International Quilt Festival - The Quilts

As a part of my time at Quilt Market I can see the quilts on display for International Quilt Festival which starts 1 1/2 days after Market ends. It is wonderful to wander through all the exhibits with very few people. I can take my time, take pictures of quilts (where permitted) without asking people to move out of the way and I can read the posted signage with each quilt. Here is a hint to all you photo-takers - take a picture of the 'writeup' right after the quilt and you'll know who made it and the story behind it.

There are HUNDREDS of quilts on display - so I can't see everything! I review the list of exhibits and choose the ones I want to see.

Here is a brief selection of the quilts (and one 'installation') that caught my eye. 

This first set of quilts were a part of the

Quilts: A World of Beauty

the annual Judged Show of the

International Quilt Association

These pictures were taken BEFORE the awards were announced the day after I left. 

The complete list of winners is available here.

At the Waterhole by Sheila Finzer, Terrebonne, Oregon
The elephants were stunning but the shadowy images of the trees in the background also spoke to me.
Sheila was inspired by a photo she took  while in Kruger National Park in 2011.

Awarded Second place in the Art-Pictorial category.

See the Leaves for the Tree by Marilyn Farquhar, Heidelberg, Ontario

Winner of a Judge's Choice award - choice of David Taylor

Unfurling by Frieda Anderson, Elgin, Illinois
Frieda dyes all her own fabrics; this pieced includes cotton fabric and silk, rayon and cotton hand-dyed thread.

Frieda's quilt was awarded First Place in the Innovative Pieced category.

Uptown Rail Fence by Maria Shell, Anchorage, Alaska
Maria describes herself as a 'bit maker' who then builds them into bigger and bigger compositions.
I love the energy and colour of this rail fence. I also see it as a 9-patch!

Awarded Third Place in the Innovative Pieced category

Dawning Forest by Soyoung Chung, South Korea
I love the contrast between the pieced background and the textured trees.

Close-up.
The quilting throughout the background adds subtle texture while the trees are heavily textured.
The tree on the right has the perfect texture for a Lodgepole Pine - one of my most favourite trees.

Majestic Redwoods by Pat Durbin, Arcata, California
Tree quilts always stop me in my tracks!

Hwasung Fortress by Mikyng Jang, Seoul, South Korea
This is 'wholecloth' quilt using Thread-Drawing to create the design - AMAZING!

Direction Optional - Group Quilt by 2016 members of Bee Sewcial, Denver, Colorado
Inspired by the #BeeSewcial January 2016 "Linear" prompt/theme
using a palette of off-whites, yellows, grays and pops of colour.

The theme was interpreted in so many ways and the innovative ideas are stunning in this piece.

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Skyline by Linda Sullivan, Quilted by Teresa Silva, Arcadia, California
This quilt was in the Tactile Architecture(tm) 2017 exhibit.

Windchimes - curated by Barbara Hollinger.

The ten members of Fiber Artists @ Loose Ends created this installation.
This is only one of the 4 sections of the installation. The pieces rotated and moved in the breeze.

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 Is a visit to International Quilt Festival on your 'bucket list'?  This is only a very small portion of what you can see. Beauty and inspiration all around! Start making your plans to go to Houston.

Next year's Festival dates are:

November 8 - 11, 2018

Preview Night, November 7

Classes begin November 5 (YES, there are also amazing classes you can take!)

George R. Brown Convention Center

Houston, Texas