San Diego Quilt Show, 2010

After my laptop being broken for so long, and then misplacing the battery to my camera, I've got a lot of catch-up to do on this blog.
My mom and I attended the San Diego Quilt Show recently, and I had planned to go through the program and identify all the artists, maybe even identify some of their inspirations.
But this cloudy weather kicks my butt, and I just don't have the energy.
So, for now anyway, I'll just share some photos of some of the quilts (and hope it inspires me to get back to sewing!)

This one used techniques to create rust, for added texture, color, and interest!
It also incorporated a real photograph

Fun fabric



Of course I always favor the quilts that incorporate neckties




modern log cabin in batiks


thread art and textural contrast create images in cloth




An example of using one shape only

Miscellaneous




















Confederate quilt

Incorporating hand-painting


I love the three-dimensional kite

Three dimensional characters

Notes and messages
Tee shirt memories
Scouting quilt recycles mementos


Using shapes and photographs

Quilt Garden

What a fun idea.
A Quilt Garden is a feature of the North Carolina Arboretum.
"The Quilt Garden, located near the Heritage Garden is a unique interpretation of traditional quilt block patterns with plants, representing the close ties between heritage crafts and gardening and the contemporary art and craft of quilting in the Southern Appalachian region."

I hope to visit one day

Quilting Inspiration

My mom and I drove up to the north county (inland) of San Diego today, to California State University San Marcos, and attended the El Camino Quilters (guild) Fall Festival of Quilts show.
The theme of the show was "Journeys", where quilters were introspective about their designs.
Some quilts were tributes to their mothers, while others represented their passage through empty nest syndrome, or having a loved one stationed in Iraq.
One lady did an applique quilt of shoes--representing all the years of her life, from baby shoes, to saddle shoes, to platforms.

I was intrigued by quilts made by copying old newspaper articles onto fabric, book excerpts, postcards, and things like the lined cursive writing samples in elementary schools.
Perfect items to describe one's journey, and influences, and struggles.
Personalized art, and memorabilia in art are my favorite things.

It killed me that my camera was recently stolen and I couldn't take photos.

I did buy a few goodies though :)
Redwork embroidery pattern of a Maypole (the shop's example was actually stitched in multi-colors of floss).
Pattern by Quilting Bee Designs

I love Maypoles.
Somewhere in the back of my mind, a design is brewing for either a multi-media Maypole, or a quilted one.
This vintage purse design by Enid Collins inspires also, and therefore fits into the puzzle somehow
I'm too broke to buy much, but did come away with a fat quater of fairytale fabric


and a yard of this luscious pig fabric


I was intrigued by a scrap quilt in which the scraps were arranged crazy-quilt-style in circular shapes atop a white background.
Hmmmm...would be a great way to use scraps.
Maybe even necktie scraps.

Speaking of circular shapes, I've always wanted to make this denim quilt using the lid of a large coffee can as the template (I have tons of jeans saved).
It looks simple to do, but comes out looking like a mock Cathedral Window pattern (a design so complicated that my mom and I both call it "that dreaded pattern" after attempting a class and neither of us ever finishing even one block)
Today I learned about a guild in Orange County called Camp Watch-a-Patcher that holds quilting retreats in Costa Mesa.

But what I'm most excited about is finally having met
Karen Cunagin--a name I have seen over and over again as inspiration behind the quilts I've seen in recent shows.
Karen, of Millefleur Fiber Arts, teaches classes, most often at Palomar College.
I am SO going to attend one of her classes or workshops!
How fun is that idea?!
Note she also has patterns for sale, and a blog, all accessible via the link above.