Vertical Quilting Curve

Oh, how I wished I lived near Sisters, Oregon. They are famous for their annual quilt show which is like no other. In its 32nd year it is held entirely outdoors. The quilts are hung on the sides and porches of the town’s buildings, clothes lines, and even draped over sculptures. Even if you can’t go you can take a peek at past shows on their gallery page. But, if you’re in the area or are able to up and take a trip it would be a most wonderful adventure.

Me, on the other hand, will hopefully make it to at least one quilt show this weekend. The first one is the Batavia Quilt and Textile Show in Batavia, IL held July 13-15. This year Lois Jarvis’ Ground Zero quilt will be on display which has pictures of about 700 of those who died in the September 11 attacks. That will probably be very emotional to view. View information about the show in an article from the Repbulican, Batavia’s newspaper.

Another show, about an hour away from me, is the 20th Annual ByronFest Quilt Show at the Byron Museum of History also held July 13-15. As you might guess it is part of the ByronFest, an annual family festival. Sounds like a great road trip depending on what we can fit in this weekend. After last weeks vacation I’m not sure we will be up for a lot of action but then again after a full week of work we might want to get away.

Question of the Day: Do you know of any quilt shows near you and are you going to attend?

quilting, quilt show, Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show

I love to travel and look for quilt shops I haven’t been to yet. This week while on vacation my family took a road trip to Rockford, Illinois which isn’t quite an hour to get to from my town, a suburb of Chicago. I visited 2 quilt stores but will share with you about the second one later.

Quilter’s Haven sits in the lower level of a retail building that looks more cottage than office. The address is 4616 E. State St. and is fairly easy to get to off of I-90 but I almost didn’t make it to the store because the entrance is in the back and the sign out front looked worn as if no-one occuppied the building. Luckily, we got out of the car and saw a sign that the quilt store downstairs was indeed still open. And I am so glad they were.

They were a very cute, cozy store with oodles of stuff I love. One of the best was their selection of batik fabric which fortunately for me meant there were a few discounted bolts in the sale section at the back of the store. Of course, I also bought some regular priced fabric. The other extensive collections of fabric they had were Asian fabrics and flannels. I started to get a little nervous that I might not be able to get out of there with any money to my name so I got my chosen fabrics cut and paid for and bravely left. I’m glad they’re not very far away. That made leaving easier, too.

If you are ever in the area, make sure you stop. You can look them up in the Quilter’s Travel Companion book that you should never leave on a vacation without because you will never know what treasures are on your journey.

Here is a photo of the fabrics I found. The only one that is not a batik is the green on bottom which is from the Earth, Wind & Fire collection from Maywood Studio.

quilting, quilt store, batik, quilts, fabric, Quilter’s Haven

Yesterday, my family and I spent the day down at Navy Pier in Chicago. One of our first stops thanks to my daughter was the Children’s Museum. While standing in line for admission I noticed a group of quilts on the opposite wall. They were made by Chicagland kids from schools, scout groups and community center groups.

They are a part of a larger exhibit called…En Route to Baghdad. It is a part of the Genesis at the Crossroads’ Children’s Humanitarian Peace Quilt program. The quilt squares were done by children from the ages of 8-17 and then were sewn together by local quilt artist. The exhibit will travel to different children’s and peace museums around the country and it will end in Baghdad.

Here are 2 of the quilts I saw. They were behind protective glass so I took the photos from an angle to avoid any reflection from my flash. I must say they were all very creative and exciting to look at while thought provoking.

quilting, kids quilt, quilt show, quilts, peace, community service

OK, I received Houston’s catalogue in the mail this weekend and I have been drooling over it and trying not to be jealous of everyone who will get to go. I have never been to the Houston show, although it is on the top of my wish list for quilt shows. The few people I know who have went had nothing but high praise for it and were happy to let me know I have to go at least once in my lifetime.

One upside is that I have attended the spring show in Chicago since I live in the suburbs which has me allowed me to view some of the things that will be in Houston. I have seen the Make It University (here is the link to Chicago’s event) which is more than just exhibits. There are also workshops, demos and vendors that work in various mediums that complement quilting. I have also seen the Journal Quilt project and the Bernina Fashion Showcase although it may not be the newer one they will be showing in Houston. One exhibit they will be having that wasn’t in the IQA Chicago show but was shown at another quilt show near Chicago last fall is the Alzheimer’s Quilts curated by Ami Simms who has a personal mission she is trying to accomplish with the exhibit and of which I wrote about earlier here.

Another upside is that I won’t have to decide on which classes to take. There are so many choices and I love to take classes and try new things. An aspect of the catalogue I noticed that is useful is an index showing classes by category so you will be able to search on what area you are interested in.

Although I won’t be able to go, I hope many of you will and please make sure that you share your experience. Those of us who can’t go still want to know what goes on.

Question of the day: Will you be attending the show in Houston?

quilting, International Quilt show, quilt show, quilts, Houston, quilt workshop, quilt class

Quilting as a craft and an art form has come a long way and along with it we see more gentlemen take center stage. One of those very talented and accomplished quilters is Phil Beaver from French Lick, Indiana.

I was first knocked off my feet by his spectacular quilts while living in Bloomington, Indiana. One of his quilts, Letters, won Best of Show at the Indiana Heritage Quilt show. He uses a brush technique to apply paint to his fabrics he uses in his wondrous quilts. In fact, when you first experience his quilts, you will find it hard to believe it is a multitude of different fabrics. Phil’s quilts are works of art that seem to be a huge painted canvas. Only when you go take a closer look do you notice the beautiful machine quilting and painted fabrics. The photos you will see in his gallery do NOT do them justice. They really should be seen in person to fully appreciate the workmanship and talent that exudes from their surfaces.

He does sell patterns as well as a collection of very unique fabric that looks like he painted them just for you. These are definitely on my must have list.

If you are lucky enough you can take a class from Phil. He does travel and you can check his calender for upcoming events he is involved with. He also hosts an annual workshop in his hometown French Lick, Indiana which will be held this year at the newly renovated French Lick Resort and Casino. Wow! What a perfect retreat!

French Lick and West Baden used to be a huge resort area for the likes of Al Capone and even FDR. There is a little of this history in the workshop information. I can tell you first hand that this is a very unique place to go. I took a tour of the West Baden Springs Hotel halfway during its restoration and it was the most phenomenal trip back in time I have yet to experience. For me, it was like stepping into what the luxurious interior of the Titanic must have looked like. The remoteness of the area will have you thinking you stumbled upon a lost civilization filled with a history unique to the era it was built. (Note: If you have a hard time getting your husband to go they have an outstanding golf course AND it is the boyhood home of Larry Bird.)

quilting, Phil Beaver, painted fabric, art quilt, French Lick, West Baden, Southern Indiana, quilt workshop