We had a fun meet and greet, here are members of the LAMQG with overlap to the Long Beach MQG.
Of course we enjoyed drinks along with our fun and laughter. I met a number of people that I was hoping to see there. We spoke but no pictures.
I took a class with Luke Haynes, called Log Condo. Btw, he designed that fabric, I think I might need some when it is available for purchase in April.
Here is mine. I learned a lot in this class, people love this block. I’m not so sure. I grabbed colors not because I love them but just because. I may finish this, as in practice some of my FMQ, although with all the crazy seams it won’t be easy. So it might just be walking foot quilting instead.
Speaking of color, this brightness I really like! Maybe because it is contained within a pattern. Sort of like my solid challenge quilt, I think the bright colors and the improvisational nature of my block are just a little too much for me.
There is a formula for creating these slabs of fabric, one I may use again with much subtler fabrics.
I am attracted to color as well as bold graphics.
Two designs that are monochromatic.
Others that go for high contrast.
Or a lot of bold bright clean colors.
And then there are the optical illusions. The more I look at this the more I like it. Not something I would ever make, but the joy of being a modern quilter is the joy of being exposed to so many different styles. Quilting truly is a way of sharing one’s personal creative expression.
I love how Yoch calls this: A Leah sandwich. But which one of us is just Leah and which one is the other Leah?
I collected a lot of buttons this year, I need to go through and see if I have any duplicates from last year. Handing out buttons is quite a thing. This year it seemed like the merchants were doing more of it than the attendees.
Some of the swag. I also bought some fabric and tools. I really enjoyed just talking to people. Some were local friends, some were friends from last quilt con, some were new people. Like Monica Raven from Australia. I go to knitting and quilting shows whenever I can. Quiltcon is the friendliest, I think this has to do with social media. We follow one another on different platforms and are very excited to meet in real life. I don’t think I will be going to Savannah next year, but when Quiltcon is on the west coast, or even if it were to go back to Texas, I’m there!
The big fabric companies can’t sell fabric, they would be taking business away from the shops that are there. So they offer all kinds of other activities. At the
And here are my finished blocks!
It is a quilt show, so sometimes the quilting is the star. This was the Albuquerque MQG banner. The quilting is exquisite, using variegated thread helps make the balloon pop out from the background.
A look at the back of the quilt – as neat and beautiful as the front, can’t say the same about all the quilts there. We had a white glove volunteer turn some over, and they resembled mine, a little messy on the back.
Speaking of group quilts, this was also made by a group, or a Bee. One of the members, Diane belongs to our guild. It isn’t easy making a group quilt that actually flows together well. This one does, love both the color and the mid century modern motifs.
An interesting graphic, bold colors, simple shapes.
And a wonderful use of the quilting thread to enhance the design.
Here is another example, this quilt had some very bright colorful areas on what looked like a stripped fabric.
Turns out the background is a medium grey, the stripes are achieved with color thread and the direction of the quilting. I really love it when the quilting completes the object, isn’t just an afterthought.
My friend Lindsey made this beauty. It all started as a block of the month for the guild. She built and expanded on the original and look at this beauty. One of the things I love is how the design ‘continues’ off the edge. Of course the colors and shapes are wonderful as well.
Very simple design, interesting use of ‘transparency’ as well as the quilting lines.
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 
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.