Category Archives: Inspiration

Mesa Quilt {Southwest Modern + Giveaway}

Last year, a new book had become available for pre-order on Amazon and after seeing Kristi (@initialkstudio), I was so excited to have this book in my collection. I was so ecstatic when I was asked to be part of her blog hop.

Southwest_frontcover

The book takes you through a journey in the southwest of the USA, and the influence of this area is seen within the quilts. The book has an amazing layout and beautiful photography. When deciding on a quilt, I wanted to choose one that I could bring in the influence of North Carolina.

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North Carolina has a diversity in environments as it stretches from the mountains to the beach. This region also has rich history and traditional quilting background. As the Mesa Quilt is a modern version of a log cabin, I decided to do this pattern, which I thought was fitting with the traditional quilt making of NC.

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For the color palette and the material, I was influenced by a Gees Bend Quilt. I used mostly recycled fabric, blue jeans, shirts, ties and a feed sack. This was a quick make and it was so much fun playing with the color palette and placement.

I interfaced many of the stretchy or less stable fabrics with interfacing to make them easier to sew. I have a quilting plan for this quilt already, using a mix of grid lines, walking foot shapes within sections, and straight lines.

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I really enjoyed this quilt top finish and hope to make more of the projects including some of the amazing triangle based quilts. If you want to see more, please check out the other projects that are on the blog hop:

March 8th Mathew Boudreaux of Mister Domestic
March 9th Rebecca Bryan of Bryan House Quilts
March 10th Suzy Williams of Suzy Quilts
March 11th Hillary Goodwin of Entropy Always Wins
March 12th Michelle Wilkie of Factotum of Arts
March 13th Christopher Thompson of The Tattooed Quilter
March 14th Nicole Daksiewicz of Modern Handcraft
March 15th Sarah Thomas of Sariditty
March 16th Karen Lewis of Karen Lewis Textiles

Last but not least, you too have a chance to get your hands on a copy of this book. To be in with a chance:

Enter follow me (@ml_wilkie) and @initialkstudio on Instagram
Leave a comment below.
For an extra chance, leave a comment on the Instagram post (@ml_wilkie)

I will randomly choose a winner at 8pm EST tomorrow. If you are not selected, there is another chance for you….Kristi also has a Grand Prize Giveaway that will be happening at the end of the blog hop. Sign-up for her newsletter and you’ll have a chance to win:

Signed copy of the Southwest Modern by Lucky Spool
FQ bundle by Robert Kaufman
FQ bundle by Me & You Fabrics
Southwest Modern Thread Collection by Aurifil

QuiltCon: Quilt Show {Part II}

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The best story I have of QuiltCon, was meeting a young boy (around 10-11?) who had won third place in the Youth category. He was with his mum and dad. Other than the fact the boy had won, all three of them had a quilt in the show. It was so heart-warming that they all had this love for quilting.

So, yesterday we talked about the use of solids (trend #1), and texture (trend #2). Ok, so the quilts and other trends that I saw continues today….

3. Use of Prints

One of the biggest surprises to me, was the increased number of quilts that utilized prints. I love quilts that use prints but still have that modern feel.

Digital Offcuts, Kathy Thorncraft (@iamacraftykat)

Positive : Negative, Lorena Uriarte (@lorena_in_syd)

Macaroons #57, Sarah Hibbert, (@quiltscornerstone)

Incidental Collaboration, Nora Renick Rinehart (@fiberistanora)

Infinité IV, Sophie Zaugg (@lunalovequilts)

4. Hand Quilting and FMQ

There seems to be a movement to over the last couple of years to embrace a variety of quilting techniques in the show, not just the expected matchstick or straight lines. I saw an increase in hand quilted quilts and more modern-styled FMQ.

Lateral Ascension, Cassandra Beaver (@cassandra.beaver)

Lateral Ascension (Close-up)

Mod Garden, Jack Weise

Mod Garden (Close-up)

Vortex, Ardelle Kerr (@rosecityquilter)

Vortex (Close-up)

Hillary Goodwin (@entropyalwayswins), Quilter: Rachel Dorr (@racheldorr)

Close-up of Rachel’s Quilting

5. Faced Binding was very common on quilts this year.

Color Study H1, Victoria Findlay Wolfe (@victoriafindlaywolfe)

Mountain Town, Mary Keasler (@mizcontrary)

Fauchet, Virginia Robinson (@minnowpeck)

6. Quilts with a Message

Last but not least…
Every year there are a couple of quilts that bring a strong message, whether its supporting women rights, speaks out against gun violence or highlights the current social and political climate. This year was no different, except I think more people (including a large number in the youth category) are using their art to make a statement. Here are a few from this year and there were many more.

Get Woke, Chawne Kimber (@cauchycomplete)

Get Woke (close-up)

Veer, Jacquie Gerring (@jacquietps)

Strong Tradition, Allison Chambers (@downtownquilter_allie)

America the beautiful, Ann Guiam (Youth Category)

This quilt above, I left last as this had the most impact for me. It was the winner in the youth category (person under the age of 18). As I stood reading the description written by one so young, I was bought to tears. You see my son is ten, in elementary school in the US, and Ann’s description sunk in deep. Here is Ann’s description:

“I created this quilt because of the mass shootings and terrorism that have occurred during my lifetime have unfortunately led me to question the true beauty of America. These acts of violence have impacted the lives of so many people both directly and indirectly and I hope this quilt will serve to bring awareness to this societal issue and also honor the lives of those who were harmed. The bottom half of the quilt is simultaneously supposed to symbolize the American flag and a classroom because I worry that kids in school are learning to normalize these horrible events because they are so frequent.”

That’s it from me on the quilts of the show, additional information on the winners of QuiltCon awards can be found here.

San Francisco MOMA (Part 2)

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Continuation from yesterday, some of my impressions of San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.


Roy Lichtenstein (Mirror)

? Open-ended Collections

? Open-ended collection

Sol LeWitt (Wall Drawing)
    
Close-ups 

Frank Stella (Double Concentric: Scramble)

The Ellsworth Kelly collection was a favorite for sure!!


Red White

1. Cite; 2. Red Green; 3. Gaza 4. Black Triangle and White

Spectrum 1

Blue Red

Blue Green Black Red

Wall

So that is a quick tour of what caught my interest. I am definitely going back and hoping to also get to De Young’s Museum next time too.

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