Northwest Quilt Show--More Quilts

Before I go on to the quilts, I just want to say I'm excited that I have a whole day of sewing ahead of me.  After working like mad last week to finish up the Home is Where the Heart Is quilt, I took a few days off from sewing.  It's always good to do that, and then I return feeling fresh and excited about my projects once again.  This being the beginning of April, it's time to get going on my swap blocks, my doll quilt swap, and my blocks of the month.  My NewFO project for April is a quilt I've wanted to start for ages . . . years, literally.  So much to do . . . in a good way.  It's hard to decide where to start.  I want to start everything at once!

This is the third batch of my favorite quilts from the Northwest Quilt Show.  If you missed the first two posts, you can see them here and here.

This first quilt was just very pretty in its artistry, and I especially liked the quilting.  (Any time you want to see a closer, larger view of a quilt, just click on the image.)  I like the way the sun's rays are depicted with the different colors of fabric.  The quilting is simple, but very effective.

This next one was especially moving.  It was about 36 inches square, and depicted what it might have been like to sail into New York Harbor on one's way to Ellis Island and a new life.  You can see the Statue of Liberty in the background.  The quilter used a sort of chiffon fabric to make the porthole appear foggy.  This must have been such an exciting moment in the lives of the folks who lived it.

Here's a little more detail.  The lighting of the hall was reflecting on the fabric, which takes away from the effect.  It was much prettier in person.  The hand is all done in thread.

The previous quilt and the next one were a part of what appears to have been a guild challenge related to ancestry of the quilter.  The next quilt is called "Door to My Ancestry" and invites the viewer to physically open the door on the quilt to reveal the treasure inside.  I love the texture on this one.

Look at the details on the door.

And look what's inside!  Be sure to check out the quilting on the inside of the door.

I haven't had a desire to quilt with Japanese fabrics, but I do love the colors.  I like what this quilter did, creating a kimono in each block out of a different fabric.  This would be a great way to use scraps.

One reason I love quilt shows is that I get to see what others come up with for quilting designs.  The more free motion quilting I do, the more I want to do.  I'm not very imaginative, however.  It's helpful to get inspiration from others whose imaginations are more active than mine is.  This was quilted with gold metallic thread.

I just liked the color and design on this next one, and the three dimensional appearance.

At first glance, this next quilt didn't do much for me.  But then I read the story about it.  It's a memory quilt created by a woman who was a live-in caretaker of an elderly couple.  When both passed away, she made this quilt from their clothing to remember them by.

Look what she did with the pockets from the man's shirts.  Very nice.  I love this idea.

This next one was quite striking.  Each of the leaves is a separate piece of fabric.  As my friend Sue likes to say, all those little pieces made me itch.

Here is a close-up of the same quilt.

I didn't realize it until I was posting these images, but it reminds me of a picture I took a few Autumns ago when we were visiting Yosemite National Park.  Here's my image.  See what you think.

So that's it for this batch of quilts.  I'm anxious to get at my sewing projects.  I'll have one more batch to post either tomorrow or the next day.  How are you planning to spend your day?