Tag Archives: Quilt Festival

Nov8

International Quilt Festival 2016

Posted on November 8, 2016 by Anny

Grab a cup of coffee, a glass of wine, whatever suits your fancy, and come along with me for a tour of Houston’s International Quilt Festival 2016!

George R. Brown Convention Center

True to our usual M.O., my sister, Nannette, and I stayed at the adjoining Hilton Hotel Wednesday to Saturday to fulfill all our shopping and quilting fixes. Wednesday night was Preview Night from 5:00 – 10:00 p.m. Nannette admired the crazy quilts

and I paid a visit to the Texas Quilt Museum Booth.

Beautiful booths everywhere,

including one of my annual favorites, Edie and Luc Roelens booth, Trims on Wheels. Here’s a sample of what you will find there:

I enjoyed my favorites, such as Miss Rose Sister Violet, Diane Springer, Material Girl, Adorn-It, Mica’s Room and Hanah Silk. Throughout the show this year, I purchased trims, dyes, fabric, embroidery, awesome scissors, and purse parts and patterns. Nannette snagged the best purchase of all: an actual wall hanging from the quilt gallery to hang in her horse arena!

The artwork is entitled, “Home!” by Cathy Wiggins from North Carolina. Cathy achieved the look of a finely tooled Western saddle by quilting leather and applying dyes. She used real conchos on the saddle and studs on the hat brim, then left the raw edges of the hide. Everyone was interested in how Cathy “quilts” leather! Her exhibit consisted of many fine pieces, all true works of art, introducing her own new and special techniques.

While we mostly shopped that first evening, the next day was back to the show, and a class for me. Hanah Silk Flowers was taught by Faye Labanaris.

We created roses, pansies, and posies from bias cut silk ribbons and velvets. 🙂

In addition to registered classes, you are treated to a schedule of demonstrations provided by Craftsy. We enjoyed learning from Annie of byAnnie.com who taught us about purses, hardware, zippers, and patterns.

And now on to the show! We’ll start in the Winners’ Circle with the most prestigious overall award, the $12,500 winner of Best of Show.

This year’s honor goes to Cynthia England of Dickinson, Texas. Reflections of Capetown took a year to make and contains 8,400 pieces. Cynthia was teaching quilting in South Africa when a side trip to a fishing village afforded her this scene of boats and reflections. Her inspiration was the photograph she took, which she transformed into a masterpiece quilt of hand applique and machine quilting.

Cynthia holding her inspirational photograph.

Silk Road Sampler by Melissa Sobotka was another all-time

favorite of mine. This quilt depicts a spice bazaar established in 1597, evoking smells and tastes through the imagination. The bottom is bordered by tassels.

Bouquet Royale by Margaret Solomon Gunn from Gorham, Maine, won the Baby Lock World of Beauty $7,500 award.

Mikyung Jang from South Korea, portrayed one of the most beautiful old castles in Korea through intricately machine quilting and hand dyeing.

Another winner was Unknown Man, fused applique, by Marina Landi and Maria Lucia Azara from Sao Paulo, Brazil.

The $7,500 Founders’ Award this year went to Sally Magee from Texas for Baltimore in Bloom, a design by Sue Garman. This quilt took Sally 3,000 hours to applique and 1,000 hours to hand quilt!

I don’t pretend to know how the quilts are judged but each one is amazing. The quilts that follow are simply ones that made me go, “Wow!” Royal Palm Hawaiian by Laverne Matthews is a huge quilt with stunning colors. Her design source was folded paper cut designs. It was hand appliqued and quilted.

Another quilt that caught my eye with its striking colors is Chambord Fantasy by Jacqueline Manley from Reno, Nevada. While traveling in France, she photographed the architecture of Chateau Chambord France with its quirky towers for her inspiration.

What’s this??? While meandering through the quilts, in one corner of the building, I came upon a sign… though I’m not sure what takes place there, I did see one lone man sitting in the corner… 🙂

Now here’s a quilt! “Crocodylus Smylus” by Susan Carlson of Harpswell, Maine, is 22′ x 6′ and weighs 30 pounds, taking two years to complete.

Crocodylus Smylus

Close-up of “Stevie”

“Stevie” is nicknamed for naturalist Steve Irwin and is a life-size replica of a real saltwater crocodile. If you would like to see a time-lapse video of this quilting creation, go to susancarlson.com.

Susan and her Stevie

“Stevie” was part of her eleven quilt nature exhibit, including:

Kaldi Moondance
(Ugandan stork)

And…

Tickled Pink

Hmm, seeing a pink rhinoceros reminded us that we’d better call it a day and check out the Pappasito’s drink menu for a large scrumptious sangria! Paired with nachos and quesadillas, it was the end to a perfectly quilty day.

Night view from the Hilton

Friday brought us back to reality as it was our last full day. Yikes! On with the Tour de Quilts. Moving faster now… African Sunflower by Peggy DeLaVergne:

Autumn Leaves by Nancy Ryan reminded me of the fall I long for in Indiana…

Head 7 by Diane Siebels was a depiction of the merging of human beings with the constant influx of data:

Head 7

Head 7 Close-up

Pseudo Lunar Topography by Meggan Czapiga:

It Takes a Village by Susan Bleiweiss:

It Takes a Village

Suburban Nest by Sara Sharp in Austin, Texas. The inspiration for this quilt was when the artist noticed that sparrows had built a nest in a commercial sign on the Nest building. 🙂 The 3-D effect of the nest is adorable in person.

Beauty in the Darkness – Artist Kim Boroway:

Beauty in the Darkness

Nannette and I broke for lunch upstairs where ladies just share large round tables.

There we met Debbie Wick of Elmira, New York, the artist for the following luscious quilts in the Primitive/Folk Art Style. Maggie Grace’s Garden (design by Di Ford-Hall) took two years to complete, and is hand pieced, appliqued, and quilted.

Maggie Grace’s Garden

Another amazing quilt by Debbie is Cottage Garden by Blackbird Designs. Hand appliqued!

Cottage Garden

In the same traditional category is Folk Art Flowers by Paula Wexler. Hand appliqued and hand quilted. Using many different fabrics, her challenge was limiting it to just four colors.

Folk Art Flowers

The artists are Unknown for the following beauties.

Flower Garden Star

A Path Through the Flower Garden

An especially colorful and delightfully kaleidoscopic type quilt is the Millefiori. The term millefiori is a combination of the Italian words “mille” (thousand) and “fiori” (flowers). Enjoy!

My Butterfly Garden by Dawn Monk of Seaford, East Sussex, United Kingdom. It took fourteen months and is hand-pieced with 150 different fabrics.

Dawn Monk explaining her quilt.

La Passacaglia: Sometimes More Is More, hand-pieced by Mary Althaus.

An award-winning Texas’ Guilds Traditional Quilt is Sunshine by Judy Wolff from Lincoln, Texas. This quilt has 80,402 pieces! Wish you could see it in person.

Sunshine

In the category of Art-Naturescapes:

Sunkissed by Theresa Olson from Port Saint Lucia, Florida.

The Innovative Applique division offered:

Moonflower by Molly Hamilton Mcnally of Tehachapi, California. Her inspiration was “the humble daisy.”

Moonflower

Tulip Fields by Anna Faustino of Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania. The black outline was cut freehand. The vibrant colors were inserted between the batting and the cut black, then fused into place. Her inspiration was Hollands’ tulips. Love this quilt!

Birds Fly… by Barbara Lies, Wheaton, Illinois. The openwork bars are a hand and machine applique process developed by the artist.

In the American Tradition category is El Camino Serenade by Denise Nelms of Irvine, California.

“Sarah’s Revival in Blue” by Gail Smith from Barrington, Illinois, is hand appliqued from a Sue Garman design. Huge quilt that is stunning!

Sarah’s Revival in Blue

Quilts de Legende category offers “Illusion d’Optique” by Anne-Marie Sierra of Paris, France. Another large masterpiece!

Illlusion d’Optique

The Innovative Pieced category included “Quahadi” by Marla Kay Yeager of Ava, Missouri. This quilt was five years in the making.

Quahadi

One of my favorite sections is the Art Whimsical Category. Of course, I was first attracted to the Golden Retriever…

Obsession by Tonya Littman of Denton, Texas, even bordered the bottom with miniature tennis balls!

Grace Sim quilted an original design inspired by coloring books and Swarovski crystals called iColor Longhorn.

iColor Longhorn close-up

A really cute and colorful quilt was designed by Cindy Cooksey of Irvine, California. It’s called “The Innkeeper Wore Black” and it was inspired by a visit to a bed and breakfast. It was a colorful B & B, with bold patterns on everything except the talkative innkeeper, who wore black.

In the Patterns category:

“On the Same Page” by book lover, Linda Anderson of La Mesa, California. Based on a photograph of a family member. This is a huge quilt that is amazing in person.

On the Same Page
close-up

Another in the Patterns category is “Tiles” by Cathie Hoover. Her inspiration came from sidewalk tiles in Barcelona.

Tiles

The next category is termed Hands All Around 2016 sponsored by Quilters Newsletter Magazine.

“Nature 1” by Bella Kaplan from Israel is based on the agricultural area where she lives.

Nature 1

A large quilt, “Portrait Noir” by Trish Morris-Plise from Nevada City, California, is a self-portrait. The names of people who are important in her life, as well as events and places, are quilted into this quilt.

Portrait Noir

The Art Pictoral category offers quilts that are amazingly life-like. Here are some examples.

“The Big Dry” by Camilla Watson of New Zealand. “The Big Dry” in Australia lasted from 1937 to 1947. Rivers ceased to flow and dust storms raged. Many property owners were forced to leave with whatever items they could carry. This quilt was based on a photograph taken by the artist’s father.

The Big Dry

“Lazy Afternoon” by Hiroko and Masanobu Miyama of Tokyo, Japan.

Lazy Afternoon

“Cat Tails” by Pat Durbin, Arcata, California is clever. Love this! A cat tail among cat tails…

Cat Tails

“Ay-Cock-A-Doodle-Doo” by Deborah Bradley of Kingwood, Texas. The artist’s dear friend had lost her father but still had all of his ties. So the artist used the ties to create a memory quilt honoring her friend’s father, Byron Wolverton Aycock.

Ay-Cock-A-Doodle-Doo

“The Venetian” by Jan Soules, Elk Grove, California, was inspired by the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas.

“Wheat Field” by Melissa Burdon of New Zealand.

Wheat Field

Fons and Porter’s Love of Quilting and Traditional Applique category included:

“The A-E-I-O Ewes” by Janet Stone of Overland Park, Kansas, a beautiful and clever quilt. The title came to her while lying awake in bed. 🙂 The fabrics are hand-dyed by her friend, Gilbert Muniz.

The A-E-I-O Ewes

“Fruits of Labor” by Liza Harrison of Santa Rosa, New Mexico.

The Fruits of Labor

“Fantasy Flower” by Keiko Ike, Kochi, Kochi, Japan.

Fantasy Flower

“Z is for Zinnia, C is for Cosmos” by Kathie Kerler, Portland, Oregon.

Z is for Zinnia, C is for Cosmos

Maybe it’s appropriate we end here with the z’s… Say good-bye to our beautiful second home lobby

Hilton lobby

Say good-bye to our favorite relaxing spot by the water wall…

And although you can’t see it here, parallel to the water wall is a mega Starbucks! You served us well, Starbucks–we’ll see you next year!

And now I deposit all my treasures on the cutting table, waiting for me to sift through, organize, and get busy!

Jun12

Purses Have Feelings Too…

Posted on June 12, 2016 by Anny

Standard

When my sister and I were little girls on a road trip vacation from Indiana to Texas, we would bring toys in the car, of course. One of our favorites was the game Cootie. With Cootie, the object was to be the first to build a bug-like object using a variety of plastic body parts. Unfortunately, while traveling through Arkansas, one of the body parts landed out the car window. Now it only made sense to us that if a body part was laying out on the ground in a far away state, we would have to deliberately throw out another body part to keep that one company. Everything has feelings…

All that being said is to introduce you to a few bags that were created last year and didn’t make it into the blog. We wouldn’t want a bag to have its feelings hurt, would we? So before I go off to a therapy session, here are the omitted bags. 🙂

I actually made two bags from a Charlie’s Aunt pattern called the High Tea Clutch Bag. The first one I call “She Wore Blue Velvet.” The velvet, inside and out, is from Mood Fabrics. Then I added a beaded ribbon.

She Wore Blue Velvet

The other is titled “Hidden Butterfly.” That’s because I randomly sewed two little metal butterflies to the front, along with an upcycled jewelry piece. I believe the fabric was from Britex Fabrics in San Francisco and has lovely textured suede flowers on ivory linen.

Hidden Butterfly

Next is a bag that was sold before it was even placed on the shelf–“Confetti Candy.” I’m showing both front and back to display a variety of fabrics and trims. On the front side I used a suede-like tangerine fabric from Mood. Added to the front was a pocket of Kaffe Fassett floral with colorful popcorn fringe and a sparkling pink broach from Trims on Wheels. The reverse side featured a magenta upholstery weight fabric from High Fashion, with a ribbon embellishment from Renaissance Ribbons. Surrounding the bag is multicolor confetti loop fringe from Cowgirls and Lace. The pattern is one of my favorites from Cindy Taylor Oates.

Confetti Candy

“Venetian Dream” is created from my original pattern, The Jenny Bag. The fabric, from Michael Levine in L.A., is embellished with a heavily beaded trim and an elegant tassel.

Venetian Dream

I wanted to try my hand at using new purse hardware, which is what attracted me to a purse kit and pattern by Penny Sturges and Darci Wright found at Quilt Festival last fall. It turned out well, and I learned to install a twist lock closure. The pattern is Mini Messenger, and I named the bag “Elizabeth.”

Elizabeth

Last year, after viewing gypsy bags on Pinterest, I was inspired to design a romantic creation. “Gypsy Rose” is fashioned from the magenta fabric used on Confetti Candy, a coordinating pink faux ostrich, and a leather flower from Michael Levine. It features a multicolor loop fringe from Cowgirls and Lace, a pocket of antique cut velvet, and a strap of vintage moss green velvet and leopard. I still have not parted with this purse.

Gypsy Rose

One of the most popular patterns I use is the Rachel Bag from Bag Boutique by Amy Barickman. I wish I could remember where I purchased the zebra–perhaps Interior Fabrics in Houston. The purse is accessed through a zipper down the backside and carried by a simple black bamboo handle. The back features an organdy ribbon attaching a rhinestone heart-shaped key, hence the name “Wild at Heart.” To create the front embellishment, I layered two buttons and looped over a silky black tassel.

Wild at Heart

By the Sea is a fun bag I created from scraps of thick tropical themed fabric from a local Galveston upholsterer, distressed denim from Indygo Junction, faux ostrich from Michael Levine, and a plush vintage velvet ribbon from Los Angeles Antiques. I sewed small beads on the eyes of the seahorses, and the crab and fish on the back. The pattern is from Kati Cupcake Pattern Company and has twelve pockets. Such a challenge it was, using grommets with heavy thick fabric. The problem is, the grommets are added at the very end, so you’re basically cutting large holes in your finished bag, and hoping that the grommets install properly. And it’s actually hard to cut with your fingers crossed! 🙂

By The Sea

Cowgirl Chic was fashioned from faux cowhide and leather from Cowgirls and Lace. The lush fringe was from Interior Fabrics in Houston. Not sure I can part with this bag, either.

Cowgirl Chic

The last two bags really are for me. They will accompany me on a Mediterranean Cruise this summer. I needed a hands-free, cross-body bag for shore excursions. Not large–just large enough for essentials. The perfect pattern for this is the Chattisham Clutch Bag from Charlie’s Aunt. Bright red faux crocodile is from Fabric Decor in Houston. I did not embellish it, as the fabric speaks for itself. The zebra bag’s flap is sewn from a vintage crushed velvet found on Etsy, and the ruby bauble is upcycled jewelry.

Tomorrow my granddaughter, Madison, arrives. She just earned her driver’s license, so when we’re not beaching, shopping, or creating, I’m sure she will be happy to chauffeur us anywhere we travel. And until next time, happy summer travels to you!

Love, Anny

Nov9

PICTORAL REVIEW: INTERNATIONAL QUILT FESTIVAL 2015

Posted on November 9, 2015 by Anny

Standard

PICTORAL REVIEW: INTERNATIONAL QUILT FESTIVAL 2015

My favorite time of year–International Quilt Festival! Come along with me as I give you the whirlwind tour. It is an annual tradition that my sister and I spend four days and three nights at the Hilton that is literally attached to the Quilt Festival by a walkway to the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas. Here are views from our room:

View from our Room

Nannette, and I love to fuel our excitement by viewing the entire show first from the fishbowl window on the second floor. Several quilters taking selfies inspired us. 🙂

Okay, now for the show…

As you enter Preview Night, Winners Row is front and foremost.

$10,000 Best of Show

The winner of the Founders Award gets $7,500, and airfare to, and accommodations for, the International Quilt Festival!

Peter Hayward from Spain wanted to take op art to a new level with graduated color and concentric lines. I wish you could see this quilt in person. Your eyes play tricks on you as the fabric appears to be in motion!

Ben’s Midnight Garden

Ben’s Midnight Garden is traditional applique inspired by a mid-nineteenth century wool rug.

In the Valley of Xingu

Reborn

One of my personal favorites among the winners was an original design by Joanne Baeth inspired by old fishing boats in a boatyard in Oregon where she was salmon fishing.

The End of the Line

This amazing quilt, “Tagged,” was dedicated to the nearly 30,000 Japanese internees who were children during the internment camps on the Pacific Coast after Pearl Harbor.

Tagged

Of course, equally fun as viewing the quilts is shopping in the row upon rows of booths selling fabric, trims, patterns and quilts, sometimes antique. Here are some of our favorites:

Gypsy South from Atlanta, Georgia.

Cat, owner of Gypsy South. Very talented lady! I bought gifts for myself and others. 🙂

There were booths playing games for prizes like thread and fabric!

At Pineapple Fabrics you could “spin to win” fabric. My sister and I each won a miniature charm pack!

Miss Rose Sister Violet always has exquisite items such as trims, patterns and clothing.

Miss Rose Sister Violet

I always visit, and stock up, at Trims on Wheels presented by a lovely couple, Edie and Luc Roelens, from Hillsdale, Wyoming.

Trims on Wheels

Quilts by the Bay had a beautiful booth as usual.

Quilts by the Bay, Friendswood, Texas

The Sampler (the-sampler.com) always has tons of luscious Kaffe Fassett fabric.

the-Sampler.com

I don’t know if you’ve been introduced to Adult Coloring yet (very soothing activity) but the craze is cheerfully spreading, with me on board! Appearing in various booths, including this one:

Here is a booth featuring authors who were autographing their books for customers:

And now for some rapid fire eye candy quilt pictures that I just snapped every time I saw a quilt that dazzled me:

The Floral Arrangement

Hydrangeas

Close-up of the tridimensional petals…

Tutti Frutti City Street

Rama Lama Ding Dong

Sprocket to Me

Triptych
The City: Past, Present, Utopia?

Close-up of the triptych.
Hand embroidered, hand embellished.

Persian Excursion

New York Lights

Harvest Celebration

Harvest Celebration close-up

Hip Hip Hooray

Yes, those are tiny little pieces. Here is the story from Bernadette Houghton, Columbia, South Carolina:

“I was going to try making a miniature quilt at a quilt camp, but ten days before I was to attend, I fell and broke my hip. After I got out of rehab, I decided to make a full-size quilt for my bed instead of the miniature, beginning with the half-square triangles I prepared for the camp. The quilt was completed one month after my hip was pronounced fully healed.”

And here is a close-up just to give you perspective:

Pennsylvanian Star of Bethlehem

Tropical Punch

Crazy Elegance

Parrotise

I didn’t get the name of the next quilt, but in the close-up you’ll notice hidden kitties…there were several.

At the Window

A Coastal Town

The Orange (near Rome)

Savanna by Yoshiko Miyamoto

If They Were in P.E.I.
Original Precision Applique

Judy
Technique: Photograph printed on fabric, thread-painted, free-motion quilted.

Who’s Laughing Now

Polka Dodo

Sunflower Serenade

Flowers and Stars

In addition to quilts, some displays featured costumes:

Celebration in the Night Garden

Three more fashions:

Fashion Flashback

And some displays featured dolls:

This is a display of food made of fabric:

Sunday Night Means Breakfast for Dinner

High Tea at Rosings Estate

And then there were dioramas:

Feed the Birds

Dioramas from a display called “In the Yarn Barn.” Animal lovers across the country knitted or stitched creatures to “live” within this fun exhibit. Each animal is quilted, knitted, crocheted, or stitched.

Of course, there are a variety of classes offered at Quilt Festival, some lasting a whole day and some hour-long lectures. This year, my sister and I chose a lecture by Kaffe Fassett featuring a color theme with comments and slides of his glorious quilts. His latest book depicts quilts presented at the show this year called Ancestral Gifts. The collection displayed the actual antique quilts that inspired him, side by side with his interpretation–a modern colorful quilt! P.S. He’s also back to creating knitting designs!

Kaffe Fassett

I also attended a lecture by Cheryl Kuczek, titled “Master Designer Handbag Making Techniques.” One of the featured bags was Xine Basket Bag for which I purchased the pattern.

Cheryl Kuczek

As usual, I peeked into other classrooms to snap a few pics for an idea of what else was cookin’. So inspiring!

The Craftsy Studio was there:

Did I mention that Quilt Festival usually falls during Halloween? I captured a few characters that showed up:

Now look closely at the next picture and you’ll notice that the gentleman on the left has a plunger through his head, and the lady to the right is sporting scissors through the head! 🙂 Yep–a howling good time at Quilt Festival on Oct. 31!

And what, may you ask, will become of the educational four days of fun? Behold the patterns and kits I purchased and plan to execute!

I loved the real life sample of this five layers of petals pillow offered in the Material Girl booth. Can’t wait to make it in my own colors and fabrics!

I chose this Mini Messenger pattern (with kit) to learn to make a bag with a twist lock. 🙂

Two other bag patterns I now own are made from wool, a clutch and a larger bag. Purchased from Heart to Hand. Awesome booth with excellent samples of their patterns.

Clutch with built in coin purse pocket. Appliqued boiled wool detailing. Title: Nest Egg

Larger bag featuring a cheesecloth white rose!

Not only is the Miss Rose Sister Violet booth beautiful, they now offer patterns of the following bags that are right up my alley!

Sunday Rose Shoulder Bag and The Weekender Travel Bag

One more bag pattern caught my eye at one of my favorite booths, Abbey Lane. Here is the Maxwell Bag:

For some reason, I have the urge to sew an item of clothing and bought three yards of batik to make a jacket. And now I also own the kits to make the following:

Faux Fur Infinity Scarves

And…

Faux Fur Wrap

So…tremendously inspired by blogging this review, I am ready to work on my projects! Until next time…Love, Anny

Nov2

PICTORIAL REVIEW: Quilt Market and Quilt Festival 2014

Posted on November 2, 2014 by Anny

Standard

I know this is just a picture of a badge but I feel so privileged to be considered an “industry professional.” This year, in order to attend Quilt Market, you had to submit several items. In my case, it was proof of publishing two patterns, a tax I.D., and proof that I’ve been published in Haute Handbags magazine. In exchange, I received this badge to enter the International Quilt Market, an industry trade show at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas. What a surprise to meet fellow bloggers in person!! Sara Lawson of Sew Sweetness, right in front of me with her fabulous patterns! Thank you, Sara, for featuring Purse Palooza! And when I signed up for Mixed Media Miscellany, little did I know that Gilbert Muniz of Muniz Couture would be teaching me how to make tassels! Thank you, Gilbert! I’ve been practicing! (More to come on that item in future posts…)

So this post will be a “miscellany” of pics from both International Quilt Market and International Quilt Festival. Once again, my sister and I managed to score a room at the Hilton attached to the Convention Center. Do you realize just how difficult that is? When you check out of the hotel, after attending the show, you’re handed a letter telling you the exact date and time you are allowed to call to make a reservation for next year. At that time you will be competing with thousands of other ladies to book a room at that hotel during that time period. Whew! The stress of it all! 🙂

Nannette and I both took classes from Jo Packham (think creator of “Where Women Create,” and “Where Women Cook” and “Where Women Create in Business”) for great tips and secrets on organizing our sewing studios. Our favorite part was the segment with slides depicting sewing studios–Before and After. Don’t you just love those? Actual examples! I also learned a great deal about publishing patterns, self-publishing, editing, photography etc. from classes taught by Judith Montano and Meredith McManus.

Let’s take a look at the fabulous quilts! It was the 40th anniversary of the Quilt Show and the theme was Ruby Jubilee. As you entered the quilt arena, you were met with scenes like this:

But it wasn’t all “seeing red.” Take a look at these beauties and keep in mind, they’re fabric–not paintings…

And more, pure eye candy…

This is so cute: Anywhere We Hang Our Hat Is Home..

We loved the crazy quilts! Here you see the whole quilt…

And now, two close-ups of that same quilt to give you an idea of the intricate details…

Sewn by an Austin artist, this is called “Suburbs”

And, the ocean in fabric form…

Here is a close-up of the lower left-hand corner. I just wish you could see this in person, with all the texturing, layering, and dimensional qualities:

And now a peek at classes–literally. 🙂 I peek in the doors of some classrooms that I find interesting and bring them to you…

A Class on Dyeing

Gilbert Muniz Demo on Making Tasselsl

At the end of the day, when the crowds wane, is a great time to enjoy the Winning Quilts!

This quilt is called “On This Winter Day” by Nancy Prince and Linda French of Orlando, Florida. Over a seven year period, and approximately 2000 hours, this treasure was created using 75,000 yards of thread and over seven million stitches! All the lifelike designs were done in Free Motion Quilting. It was the $10,000 Handi Quilter Winner!

My personal favorite was the Superior Threads Master Award you see here…

The Pfaff Machine Artistry Award was earned by this quilt:

The World of Beauty $7,500 Award was earned by:

And another personal winner was our friend, Georgann Wrinkle’s, beautiful traditional applique quilt:

One of my all-time favorites was the featured quilt titled, Metamorphosis. If you could only see the texture and dimension in this quilt:

So when you’re not feasting your eyes on these beauties, there are hundreds of booths to visit and shop. Nannette was collecting items like velvet and satin, and buttons and trims, to start a fun crazy quilt! AND she found a steal on a gorgeous antique quilt! I purchased frames, patterns, trims (including some amazing buttons) and fabric, including vintage. Here are some of our favorite booths:

Amy Butler’s Booth

Booths selling antique quilts are particularly charming:

Here is a picture of Jennifer Patterson Designs, where we witnessed the most amazing technique of using a polymer to “quilt in clay!” To learn more about this jewelry technique visit www.quiltedinclay.com. Totally awesome!

Here is a booth that really captured my eye. Should have snapped up a card or brochure. You’ll understand why I fell in love with it!

And, Kaffe Fassett, well, how many superlatives can I use, right?

The adorable Tim Holtz had this wonderfully cozy booth!

Heather Bailey had a happy and inviting booth beckoning us:

Trisha Jane Patterns has been picked up by McCall and will shortly become a celeb! Isn’t this cute?

And speaking of celebs, of course, you’re liable to run into quilting celebrities like Alex Anderson and Ricky Tims:

I don’t know why I didn’t take a pic of Eleanor Burns as we watched her demo, but I can show you the fans that fans were carrying everywhere (and they came in handy, Eleanor–thanks!) This is one super sweet, talented lady:

And as we bid fond farewell to the George R. Brown for another year…

We enter our home away from home…

And say, “Cheers to another great year!” with a scrumptious peach margarita, right?! See ya next year! 🙂

Mar31

Flowers and Beyond!

Posted on March 31, 2014 by Anny

Standard

Spring has sorta sprung here in Texas and my thoughts have turned to flowers–fabric flowers that is!

Fun to Wear Fabric Flowers by Elizabeth Helene Searle is a wonderful resource that guided me through crafting all the flowers above. A 96 page book with fabulous photos and examples.

Four of the five flowers you see above were sewn from kits I purchased at International Quilt Festival. The top left flower, though, was made from a pattern by Heather Bailey that’s attached to her purse pattern, “Marlo Bloom Handbag.” This decorative flower is easily constructed following her well-written instructions and adding a vintage button. Here is a closer look:

And here we have the same flower styled with laminated fabrics and a hand-painted button from Mood.

Sometimes, as with the Heather Bailey project, the flower is a bonus from a purse pattern. The same happy circumstance occurred with Carina Gardner’s “Dainty Blossoms Sling” which sports a lovely lush flower that I created for our Springer Spaniel, Kate, from laminated pink floral. She wears it proudly and everyone can see just how feminine she is! 🙂

For Kate

From that very sling pattern I actually fashioned a laminated bag with a casual vintage vibe that I titled “Welcome Back, June”! in honor of summer approaching and a nod to June Cleaver. 🙂 “Now, Ward, don’t you think you were a little hard on Beaver?” Oh, geez, showing my age again… But it does just channel the fifties, don’t you think?

Welcome Back, June!

In addition to my journey into flowers, I also sidestepped into headbands. And where did I find those patterns? Just Google “how to make a reversible headband” and YouTube, of course, will have you stitching headbands before you know it! Here are a few of about a dozen reversible headbands I created. Such fun! Easy and quick! Now at Tina’s!

During Spring Break, my adorable Gracie, The Fashionista, visited and here is a picture of her latest creation–a purse, and of course, it’s in animal print! Girl after my own heart!

My return to actual purse making came in the form of an Anny Clutch from a beautifully vibrant laminated Kaffe Fassett print. Behold “Cheshire Garden.”

Cheshire Garden

One of my favorite Etsy shops, Laminates, provided the fabric (Who’s That Girl? from Robert Kaufman) for this awesome Parisian bag which I deem “Shopping on the Seine.” And the genuine leather handle is from another favorite I’ve mentioned before, Cindy’s Button Company.

Shopping on the Seine

Wanting to experiment with laminated fabric using one of my favorite patterns by Cindy Taylor Oates, I stitched a bag with elements from the sixties. The flower child print is from Stella Dear Stella Designs which I discovered at an awesome Austin shop called Stitch Lab. Dripping with tassels, fringe, and a large leather flower, I coined a new word for this lovely bag– “Fringeship.” 🙂

Fringeship

In the spring/summer season, it’s too easy for me to get caught up in the laminates. (Although, that seems to be what the customers like.) AND I was ready for a pattern that was completely new and different to me. I chose a pattern called Laguna from The Quilter’s Dream. When I saw the sample ready-made at Quilt Festival, it was sewn from all cotton. Instead, I chose to fashion it from a teal floral heavy linen, then machine appliqued the large flower from a fuchsia chenille. I placed a purchased light pink fabric hibiscus in the center, then topped the rim with a sage green ball fringe. I’m delighted with the outcome and titled it “Floral Magic.”

Floral Magic

And now for the Anny Bags–all laminated. The first is a wild Brother/Sister Designs fabric, alternating with a Michael Miller polka dot, which I named “Psychedelic Gardens.”

Psychedelic Gardens

Then I reverted to my four ruffle Anny Bag pattern. I am continually tweaking (not twerking–although that would be exercise) my Anny Bag pattern, usually fiddling with dimensions. I always think, “Ah, this is perfect!” Then, I adjust it again. What’s that about?? Anyway, the following are three that I have delivered to Tina’s in the last week or so.

Black and White and Red All Over

Garden Party

Flirty Flowers

And there you have it, folks! The fruits of my labor! This week I plan to produce three more Anny Bags. Yikes! Actually, Tina’s on the Strand has chosen me to be the featured artist at Artwalk on June 6th, and fear of inadequate inventory drives me! I text pics of the completed bags to my daughter who last night inquired, “Do you ever leave your sewing room?!” Well, yes. I go to Curves, Bunko, Mah Jongg, Lunch with the teachers, friends, and family, mani/pedi, etc. But the REST of the time, I’m sewing. Happily Sew! 🙂

Feb10

What do you get with Dismal Weather?

Posted on February 10, 2014 by Anny

Standard

What do you get with dismal weather? Eight purses! Seriously, I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed sunshine, so I’ve been stitching up a storm! Temperature down=production up! Here are six that I haven’t shared with you…

Madison’s birthday was last month and she (like her Granny Anny) loves all things British. I had seen an Indygo Junction pattern for a British flag pillow at Quilt Festival. Madison’s room decor, however, wears teal and many other colors other than red, white and blue. Aha! I shall convert the pillow pattern to a bag! Using Amy Barickman’s new Crossroads Denim (which is softly washed and available in many colors), I stitched the front and back following pillow directions, then added a gusset, handles, and lining of navy ticking to create this patriotic bag. BTW, the front and back consist of layering red, white, and navy, stitching along pattern lines, then cutting through either one or two layers to expose the red and white and allow the edges to be rough and free. Love this textured effect! I’ve always been a huge fan of Amy Barickman!

Not wanting to leave Europe I guess, my next two bags were fashioned from what I call my Paris fabrics. Ooh La La by Jo Moulton for Wilmington and Salon de The’ Paris by Holly Holderman for Lake House Dry Goods. Two Anny bags, one with a fabric handle and one with a purchased clear bamboo textured handle.

DANCING IN PARIS

LA BOUTIQUE DE FLEURS

Since a bit of the luscious Downton Abbey fabric, licensed to Andover Fabrics, was spotted still lounging in a corner of my sewing cabinet, I decided to give it a whirl in a completely different pattern. I harkened back to a Pink Sand Beach pattern called the Manhattan Bag, which allowed the various Downton fabrics to piece together in a lovely flow. This time the gusset featured the castle fabric. The handle was purchased. I replaced a jewel on the flower with a crown charm, and the necklace type embellishment on the front was a reclaimed charming but broken bracelet. Since this style has a wide bottom and the castle was a light colored fabric, it was the perfect time to try something new–purse feet!

DOWNRIGHT DOWNTON

Mardi Gras celebrations in Galveston are huge–second only to New Orleans. So my next bag (an altered Amy Butler design) presented with deep purple velvet handles. The look was completed with dangling jewel plum beads and a lush blue violet flower. Did you know that Pantone’s Color of the Year 2014 is Radiant Orchid? The perfect title for a bag fit for a Mardi Gras Ball!

RADIANT ORCHID

The sixth bag was created from a deep desire for sunshine. I chose the most spring/summer fabrics available and fashioned a bag I call Gardens of Paris. The blue floral is a heavy linen, surrounded by a buttery loop fringe and dazzling golden beads. I love this gypsy style, which is a modified Cindy Taylor Oates pattern.

GARDENS OF PARIS

Am I gathering fabrics, trims, and patterns for bag number seven? Tempting… But I’m taking a break to “sharpen my saw” as they say. More tutorials are calling my name, as well as books, patterns, and gorgeous ribbon (some vintage) for crafting fabric flowers. As Jimmy Fallon would say, “Thank you, Dismal Weather, for enticing me to sew!”

Nov3

QUILTERS’ PARADISE

Posted on November 3, 2013 by Anny

Standard

It is back to reality for me. From Wednesday to Saturday Nannette and I were in P-A-R-A-D-I-S-E! 2013 International Quilt Festival, Houston, Texas. This gallery of pics will give you an idea of our many ventures. Let’s start here:

OPEN! OPEN! OPEN!
Quilters flocking to the door.

An overall view from the Window Up Above (Wasn’t that a Mickey Gilley song?)

Let’s go shopping:

Nannette and I with Kaffe Fassett and his new book,
QUILT GRANDEUR.

KAFFE FASSETT and LIZA PRIOR LUCY

If Kaffe Fassett doesn’t ring a bell with you, you are probably not a quilter and that’s okay. Just letting you know that he is the author of numerous quilting books and known all over the world for his brilliant color combinations and designs. I so love to use his fabric in my bags. And, oh my, he admired my bag. MY BAG! I can die happy now…

My new favorite booth: ADORNit. www.adornit.com These gals (mother and two daughters) have developed an amazingly strong presence in the fabric, pattern, and quilting world. You go, Ladies!

ADORNit.

Snazzy contemporary fabric and a pattern book (plus some charm squares) were scored at ADORNit. If you sew, plan to visit soon for inspiration.

You can always catch demos at the show. Check out this lady’s sewing machine…

Gelaskin for Sewing Machines?!

This next mother/daughter duo is a booth Nannette and I always take time to visit. Brilliant colors and designs are offered on a number of projects like chair covers, floor mats, travel mugs, mirrors, lamps, shades, clocks and clipboards. Did I say quilts? And more. Dianne Springer finds ways to artistically apply scraps on anything–even mailboxes! Don’t stand still too long–she may find a way to Scrap-o-Late you!!

www.quiltinacup.com

You’ve heard me mention FRAMES. Yes, I succumbed to one of my favorite booths, Mica’s Room. On Halloween, no less. My friends here entice me (doesn’t take much) to buy frames, patterns, clasps and fabric. This year I’m trying coin purses. They do have frames. But isn’t that a great way to practice?

My friends from Mica’s Room.

This year I purchased antique ribbons, lace, and vintage buttons and fabric at booths featuring embellishments. Many more booths featured bags, bag patterns and hardware this year. Right up my alley! You know I was crossing my fingers for colored denim and I hit the jackpot. Thanks to designer Amy Barickman, Crossroads Denim will allow me to fashion totes, slings, and clutches from a softly laundered denim in shades of orange, navy, blues, greens, and neutrals. I’m so excited!

Some ladies at the show try their hand at longarm quilting.

Longarm quilting booth.

It seems as though Nannette ran up a huge total at Quilts By The Bay.

Oops! Thankfully, that was just a mistake, but maybe it’s time to turn from shopping to quilts. Hello–it is a Quilt Show!

The Best of Show Winner is …

Close Up

Meet the Artist

There were contemporary, traditional, charitable, whimsical, biographical, autobiographical, military and art quilts. A sampling:

Sparkles covered all the flowers on this quilt.

Yes, Jack Nicholson. The artist said she was studying expression and emotions. 🙂

This year $102,800 cash awards were given (and the prizes also include airfare to and hotel accommodations for Quilt Festival.) See all the winning quilts at www.quilts.org.

There were classes offered at Craftsy:

Craftsy University

A Craftsy Class.

Many specialties were offered in the upstairs classrooms (Nannette and I enjoyed one) and even classes offered right on the main floor amongst the booths.

For breaks and a chance to catch a breeze in our fabulous fall weather, attendees are welcome to stroll on the balcony. When you’re in the midst of shopping and viewing, it seems the world is removed (happily so) but it’s occasionally beneficial to let your brain experience the connection of a view of downtown.

Often we run into old friends that we usually see at retreats. This year we had fun meeting old friends in the crowded aisles, trying to catch up on the run, waving, and signaling to meet up later. Fortunately, I noticed Jo Packham in the Food Court, having just had two classes with the Where Women Create panel, and she joined Nannette and I for a fun and relaxing late lunch. We solved most of the world’s problems and then it was back to shopping. 🙂

At the end of the day, we welcome this sight:

“Come into the light, Carol Ann…” It’s the corridor that links the George R. Brown Convention Center to the Hilton Hotel. Oh, yes. That walkway reminds us that Starbucks is not a food group. Without even depositing our treasures in our room, we head for the lovely restaurant where the food is actually quite good. After dinner, drinks, and dessert, we drag our loot up to the room and share our awesome treasures. We always vow to get plenty of sleep, but how do you do that when there is just so much to share?? And no sleeping in the next day because, hey, we need to find that fabric we glimpsed yesterday and hope it’s still there!

This year we took a class and it was titled, “Crafting an Ideal Day.” It basically involved time management and we learned a lot from the facilitator and the participants. Everyone seemed to have the same problem–not enough time to sew. We lamented this and brainstormed solutions. The main idea that Nannette and I took away from the class was this: Get 20 minutes in your sewing area everyday. This will lead to more, and if it doesn’t on any given day, at least you will have been twenty minutes productive. Naturally, we left the show this year pledging to gift ourselves those twenty minutes. And it may not happen everyday, but, well, it’s a start. So here I go… I’ll bet I could get a small purse cut out in the next twenty minutes. 🙂 How do you get YOUR twenty minutes in?

Oct30

THE SUCCESS OF PASSION

Posted on October 30, 2013 by Anny

Standard

I had the great privilege to take two classes at Quilt Market–The Success of Passion and How to Let People Know Who You Are. Both classes were led by Jo Packham, hosting a panel of exceptionally talented and creative ladies who shared how their passion led to successful businesses and how they stay ahead of the game in this media driven world. Jo Packham created the fabulous magazine, Where Women Create–Inspiring Work Spaces of Extraordinary Women. www.wherewomencreate.com. This led to Where Women Create-Business and Where Women Cook. If you haven’t had the pleasure of perusing these publications, you are in for a treat. Get a cup of coffee, ease into a cozy chair, and prepare to be inspired.

Speaking of inspiration, the classes were followed by the actual Quilt Market where companies like Westminster Fabrics, Moda, Anna Griffin and countless booths offer patterns, fabric, notions, books, machines, and all the latest items available for quilting, sewing, bag making, and embroidery. Here is just a sample of booths at the Market. Pure eye candy!

Marcia of Abbey Lane Quilts displays a pillow that I bought the pattern and fabric for last year, and a new bag pattern that I can’t wait to sew!

ABBEY LANE QUILTS BOOTH

If you quilt, I know you’ll recognize this sweet lady–Eleanor Burns! Check out her new book, Quilts from El’s Kitchen. www.quiltinaday.com. Savor fresh new quilt blocks along with recipes for tasty treats.

ELEANOR BURNS

I had a great time shopping as a “business owner” and chose new patterns for my bags, along with handles, and yes, FRAMES! No, I’m not really a masochist. I’m just determined to conquer those challenging glueing and stitching frames. Checking out those tutorials on frames, I discovered that it’s not just me. Usually in tutorials, the instructor seems to breeze through, finishing with “And there you have your beautiful project! Wasn’t that easy?” However, I noticed that the frame tutorials used words like “Now here’s the tricky part…” and, “You may have to practice and redo a few times…” I didn’t hear any actual curse words but you know you can edit those videos. 🙂

So between classes on Friday and Sunday, friends joined Rick and I in partaking of German beer and scrumptious homemade apple, cherry, and cheese strudel at the local Octoberfest. Perfectly gorgeous weather as well!

OKTOBERFEST TUNES

Yes, I did manage to sew one bag this weekend. A Victorian drawstring bag that’s appropriate for evening, or festivals like our upcoming Dickens on the Strand here in Galveston.

And now I must go pack, for my sister and I will be checking into the Hilton tomorrow that connects to the convention center for the International Quilt Festival, the largest quilt festival in the world, and the largest convention annually for the City of Houston. This year, as well as continual shopping and viewing the lovely quilts, we’re taking a class–something along the lines of “How to Make Time to Sew.” 🙂 So what am I looking for that I couldn’t find at Quilt Market? Well…fabric. The fabric companies that I mentioned above sell to shop owners who buy wholesale bolts at a time. But Festival is for the individual quilter (at retail prices.) So now I’ll have the opportunity to buy just enough fabric for my purses. I’m looking for spring/summer fabrics like cotton, laminates, vintage fabrics, and hopefully, colored denim. Each year Nannette and I treasure this time together where we shop, eat, giggle, and gab until the wee hours. We’ll be there until Saturday, in the room that we had to reserve at this same time last year, since rooms sell out immediately. Go Quilters! Support the Economy, right?

Next week I’ll share our pics and bargains scored at the International Quilt Festival. Join us!

Feb3

Like a Rhinestone Cowboy…er…Zipper

Posted on February 3, 2013 by Anny

Standard

Although hard to tell from this picture, what you’re seeing here is a beautiful large rhinestone zipper. I purchased this at the Quilt Festival this year but don’t remember the booth. Anyway, I just knew this awesome zipper was going to look gorgeous against a black velvety fabric. But, woe is me, this zipper won’t work. It worked before I sewed it, and it actually worked after I sewed it, but only in one direction. I ripped it out (using that nifty battery operated ripper my sister gave me) and substituted a smaller rhinestone zipper. Same story all over again. My patience was growing thin and I consulted Rick. When my engineer hubby gave up on it, I knew it was time to rip it out and replace it with a regular zipper.

Has anyone had luck with these rhinestone zippers? They were initially shown as a jacket or sweatshirt zipper but I don’t know why that would make a difference. Oh well, best laid plans…right? Off to rip a little more and use a normal zipper without the headaches. Now where’s that Tylenol?

Jan27

Celebrate with Bags!

Posted on January 27, 2013 by Anny

Standard

Galveston’s Mardi Gras celebration is the third largest in the country averaging more than 300,000 people each year. Lavish parades are held in the historic downtown and beachfront. What does this have to do with my bags? Since the boutique that sells the bags is right in the heart of all the merry-making and parading downtown, I try to add a little purple, green and gold to the bags I offer.

Three of the four bags completed this month have had just that color scheme. The most Mardi Gras of them all I call “French Quarter.”

French Quarter

This is a laminated Jenny style bag with velvety black straps, sparkling feather trim, and a black rose with tassels dangling.

Next is Beaded Bliss created in the original Anny Bag fashion. Of course it sports multiple pockets and a beautiful purple floral Kaffe Fassett lining. Don’t know if you can tell by the picture but the print on the laminate consists of a variety of strands of colorful beads. Mardi Gras–hello! I purchased a large lilac polka dot flower to which I added a big purple jewel in the middle and backed it with layers of lavender netting. It was fun doing the Anny Bag pattern again which had been on the back burner since warmer weather late last summer because I like to use it with laminates and softer cotton fabrics that drape well.

Beaded Bliss

Purpleicious was aptly named by my granddaughter, Gracie, who was visiting as I finished this bag. (She told me her sister said she was “really good at naming” and she was!) This elegant little clutch (pattern by Abbey Lane) has a feathery purchased purple flower centered on the Tencel pleats. I believe this was the first bag that I lined with the same fabric as the exterior. This time it just seemed perfect–not plain since I spiffed it up with three Kaffe Fassett floral pockets. Another neat item, new to me, that was very appropriate for this interior was a purple magnetic snap. I was surprised and happy to find these snaps in many colors at Joanne Fabrics. You’ll notice that the interior also has a hand-sewn black floral embroidered trim which I found at Trims on Wheels at the Quilt Show this year. I’d like to give a shout out to these folks. They have every trim you could imagine, including jewels, buckles, etc. Three visits to their booth at the show served me well in the embellishing department! Great booth for my sister, as well, since she’ll be sewing some crazy quilts this year, right Nannette?

Purpleicious Interior

Purpleicious

The latest addition to the inventory of bags at Tina’s is called Midnight Rose! It is fashioned from a fabulously chic textured floral on black. What fun it was to embellish this shoulder bag from a Cindy Taylor Oates pattern. Scarlet beading adorns the exterior pocket, a golden and black fringe trim outlines the entire body, and a hand-made zebra fabric button adds to the fun! The handle consists of two pieces tied together (hence adjustable) and they’re made of sumptuous black velvet on one side and a very soft, thick golden textured fabric on the other. I actually have a bag very similar to this and kept getting requests for it. I have used it for over a year now and it has certainly served me well–from New York, to Indiana, to L.A.– that bag has been through many airport security checks, wild open jeep rides, pedicabs, carriage rides, crowded subways, you name it, and that baby has held up so well. My favorite comment was from a Very Stylish gentleman rushing through the fashion district in SOHO who looked back and called, “Your Bag Rocks!” Ahhh, the supreme compliment!! I finally broke down and made one for Tina’s after I was paying for an item at their checkout counter and a customer really wanted my bag. I took her over to show her some of my other bags there and she said, “No, I want one black with flowers, just like yours.” And so it is. Midnight Rose.

Midnight Rose

Until next time, Happy Sewing!

It's Sew Anny!

Do what makes your heart sing! A blog about Sewing and Traveling

Tag Archives: Quilt Festival

International Quilt Festival 2016

Purses Have Feelings Too…

PICTORAL REVIEW: INTERNATIONAL QUILT FESTIVAL 2015

PICTORIAL REVIEW: Quilt Market and Quilt Festival 2014

Flowers and Beyond!

What do you get with Dismal Weather?

QUILTERS’ PARADISE

THE SUCCESS OF PASSION

Like a Rhinestone Cowboy…er…Zipper

Celebrate with Bags!

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this: