3D Art Quilts

There were incredible examples of art in Chicago that happen to be quilts. This one is a series of columns that move & rotate so it always looks different. Hard to get a picture without a lot of background stuff. It is called 3D Bamboo by Trix Buhlmann-Epple of Bern Switzerland.

Best of Chicago Show

I really don't know how judges at the largest shows can pick a show favourite. A quilt show like the one in Chicago has nothing but the best of the best. Sometimes a smaller quilt show will have a few to a half dozen of these truly spectacular outstanding quilts. Imagine a huge hall of just those and them having to judge them!! Lukcily I didn't have that job I just got to admire them!!
These are the quilts selected as winners.
The robins was best of show. Wonderful piece especially at this time of year.
It is hard to see the incredible detail in the bedroom quilt by Rachel Wetzler of St. Charles, Illinois. The lamp has fringe, the picture in the frame looks real, flowers on the bedside table. You really can get a sense of the breeze moving through the open window. This was the viewers choice of the show.
The smaller winter scene is called Early River Morning by Bonita Ware of Columbus Ohio. The snowflakes sparkle like little jewels.

Gates in Chicago

Often at a quilt show there will be an unintention common thread between quilts. Sometimes its a fabric or a motif or a subject. The quilt show in Chicago was no exception. There were many pieces, many of them in the Journal Quilt section, that featured the Gates of Central Park by Christo. There are lots of pictures of the project on the web. I photographed a few of quilts made about and with pieces of the gates.
These examples are by Susan Madden of Austin, Texas (top) Gloria Hansen of Hightstown NJ (middle) and Magarete Steinhauer of Seituate, Mass. (bottom)

self portrait

Self portraits are a popular theme for artists. Many people participate in SPT. Quilting Arts magazine had a challenge and the pieces selected to travel to various shows were on display in Chicago. A talented friend from an on-line group has her piece included. It is beautiful. Her she is!!

There is a fibre art show on in Oshawa until April 2. The work is magnificient. The group is organized by Martha Brown. I bid on mEGGan at the silent auction for Easterseals. I'll find out soon if she is coming to live with us. Janet Rhind made mEGGan and it was a delight to meet her at the show.
Martha's zebraz quilt was on the cover of The Canadian Quilter Magazine. It won viewer's choice and best of show at CQA National Juried Show in 2005.