Houston International Quilt Festival-The Quilts-Part 2

There was a bumper crop of spectacular minis in this year’s show. Keep in mind that miniature, as defined by the Festival, is any quilt that is less than 24″ on each side. I don’t think any quilt I have pictured here exceeded 14″ on any side.

This little gem has been inked, painted and quilted. This is the prettiest “Dia de Muertos” quilt ever-look at how much detail there is in this tiny piece!

This incredible quilt is all silk dupioni. George is the absolute master of the mini and now he is working in “micro mini”. His 1″ blocks have 49 pieces and this beauty has 2,874 pieces! I think this is around 5″ x 7″.

And just to outdo himself, he made this quilt with 4,860 pieces-this defies logic and physics in my mind. He does foundation piece which explains it a little bit. The colors are beautiful in person.

This gorgeous mini honors veterans of all wars by paying homage to the poppy of remembrance. What exquisite detail and texture.

I’m back to full sized quilts now. This quilt makes you think. Sherry took photos on her iPhone that she rendered into drawings and printed onto her fabric. It makes a statement about the paradox of technology-alone and together at once. Sherry received a Second Place ribbon in the Digital Imagery category.

Jennifer creates amazingly realistic quilts that capture a moment. She received First Place in Digital Imagery. Jennifer used 58 thread colors to create this realistic quilt based on a photo of her son and his Sheep Dog. You just have to smile!

Who could resist this playful guy?? Franki rendered a photo of her Bichon Frise into this charming quilt using intricate piecing techniques. I’ve met Mr. Mendelssohn and he’s even more charming in person!

Aww! Suzane started with a photo of Roxy and Lucy Furr, Italian Mastiffs that belong to her brother. She digitally manipulated and thread painted the photo. Don’t they just look like they are waiting oh-so-patiently for their treat?

This received First Place in Art-Painted Surface. Pat lives in Mt. Baldy, Ca where winters are snowy and long. Using just pigment ink and free motion quilting she captured the feeling of a harsh winter.

Oh my gosh, is this just not gorgeous? Barbara Oliver Hartman used snippets of fabric leftover from previous projects to create this piece-I can just feel autumn in the air.

Marianne says she took her inspiration from the use of perspective. She heavily quilted this piece to create an ethereal and painterly effect.

Laurie created this quilt after being snowed in for 5 days. I love the texture and simple beauty of this piece.

This is a stunning wholecloth piece-it received First Place in Merit Quilting-Machine. Lisa created this in memory of her father. I love the design of this quilt: the grid work juxtaposed against the complex feathers and frills-just perfect.

I have to admit I’m an admirer of Gilbert’s work. His style is unique, impeccably constructed and artfully designed. I love this garment which he describes as happy, full of color and fun to look at. Indeed. I rarely question ribbons but I was surprised to see this with an Honorable Mention as I felt it was one of the best garments.

This was a really cool piece-it really is a book of all the deadly sins, complete with a leather back and cover. She painted those design by hand (!) and then bound them in the manner of a book. It is based on the illuminated manuscripts and her comments reflected on how little human nature has changed since those times.

Based on “Adagio for Strings” by Samuel Barber, this piece was fused, beaded and machine quilted. It is one of my favorites-the colors, the texture of the beads, those glorious curves, the feeling of light in the center-I was just drawn to this quilt.

Hollis Chatelain used mainly dyed and painted denim to make this truly stunning piece. Drinking potable water directly from a tap is a joy and luxury in many parts of the world. This is a large piece-I’d guess it to be 6′ long-very impactful.

This incredible quilt was hand pieced, appliqued and quilted. It is beautifully detailed and masterfully executed. The handwork involved in this is amazing, yet it is simply beautiful.

I don’t know where to stop with the hand work of the Japanese quilt makers. This piece was especially charming. Again it is hand pieced, appliqued and quilted. Ayako made the quilt based on memories of her daughter’s childhood. I love the unconventional format. Each little vignette tells a story with tiny pieces and lots of embroidered detail. You could stand in front of this quilt and admire for hours. Incredible.

If you want to see professional photos of the prize winning entries, click here. I didn’t have a lot of time to spend on the show floor and I realize I do not have photos of some of the most spectacular quilts:  Caryl Bryer Fallert Gentry had a whole exhibit of her quilts, I greatly admired several of the top prize winners, some spectacular traditional quilts were on exhibit that I loved-no photos! I hope you have enjoyed my overview of the quilts. It truly is an amazing display of some of the best talent in the world of quilting and art.