Ok, now we’re getting into the heat of it with the Modern Traditionalism category from QuiltCon 2016Â exhibitions. Here we have the crossover with traditional blocks or techniques used in a “modern” context, most in original compositions.
Category Archives: design
PIQF-The Modern Quilt Competition Part Two
Here is the 2nd installment of the Modern: Mid-Centory Modern challenge at the Pacific International Quilt Festival. Selections from other categories coming up next!

Uncommon Time by Claudia Gomez

Flower Exhibition by Leila Sigler
PIQF–The Modern Quilt Competition
The Plaid Portico is finally back and first off this year we will have long overdue coverage of the Pacific International Quilt Festival in Santa Clara, CA. We’ll start with a 1st installment of the Modern Quilt Competition, with this year’s theme of “Mid-Century Mod”. After that, there will be selections from the Wall category and the World Quilt Competition.
Quilt Local: Finding Inspiration in the Everyday
Heather Jones’ new book, Quilt Local: Finding Inspiration in the Everyday has delicious photography, modern quilts, and a unique look at the quilt design process.
The book is divided into PROCESS and QUILTS. PROCESS is about finding inspiration around you, and shows how to go from inspiration to finished project. It covers working from inspiration, color theory, quilt design, and basic quilt construction. QUILTS has 40 original quilts with their variations and instructions.  Many of the quilts are characterized by the use of negative space, minimalism and organic structure.
One of my favorite quilts is Red Lion (I also love the name). Though I’m usually an asymmetrical gal, I love the simplicity and versatility of this quilt design, and it can certainly be made asymmetrically with color placement.

Red Lion by Heather Jone

Red Lion by Heather Jones
Speaking of everyday inspiration, here at the Plaid Portico our motto is, “Don’t forgot to look for keep looking for things that inspire you!” And in that spirit, and in the spirit of Quilt Local, I will share some everyday inspiration from ’round this neck of the woods.
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Find out more and follow along on the QUILT LOCAL BLOG TOUR!
10/6:Â STC Craft Blog
10/8:Â Robert Kaufman
10/9:Â Melanie Falick
10/10:Â Sew Mama Sew
10/11:Â Creative Bug
10/12:Â Plaid Portico
10/14:Â Modern Sewciety
10/16:Â Pellon
10/19:Â The Tattooed Quilter
10/21:Â Amyâs Creative Side
10/23:Â Diary of a Quilter
10/26:Â Film in the Fridge
10/28:Â Tall Grass Prairie Studio
10/29:Â Okan Arts
10/30:Â Kara Sews
11/2:Â Crimson Tate
11/4:Â Dainty Time
11/6:Â Nap Time Quilter
11/9:Â Spoonflower
11/11:Â AurifilÂ
11/13:Â A Gathering of Stitches
Coming up on The Plaid Portico, we will cover the Eli Leon Exhibition at the Oakland Museum of Art, my picks from Freddy Moran’s latest solo exhibition, the Found/Made exhibition at the San Jose Museum of Quilts and textiles, and my picks from The Pacific International Quilt Festival.  We also have more books to highlight and some wonderful quilter profiles.
Stay tuned – after a long summer vacation, we’re back!
Peppermint Pinwheels and The Carnival Quilt
Stacey Sharman of Peppermint Pinwheels did the most amazing Carnival Quilt with Pop Rox, though I am not surprised and you will see why when you see some of her other quilts here!
Founder of East Bay Modern Quilters (Formerly The East bay Modern Quilt Guild) and their annual show Stitch Modern, Stacey also teaches around Northern California and the San Francisco Bay area. Â She can most often be found teaching at the fabulous A Verb for Keeping Warm, which is kind enough to host the last Tuesday of the month meetings of East Bay Modern Quilters.
She has a lovely and active Etsy shop Peppermint Pinwheels with baby play mats, digital patterns, baby blankets and more. And if you’re in the area, watch for her lecture and trunk show at The Bay Area Modern Quilt Guild April 18th meeting.
Hope you enjoy her Carnival Pop Rox quilt and views of some of her other yummy quilts!
Quilting in the Garden 2014
What a scrumptious day at Alden Lane Nursery to see their annual “Quilting in The Garden” show. Â Beautiful quilts hanging all over their vast property amongst the flowers and trees, all blowing in the wind!
First some shots of the whole scene and then we’ll zero in on a few quilts (only a fraction unfortunately!). Â Photography a little challenging as one is looking up taking photos against a sunny sky, so we’ll show you what we can, and enjoy the dappled light. If you’re in the area, don’t miss this event next year!
Featured artists this year were local celebrities Diana McClun and Laura Nownes, and from Oregon, Jean Wells and the Quilt of Sisters. Â There were also quilts by local quilters, some with booths. There certainly were beautiful quilts everywhere. Â Kind of dreamy! Take a ganderâĤ.

Quilting in The Garden at Alden Lane Nursery Quilt #254 The Good, Bag and Ugly by Judy White, #247 Friendship Lattice by Teresa Abbey

Quilting in The Garden at Alden Lane Nursery, #145 Tumbling Stars by Diana McClun and Laura  Nownes

Quilting in The Garden at Alden Lane Nursery, #166 Scrap Silk Quilt 1 by Diana McClun & Laura Nownes

Quilting in The Garden at Alden Lane Nursery, back of #127 Star Medallion by Diana McClun & Laura NownesâĤI spy Pop Rox!

Quilting in The Garden at Alden Lane Nursery, #42 Modern Drunkard for a Missionary by Melissa Draper

Quilting in The Garden at Alden Lane Nursery, #168 Crazy Quilt Bugs by Diana McClun and Laura Nownes

Quilting in The Garden at Alden Lane Nursery, #122 The Giant Tumble by Diana McClun and Laura Nownes
Duo of Jacquie Gering Workshops
How lucky am I that I got to do two Jacquie Gering workshops in a weekend. VERY, let me tell you!  They were organized by the Bay Area Modern Quilt Guild (thank you!) and took place in the Quiltworks space (excellent–nice big design walls) Afterwards this blog went on a bit of a vacation as did I, and then we both decided to take more of the summer off to complete other things, but it’s about time now to get back so here we are.
First off, if you get a chance to take a workshop with Jacquie Gering, please do!  It’s not just working on a project. Her workshops are packed with fantastic techniques and tips and she really works the room helping everyone out with their project, with both technical and aesthetic concerns. And she carries on which charisma and aplomb. There is a reason she’s made such a name for herself. She’s got “it”.
I took both the “Stitch N Flip” and the “Building Bridges” workshops and no, I cannot show you the quilts I did in the workshops…yet. Â I promise I will finish them, but you will have to wait. MUCH more interesting though, I have some pics of Jacquie’s block samples and quilts from the workshop to give you a taste.
If she won’t be coming out your way or you can’t wait and you don’t already have it, her and Katie Pedersen‘s book, Quilting Modern, covers a lot of these techniques.  You will laugh in her workshops, and you will chuckle at some of the notes in the book. If you are interested at all in modern quilting, this is an absolute must have.
A little preview of my efforts. Â I’ll make something out of it soon I promise!
Day 2! Building Bridges Workshop.
Meditation on Peonies
A little break here from fabric, sewing, quilting and the cool creative businesses and people behind them.  Time forâĤpeonies!  Random? Not sure.  All I know is that there are peonies in the stores these days and the light was just hitting the ones we bought in an amazing way yesterday evening, so I took an instagram shot and exclaimed to the Jack-man that he should get his camera.  He’s a sucker for the right lighting and he was all over it, photography being one of his passions.  After he edited them and showed them to me I was just beside myself and I simply have to share. I’m not even going to select a few–you can see them all.
So good morning, good day, good evening, be inspired!
The Original Scrap-Bag⢠in Pop Rox
I was pretty happy when Jamie Kalvestran sent me photos of Pop Rox on her popular Original Scrap-bag⢠pattern.  I LOVE her bags.  Jamie is an experienced product designer as well as a sewing pattern designer and print pattern designer.  AND she blogs. There is her print & pattern design blog, A Pattern a Day, her sewing pattern blog, Scrap-bags, and Small Town Gardens. Her patterns can be found in independent quilt stores or you can always get a downloadable pdf through Jamie here.
Take a look at this Original Scrap-bag⢠with Pop Rox, and of course I’ve picked more of her things to show you after that, including more bags and quilts, and a link to a pdf catalog to all the cool patterns for her Chickadee fabric line with Andover fabrics. Kind of to die for!

Pop Rox in The Original Scrap-bagâ˘
Voices in Cloth 2014: Part One.
Well, I have been waiting to begin the coverage of the Voices in Cloth 2014 exhibition, and I can’t wait any little longer. So we will intersperse coverage of the show with continuing coverage of the Pop Rox project round-up. The Voices in Cloth 2014 Exhibition, put on by the East Bay Heritage Quilters was at the Craneway Pavilion on the Richmond waterfront near the end of March for 2 days only. A dramatic space, a bustling crowd and great local vendors added to the exhibition buzz.
There were some trends in this group of curated quilts, mostly from local northern California quilters. There were a lot of silks, linens and other than standard quilting cotton used. Â There were hand-dyed fabric and batiks, and quite a bit of Asian influence. There were interesting combinations of traditional fabrics in modern quiet designs and modern fabrics in more traditional quilt designs. And many art quilts. And lots of color!
As usual, you are subject to the whim of my curatorial eye. I just take pictures of the quilts I really like. Now I am going to show you my top ten favorite quilts from the show (in no particular order) I have 60 more quilts to go so this will be a several part series. Â Here are the first few and my favs, all for different reasons:

Silk Arithmetic by Stacey Sharman

Silk Arithmetic by Stacey Sharman

Scattered Rings by Jane Herlihy

Scattered Rings by Jane Herlihy

Plaid One by Eleanor Dugan. Quilted by Dani Lawler.

Plaid One by Eleanor Dugan. Quilted by Dani Lawler.

Quilt in Forever and a Day by Amy Adair. Inspired by Gypsy Kisses by Kathy Doughty.

Quilt in Forever and a Day by Amy Adair. Inspired by Gypsy Kisses by Kathy Doughty.

Quilt in Forever and a Day by Amy Adair. Inspired by Gypsy Kisses by Kathy Doughty.

3 Fans by Sally Pooler

3 Fans by Sally Pooler

Explosion 3 by Barb Strick

Explosion 3 by Barb Strick

Explosion 3 by Barb Strick

Inclinations by Ellen Wong

Inclinations by Ellen Wong

My Traveling Quilt by Leah Brown. Quilted by Kathy Ritter.

My Traveling Quilt by Leah Brown. Quilted by Kathy Ritter.

Not Entirely My Fault by Rebecca Rohrkaste. Quilt pattern by Kathy Doughty.

Not Entirely My Fault by Rebecca Rohrkaste. Quilt pattern by Kathy Doughty.

Not Entirely My Fault by Rebecca Rohrkaste. Quilt pattern by Kathy Doughty.

Springtime Harmony by Cynthia Sanders, quilted by Sue Fox

Springtime Harmony by Cynthia Sanders, quilted by Sue Fox