Festival of Quilts - Hunting for Embroidery

My love of embroidery should be known by now. I am on a constant embroidery hunt and searching for nice stitches on quilts at the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham was no exception.

Look what I found:

Jan Whitehouse and Sandy Chandler: That's Life
Machine quilting and Redwork by hand, and the title is so true, don't you think?

Colette Sinclair: The Garden Scape
'Rough' embroidery on distressed fabric - absolutely delightful.

 Miyuki Hamaba: Presents
(that was a very wide ric-rac)

 Janina Moore: Windows

 Can you hear the birds sing?

Catherine Percival: Wool Garden
Plum blossoms in wool - winter flowers in the cold air - almost like a haiku poem.

 Lynne Smith: Tray Cloth Quilt
The embroidery looks so elegant against the crisp white background.

Lesley Davies: Japanese Style Kimono

Look at the BEAUTIFUL sashiko, and the family crests have been appliquéd neatly by machine, such a pity the kanji writing is placed incorrectly.

Clair Crouchley: Naiad
A delight in beads, thread and stitches

Jacquie Harvey: Gift Bag and Tag
Jacquie is specialising in embroidery QUILTING, but adds few sequins for embellishment as well. This is a gift bag you don't want to put in the recycle bin!!!

Festival of Quilts - Quilts

My internet connection has been poorly and I am late in posting images of quilts from the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham.

Anyway, here are a few pictures:

 Beth Miller:  Still Life - Poppies

Les Q-Ers: Q 4 Quilters

Linda Forey: Balancing Act

Janine Visser: Triangle Trail

Sally Stott: Arnhem Shuffle

Claudia Pfeil: Fire and Ice

Look at the close ups below.

Tracy Aplin: My Love for Liberty

Pam Stanier and Quilters' Trading Post: Fish at Sea

There will be many more photographs on the internet from other visitors to the show. Among them Michelle Hill has a good selection.

Festival of Quilts 2014 - Birmingham Fashion

Festival of Quilts, held in Birmingham every August, has kicked off.

Apart from all the beautiful quilts on show, and the many stalls where you can buy all sorts of quilt related items, this event also includes a Fashion Show.

I was impressed by not only the mix of garments at the show, but also the professional lighting and sound.

When my friend Jacquie Harvey, a master quilter who has made many hand quilted garments, had her beautiful bolero in silk dupion modelled, the spotlight caught the glimmer of the silk.

Glimmer did also the corset made by Alysn Midgelow-Marsden. She had incorporated fine metal foils in autumnal shades on the sheer fabric.

Another good friend, Rosemary Hillman, showed the wedding dress she had made for her daughter's wedding. There was a wave of 'Wow' heard from the audience when the model walked down the cat walk.

A totally different bridal look was created by the talented Emily Barfield, whose four wedding dresses, although elegant and feminine, had skirts of such sheer fabric they were transparent. (click on the link above to see someone else's photo)

Daisy Collingridge is another new designer who amused the audience with her collection of quilted garments, and when I say quilted I mean QUILTed. No need for a duvet when you go to sleep in one of these:

There was also stunning wearable art from Finland, Estonia, Russia, USA and a number of British quilters. To all of them I would like to say BRAVO!

Festival of Quilts - My final pictures

Here are the remaining photographs from Festival of Quilts in Birmingham.

Should you find any incorrect information, please let me know and I will rectify.

Alison Pearson, 'Woven Shadows'

Tatyana Duffie, 'Christmas Lights'

Meadow Quilters Take Five made 'Starshine'

'Ah, hvilken snerleduft', by Janne Juul

SAQA (Studio Art Quilt Associates) had a number of of quilts on the theme: Metaphors on Ageing
Here is Sunset Wonder by Linda Evans

Artwork: 'Purple Palette'

Linda Forey's 'Full Circle'

Sweden contributed to the EQA (European Quilt Association) Gallery 2013 with these triangles. You can read who has made which vedge.

And now dear readers, it is time to take a hint from this cat, obviously stitched with Metler thread and on display at the Cats' Protection' stand.

Many apologises for not making a note of the maker's name.

Anyway, it is a lovely quilt, and it has inspired me to climb into bed, too.

Ps. she can't be a cat princess; there is no pea underneath the bottom cushion!

Festival of Quilts - Small beauties

I don't know if you are already fed up with pictures from Festival of Quilts. I take the risk and show you today a selection of quilts from the Miniature challenge. These quilts are not just small quilts they have to look like scaled down ordinary quilts.
Should there be any mistake in the information given, please let me know and I will rectify.

The winning quilt, Kumiko Frydl's 'Rose of Versailles' you have already seen (if you've read this post).

Susan Corke made this wonderful 'Little Broken Dishes' quilt:

Here is Dorian Walton's 'Buzz Saw':

I liked Cynthia Keegan's clever use of print in her 'Hiden Diamonds':

May I show you my own 'Bella Knotty', a candle wicking quilt made up of Colonial knots.

A set of bedding, could be seen, not amongst the Miniatures, but in the Creations challenge.

Sue Treavor made several small mattresses and a tiny quilt for the 'Princess and the Pea'.

Of course, quilts can also be worn. Here is Jacquie Harvey's 'Waistcoat', and I think the coat on the left is Susan Lorange's 'Of this Earth'.

Festival of Quilts - MORE pictures!

Here are MORE pictures from Festival of Quilts.

The Guild Challenge was 'Transported' and

Ros Peedle went to Africa in her quilt 'Wild At Heart'

 'Transported - Dreamboat' by Caroline Regnaut
is made entirely out of ties - a stunning piece

'Transported - Snail Mail' by Jacqueline Amies
Can you see the snails and read the inscription? This quilt put a smile on my face!

Here are some Japanese or Japan inspired quilts:

'Japanese Inspiration' by Anna Christiansen














This is Fusako Takaido's 'Garden of Dream'

Gail Casimir has also made a garden; 'A Japanese Garden'

Detail of a family crest.

Finally Naoko Hirano's 'Japanese Dragon 2012'





I hope all information is correct; if not, please don't hesitate to let me know.