Kristin Shields Quiltmaker

You Win Some, You Lose Some :: QuiltCon 2015

So, these are the three that didn't make it into QuiltCon.  Stylistically, I think they differ from the other three, but to tell you the truth the only one I really thought was a long shot was the second one.  It's awfully busy and may not be some people's cup of tea.  I purposely entered a lot of quilts so I would have a better chance, but I was lucky that I had some that I thought were suitable and available to enter.  The only one that was made specifically for QuiltCon was Love in the Digital Age.  

About the word rejection:  I don't like that word in describing what happened here.  I think with over 1300 quilts entered there were some very tough decisions being made.  I really like this blog post about the word rejection.  I prefer to say that these quilts were regretfully passed up.

I haven't seen this mentioned, but the way quilts were presented in photos could have made a difference.  I have been entering juried shows for just a few years, but have taken very seriously the advice I've gotten on photographing quilts.  Here's one set of helpful tips.  Here's another good one.  In general, I would never offer a quilt photo taken with my phone for a call for entry.  If that's all you've got, it's time to find a friend with a higher quality camera.

Many folks have been talking about the Modern Quilt Guild definitions of modern.  This is the key point that has bugged me since the whole movement started.  They were obviously not the first to make "modern" quilts.  Minimalism, negative space, alternate grid, high contrast, improvisational piecing have been around for decades and even centuries.  I also am bugged when people like Gwen Marston are looked over as having contributed greatly to this movement.  However, having said that, I find myself gravitating more and more to the improvisational part of this aesthetic and the folks who work in this realm.  QuiltCon 2015 will be my first QuiltCon show and I look forward to seeing the quilts, meeting the people, and feeling the energy.

Re solids:  Patty, in the comments on this post, mentioned that mine may have been chosen because they feature solid fabrics.  I have no idea about that for sure, but I have been seeing a lot more solids being used in the modern movement than the traditional quilt guild.  As you can see here, the three that didn't make it also feature solids.  I confess that for a while there, I thought modern meant that you used modern prints.  I bought a bunch and made some quilts that are okay, but really not my favorite.  In my case, I first fell in love 30 years ago with traditional Amish quilts, which, as I'm sure you know, are mostly made with solids.  It seems I am coming back to that and I really want to play with solids for their graphic quality. They also simplify my life as a quilter.  I don't have to worry about the personality of prints playing well together when I use solids.  My print stash has shrunk quite a bit over the years and the solids are taking over.  That suits me, but it doesn't mean it has to suit everyone.  I also still love a wild and wacky scrap quilt with a little bit of everything.  

So, for those whose quilts were regretfully passed up here's my advice.  Keep on making what you love.  If you are making what you think others will love, you will not be expressing your true voice.  If you make what you love you will be making art and craft that speak to you, is an expression of yourself and your personal aesthetic and you will find that this work shines.  Also, keep on entering shows if that's important to you.  Find other local, regional and even national shows that you can enter.  I want to put in a plug for the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show. They take all quilts that are entered as long as they meet the requirements for size and finishing.  See more about requirements here.  The 2015 SOQS is going to be huge!  It's their 40th anniversary and I know there will be many wonderful special exhibits.  They usually show over 1200 quilts and people come from all over the world to see them.  Modern quilts are also well received here.  

So, make 2015 a year in which you keep on finding your true voice as a quilter, in which you enter quilts if that's your desire, and keep on keeping on, as they say!

Roundabout Bend

I managed to finish Roundabout Bend on Wednesday, complete with facing, label and sleeve.  This has got to be one of the fastest projects I've done.  I couldn't wait to try those curves and then couldn't wait to do the next one.  It helps that this piece is only 18" x 40" (and that the deadline was upon me).  This will be part of a Central Oregon SAQA exhibit.  The first showing will be in November at The Stitchin' Post.  Yes, it's true, the SP is changing things up and adding a quilt gallery!  I'm very excited to see that.  At the meeting yesterday there were 21 pieces shown with more in the works. Should be a great show!  They will also be shown in a special exhibit at next year's Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show.  It's their 40th Anniversary and promises to be a big blow-out of a show!  Make your plans now.  

Kit Stafford :: White on White

The Owl and the Pussycat by Kit Stafford

I was sorting through my recently uploaded photos this morning and found this set that I had forgotten about.  These photos were taken on Fiber Arts Stroll day.  Sarah and I got in to Sisters at about 11:00 so that I could get set up.  First thing we did was to stop somewhere for coffee and, lucky for both of us, it was Navigator News that we chose.  I had no idea there would be such a special exhibit there!  I was blown away by these lovely artworks by Kit Stafford.  Kit is the daughter of the famous poet William Stafford.  My quilt, Longing for Connection, was inspired by one of his poems.  I had not known much about Kit, except as his daughter, but she is a longtime Sisters resident who is very much a part of the art, music and poetry scene. 

When we got there, the labels weren't up on these art pieces, and Kit wasn't there.  I got to chat with one of the employees who was preparing the labels and I mentioned that it was too bad Kit wasn't there, because I'd love to meet her.  As it turned out, she stopped by my booth later and said hi and I got to say how much I loved her work.  She said that her one and only "quilt" class had been with Janet Bolton a few years ago and she made these pieces after that.  She doesn't do much sewing nowadays.  Boy, that makes these pieces even more special.  You'll note that these illustrate fairy tales and nursery rhymes and are made so inventively with vintage textiles.  I consider myself lucky to have seen them.  Most were framed under glass and I only had my cell phone with me so I did the best I could with Photoshop to crop and enhance the photos.

Kit Stafford (no label, so I'm not sure which story this is)

The Three Little Pigs by Kit Stafford (note the bbw)

Kit Stafford (no label, so I'm not sure which story this is)

The Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe by Kit Stafford

Little Red Riding Hood by Kit Stafford (sorry for the reflection, but this was my favorite!)

Tiny Red Riding Hood detail

This last piece was the only one with color.  It's a fantastic map quilt all sewn by hand. It reminds me of the work of Valerie Goodwin, but I'm not sure if that was the influence.  I really love the detail!  So, are you inspired to get out your old linens and work some magic?  I know I am!

SOQS 2014 :: Scraps (aka Odds and Ends)

Okay, I hope this title doesn't upset anyone.  I don't mean to say that the quilts in this post are any less worthy than the previous posts. In fact, if you know me at all through this blog, you should know how much I love scraps and scrap quilts!  These quilts either are true scrap quilts, or just didn't fit into the other categories.

This particular quilt was a real favorite and I almost missed it.  I probably actually gasped when I saw it.  The words are fantastic and all these various blocks are truly a treasure.  Sadly, I didn't get the name of the maker, but did note that they referenced Tonya Ricucci!See the black kitty, Tonya?

These quilts were seen in lots of different places around town. The ladies above are really great.  Remember to click to enlarge!  Below are some of the quilts in the Sisters Coffee Co.  Janet Storton is a local quilter who has a project working with ladies in Uganda to teach them to quilt. They always bring some wonderful quilts for sale here.  Below is Janet's quilt that she worked on in my Liberated Basics class last fall.  I love it!

This red and white quilt is so fantastic!  The variety in the blocks could keep me looking for days and I always love red and white.Shannon is our guild president.  Isn't this a fantastic quilt!  

I also have a particular fondness for red, white and blue quilts.  This is a great flag quilt and it inspires me to try one someday.

This scrap quilt above is really great.  Lots to learn with that one.

Quilt by Wendy Hill

Here are a few that were in the Teacher's Tent.Quilt by Sarah Kaufman

Quilt by Colleen Blackwood

This Beatles quilt is also a favorite!  So much great stuff.  It was sold and I was there when the new owner came to get it.  Lucky gal!

Here's my Nautical Star which I didn't find until the end of the day at the coffee shop.

Okay, if you have made it through the last week of quilt show posts here's my thank you to you!  My 9 year blog anniversary is next week.  To celebrate that and to celebrate 100 likes on my Facebook page, I am raffling off two packages that will each include a SOQS Men Behind the Quilts calendar (signed by the men!) and a stack of quilt postcards and greeting cards.  Please only leave a comment on this blog post to get your name in the raffle.  If you are so inclined, sharing my blog or facebook page with a friend would also be great!  This is open to anyone, anywhere.  Comments will close on Sunday, July 27 at 9 pm and I will choose two winners on Monday.  Good luck!  ** Comments are now closed.

SOQS 2014: Three Special Exhibits

Today's post will show three of the many special exhibits at the show.  The first grouping are quilts by this year's Featured Quilter, Carol Webb.  Carol is a local quilter who describes her work as eclectic.  Her exhibit ranged from traditional quilts to very contemporary art pieces.  I love her use of color and line.  The quilt above on the right is one of my favorites.  

The quilt above left is my favorite of Carol's quilts.  It was created in a Nancy Crow workshop and was all black and white.  Carol decided to paint the white areas when she got home, to great effect!

Below starts the Mt Bachelor Quilters' Guild special exhibit, Cabin Fever.  Quilters in my guild took the log cabin block to extremes!

Lindsey and her quilt

Puzzling World by me

Erin's orange log cabin is just great!

Patti's log cabin is a wonderful inventive telling of her move from California to Bend.

The final exhibit is The Language of Flowers quilts by my book club, The Undercover Quilters.  It was beautifully displayed along this porch with a huge profusion of flowers.  These quilts were inspired by The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh.

Quilts by Lani, Cindy, Susan

Quilts by me, Wanda, Erin

Quilts by Betty, Martha, Jane

Quilts by Janelle, Sandie, Sally

One of the wonderful things about this location was the Barn Swallow family watching over our exhibit.  

Tomorrow I'll post the last group of quilt show photos and an announcement you won't want to miss! 

SOQS 2014 :: Modern Quilts

The first exhibit is the Central Oregon Modern Quilt Guild's Ohio Star Challenge.  This is the second year that our exhibit has been right on the main road.  The Sisters Drug Store is the perfect location to highlight these quilts.Quilts by Sarah, Katy, Erin, Erin

These quilts range across just about all the categories of possibility when it comes to modern quilts.  I am certainly no expert, but I did get a chance to see Jacquie Gering's lecture during quilt week about how to recognize a modern quilt.  Then I went to the Modern Quilt Guild community and watched Heather's Grant's webinar on the same thing.  In both lectures, even after going through a long list of attributes of which a modern quilt is likely to have at least one, it seems to wind down to "you'll know a modern quilt when you see one".  So, please take my selection here with a grain of salt!Quilts by Kristin, Lindsey and Sarah

Quilts by Kayla and Shannon

Quilts by Laurie, Sabine, Janice

Quilts by Christy, Corni, Susan and Marilyn

Quilt on left by Tamra

Katy and Sarah were hostessing when I got there, so they got photos with their quilts.  Katy's sold very early in the day and got lots of attention!

Sarah attempted to avoid a photo by engaging every passerby, but eventually I got her to hold still for a beautiful photo!

Erin's is really a favorite of mine.  Those solid colors are fantastic!

The quilt above and all the other ones are quilts I saw around town.  The makers may or may not consider them modern, but I have declared them so for this post.

The two quilts above are from the Portland Modern Quilt Guild.  I really adore that one on the right!

This stripe quilt is very cool!  What a great way to use strings!

This denim quilt is one of my favorites in the show.  I just love it!  I need to get back to some Gee's Bend style piecing.

Above is another one by Sarah!

Marion's quilt deserves to be shown with this grouping too.  I think it would probably fit right in with our COMQG exhibit.

Next up: the 2014 Featured Quilter and the Mt Bachelor Quilters' Guild exhibit.

SOQS 2014 :: Colorful Quilts

Any quilt show is going to have its fair share of colorful quilts, so this category is somewhat arbitrary.  It is inspired by the Cover to Cover Book Club Quilters' exhibit called, "Dreaming in Color".  There are some lovely quilts in this special exhibit including the next two.  The one below is especially wonderful.  The hand dyed fabrics were created and arranged just so to create the look of tile.  Remember to click to see these photos enlarged!The next one is a fantastic use of striped fabric.  As you may have figured out this exhibit was inspired by Kaffe Fassett's book, Dreaming in Color. 

The following quilts were seen along the streets of Sisters.

Above: My Scrappy Cabin by me.

The next few were in the Teacher's Tent.

Above: Sue Spargo.

Above: Pat Pease

Above: Ann Shaw

More quilts from around town.

Above:  Martha Sanders

Above: Memories of Joanne by me.

The middle one came home with me to join my little flock!

The next few quilts are sponsor quilts which means they are in shops around town and are up for the whole month of July!  Nice bonus if you can't make it to town right on quilt show day.Above: Jan Tetzlaff and her quilt.

Above: Tonye Phillips

Above: Bright Lights, Big City by me (and it's for sale!)

Above: Love Makes the World Go Round by me.

Next time modern quilts!

SOQS 2014 :: Whisper Quilts and The Clock Shop

Today's post takes us to the area of town just behind the Stitchin' Post.  Clearwater Gallery had a lovely exhibit of quilts by Jean Wells.  These small pieces are being sold at very affordable prices and they are so beautiful.  

In the courtyard outside the gallery we had the special exhibit of the Central Oregon SAQA group.  These are our Whisper Quilts.  For this exhibit the group was divided into smaller groups of 5-6 people.  The first person created a quilt and passed it to the next in the group.  The 2nd person made a quilt inspired by the first.  The 3rd person only got to see the second quilt and so on.  Just like the old telephone game! It's so interesting to see how the quilts change from one to the other.  Inspiration could be color, shape or subject.The group above managed to keep a pretty obvious tree theme going.This is my group (above).  It started with the octopus, then the raven, then the yellow one which turned out to have bird shapes and the other two to the right followed.This group has a lot of variation!This group has a strong element of vertical shapes in all 5 pieces.This group is a little harder to follow, but I see various inspirations from one to another.Across the street from the gallery is Beacham's Clock Shop.  This is such a cool place!  The quilts are displayed so beautifully and you get all the fascinating clocks to look at to boot.  These are the SOQS challenge quilts with the theme, "Stars Over Sisters".This challenge allowed for a lot of variety.Marion's quilt is still my favorite though!

Some of these photos were taken the week before quilt show. I had to go to Sisters for something and I brought Ryan with me for his first visit to the clock shop.  He has developed a love of grandfather clocks, so this was a perfect field trip!  The one above was his favorite.  Also, I found a real cuckoo!

SOQS 2014 :: California State Park 150th Anniversary Quilts

The California State Park 150th Anniversary Quilts Special Exhibit was pretty amazing.  These quilts were made by members of the Quilters' Sew-ciety of Redding, California.  There are 57 quilts in this collection and they all depict one of the state parks.  There's so much detail, but it was hard to photograph because of the location in the trees.  Luckily, these quilts are traveling.  They will be at Road to California and back in Bend next August at QuiltWorks!  Here's a full list of traveling dates and places.  Also, there is an online gallery of these quilts available here.  It includes these 57 quilts, plus many more made by other people inspired by the project.  
** Click to enlarge the photos.

Old Town San Diego State Historic Park

Empire Mine State Historic Park

Point Lobos State Natural Reserve, Empire Mine State Historic Park, Fort Ross State Historic Park

Bale Grist Mill State Historic Park

Anza Borrego Desert State Park, Humboldt Redwoods State Park

Bale Grist Mill State Historic Park, Anza Borrego Desert State Park, Humboldt Redwoods State Park
Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve, Fort Cabrillo Light Station, Red Rock Canyon State Park

Donner Memorial State Park  Love the little blue trailer in this one!

Bodie State Historic Park

Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park

Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park, Castle Crags State Park, Patrick's Point State Park

Great Valley Grasslands State Park, Russian Gulch State Park, Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park

I have been to many of these parks so it's cool to see how the artists interpreted them in cloth.  Next up: Whisper Quilts and the Clock Shop!

SOQS 2014 :: Animals

Animal quilts at the SOQS run the gamut in style and technique, but all are fabulously creative and big crowd pleasers.  I love this dragon above.  Ryan has requested a dragon quilt some day.  Who knows when I'll get to it, but I can get some inspiration here.  ** Remember to click to enlarge all the photos and see details.
This Charley Harper inspired quilt is based on his poster, "The Alpine Northwest".  It was in the Portland Modern Quilt Guild exhibit, but seemed to fit this collection better.

Love the upside down owl!The lighting is not good on this quilt by Pat Busby, but it's such a beautiful piece!  I remember it from a past exhibit, I think the Alice in Wonderland one?

June Jaeger's Pet Portrait exhibit is really special, partly because many of these pets are no longer living.  These pieces are made by June's students and she has a new book out with the technique! Check it out here: Best Friends.  June is Jean Wells' sister and also lives in Central Oregon.This frog is so cool because it's so huge!  This is a bed sized quilt.  Totally awesome!This giraffe was in the Teachers' Tent and is made by Vivienne Moore.  Those sections are all pieced.  So cool!

This last bunch are the Whimsical Cow quilts made by students of Mary Lou Weidman.  These are just so much fun!  I was planning to go back on Sunday to really take them in, but was not feeling well.  At least I have these photos.

Well, that was fun, wasn't it!  Next time I'll post the California State Park quilts.  They are really amazing too!