This is my final selection of pictures from the Festival of Quilts 2019 at the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham. These are the ones that didn’t group together nicely with any of the others.
For example, this one on the left, which uses a simple design to show off a collection of printed fabrics.
My very first experience of patchwork was with hexagons. I must have been about 6 or 7, and I made it with offcuts from my rag doll’s dresses. I still have the dresses, and Beth still watches over my desk in one of them.
But after about 40 years, the cushion was past mending. It had a lot of wear. It classic flower design seemed very grown up.
But these pictures from the Festival of Quilts 2019 at the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham, really show what can be done with a hexagon.
I love a good compass block. And here are some absolute corkers from the Festival of Quilts 2019 at the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham.
How they keep track of all those tiny pieces of fabric beats me. When I made a quilt of sample blocks, I included a compass. It was intended to have each piece cut from a different fabric. The experience of that one twelve inch block has never been repeated. And given the size of the “quilts to do list,” I don’t think it ever will be.
But it does mean that I have proper respect for the makers of these quilts:
And one that needs its own collage, so you can see the details:
If you have ever tried to draw a tree properly, you will know that it is harder than it looks. Somehow, drawing the shapes you see doesn’t always lead to a credible tree picture. Which makes translating it into fabric even more impressive.
Flowers, being smaller, can be easier, but it can be difficult to maintain realism while simplifying the shapes into fabric.
Here are my tree and flower pictures from the Festival of Quilts 2019 at the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham. My favourite is the tree with multi coloured bark, almost like flames laping up its trunk, with branches that are remeniscent of a maypole in full operation.
India Flint is a pioneer of eco printing. Here are some pictures of her exhibit at the Festival of Quilts 2019 at the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham:
Today’s theme is the log cabin block.
A scrappy log cabin is great fun to do, but scale is important, as the block grows quickly.
Unless you are using tiny strips, which gives a lovely result. In one of these pictures, you can see my hand, for scale.
Some of these pictures from the Festival of Quilts 2019 at the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham, have been included in previous posts. But that map is certainly worth another look:
There are always some sections at these quilting events where things other than quilts are on display.
These three dimensional works often result in clothing, and in the case of the Festival of Quilts 2019, also dolls.
I’m not sure if I like the asymetric fronts of this military style jacket. I’m not convinced that there is enough difference.
But I do like the sleeves.
And here is a flavour of the other oarts of this section:
These landscape quilts from the Festival of Quilts 2019 at the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham really show what can be done with a pictorial quilt.
Some are full blown pictures, while others use blocks to show the skyline in a different way.
This quilt of boats on a beach needs a collage of its own:
This week’s post from the Festival of Quilts 2019 at the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham, comes from a display called Deconstruction-Reconstruction-Evolution Leah Higgins. She took inspiration from industries that have touched her life, and mapping change.
And in doing so, she has created some lovely shapes and colours:
Now here is a classic scrappy quilt embellished with embroidery, from the Festival of Quilts 2019 at the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham.
