Houston IQF 2015: Post 1- My Winners!

Howdy from Houston where we are finally getting some rain after a long August-September drought, but unfortunately, it's flooding our bayous and some folks' houses.  That didn't keep people away from the biggest convention that Houston sees all year - that's right!  The International Quilt Festival at the George R Brown Convention Center is the largest there is, y'all, 'cuz everything is bigger in Texas!  Here's my first post of pics from the show.  Think of it as my curated collection of the quilts they'd let you take a picture of. 

First off, have you ever seen how large the vendor section is?  It is 28 rows of what you see below:

Looking through 2nd floor "porthole" down to first floor vendor area.

 

I talked to Emily Taylor from Pattern Jam, who very graciously was handing out fat quarters.  I took one for my mom to give to her next door neighbor back in Alabama who's a quilter, painter, stain-glass maker, potter, you-name-it! creator.  I also pitched in a pattern book, and we picked up a free mini-charm pack of the NEW January 2016 colors from the American Made Brand (AMB) booth.  Thank you, AMB!

 

Paula Barnes checked out my order at the Red Crinoline Quilts booth, and Kim Jolly looked a bit overwhelmed at how packed the Fat Quarter Shop mini-shop was.  They were trying to keep it stocked, but the stock guys were having a hard time getting through the mass of quilters!

 

Here's a look up and down the main aisle in the exhibit area:

 

Looking toward vendors area of floor

 

Looking towards rows J through S or was it T?

What do you do when you get to a show?  Do you look at the winners first?

Hmm, I didn't.  I wanted to be surprised as I rounded a corner and saw it.  But you are not me, and you may have gone straight there!

So, here are my favorites - MY WINNERS!

 

FIRST PLACE

 

This one just captured me.  First I was drawn by it's lack of color, and then I was amazed at the use of thread to convey what I felt was a very 3D image on a mostly flat surface:

Meridian Hill Park - Fountain by K. Velis Turan

Detail

 

Congratulations! 

You win internet immortality as my favorite quilt of the 2015 Houston International Quilt Festival!

 

SECOND PLACE

 

Okay, I was a bit swayed by Barbara's story of exorcising her grief over her father's death by creating this quilt.  But it is one I wish that I had done myself.

 

Grief by Barbara Jahn

Detail

 

I also loved the intricate and random hand quilting.

Detail

 

Sometimes the extremes in our lives produce great creativity and inspiration.

 

THIRD PLACE

 

This was difficult to choose.  Of course, I only took pics of the quilts I really liked.

 

However, this one edged the others out.

Kintsugi I (Medallion) by Alexis Deise

 

It tricks the eye - you see a beautifully pieced medallion quilt, but wait!  There are the places it was repaired, just like Japanese kintsugi - breaking pottery to repair it with precious metals, etc. to highlight the break.  What skill it must have taken to deliberately put those "breaks" in there?  In some areas, blocks would have had to be scaled down just a hair to fit the skinny strip of "repair" fabric.

 

Tune in for more posts including-

 

Beautiful Gowns!

 

Where in the Show is Jessica Skultety's Quilt?

Featuring a Halloween Quilt Angel!

 

More Dazzling and Eclectic Quilts!

 

 Linking up to Needle and Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation.