QuiltCon 2015: Quilts!

If you were following my Instagram feed, then you already saw a selection of quilts that were in the quilt show. Today, I want to highlight a few more quilts that really caught my eye. One of the benefits of being able to blog about the quilts after the fact is that it gives me time to research the quilter and link to them (although there were still I few I could not find); I really wish the write ups had included IG names or blog names so that I could have appropriately tagged them when I was trying to give credit during the show. Perhaps feedback for next year, right? I have linked where I could, and if you have information about any work here that I can add, please let me know; I would be happy to do so.

I can’t lead this view of the QuiltCon 2015 Quilt Show with anything other than the Best in Show quilt, “i Quilt” by Kathy York. I just love the quilting in the central white “i” to help reinforce the design. York shares the idea behind her quilt in her show statement: “At times I feel alone, but I am not. I am supported by many friends and family. These are the little ‘i’ blocks that make up the big central ‘i.’ The other ‘i’ blocks in the field are for all the people I have never met that support my life.”

“i Quilt” by Kathy York – Best in Show

1st Place, Best Machine Quilting
Diving Geese
By Katie Pedersen of Seattle. Pieced by Katie Pedersen. Quilted by Krista Withers.

Artist Statement: “‘Diving Geese’ evolved through my desire to create a minimalist design with no recognizable black layout,” Pedersen says. “The triangular ‘geese’ were created using the modern crazy piecing technique and scraps. I used an angle piecing technique to bring the blocks together so that the geese would appear to be diving. I love the ‘ghost geese’ that Krista quilted in.”

2015 Coats Award of Quilting Excellence
Coral Reef
By Marla Varner of Sequim, Washington. Pieced and quilted by Marla Varner.

Artist Statement: “The vibrant colors of this bicolor quilt were the perfect canvas for dense hand quilting,” says Varner of her winning quilt. “The quilting is improvisational, with each block inviting me to play with unique designs featuring multiple thread weights and colors.”

Coral Reef (back left) and Diving Geese

Amazonia by Nathalie Bearden in Use of Negative Space. I really enjoyed seeing the texture and quilting pop on the back side of the quilt!

Amazonia by Nathalie Bearden

Amazonia by Nathalie Bearden

“Grand Pineapple – Dichotomy” by Allison Lee

Quilting Details of Color in Flight by Cynthia Whitten in Modern Traditionalism

“Survivor” by Jennifer Benoit-Bryan is a very powerful quilt that spoke to me. Personally, I voted for it in the People’s Choice Award.

Artist’s Statement: “At some point in life, most people live through a terrible event. In my case, afterward I struggled to label myself, neither survivor nor victim felt completely right, although I felt much closer to the victim side. This quilt represents the shift I’ve experienced over many years along the continuum toward the survivor side while the victim label has faded into the background. I hope that this quilt offers a message of hope to those at other points along this continuum.”

Survivor by Jennifer Benoit-Bryan

I love how Amanda continued the design out into the binding in her When Oceans Rise quilt.

When Oceans Rise by Amanda Hohnsteiter in Minimalist Design

Phased Circles by Michelle Wilkie

Huckleberry by Rebecca Bryan in Piecing

“Rainbow Remix” Artist Statement: “Inspired by quilters of Gee’s Bend, I set out to make a rainbow quilt using an improvisational technique. Each block blends 2 different colors together and moves the spectrum around in surprising but visually pleasing ways. In homage to the perfectly, imperfect Gee’s Bend quilts that I love so much, I kept the quilt irregularly shaped. I couldn’t bear to square this one up.”

Rainbow Remix by Rebecca Bryan in Improvisation

Gradient by Alys Gagnon in Improvisation

Ceiling Tiles by Amy Garro in Piecieng

“Big Top” Artist Statement: “Inspired by vintage quilt block Spring and Fall by Nancy Cabot, I modernized the original block by using bold chunks of color rather than intricate piecing. I created a gradient of color across the quilt, alternated the direction of columns of blocks, and left a large area of negative space for the eye to rest. Quilted in a meandering free motion pattern.”

Big Top by Faith Jones in Use of Negative Space

(Left) Abacus by Christa Watson and Neighborhood by Michelle Wilkie (Right)

“Pike’s Peak” Artist’s Statement: “Pike’s Peak uses half square triangles, bright colors, and negative space to create a fun and modern quilt. The straight line and dense back and forth quilting continues the quilt design into the negative space.”

Pike’s Peak by Cheryl Brickley

Swan in the Water by Kristyn McCoy

“Museum Windows” Artist’s Statement: “This quilt was inspired by a friend’s photo of a stained glass window at the Museum at Prairiefire. It was machine improv-pieced from trapezoidal sections of strips. The quilt was machine quilted with paisley and swirl designs in the upper negative space of the quilt and stitch-in-the-ditch around each pane on the lower portion of the quilt.

Museum Windows by Melissa Fontanese in Use of Negative Space

Peek by Melanie Shortman Tuazon

There were so many beautiful and inspiring quilts at QuiltCon; these are just a small sampling of the quilt show. To see more, you can visit my Quilting Jetgirl Instagram feed, Christa Watson also posted many photos of quilts from the show, as did the Fat Quarter Shop, Bryan House Quilts, and Gina Pina.