Quilt Sisters at The National Quilt Museum - Eye Candy

We made it!  The National Quilt Museum in Paducah, Kentucky.  Come along with us and enjoy the eye candy.

First up as soon as we walk into the exhibit area is The Beatles Quilt, 1998 by Pat Holly and Sue Nickels.

Some detail for you - 

AND - a guide to the blocks that we were lucky enough to see while there.  We couldn't take a copy with us, but photos were allowed.

From there we went to the miniatures.  Please remember that most of these quilts are no larger than 18" square and many are even smaller.  First up is Bias Miniature I by Sharon Norbutas of Camarillo, CA, 2007.

Just a Little Crazy by Elaine Braun of Paducah, KY, 2012.  This is about the size of a crazy quilt that I may be able to tackle - 18" square.  

These truly miniatures caught my eye as well.  I think if I could do things over, I would have tried miniatures - a very cool dollhouse would be so fun to work on.

Le Jardin de Nos Reves Companion by Myrl Lehman, Cayagon de Oro, Phillipines, 2006.

The Bouquet by Jessie Harrison, San Diego, CA, 2001.  

Two more amazing tiny ones.  First is Assorted Miniatures (top) by Sue Sherman of Newmarket, ON, Canada, 2021 and the second is Double Wedding Ring by Lorraine Olsen of Springfield, MO, 2005.  Pictures just don't do these sweet things justice.

Emiline by Pat Kuhns of Lincoln, NE, 2009.  Goodness --- love the tiny pieces.

Leaving the miniatures, we head into an exhibit of Velda Newman's very large quilts.  The exhibit is Larger Than Life.  I only have information on her and one of the quilts - so just enjoy us being there.

Velda Newman is a contemporary quilt maker and fiber artist from Nevada City, CA.  Her large-scale designs, portraying subjects from nature, have been exhibited extensively throughout the U.S., Europe, Australia, and Japan.  She uses textiles and thread the way other artists use paint and brush.  This is Roses and it is 360" x 96".  In case the pictures don't show it well enough - these are 3D in many places.

There is also an exhibit of Kaffe Fassett.  I'll share the pics as best as I can.  I'm not sure you can read them, though.

This is Sampler Quilt by Kaffee Fassett and Liza Prior Lucy.  In 1993, Liza drew Kaffe into the quilting world by stitching several blocks with fabrics he designed so could see how beautifully they lent themselves to the traditional art form.  These samples convinced him to combine his design skills with hers in quilting.

In the next room the exhibit is entitled "Showstopper" and these are all Marilyn Badger quilts.  First up is Yellow Bird, 2006.  It was designed by Claudia Clark Myers.

Next is Filigree, 2009.  This is a Judy Niemeyer design.  Marilyn writes, "I love color and interesting designs - I'm not just in it for quilting."

Next is Exuberance, 2014.  She says, "This is a very sentimental quilt to me.  This is the quilt I was working on when Hartley passed away and he declared it his favorite at the time.  He also named this quilt because it made him feel good."

Coming back into the main entry, this quilt just stops me.  It is by Libby Lehman of Houston, TX, 1993, and is entitled Escapade.  She is an innovator in the field of decorative machine stitching and a master of the art.  This is thread painting at it's best.

The quilt behind the painting is a very basic quilt and the thread just brings a whole new dimension to it.

I think this next one is my favorite today.  In fact, I know it.  This is just amazing to me.  Such small and delicate features on a full size quilt.  Happy Thanksgiving by Aki Sakai of Hachiojl, Tokyo, Japan, 2022

I have lots of close ups to enjoy each little part - 

This is Patagonian Conure in Extinction by Loreto Silva - Chile Quilting

Nearby is My Back Yard from a Different Perspective by Wendy Degenhart.  She writes, "It is my pleasure to introduce you to a few of my furry and feathered friends and family members.  I have tried to capture their essence in whimsical vignettes designed to bring you right into the moment - the moment of a blink, of anticipation, of connection."  

At this point, I've left the main exhibit are and am in the lobby - I spot this in the courtyard.  It is called The Strength of One by Lincoln Fox.  On January 1, 1990, after spending the day fishing with President George Bush and his wife Barbara, longtime friends Bill Schroeder and Ray Scott were discussing how they might raise funds to build a new church sanctuary in Pintlala, Alabama.  Bill revealed his idea to Ray, "Let's hold fundraising bass fishing tournaments on your lake in Pintlala."  The President's motorcade was barely out of sight when the wheels began to turn.  Ray seized upon the idea.  The President later said, "count me in."  With the help of Johnny Morris of Bass Pro Shops, several top corporate executives, twenty elite professional bass fishermen, and of course, President George Bush, over one million dollars was raised in just five tournaments and the sanctuary became a reality.  Lincoln Fox of Santa Fe, NM, was charged to commemorate the event with a 14' bronze sculpture that stands outside the Pintlala church.  Five smaller versions were produced, one of which you see here.  The name, "Strength of One" reflects our coming together as one to accomplish the task.

Also in the lobby - Patchwork Pelican by Fran Coker and Stefan Savides of Klamath Falls, OR.  Fran Coker used a technique of fabric and decoupage to cover the flying American White pelican sculpture.  She chose traditional quilt patterns of pioneer themes:  Birds in the Air, Lady in the Lake, Log Cabin, Rail Fence, Nine Patch and Oregon Trail.  Each piece of fabric was individually applied, and it took over 80 hours of detailed application created from her originally designed, geometrically intricate computer artwork for the 3-D pelican statue.  Fran said she held her breath when applying the first piece and the said, "we're going!"  She added a few surprises - such as a smiling frog face on the beak to say "hello" and some buttons, just for fun.

Still in the lobby - Valentine Rose Double Wedding Ring - designed by Linda Peterson and glass execution by Jack Wallis

If you made it this far in this post, you are in for a treat.  The last item is called Floating, 2002.  It is by Fraser Smith of Tampa, FL.  "Fraser Smith's wooden quilts are carved from several large pieces of basswood that are glued together to form a large block.  An average wooden quilt requires approximately three to six months to construct depending on the size and complexity of the pattern.  Smith uses basswood which is similar to pine.  Also known as the American Linden tree, basswood can be found principally from Quebec south to Delaware and from the Atlantic coast to eastern Kentucky.  It is a consistent wood without stripes produced by dendric rings like those found in the pine tree.  Basswood has some striping; however, it is not nearly as prominent.  It is a fairly soft wood with straight grain that makes it easy to carve.  Commenting on his work, Fraser Smith remarks, 'Essentially, I carve things that are keepsakes; objects that we tend not to throw away; things the people in general will relate to on a personal level that connect us to events or people from our past; something that we save, even after it's too worn out to use.  Our lives are full of interesting things that we don't necessarily pay much attention to.  By making an effort to recreate these items from an unlikely medium and presenting them in an unusual locations, it causes the view to pause and consider the object."  This is 65" x 42" x 4"

That's it for this post - see ya around.