| "It's Universal" Anya Byam, Burlington, VT |
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| Detail of "It's Universal" |
The one below is called, "Domestic Improv" by Maura D'Moire, Shelburne, VT. Unfortunately, I forgot to get a picture of the text. I like the colors that she chose in this quilt. It is simple and soft, very Marimekko-y.
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| "Domestic Improv" by Maura D'Moire, Shelburne, VT |
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| Detail of "Domestic Improv" |
Next we have, "Joseph's Coat" by Megan Farkas, Sanborton, NH. "After completing a very intricate quilt, I wanted to make something more free form. Starting with a bag of scraps from SewBatik, I paired strips and enjoyed the resulting color interactions. All work by hand. Hand quilted. This one received a blue ribbon (first) and a special ribbon for Judge's Award, David Taylor. I want to emphasize again that this quilt is all done by hand, meaning pieced and hand quilted.
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| "Joseph's Coat" by Megan Farkas, Sanborton, NH |
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| Detail of "Joseph's Coat |
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| "Journey- Red River" by Bethany Krawiec, Upper Jay, NY |
Complete with binding and all!
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| Detail of "Journey- Red River |
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| Detail of "Journey- Red River |
The one below is called, "Daily Challenge" by Miche'le Gagne, Hammond, ON. "I sewed on block a day from Kathryn Kerr's '365 Challenge' website. Wanting to use all my scraps, it barely made a dent. Not sure what I'll do this year without my daily fix. Perhaps, I'll use scraps from the floor. Longarm machine quilted. I could never do one of these. I think it is too tedious and there are many things that can go wrong. Kudos to Miche'le for being able to stick with this project.
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| "Daily Challenge" by Miche'le Gagne, Hammond, ON |
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| Detail of "Daily Challenge" |
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| Detail of "Daily Challenge" |
My camera could not capture this quilt well. This is by Kathie Beltz - yes she is one of the judges of the quilt show. "SkyFall" by Kathie Beltz, "58 different stars on a blue background, size 2" thru 10",. various colors cascading down to a puddle at the bottom of the quilt. Note that this quilt was not judged, it's just to show case instructor's quilts.
Below is another quilt by an instructor at VQF, Michele O'Neal Kincaid called, "For the Ladies". "Working from a photograph, I created this explosion of pink beauties. I've always had a soft spot for Lady Slippers and HAD to make this! Machine pieced, machine and hand applique, machine quilted.
Who doesn't like Adam Levine? It's called, "Sugar" by Karen Dorey, Virginia Beach, VA. This pixelated quilt of Adam Levine was designed by uploading a picture to www.youpatch.com. There are over 1,200 pieces of fabric sewn together. It is quilted with the lyrics to the band's song, Sugar. Longarm machine quilted by The Green Apricot. This quilt received a red ribbon (second).
The one below is called, "Midnight Fiesta" by Squanicook Colonial Quilt Guild, Hollis, NH. "This 2017 Raffle Quilt for the Squanicook Colonial Quilt Guild, Townsend, MA, showcases five variations of the LeMoyne Star ranging from 3" to 7" inches. Designed by Kathie Beltz, It was pieced by guild members; and quilted by Lorri Wurtzler. Longarm machine quilted by Lorri Wurtzler. This quilt won a blue ribbon (first).
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| "Midnight Fiesta" by Squanicook Colonial Quilt Guild, Hollis, NH |
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| Detail of ""Midnight Fiesta" |
I was drawn to this quilt. It literally called me. "Third Time's the Charm" by Dan Perkins, Rangeley, ME. "This is the third quilt in a series (hence the name) that I came up with. Each brought out something a little different. Although I like them all, it was decided the 'Third Time's the Charm.' Longarm machine quilted by Carol Perkins."
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| "Third Time's the Charm" by Dan Perkins, Rangeley, ME |
I almost missed the quilt below. After a third round of walking through the quilts, I spotted this one. This quilt is called, "Cat's Tail Rainbow" by Stitching Sisters from Five State, Westford, MA. "A group of Concord Piecemakers went to VQF eventually joined by a couple of Vermonters. Although some have moved away, eight of us created this entry. We like it when our quilts hang together, just like us. We hope you enjoy our story! Quilted on a home sewing machine." This quilt received a red ribbon (second).
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| "Cat's Tail Rainbow" Stitching Sisters from Five States |
Next is a quilt called, "Summertime" by Sheila Groman, Scotsdale, AZ. " 'Summertime' is a crazy quilt of appliqued and embroidered images including flowers, birds, bees, hearts, and fans. Materials used include embroidery floss, silk, ribbon, pearl cotton, cording, lace, beads, ribbon Floss, [something] mirror." This quilt is absolutely amazing. All the intricate handwork that was done for this quilt. Breath-taking. This quilt received a blue ribbon (first) and a special award ribbon for "Best Embellishment".
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| "Summertime" by Sheila Groman, Scotsdale, AZ. |
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| Detail of "Summertime" |
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| Detail of "Summertime" |
Remember the improvisation baby quilt that I made in the spring called "This Little Piggy"? That quilt was started in a class taught by none other then this quiltmaker, Timna Tarr. This quilt is called, "On The Fly", by Timna Tarr, Holyoke, MA. Unfortunately I forgot to take a picture of the description of the quilt. Isn't it wonderful how she plays with colors? This quilt received a red ribbon (second) and a ribbon for "Best Scrap Quilt".
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| "On The Fly", by Timna Tarr, Holyoke, MA |
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| Detail of "On the Fly" |
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| Detail of "On the Fly" |
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| Detail of "On the Fly" |
Now, this quilt below is the Best in Show quilt. It is called, "Threads of Friendship (Carol's Gift), by Barbara Korengold, Chevy Chase, MD. "Original design based on traditional Baltimore Album quilts. Chinese silk embroidery thread was a gift from quilting friend, Carol Auth. Hand quilted". This won the purple ribbon (exceptional merit), special award for "Best Applique", and Best In Show. I'm speechless, so I'll leave it at that.
The next one is called "White Out" a group quilt made by Mara Novak, Norma Ippolito, Dona McKenzie, Carolyn Nieschouski, Lynn Way, from Chester, VT. "Small Pond Quilters is a group of Vermont machine quilters who meet regularly to share knowledge and encourage each other to try new skills. Inspired by Tula Pink's book, 100 Modern Quilt Blocks, five members designed and executed this quilt together. Longarm machine quilted by Mara Novak. This quilt received the purple ribbon (exception merit) and the Governor's Award, and Best Machine Quilting on a Long Arm Machine ribbon. Wow.
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| "White Out"by Mara Novak, Norma Ippolito, Dona McKenzie, Carolyn Nieschouski, Lynn Way, from Chester, VT |
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| Ribbons from "White Out" |
Ribbons won are: blue ribbon (first), Best Graphic Quilt (that's the maroon ribbon), and Judges' Award (that's the pinkish ribbon) (from Christa Watson).
The lady to the right of the quilt is Marla - she was volunteering at the quilt show. She's also part of the quilt guild that I'm also in.
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| "Going on a Trip II" Quilt & Bitch, Wellesley, MA |
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| Ribbons for "Going on A Trip" |
I am in awe of this whole experience. At one point, I even did a side step dance with a visitor. I thought I was going one way and she the same way, and then I stepped the other way and she also side stepped along with me. I thought I was getting in her way, but what she was really trying to do was read my name badge. When she realized that it was me she introduced herself. She congratulated me and walked away. About 30 seconds later she approached me again and we had a longer conversation. It's nice to talk to people, and I enjoy it.
I guess being Asian, and with a Chinese last name, I stood out a bit from the crowd.
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The next sets of quilts are by Katie Masopust-Pasquini, I like to call her KPM. She also recently came to our quilt guild as a Kenote speaker. She also had a two-day workshop - that I did not attend.
Her quilts are magnificent, they speak for themselves.
This one below is my favorite one. It speaks to me.
Well, that's all folks. I hope you have enjoyed the show as much as I did.
Onto the next quilt.
Quilt & Bitch
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