More from the Chicago Quilt Show (2010)...with still more to come

More from the Chicago International Quilt Festival…

The quilt below (Red Dahlia Reflections) was made by Barbara Barrick McKie from Lyme, Connecticut. Techniques used: Machine appliquéd and quilted. Barbara says, “These showy red dahlias were in several places in my garden. This is the sixth in a series combining reflections of flowers in glass with the same flowers realistically portrayed. I used Crazy Love dahlia on this piece.” This quilt was stunning.

I loved the colors of this quilt. “Alternating Arches” was made by Jane Lloyd from Antrim, Northern Ireland. Techniques: Machine stitched, layered, cut work. Design Source: Ideas from one quilt to the next, working on a quilt always sparks other ideas. She says this about the piece, “Working with line and colour is my passion. It’s based on layering and cutting and layering again. It gives me so many possibilities. Nothing is planned; it just develops along the way. I travel to Nepal twice a year and buy beautiful cotton there."

This quilt made me wonder if my Australian friend saw the bushfires in 2009. (I guess I’ll have to ask her.) Fenella Davies from Bath, United Kingdom created “Australian Bushfires.” Techniques: Reverse appliqué, appliqué. Design Source: Bushfires in Australia early in 2009. She says, “I was in Australia early in 2009 when the news was continually showing the terrible bushfires. The speed and ferocity was frightening. The scenes were of flames soaring into the air, charred and blackened trees and houses. This quilt also shows a small green shoot of regeneration and hope." I thought the little piece of green really added a lot to this quilt; I liked the idea of it.

I loved the “flow” of this quilt; the quilt made me feel peaceful. “Five Pebbles” was made by Dianne Firth from Turner Canberra, Australia. Techniques: Whole quilt, machine quilted. She says, “The character and quality of flowing water has been the inspiration for many of my quilts. Here the flow of water over black rock is interrupted by 5 pebbles—two of which are below the surface."

This quilt was very interesting. Up close, it was almost hard to tell what it was. Far away, the cheetah came to life. “Cheetah” was made by Stacy Hurt from Orange, California. “Celebrating San Diego’s Wild Cheetah Conservation programs and the Cheetah Run Exhibit!”

Please check back. There will be more pictures from the Chicago International Quilt Festival.