QuiltCon 2016: Improvisation, Part 1 of 2

Posted on March 27, 2016 by Plaid Portico

Now we have the first installment of the Improvisation category from the exhibitions at QuiltCon 2016. In Pasadena this year, QuiltCon is put on by The Modern Quilt Guild. Though there is a large curated and juried exhibition, Quiltcon is also a conference with classes and workshops, lectures and events. Everything is great, but for me, the quilts are the highlight. Enjoy!

Embers by Stephanie Ruyle

Vortex Redux by Jackie Benedetti

Score for Floating Squares – After Image by Sherri Lynn Wood

The One For Eric by Chawne Kimber, quilted by Chawne Kimber and Pamela J. Cole

Mid-Century Modern Quilt by Jo Avery

Pattern Play by Victoria Findlay Wolfe

F*CK THE QUILT POLICE by Nancy Purvis

Party Arbor by Jenna Brand

Colorfall by Timna Tarr

Night Flight no. 1 by Heide Parkes

Hemisphere by Janice Smyth

Line Study #1 by Andrew Steinbrecher

Accumulative Effect by Stacey O’Malley

Basics by Laura Cox

Score for Showing Up – Disco by Sherri Lynn Wood

The Spectrum of the Ordinary by Kristin Shields

“Thoroughly Mondrian Millie” by Leslie Tucker Jenison, quilted by Danielle Wilke

1981 by Nancy Purvis

Puddling by Amy Friend

Graphics 1 by Kerri Green

QuiltCon 2016 – Handwork

Posted on February 28, 2016 by Plaid Portico

QuiltCon 2016 was in Pasadena this year. Next year it will be in Savannah! My main aim is to see all the quilt exhibitions and photo them for The Plaid Portico (and my own pleasure) but since it was in California, we had big contingent from the Northern California modern quilt groups and guilds so it was fun seeing friendly faces all around. Truth be told it’s a friendly event anyway – there is just a good vibe in general, plus it is well-organized so things go smoothly.

I did manage to take photos of all the quilts in the exhibitions so we will be winding through them all in the next few months, including the special exhibitions of keynote speaker Gwen Marston and 70’s art quilter Molly Upton. I’m not going to highlight all the winners nor review or comment. One thing is clear to me–we all see things a little bit differently. So I am sharing what I get to see and you can decide for yourself what interests you.

I curate what I cover at general quilt exhibits, and “modern” is generally what I shoot, so I might only take photos of 10% of the quilts. At QuiltCon I think it would be a disservice to only show 90% as there are probably only about 10% I am ho-hum about. So they are all here, even the shots I couldn’t control the light on.

First up is the Handwork category. Enjoy!

Double Wedding Ring by Tara Faughnan

Collection by Carolyn Friedlander

Floating Squares No. 2 – Based on a Score by Sherri Lynn Wood by Maritza Soto

Cotton Sophisticate by Chawne Kimber

Random Perfection by Wanda Dotson

Places Unfold by Heidi Parkes

Over Under by Daisy Aschehoug

Mod Mountains by Susanne Williams

1981 by Nancy Purvis

Windowsill by Riane Menardi

Geometric Text by Nicole Daksiewicz

Night and Day by Heidi Parkes

Lots of Cream, Lots of Sugar by Heide Parkes

Everglade by Carolyn Friedlander

Satsuma by Cathy Fussell

Hot Lava by Jenna Richardson

Hexie Beast by Liz Harvatine

Elliott’s Quilt by Amy Hoffman

The Improv Handbook for Modern Quilters by Sherri Lynn Wood

Posted on May 4, 2015 by Plaid Portico

Sherri Lynn Wood‘s new book, The Improv Handbook for Modern Quilters is not like any other quilting or sewing book. I like the tagline as much as the book: “A Guide to Creating, Quilting and Living Courageously”. There are no specific projects shown step-by -step, long a formula in sewing and quilting books. That would not work here as it would take the improv out of improv! Sherri Lynn Wood‘s unique solution to this dilemma is a combination of a meditation on improv quilting, and a guidebook to the world of improv, through the use of “scores”.

The “scores” are a way for readers to create their own unique quilts “from a set of parameters as a guide” that act as a starting point. It doesn’t constrain you from being unique and improvisational, just sets you on a path and you can go where you want. Never fear, she does cover techniques, both improvisation and patchwork as well as finishing techniques, and she also explores aspects and moods of color in detail. What is quilting without color?

This book is thoroughly original in its format, tone and content. A perfect union to the subject matter of creating original improv work. The photography by Sara Remington is scrumptious.

From The Improv Handbook for Modern Quilters by Sherri Lynn Wood

Over 250 quilters signed on to test quilt the ten scores for the book. In the end only 22 quilts made it into the book though all of the quilts undoubtedly informed the final version of the book. And we can show you some of the other quilts here. And I am sure more will be popping up in modern quilt shows around the country as I have seen many already in the exhibitions at QuiltCon and other regional shows. Here are just a few from the score “strings”. To see more from the strings score than I can show, here is a link to them on Daintytime.

Sunburst Quilt by Tara Faughnan.

Red Wine and Cheese by Madge Ziegler

Line Study # 4 by Drew Steinbrecher

Dancing Windmills by Meagan Buch

Undoing by Elliot Turnbull

“Untitled” by Tara Faughnan

Thinking of Spring by Bridget Bower

Out My Window by Pam Pollock

Japanese String 2 by Heather Cameron

You can also visit these sites to hear more about the different techniques shared in the book and see more of the inspiring creations to come out of Sherri’s workshops.

May 4: STC Craft – Score for Rhythmic Grid Gallery
May 4: Plaid Portico – Score for Strings Gallery
May 6: During Quiet Time – Test Quilter Amy Friend
May 8: Wise Craft Handmade – Score for Get Your Curve On Gallery
May 11: Studio Notes – Test Quilter Penny Gold
May 13: Quiltville – Score for Modern Block Improv Gallery
May 15: Peppermint Pinwheels – Test Quilter Stacey Sharman
May 18: Quirky Quilts – Test Quilter Kim McPeake
May 20: PoppyPrintCreates – Score for Patchwork Doodle Gallery
May 22: The Last Piece – Test Quilter Sara Fielke
May 25: Cauchy Complete – Score for Layered Curves Gallery
May 26: Diary of a Quilter – Score for Bias Strip Petals Gallery (you are >HERE<)
May 28: Getting Stitched on the Farm – Score for Improv Round Robin Gallery
May 29: Spoonflower – Score for Showing Up Gallery
May 30: Fresh Modern Quilts – Test Quilter Rossie Hutchinson

QuiltCon 2015: Use of Negative Space part 1

Posted on April 7, 2015 by Plaid Portico

Here we have the first of 2 installments of the quilts from The Use of Negative Space category at QuiltCon 2015, sponsored by APQS. The winners of the category will be at the end of Part 2.

We just HAVE to start out with a quilt by Jacquie Gering, author of Quilting Modern, renowned teacher, on the board of The Modern Quilt Guild, QuiltCon organizer and just about everything. Besides, negative space in quilting is one of her trademarks. I admit, I’m a fan.

Enjoy!

Building Bridges by Jacquie Gering of Tallgrass Prairie Studio. Kansas City, Missouri. Quilted by Sheryl Schleicher.

Score for Strings: City by Sherri Lynn Wood. Oakland, California. Quilted by Sue Fox.

Score for Strings: City by Sherri Lynn Wood of Daintytime. Oakland, California. Quilted by Sue Fox

Score for Strings: City by Sherri Lynn Wood of Daintytime. Oakland, California. Quilted by Sue Fox.

Love in the Digital Age by Kristin Shields. Bend, Oregon.

Big Top by Faith Jones. Lisle, Illinois.

Floating by Jean Larson. Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Amazonia by Nathalie Bearden. The Woodlands, Texas.

Quilt for Our Bed by Laura Hartrich. Oak Park, Illinois. Quilted by Nikki Maroon.

Turning A Corner by Alissa Carlton. Los Angeles, California.

Smithereens by Emily Cier. Seattle, Washington. Quilted by Angela Walters.

Ad Libbing by Linda Hungerford of Flourishing Palms. The Villages, Florida. Pieced by Lora Douglas of Dragonfly Quiltworks

Geo Applique Series #2 by Kayley Rose. Quilted by Kathy Tamosaitis/ Brandywine Quilting.

What’s the Point by Susan Slusser Clay. Westfield Center, Ohio.

Valle de Uco. Patricia Lutteral. Martinez, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Lovely Fishbourne by Amanda Leins. Gansevoort, New York. Quilted by Liz Haskell.

Upstairs by Kristen Lejnieks. Chevy Chase, Maryland.

Diamond Dust by Doris Brunnette. Clive, Iowa. Quilted by Trina Kirkvold.

Matrix Blooming by Anne Deister. Louisville, Colorado.

Sugar Snow by Lee Heinrich. Mequon, Wisconsin. Quilted by Krista Withers.

The Definition of Stitch by Sarah Fielke. Chatsworth, New South Wales, Australia. Quilted by Kim Bradley. Pattern available at http://www.sarahfielke.com

The Definition of Stitch by Sarah Fielke. Chatsworth, New South Wales, Australia. Quilted by Kim Bradley.

X by Maria Villar. Glendale, California.

Crossing the Line by Corinne Sovey. Austin, Texas.

Fissures by Debra Jeske. Lynnwood, Washington.

Paint Chip by Sarah Lowry. Carrboro, North Carolina.

Fallout by Michelle Lieberson. Westport, Connecticut. Quilted by Janice Roy.

Linen Log Cabin by Barbara Perrino. Wakefield, Rhode Island.

QuiltCon 2015: Handwork category quilts

Posted on March 19, 2015 by Plaid Portico

Yes, handwork and modern quilting do go hand in hand. Actually almost all quilting traditions and techniques can be seen in some way in the quilts at QuiltCon and other modern quilting exhibitions. Maybe it’s the aesthetic that defines the modern quilting “movement”?, and that in itself is also broad. But there is definitely something going on! And I like it.

The Handwork category was sponsored by Sulky. There was more than one quilt (and even in other categories) that were made as a call to create quilts using one of Sherri Lynn Wood’s improv scores from her new book The Improv Handbook for the Modern Quilter. To honor that we’ll start out with one of Sherri Lynn Wood’s quilts and will end, as usual, with the winners of the category.

Here are the quilts from the handwork category, QuiltCon 2015:

Score For Bias Strip Petals: Daisy by Sherri Lynn Wood. Oakland, California

Syncopation Quilt by Jean Cockburn. Denman Island, British Columbia, Canada.

Funky Junk by Renee Tallman. Aptos, California.

Geometric Rainbow by Nicole Daksiewicz. Chicago, Illinois.

Fernweh by Madeleine Roberg. Lincoln, Nebraska.

Improv Log Cabin by Tara Faughnan. Oakland, California.

Fill the Void by Cinzia Allocca. Pierrefonds, Quebec, Canada

Citrus Wedge by Jen Carlton Bailly. Portland, Oregon.

Sunset Waves by Laura Hartrich. Oak Park, Illinois.

North Alabama Hillsides by Cathy Fussel. Columbus, Georgia. 2nd Place, Handwork Category, QuiltCon 2015

Fuzhou Fujian by Patricia Lutteral. Martinez, Buenos Aries, Argentina. 1st place, Handwork Category, QuiltCon 2015

QuiltCon 2015: The Improvisation category quilts, Part 1

Posted on March 12, 2015 by Plaid Portico

One of my favorite categories, here are half of the quilts from the Improvisation category this year at QuiltCon 2015. The other half, including the prize winners will be up next post. Several of these quilts were also test quilts from Sherri Lynn Wood‘s new improvisational quilting book, The Improv Handbook for Modern Quilters. We’ll be giving you a preview of that also here on the Plaid Portico in a few posts. It’s really wonderful.

Please enjoy all the joy in these quilts!

You Can’t Rush Art by Amanda Jean Nyberg. Clearwater, Minnesota.

Sunburst Quilt by Tara Faughnan. Oakland, CA.

Score for Modern Block Improv: Flying Geese by Sherri Lynn Wood. Oakland, California.

Entropy by Elisa Albury. Salt Lake City, Utah.

Lite Brite by Maria Shell. Anchorage, Alaska.

Bird’s Eye View by Nathalie Bearden. The Woodlands, Texas.

Spiraling Out of Control by Christa Watson. Las Vegas, Nevada.

Folded Flock by Jenna Brand. Dexter, Michigan

I’m a Fan of Fabric by Rachel Kerley. Hillsboro, Oregon.

Tidy Towns: Irish Houses by Andrew Steinbrecher. Cincinnati, Ohio.

Shifting Impressions by Marianne Haak. St. Albert, Alberta, Canada.

Mahjong by Leslie Schmidt. Brooklyn, New York, Quilted by Cami Cress (aaquilting.com)

Tune in Next Week by Chawne Kimber. Easton, Pennsylvania.

Pickle Jars by Jamie Gonce. San Mateo, California.

Through the Open Window by Amy Anderson. Asheville, North Carolina.

Shades of Grey by Terry Aske. New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada.

Emerald City by Charlotte Newland. London, England. UK.

Off Centre by Andres Rosales. Ventura, California.

The White Quilt by Shannon Page. Dallas, Texas.

Modern Sunset by Lauren Palmer. Lexington, Kentucky.

Wild Geese by Penny Gold. Galesburg Illinois.

Blocks from the Crayon Box by Carolyn Griffith. Abilene, Texas.

Las Ventasas by Kristin Shields. Bend Oregon.

Arne by Rossie Hutchinson. Manchester, Michigan.

Transposition by Anne Hammond

Primary by Elisa Albury. Salt Lake City, Utah.

Rainbow Remix by Rebecca Bryan. Wildwood, Missouri.

Gradient by Alys Gagnon. Mount Waverley, Victoria, Australia.

Sherri Lynn Wood Improv Round Robin

Posted on March 6, 2014 by Plaid Portico

What a fun day we had the last day of the Stitch Modern 0214 show, having an improv quilting workshop with Sherri Lynn Wood in the middle of the exhibition space. Techniques were taught, but mostly this was about taking ourselves to places we would never go, working on each other’s quilts, collaborative quilting. We worked fast, and mostly silently, without rulers even. Fears melted away, instinct took over. One could not have replicated this experience alone in one’s own studio. Don’t want to give it all away in case one of these comes to an area near you, so I’ll let the pictures do the talking.

Sherri Lynn Wood kicking off the workshop

We took over the whole main room of the Stitch Modern Exhibition!

As the day came to an end our improv quilts started getting a bit bigger, and one could find many a quilter laying the quilt they just got passed out on the floor and contemplating how to continue the quilting conversation.

And in the end, we went outside on a beautiful day and all looked at our work product. We could each see our hand in several quilts! It was amazing how they all turned out. With all that spontaneity and miss-mash of fabrics, some interesting compositions emerged. But no mistake about it, this was about process, and the experience of it all, though we all still did get a mini quilt top to take home with us…:)

Improvisational quilting with Sherri Lynn Wood

Posted on April 7, 2013 by Plaid Portico

As part of the East Bay Modern Quilt Guild‘s show, Stitch Modern, they had a number of special events. One was a panel discussion on fabric design which I got to participate in which I enjoyed thoroughly, particularly meeting the other designers and sharing notes. But I have to say the highlight of the whole show, AFTER seeing all the great quilts, was the talk I went to by Sherri Lynn Wood.

As you may know, I am now dipping my hand into quilting, just for the fun and art of it, and I really connect with many of the modern quilts I am seeing out there, and I really like the improvisational quilting style in particular. I don’t really want to make quilts that look like someone else’s or follow a specific tradition or direction. In my work, I design all the time for the commercial market, so when I sew I want to sew what I want to sew. Period. So hearing Sherri Lynn Woods speak about the improvisational process was just what I needed to really dig into the improv quilt I had started and make it happen. And I did finish it shortly after. ….Ahem…. except the binding, but I will post when it is all finished.

Another very cool thing that Sherri talked about was Passage Quilts. She works with people ” through collaboration, consultation and commission to make improvised quilts from the clothing and materials from everyday life”. Love this concept. Hits me right in that spot. And she showed us one she made for her mother, Linda Susan Wood (1943-2003) which she describes as a “passage, bereavement, memorial quilt made from my mother’s casual clothes, Sunday dresses, bathing suit, robes and the dress she wore to my wedding”

Sherri is SUCH a good speaker, highly recommend if you get a chance. With a long resume of exhibitions, artist residencies and workshops, and with masters in both fine art and theology, she has a lot to share. Here are a few shots of the quilts she shared that day, but you might want to check out her site, daintytime.net for more!