I'm back and slightly rested from my trip to QuiltCon, and I have so many amazing quilts to share with you. First, here's a few seconds on what the show floor looked like just after opening on the first day:
I was so excited, I had to snap a selfie to send to friends and family for proof of life.
Enough of all that though. Let's get to the good stuff: the quilts!
My Personal Favorite
I'll admit I'm very biased here. This is the Skydance Bridge quilt from the Oklahoma City MQG, where my dear friend Tisha is president. This was in the community quilts section, and I really enjoyed watching it come to life as I've talked to Tisha over the past few months. I love the representation of their city's bridge, but I also love the details in the quilting with the OKC skyline, the lighthouse at Lake Hefner, the Wheeler Ferris Wheel, and a full moon with the Tycho Crater. Over 20 members of the guild took part in creating this quilt, and it was stunning in person.
Best in Show
I will not do this quilt justice with my photography skills, so visit Veruschka's site to see it and the QuiltCon awards site for amazing pictures and winners in every category. If you want this quilt to be even more amazing, check out the South Dakota tourism site for the story of the statue the quilt is based on. Ok, here's the quilt:
And a close up of some quilting and piecing details:
And to completely blow your mind, the back!!
Best Original Modern Design
I love this quilt from Audrey Esarey, and I'm so glad she decided to release a pattern for it!
And a close up for details:
Low-Volume Exhibit
I love it when low-volume quilts come together in such a beautiful way, and this year's exhibit didn't disappoint.
Here is soft white damn from Amy Pryor. It's based on an ee cummings quote, "The snow doesn't give a soft white damn whom it touches." If you look hard enough, you can see the quote in the fabric. It's quilted with white yarn to mimic the snow.
And the detail:
Here's Girls Day Out from Kirstin Klasen. I love how playful it is with all the reverse appliqué and the quilted circles as breath bubbles for the fish.
And the detail:
The last one in this category is Let the Rainbow Bleed Through from Leigh Ann Matthews. I love rainbow quilts, and this one is like no other I've seen before.
And the detail:
Native American Exhibit
I also found quilts I love in the Native American exhibit. Here's Four Arrows from Diane Chinana, Jemez, from E Pueblo, New Mexico:
And this sampler of Navajo designs from Jennifer Emerson Tsosie, Navajo, from Flagstaff, Arizona:
Colorful Quilts
Still Blood Boils by Jen Broemel. "The state of the world has me sad, worried and often enraged. The process of making has become not just a comfort amongst the distress but also an affirmation that beauty can always be found and should be sought. Life zigs and zags, good and bed. I tend to choose to tilt toward and bask in the light."
And the detail:
Out of the Blue by Emilie Trahan. This quilt won first place in the improvisation category. In true improv form, this started out as a small wallhanging but kept growing and growing as she worked.
I loved the quilting on this, and she did it all on her domestic sewing machine.
Whew! If you're still with me, I hope you enjoyed this little piece of QuiltCon. If you want to see some of my favorites from last year, here's the recap post for those.
