Modern Quilt Month 2017 #2

We're keeping it simple for summer at Quilt Inspiration and featuring a showcase of modern quilts.  These original designs have a bold impact and straight or flowing lines, but the quilting is anything but simple.  We hope you enjoy these quilts as much as we did!
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Piano Razzle Dazzle by Wendy A.S. Hoag, California

Wendy explains, " [This quilt] was designed for my daughter Ashley. She filled our house with years of piano magic. The quilt design evolved after seeing her most recent body art that was inspired by ships' camouflage during World War I, called "dazzle painting."  The "dazzle" made it difficult to estimate the ships' range, speed, and direction."
Wendy's original design is machine pieced, hand appliqued, and sewing machine quilted. We enjoyed this intriguing very well-done quilt,  which reminds us of the fun "op-art" designs of the 1960's. 

Pineapple Rings #5 by Emily Parson , Illinois

Emily states, "This is my fifth quilt in a series of pineapples with an original "rings" color arrangement. I love playing with traditional blocks and making modern fresh arrangements."

Detail, Pineapple Rings #5 by Emily Parson

By setting these blocks into a motif of interlocking rings, Emily has provided an updated, contemporary look to this traditional pattern. Emily's original design is machine pieced and sewing machine quilted.

Cartwheel by Arleen Kukua, California

Arleen notes, "Cartwheels was started in an Improvisation Curve piecing workshop. The fabrics come from a sampler pack of plaids and a Cherrywood Fabrics grab bag." Arleen's original design is machine pieced and hand quilted.

Admit One to the Sands of Time by Virginia Hammon and Coleen Barnhardt, Oregon

Blue ribbon winners for Best Longarm Machine Workmanship - Innovative Quilts at the 2016 World Quilt Show in New Hampshire, Colleen and Virginia write, "Admit one to a journey over the sands of time: how people and ideas evolve through time and history. One fabric begins the story as the block centerpiece, moving into the next position as a new fabric is added and continuing until the sixth block is complete.Then, one fabric drops out as a new one is added  - a fun challenge to pick fabrics that would play well together as the color story evolved."

Detail,  Admit One to the Sands of Time

Stunning quilting motifs mirror and enhance the geometric and circular shapes of the blocks. This fabulous original design is machine pieced.

Farm Girl by Victoria Findlay Wolfe (New York), quilted by Karen McTavish

Blue ribbon winner for Best Machine Workmanship - Innovative Quilts at the 2016  Pacific International Quilt Festival, Victoria says: "I'm a farm girl living in the Big Apple (New York City). If it were not for where I came from, I would not be doing what I am doing now. I cut up my families clothes to make this quilt and to tell this story of a farm girl and all that she is proud of.  [I am] using the star as my direction to find joy and [using] the double wedding rings to show what binds us together."

Detail, Farm Girl

Victoria's dazzling original design is machine pieced and makes excellent use of gold, beige, gray, and blue cottons against a white background, enhanced by Karen McTavish's award-winning quilting.

Double Ikat by Arleen Reiko Kukua, California

"Ikat" is a tie-dyeing technique from Indonesia, in which the yarns are wrapped tightly prior to dyeing and weaving, so that when the color is applied, it appears unevenly. Arleen notes, "[This quilt] is made of treasured Japanese double ikats and Kaffe Fassett ikats. I wanted to highlight the beautiful fabrics and chose Pat Yamin's Magic Squares pattern.

Detail, Double Ikat

Arleen's colorful, eye-catching quilt is machine pieced and sewing machine quilted.

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration.

Voices in Cloth 2010 Show

Over the weekend, we attended the Voices In Cloth 2010 Quilt Show by the East Bay Heritage Quilters in Oakland, CA. What a talented group of artists ! Join us as we show you some of the fabulous quilts displayed at the show.

Homage to 'In the Beginning' by Joan Sextro

We're enchanted by the beautifully appliqued dancing flowers which give this quilt such a lively personality. The curves of the flowers in the center appliqued medallion are repeated in the quilt fabric. Joan notes that whenever she visited friends and family in Seattle, WA, she would stop at the In the Beginning quilt shop, where she loved their designs, as typified by the outer printed border.

All My Stars, 96 x 96, by Nancy Ritter

All My Stars, detail view



Nancy was inspired by American Jane patterns to make this intricately pieced quilt. For the diamond 8 point stars, she cut into some of the treasured fabric that she brought back from Provence, France. Nancy writes, "Using 132 sawtooth stars from a block exchange, I was already halfway done. A fun quilt to make." A closeup of the construction of the stars, above, shows the excellent piecing.

Say It With Flowers and Stripes, 65 x 78, by Mary Mashuta

This lovely quilt was designed for Kaffe Fassett's Quilt Romance book, as Mary's yearly assignment from him. She revamped a two-template depression era quilt, whose blocks consist of one striped fabric and one floral. The continuity of this quilt is enhanced by the diagonal striped binding, which provides a stately frame. The contemporary stripes and the vibrantly colored florals coordinate together for a sophisticated effect. For more information on Mary's beautiful designs, books and workshops, visit her website here.

Come Sail Away With Me, 79 x 92, by Sondra Von Burg


Sondra writes, "My friend Linda Hanafee is always making these free form sailboat blocks, and since I quilt them for her, I finally decided that I needed one of my own. I added lighthouses, a couple of docks, and bait shacks. The turquoise sky is the only fabric that did not come out of the scrap box. Self-quilted by the artist.

Come Sail Away With Me, detail view


Sondra has indeed made wonderful use of the scrap box, as you can see in the adorable lighthouse with the whimsical cat's face near the top.

Japanese Sampler, 87 x 84, by Margo Weeks


Margo notes, "I was given some Japanese fabric samples many years ago. Last year, with the help of Rebecca Rohrkaste, I put this quilt together. The hand quilting of water and the small dots helped bring this piece together." Self-quilted by the artist.

Japanese Sampler, detail view


 The snowy white accents of the flowers against the navy background provide a very refreshing and crisp look to this quilt.

Batiks In Motion, 50 x 58, by Karen Springsteen


Karen says, " This quilt is adapted from a class taught by Christie Batterman at The Cotton Patch in Lafayette, CA. I splurged on batiks, learned to piece curves, and worked with lots of color." Karen has made beautiful use of color-rich batiks in this wonderful, eye-catching quilt. Quilted by Jenna Bailey at The Quilting Co. of Walnut Creek, CA.

Pineapple Journey by Arleen Kukua

Arleen writes, "Over one hundred years ago, my Japanese ancestors migrated to Hawaii to harvest pineapple and sugar. This quilt is dedicated to their hard labor. No paper piecing, no foundation." We'd say that Arleen is no stranger herself to the hard work of quiltmaking, judging from how beautifully this quilt turned out, with its vibrant rainbow colors and exquisite patchwork.

Black and White and Turquoise, 59 x 77, by Patricia Bagdon


For this highly innovative quilt, Patt drew her inspiration from the quilts of Gee's Bend, a small town southwest of Selma, Alabama. The quilters of Gee's Bend, descended from sharecroppers, have become famous for their strikingly attractive quilts with large, brilliant colorways. Patt's quilt perfectly captures the style, bold artistry, and contemporary feel of these internationally acclaimed quilts.

Full Circle, 72 x 72, by Rebecca Rohrkaste

Full Circle, below, was included in the Quilt National 2001 exhibit and book, and won the Viewer's Choice award that year.


Rebecca tells us: "I was spurred to undertake an immersion in red through a friend's commission for a quilt. Even though it is non-objective and abstract, it is full of personal history, symbolism, and emotional experience." This stunning and dynamic quilt is owned by East Bay Heritage Quilter, Mabry Benson.

Image credits and links: All images are shown with permission of the artists and the East Bay Heritage Quilters of Northern California. Other credits mentioned by the artists: The Cotton Patch, Lafayette, California; The Quilting Co., Walnut Creek, California; In The Beginning, Seattle, Washington; American Jane. The fabrics for "Say it with Flowers and Stripes" can be obtained at Glorious Color.