#foq2024

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Teeny tiny pineapple block quilts by artist Amy Pabst

Here's some with my hand to give you an idea of scale on each block:

I did get to chat a little with Amy while she was in her gallery zone. She said she works often with silks, including reclaimed ones, and she finger presses her work rather than using an iron. The pastel rainbow piece above is called Soft Pride, measures 41cm x 41cm, has 11,925 pieces, and took her about 4 weeks to make. She does not use a magnifying glass while she works, relying purely on her eyesight, but she does make sure to take regular eye rest breaks every 10-20 minutes.

Sharp Dressed Man; 33cm x 33cm, 5,700 pieces.

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Sadly I don't have an artist credit for this fantastic Welsh flag dragon quilt (it was on a sales stall), but it was too wonderful not to share!

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The Yamagata Quilt by Lisa Wynn

Why I like it: I love the hand quilting showing the shape of trees or flowing water within the blocks. If you look closely at the red block, you can see the quilted outline of a Japanese shrine gate (torii)

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13 Years of Quilting by Julia Schulte

Why I like it: I loved a lot of the quilts in the sustainable category because of their resourcefulness and commitment to making scraps work. This one, cataloguing 13 years of quilting through a spiral of scraps placed carefully in a gradient, was especially appealing. I'm a huge fan of rainbow quilts in general, and though I doubt these scraps are in the order they were procured, I love that they take us on a journey.

It also reminds me of a similar knitting pattern that was designed to use up scraps of yarn. I think it's called the 10 stitch blanket? You cast on 10 stitches and then work in garter stitch to form a square spiral similar to this, turning the corner in the same way you'd turn a sock heel.

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Forest by Valerie Prideaux

Why I like it: the overall effect of the quilt is very calming and pleasing to the eye, with soft lines of quilting curving across the fabric and creating a sense of calm movement and flow. Despite this beautiful effect, the quilt itself is quite simply constructed, using tumblr blocks which are trapezoid shaped and have straight edges. I like the title of the quilt and how it encourages the viewer to search for the forest within it.

Valerie Prideaux is a tumbler quilt specialist and has a book that can teach you how to make them.

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Beech Canopy by Jo Avery

Why I like it: Is the blue background the sky? Or surrounding glass office buildings? What do the red parts represent? I love how the quilt is both abstract and pictorial, with the classic beech leaf shape appliqued on top of the pieced back. There's a naivety and joy in the leaves which, devoid from branches, seem to be blowing through the quilt rather than suspended as a canopy within it. This quilt makes me feel happy and calm.

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John O'Groats to Lands End in Hexagons by Frances Begbie

Why I like it: Obviously a huge amount of work went into this piece. The hexagons were thumbprint sized, but the overall quilt had a a huge presence. I liked that the colours of the counties sometimes related to them (like Cornwall's black and white). The whole thing reminded me of the election maps we saw this year. When I was at a textiles museum in Thailand I saw a map of Thailand where each province/changwat had been produced in a different regional textile technique. This reminded me of that, but slightly less cool.

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Behind the Leaves by Esther Delgado Pico and Ale Casanova

Why I like it: This quilt was HUGE. It's not the size you'd expect looking at the photos. I think it was about 1.2m by 1.5. The use of black gave it such a punchy impact that drew you in, and once you got close, you could see the lines and lines of stitching. The subject matter is intriguing too- who are they and why are they hiding behind the leaves? Proud of their plant, or just shy? I love the texture in the hair too. I can imagine having this one on my wall in a modern home.

The artist does not seem to have much of an online presence, which is a shame.