Last week, I spent Wednesday night and Thursday all day at the Pacific International Quilt Festival in Santa Clara. This is the first time in several years I have not rented a hotel room and stayed down there with TFQ. I stayed over Wednesday night with a friend who lives nearby so I wouldn’t have to drive back and forth, but I came straight home after the show closed on Thursday. As you read this I am presenting at a conference, so I had a lot to do on Friday and Saturday to get ready for the conference.
The Zig Zaggy quilt was part of the New Quilts for Northern California and I was pleased to see how well it was hung. It really hangs straight, too, which is always a thrill.
I didn’t hang around my quilt for hours, but the few times I passed by, I saw people studying it and taking photos, which is also always a thrill. I was with my mom and Julie part of the time. When we visited my quilt they gave me lots of kudos and told everyone within hearing distance that it was my quilt. I was embarrassed, but also a bit happy.
Angela’s Kona Challenge quilt, Kona Color Waves, was hung nearby, also as part of the challenge. It was so great to see it well hung. The color choices she made really work well. I hope she hangs it up in her house so she can admire it. I also hope other people are inspired by it.
BAMQG was well represented at the show as Kathleen’s sunflower quilt was hung there also.
I really enjoyed the World Quilt Exhibition this year. There was lots of good imagery, many, many Israeli quilts and great designs.
CQFAers were represented as well. Caroline had her landscape quilt in the show, prominently displayed at the end of an aisle. Marie had two, yes TWO quilts in the show. One was a Pineapple made from Hawaiian fabrics and the other used hand dyed fabrics. We helped Marie at her first meeting figure out how to proceed with the hand dyed quilt.
Some trends I noticed were: surface design appropriate to the quilt, lots of amazing quilting and stitching, again appropriate to the design and not over the top. I also lots and lots of portrait quilts. It was interesting to compare the different face techniques. There were also a lot of landscape quilts. I got the impression that people are no longer exploring their machines, but know what they can do and are doing those techniques well.
For a long time, I didn’t get to see my friend Faye, but I would get to see her quilts in the World Quilt Exhibition. Then, as her husband became more ill, she wasn’t able to enter quilts in the show either. Her husband, sadly, died a few years ago after a long illness and I have gotten to see her as she spends about 2 months near me every year now. I was also pleased to see her quilt, Stars, Curves and a Touch of Yellow, in this show.
The Quilt Show has a video up of various quilts. If my link doesn’t work check the Quilt Show’s Daily Blog for October 14, 2011.
My purchase downfall was Tsukineko inks and Perl Cotton. There was a booth at the show selling inks with tons of colors and I couldn’t resist adding to my collection.