#wholecloth

"Persistance" by Margaret Solomon Gunn of Gorham, Maine. Winner of First Place Wall Quilts - Moveable Machine Quilted.

Margaret's quilts are always breathtaking in their intricate perfection, and the richness of the fabric and colors of thread truly make this one downright luxurious. One of her most beautiful pieces ever, and that is saying something!

Last winter I took this nearly whole cloth quilt on our visit home at Christmas. It is about 52″ square, and I hand quilted it all in about 6 weeks. It has been very difficult to capture the warmth and texture of it in photos. 

It was my take on a drunkard’s path block, using very dense hand quilting with Auriful embroidery floss (and 50wt for the less dense hand quilting). The Aurifil floss has a lovely metallic sheen to it when used this densely (in a double strand). 

"Spring Harmony" by Kathy McNeil of Tulalip, Washington. A beautiful appliqued pagoda triptych. I've never been to Japan, but I have a picture of my daughter in a similar setting at Epcot, and this brings back wonderful memories.

"The Sprinter" by Birgit Schueller of Riegelsberg, Germany.

The stitched figures are simply marvelous. I have several friends who run (I don't, and being asthmatic gives me an ironclad excuse) and when I showed the pictures of this quilt to one of them, she joked "if that was you, the guy would be clutching a Charley horse." Too true!

"Dream House 3" by Karen Turnbull of Laguna Niguel, California. I love the current trend of wholecloth quilts depicting images. This is a stunning example of what you can do in thread.

Bubbles" by Barbara McElroy of Greely, Colorado. Stained glass applique. Fun color and movement.

"Marie's Treasure" by Marilyn Badger of St. George, Utah. Winner of First Place for this category. Stunning applique highlighted by beading and crystals, with touches of fabric painting and Broderie Perse (applique shapes from prints).

As if the stunning threadwork wasn't enough, Marilyn finished this beauty in a delicate, embroidered petal shaped binding, reminiscent of prairie points, but much softer. Simply breathtaking!

"Under the Moonlight" by Aline Bugarin and Natasha Bugarin of Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil. I first noticed these artists' work in Houston, and their style is so uniquely beautiful they always stand out from the crowd.

I finally had a day off to start sorting through my Daytona Quilt Week pictures, so let's start with the Large Quilts - Moveable Machine Quilted (longarm).

This wholecloth beauty is hand embroidered, beaded, couched, thread painted, free motion quilted with a dash of Trapunto.

This also features an exquisite finished edge with lacy loops and a bit of beading. I do love a great edge treatment!

"Oh Coquette, Ruffling Some Feathers?" by Annelize Littlefair of Henley-on-Thames, Oxford, United Kingdom. Winner of First Place for the It's Better in Leather Challenge.

Between the natural sheen of the leather (beautifully accentuated by quilting) and the fringed feathers, this fun, flirty flamingo is a delight to explore.