Leaving behind the Twelve by Twelve exhibit, IQA has a several other mini-shows within the big show.  There was a general quilt section, some small created houses on a platform, SAQA, a series of quilts from the book Masters (and their accompanying sample books), and a series of antique Log Cabin quilts.  A lot to take in.  No photography allowed on some exhibits, which makes me less inclined to “interact” with it, as I’m definitely one who likes to take photos, but they were all interesting.

Day and Night, by Grace Errea, depicts a day at a Southern California beach.  It was a lovely riot of applique and quilting, so interesting to look at.

Diane Goff drew on her memories of childhood to create Clovis Bounty, a tribute to her grandfather’s farm where they grew amazing Elberta peaches.

I love the pintucks on the dress bodice, and the quilted curls along the top of her face.

“Yeeee-ha” It’s the Texas State Fair, was created by Karen Harting.  There are lots of nice details here, but as I mentioned before the lighting was a challenge and I hate to post blurry photos.  I thought the use of fabric to be quite creative, esp. that blue in the background.

This one is titled Capital Hardware, even though the inspiration was the Texas State Capitol building.  I couldn’t decide if it was a typo, or if Frances Holliday Alford was making a statement about the importance of the hardware–maybe both?  Alford had her photographs printed up by Spoonflower into fabric that she used to create the quilt. I could relate–I have lots of photos of the nation’s government buildings with their decorative hardware.

Full view of the quilt.

These blue oblongs, sticking straight out from this quilt are the first thing you notice.  Then you step back, look, and . . .

…Kathy York’s Central Park comes into focus, with those blue oblongs representing the tall buildings around the perimeter of the park.  Since I’ve taken two trips to New York this past year, I was intrigued and delighted by York’s work.

Detail. Note the transparency of the bushes in the lower area.

A highly graphic design, Karen Eckmeier’s Black, White and READ Village has text taken from her morning journals.  She created the fabric, then built the town.

Detail of the buildings.  She’s layered tulle netting over the town and machine-stitched the applique pieces down.

Love the found phrase: “CHANGE your life Princess Today.”  I’m a sucker for text.  Always.

In An Orderly World, by Linda R. Syverson Guild was inspired by an Art Deco picture.  At the bottom of her sign she writes “In An Orderly World, the borders aren’t the end” reflecting her breaking of the borders with her design.

After twelve years of living in a leafy Baltimore suburb, Cheryl Sleboda moved back to her hometown of Chicago, with its bright lights. I liked the composition of the quilt, Road to Home, with its bold hues in the foreground and the larger shapes in gray in the background.

Detail of the quilting.  I liked how the green patches and their row quilting imitated farmland.

Answering Nature’s Call, by Kathy Augur Smith (quilted by Wilma Cogliantry) pays homage to an earlier time in America, when homes didn’t have indoor plumbing.  A poem around the outside edges makes a rosy reference to going outside for Nature’s call.  Frankly, I am happy to have indoor plumbing and a hot shower every morning.

Detail of the hollyhocks.  They were created separately (I’m guessing) and appliqued.

Quilting detail.  I love the texture of this “jaggedness” in between the smooth lines. She notes that there is photo transfers as one of the techniques, but I kept wondering if the outside writing was stenciled onto the quilt.

Aryana B. Londir created Compartments #1 of blocks and strips in just four colors.  This graphic design was then channel-quilted in rows.

Detail of the quilting.  According to her statement, this quilt is an allusion to the tight housing found in “big cities and poverty-stricken areas of the world.”

I’ve got some more to show, but I wanted to close (and watch the final of the Women’s Beach Volleyball) with these photos from a vendor of her quilts (yes, I obtained permission).  One quilt is a bunch of dirndl dresses and the other is matryoshka dolls.  Loved them both, with their individual details and charming subject matter

Detail. This would be a great Christmas quilt, made up in holiday colors.  My friend Judy, who has a German heritage, would broaden the red and green to include blue, commonly seen in Christmas decorations in Germany.

This is the back of a quilt by Julie Herman, of Jaybird Quilts.  I had purchased her book, Skip the Borders, the day before and in my quiet night at the hotel, read it from cover to cover.  I was quite intrigued at how she constructed her backs, piecing in her label, then sandwiching the “label strip” into between two other large pieces of fabric, securing the label from being cut off if the quilt was ever stolen.  So I went back the next day and took a photo.  I just like how it looks.

And today’s happy news?  My Far Flung Bee blocks arrived from Holly of TwoCheesePlease in Australia.

I love the look of all the postage and Holly’s washi tape decor.

Yes.  I’m a mail dork.  I love the back too.

And yes, I’m going to torture you with all the photos of the process of discovery.  I like how she taped a little note to the package for me with more washi tape.  The design for the Far Flung Bee logo is one I put together and I’m glad she liked it.

Holly’s the organizer of our bee.  Yes, Holly–I’m glad I joined too!

I had asked for text fabric to be used in the design–either in the background, or in the tulip.

So very cute, both of these!  Thanks, Holly!

Now, off to see who wins the gold: May-Treanor/Jennings or Kessy/Ross.