Event Review: 2010 International Quilt Festival/Chicago

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Reported by Susie Ziegler

So many terrific craft events come through my fair city of Chicago. Several of us Craft Critique reporters and editors live in this terrific urban area, and we recently attended the 2010 International Quilt Festival/Chicago to see glorious quilt artistry from around the world.

"Building Up" by Kathy York The artist has discharged and then overdyed her fabrics in this colorful piece.

"Metropolis in Bloom" by Kathryn Botsford. I love the traditional Rose of Sharon pattern with the modern city background print.

Detail of "Grid Growth" by Margie Davidson. She used sunprinting on her fabrics.

"Units 1" by Benedicte Caneill. The fabrics are monoprinted and then stitched together using a simple rail fence block pattern.



Left: "Sir Francis" by David Taylor Right: "Bucky" by Michelle Jackson

Detail of "Sir Francis" by David Taylor. This barnyard animal is all hand appliqued and machine quilted. He won an Honorable Mention.

Best-In-Show winner Rosalie Baker with her quilt "Let's All Spring Forward." The red-eyed tree frog is so charming. Rosalie has hand-dyed, hand-painted, and hand-appliqued her fabrics. The quilting is done by machine, as are many of the quilts in modern quilt shows.



"Spring Revival" by Deborah Kemball. That's Deborah in the photo; she won 1st Place! Her quilt is all done in 100% silk applique. She told us that she backs all the silk with very lightweight interfacing, and she prefers Gutterman silk thread for her applique stitches. Here is a detail photo. Can you see the shimmering fabric? Well, you might have to imagine it. It really is beautiful in person.



"Evening Egrets" by Joanne Baeth. This quilt won 2nd Place in the Celebrate Spring category.


"Crocus" by Maggie Weiss. That's the artist! Her quilt is layered with hand-cut and torn collage shapes. She won 3rd place in the Celebrate Spring category.

Detail of "Crocus" by Maggie Weiss. She lives in Chicagoland. I should sign up for one of her classes!

"Blazing His Own Trail" by Ann Crowl Meyer. She used raw-edge applique and quilted this on her home sewing machine.


"Spring Field" by Akiko Kawat. These are dandelions in a green spring field. I agree with the artist that the first dandelions of spring are lovely. I'm not nearly so enthusiastic about them later in the summer.

"Vertigo" by Diane Nunez . Such cool dimension!


"Leafing Large" by Laura Wasilowski. This artist has had several quilts in the Chicago show. She uses fused applique; her quilts always have this dynamic color and stylized look.

This is just a sampling of the quilts we saw. The show takes place in a large convention center space. Half of the space is this art display; the other half is a large vendor section. Vendors were selling the latest in fabrics, fibers, patterns, notions, and tools. Also for sale were vintage and new quilts, and handwork from around the world. You can spend the whole weekend watching presentations and taking classes from talented teachers and artists.

This particular festival is presented by the International Quilt Association and they have an upcoming show this summer in Long Beach, as well as their HUGE annual show in Houston in the fall. Next year, sadly (for me), this Chicago show will be moving to Cincinnati.

I have also attended a very big and popular quilt show in Paducah, Kentucky, presented by the American Quilter's Society. That circuit also has shows in Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Tennesee, and Iowa.

I bet there is a local quilting guild show right in your area with very impressive quilts on display. I hope you try to attend a quilt show to see beautiful fabric artistry in person. Maybe you'll be so inspired, you will enter your own quilt into the competition!