Instagram was full of this image, how could we not all take a picture of the Quiltcon banners out on the streets of Pasadena. I will be writing a number of posts, because talk about sensory overload!!
I went in on Wednesday afternoon and helped out with some of the set up. I have previously volunteered in the office, so I got a tiny glimpse of how much work goes into putting on this kind of event. Michele and I are starting a carpet laying company, or at least one that covers carpets with plastic so they stay clean. Yeah, real workout on the back and knees, but we sure did have fun!
So I got a tee-shirt. The Fabric companies can’t sell their fabric at the show, since many of their vendors are there selling, so they do giveaways. Windham fabrics were handing out these fabric necklaces, it was fun to see the town full of them. I think I made the bracelet over at Free Spirit. Beyond the Reef has their fabrics printed by Wyndham, so they handed out dresses with prints of their new line. I need to deconstruct and then make my own, wouldn’t this be adorable on a card?
First day out and about and I bump into Karen McTavish. I had just used her quilting design on my New York Beauty. Of course I wanted a picture. Sorry my eyes are close, but I’m smiling. I met many many people that I either follow on Instagram, blogs or podcasts. I had great conversations but didn’t always take a picture.
I should start mentioning quilts. There was a special show of quilts by a woman named Molly Upton, she only quilted for 3 years in the early 70’s then tragically took her own life. Her quilts are AMAZING! Using whatever fabric she could find, she created incredible art quilts. Just looking again at this one quilt I am seeing so many things that are inspiring me.
Most of the images I took were not of the whole quilt, there are pictures galore all over the internet. This is one of the few, complete quilts. It is a circle, I love the organic square shapes within a circle. 
This time I went for close-ups, sections of quilts. Of course they were lovely overall, but I want to concentrate on details. 
Like the use of both machine quilting for the texture and heavy sashiko for the rope connecting the beads. Also, this close up I’m seeing that my quilting stitches are as good as anyone. We aren’t industrial machines, and the stitches aren’t all perfect. To be honest, I prefer it that way.
I don’t remember if the quilt was hand pieced. It certainly is hand quilted!
There is a lot of improvisational work as well as negative space – not really my style. I am much more attracted to fine detail and impeccable piecing.
What attracted me to this one wasn’t the colors or the design.
It was the use of batik fabric. The modern quilt movement is growing up. There was a time where no corners matched and if you used batik fabric that immediately disqualified the quilt from being called modern. Since this is such a young growing movement within the larger quilting world, things change all the time. Workmanship matters, and seeing that this quilt was accepted in the show, I’d say, that it’s the over esthetic. People can make any fabric work with the modern.
More anon, I am still digesting so much of what I saw this weekend.
Leah