2020 QUILT WORKS EMPLOYEES’ SHOW
14 – 27 SEPTEMBER 2020
1. MEADOWLAND
47” × 47”
Pieced and Quilted by: Danyella Nava
Pattern: Meadowland, Meghan Buchanan, Then Came June
Technique: Machine pieced and long arm quilted
“Meadowland was a quilt-along I started over a year ago. Of course, I had to make mine huge, and ready for snuggling on my bed. I used all but maybe three Cotton and Steel fat quarters from my stash. It was a quick, easy sew, and I had fun using the oranges and teals.”
2. FOXY ROXY
88” 101”
Pieced and Quilted by: Joan Johnson
Pattern: Foxy Roxy, Richy Lainson, Basicgrey
Technique: Machine pieced and long arm quilted
“When the Moda Stiletto fabric line arrived, I thought Foxy Roxy could be a birthday gift for my daughter. I enlarged the pattern to queen size and assembled about 300 3½” log cabin blocks. The amount of negative space was definitely a challenge. I hope that she is pleased with the results.”
3. RASPBERRY CLAMSHELLS
51” 50”
Pieced and Quilted by: Kathi Dineen
Pattern: Raspberry Clamshells, Sue Daley
Technique: English Paper Piecing
“I so love EPP – and fell in love with this quilt at Quilt Market, maybe 3 years ago. Started it – but really the pandemic pushed me to finish it. Love Sue Daley’s projects – love the whole process – 400 clamshells!!”
4. THANKS ANITA, I ALWAYS WANTED A HUDSON BAY BLANKET
49” 49”
Pieced and Quilted by: Becky Welch
Pattern: Original
Technique: Machine pieced, free motion and walking-foot quilted
“I made the monoprints in a class with the wonderful Anita McSorley. When I heard she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, I knew I had to use the monoprints – get them off the shelf. I wanted to use every bit of the precious fabrics, so I cut them into various widths and added the plain-ish fabrics. I added the cotton-linen raw edge strips.”
“The center piece is a heart done by Danyella Nava. She was watching the class, having fun, and joined in, making the block and then giving it to me.”
“This quilt has good thoughts of lovely people in it. The title came from my daughter, who said, ‘Mom, it looks like a Hudson Bay blanket.’ I have long admired them.”
5. JACKET
adult
Pieced and Quilted by: Judy Botsford
Pattern: Nancy Zimmerman, McCalls, 1997
Technique: Machine pieced and double-needle quilted
“I have always wanted to make this pattern using ruched flowers decorating the front panels.
“I really like the result I achieved with double needle quilting, a first-time experience for me.
“I made my jacket for the Fiber Arts Fiesta, but the show was only on the internet.”
6. GRACE SANDERS
65” 75”
Pieced and Quilted by: Grace Sanders
Pattern: Original
Technique: Hand applique, machine pieced and quilted
“These are leftover Tumbler blocks. Too many to get rid of, so I made them into tiny Dresdens.
“I washed it, when finished, and I do believe every red in the quilt ran. (That was with 3 color catchers.) So it got washed three more times. It is what it is.”
7. LEMONADE STAND
62” 76”
Pieced and Quilted by: Kathy Congable
Pattern: Patricia Frei, American Patchwork and Quilting, June 2016
Technique: Machine pieced, appliquéd and quilted
“I first saw the quilt at the 2018 Houston International Quilt Show where I purchased the pattern (designed by Patricia Frei for Quilted Works) and materials (Little Miss Sunshine collection by Lella Boutique for Moda Fabrics).
“Lemonade and summer days always go together and kids love lemonade. So for two bored kids, what better way to spend a hot summer day, than to make money with a lemonade stand in the neighborhood? I remember my brother and me dragging one of mom’s bridge tables, 2 chairs, and paper cups out to the perfect spot at the curb, with mom following close behind with pitchers of iced lemonade. All the while my brother and I talked about the money we’d make and how we’d spend our share. If the day was successful and we made money, I don’t remember. Neither do I recall how we coaxed mom into letting us do it, or how long we stayed out there in the hot sun; however, I do remember how exciting it was to make the “Lemonade for Sale” sign to put on the front of our table, mix the lemonade, set up our stand, and wait for our first customer.”
8. BLACKBIRDS IN THE SUMMER MEADOW
77” 77”
Pieced and Quilted by: Carol Rising
Pattern: Bobbi Lucero, Edgewater Quilting
Technique: Cattails in the Meadow, by Bradley and Judy Niemeyer, Judy Niemeyer Quilting
Machine foundation paper piecing, machine applique, machine embroidery, hand applique; machine quilted.
“For this large foundation paper pieced quilt design, I chose colors for the cattails that are evocative of cattails during the summer. I remember fondly living near an irrigation ditch in Colorado. It was lined on both sides with cattails. During the summer, redwing blackbirds nested in the cattails, and I loved watching them show their bright colors and hearing them sing melodiously. For this quilt, I added machine embroidered redwing blackbirds to bring life to the cattails.”
9. STRUCTURED IMPROV
20” 20”
Pieced and Quilted by: Dana Brabson
Pattern: Original
Technique: Machine pieced and quilted (free form and in the ditch)
“Instead of allowing my mind to decide the width and height of each rectangle (or square) in an improvisationally constructed Log Cabin block, I decided to allow two rolls of a die to determine the dimensions (width and height) of each patch. With this structured method of choosing the dimensions, I could assure myself that I was not influenced by some, perhaps unrecognized, preconceived notion(s). Then I added one more aspect: I rolled the die twice to decide which of 12 patches should be cut from a feature fabric that contrasted sharply with the other eleven fabrics in the block.
“My first experiment was the Turquoise Mine quilt, created for the Employees’ Lecien Challenge, in which the feature fabric represented a piece of turquoise found by a miner as he/she dug through the sand, clay and gravel. I used the same fabrics here in the larger Structured Improv quilt.”
10. HAVE A HEART
7” 7”
Pieced and Quilted by: Dana Brabson
Pattern: Original
Technique: Machine raw edge appliqué, pieced, and quilted
“It was early June when Cindy told us that she was scheduled for almost immediate bypass surgery and warned to avoid activities that might trigger a heart attack. Hours later I laid the No Heart Attack quilt on her doorstep. The red ‘not’ symbol boldly lies on top of the yellow arrow representing an attack on the heart. A heart attack did not happen and Cindy loaned me the quilt for this show.
“What could represent the opposite of a “not” heart? I appliqued a green circle with the line outside (instead of inside) the circle, going from lower left to upper right (instead of upper left to lower right). And Carol graciously embroidered ‘SO SEW’ on the piece of Free Spirit Tula Pink HomeMade fabric featuring a sewing machine.”
11. DREAM CHAIR
32” 36”
Pieced and Quilted by: Cindy L. Kurey
Pattern: Dream Chair, Althea Ballard, Dream Chair Quilts, C&T Publishing.
Technique: Raw-edge machine appliqué on a machine pieced background; machine quilted
“This quilt is a result of what happens when you clean out your sewing closet. Over ten years ago, I collected many of the fabrics for this quilt, which I had placed in a clear plastic box. As I was cleaning my cosset and saw the contents in the box, I knew it was time to sew my Dream Chair. Every quilt has its own time, every fabric we have stashed away is waiting for us to be ready to make a masterpiece.”
12. THE PLUS QUILT
63” 72”
Pieced and Quilted by: Phyllis Henry
Pattern: Chalk, Cheryl Brickey, Modern Quilts Unlimited, 23, 50-53,
Technique: Machine pieced and quilted
“This is a 2-fabric quilt. The colors of the fabric make of a very subtle design. That’s what I like most about the quilt.
“I started quilting on the quilt in early April and in late April I broke my arm. The quilting had to stop!! So I didn’t get to quilt it like I planned. Best laid plans …
“What I really am saying is that the quilt looks much better at a distance!!”
13. GRACE’S RETIREMENT QUILT
72” 86”
Pieced by: The Quilt Works family
Quilted by: Danyella Nava
Pattern: Original
Technique: Machine pieced and quilted
14. EVE’S RETIREMENT QUILT
62” 76”
Pieced by: The Quilt Works family
Quilted by: Kathy Congable
Pattern: Original
Technique: Machine pieced and quilted
15. TO THE LOVE OF BOOKS
62” 82”
Pieced by: Laura Echeverria
Quilted by: Kathy Congable
Pattern: Big City Friends, Arrolynn Weiderhold
Technique: Fussy cutting, machine piecing, and machine quilting
“I always use the Employees’ Quilt Show as a challenge – a reason to make something outside of my ‘box’. his year the challenge was to make something with fabrics I had been hoarding since 2014.
“When I was in second grade, just as I was becoming an independent reader, my mother purchased the entire series of Oz books by L. Frank Baum. A new book arrived periodically; I do not remember how often they came, but I remember the joy of tearing into those packages, liberating the book and returning to Oz! A lifetime love of reading grew out of my visits to Oz. I have read Oz books by L. Frank Baum, Ruth Plumly Thompson, Robert Heinlein, Gregory Maguire…, every single one I got my hands on!
“Late in 2013, the Quilt Works got a line of Oz fabrics that reminded me of W.W. Denslow’s illustrations in my Oz books. I had no idea what I was going to make with those fabrics, but I knew I HAD to make something, so I splurged and spent my entire Christmas bonus (thank you, Shirley and Dana) on the fabric in this quilt.
“Over the years I have purchased at least 10 patterns for my much anticipated Oz quilt, but the one I finally used was a free pattern from Wilmington Prints. Having finally found the right pattern, the goal was to use what I had on hand to make the quilt. I used every bit of fabric I had, but I had to add fabric to complete the back.
“After the Employees’ Show is over, I’ll bring my quilt home and enjoy it and the memories it brings, but eventually the quilt and a 100th anniversary edition of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz will go to another little girl in hopes of inspiring the love of Oz and reading in another generation. Eleanor is not yet 2, so I can enjoy my quilt for a year or two until she moves into a twin bed.”
16. TURNBULL’S LEAF
35” 46”
Pieced and Quilted by: Cindy L. Kurey
Pattern: Adaptation of an original painting
Technique: Hand appliqué and machine quilted on a domestic machine
“This quilt is an adaptation of a painting, Leaves Red, by William Turnbull (1967). When I first saw the painting, all I could think of was what a great quilt that would be. I obtained copyright permission to use the image and started stitching. I chose to hand appliqué the leaf design and I also chose to do ¼” echo machine quilting throughout the quilt to keep the minimalist look of the original painting. It was a thrill for me to have my quilt chosen to be part of the 2020 Modern Quilt Guilt’s annual show, QuiltCon, in Austin, TX”
17. MARRAKESH
58” 68”
Pieced and Quilted by: Debbie Williams
Pattern: Marrakesh, Sharon Parcel, Easy Quilts, Summer 2019
Technique: Machine appliqué and piecing; long arm quilting using straight lines and ruler work
“The pattern picture was very interesting to me. The pattern had a few techniques that stretched my abilities and used my treasure of batiks. The learning curves I encountered were: Applique in a quilt, along with modern quilting techniques and ruler work on my new Long Arm machine!
The applique went well and my worries of too many layers were unfounded.
“I used the Long Arm machine, sewing straight lines for the first time, and was frightened they would not be straight! I took my time, rechecked measurements multiple times, and breathed slowly to calm myself. The lines worked well.
“Using Ruler Work on a Long Arm Machine was also new for me. Working slowly to check and recheck helped my precision and calmed my nerves.
“I’m generally a “Fall Color” person, so, using Purple was also new for my tastes. I was pleased with the results!
“My learning curve grew on a simple looking quilt! My elevation of nerves was the most difficult thing to overcome in the whole quilt. You can push yourself to conquer your fears by trying to hone in on the few things you would like to conquer, think it through, practice in your head, breathe slowly, and Keep Moving On!”
18. RADIANT STAR
83” 101”
Pieced by: Judy Botsford
Quilted by: Danyella Nava
Pattern: Eleanor Burns, Radiant Star Quilts, Quilt in a Day, 2011
Technique: Strip pieced and long arm quilted
“I have always wanted to make a Lone Star quilt, and wanted Grace to help me pick out the colors before she retired. With all of her help, I’m pleased with the way it turned out. The center turned out very flat, which was a nice surprise.”
19. GYPSY WIFE
54” 64”
Pieced and quilted by: Toni Getz
Pattern: Jen Kingwell, Gypsy Wife, Jen Kingwell Designs, JKD-5026, 2014
Technique: Scrap piecing many varied, small blocks between vertical strips
“Many of us have been enticed to make this beautiful, somewhat difficult quilt. I love Gypsy Wife’s complicated, unruled wildness, and believe the quilt loses something if the fabrics coordinate too much. There is joy in her scrappiness and unusual layout. The following piece of folk lore was told by Chra Newtron on The Quilt Show.com website of possibly why this quilt’s pattern is named ‘Gypsy Wife’. ‘A Gypsy woman will often braid her hair and hide cash in the braids. When she passes, the braids are cut off and given to the oldest daughter.’ So, the strips are her braids and the blocks are trinkets or coins of value.”
20. HYBRIDIZING CLAMS
60” 71”
Pieced by: Carol Rising
Quilted by: Bobbi Lucero, Edgewater Quilting
Pattern: Glam Clam Quilt by Latifa Saafir; hybrid clam template designed by artist
Techniques: Machine pieced; machine quilted.
“For this clamshell quilt, I chose vibrant Kaffe Fassett fabrics for 12” clamshells using Latifa Saafir’s template. As I proceeded with the design, I wondered if I could make a “hybrid” clam, inserting four 6” clams in a single 12” clam shape. For the hybrids, I combined fabrics that I could imagine would result from the hybridization of two 12” clams.”