Fun Quilts at SMQ 2009 Show

Today the quilts that tickled a smile from me are featured.

Tulips II

JC Werkhoven of Feanwalden, The Netherlands submitted this round robin group quilt. She made the center block and passed it around to her international quilt group. She finished and hand quilted it. JC says it was inspired by a painting by Theo Lohman.

Friendship Fantasy

This is another round robin quilt within the same international group that JC is part of. Laila Ostgulen of Bergen, Norway started her quilt with a block made of Bali Batiks, and finished it off by adding the borders, machine quilting it and adding wool yarn embellishments. The group is made up of Laila; JC Werkhoven; Ada Haugen from Tysse, Norway; Fran Oroson from Nashville and Tone Haugen-Cogburn from Maryville, Tennessee

Findings

Judy A. Freidel of Hot Springs, Arkansas got the idea for this quilt when she found some rusted washers on the ground at work. The color and patina appealed to her. She collected other recycled items like the hickory nut shells and the cloth used to tie up her tomatoes. Judy says, "All things have beauty if only we look." It was awarded 3nd Place in the Small Art Quilt category.

Season's I

Beverly Hertler of Red Bank, New Jersey was awarded 2nd Place in the Small Art Quilt category with her hand-printed whole cloth quilt.

Feel of Autumn

Kip Ford of Knoxville, Tennessee loves the fall season of the year and its wonderful colors. In this photo it's difficult to see the rich and varied background she achieved with eight different black fabrics for those brightly colored paper-pieced leaves. The pattern is "Autumn Leaves" from Rich Traditions: Scrap Quilts to Paper Piece by Nancy Mahoney.

Krazy 4 Kaffe

Another quilt by Melissa Carter that's full of pizazz and merited an Honorable Mention. This is her original design made with Kaffe Fassett floral, stripes, and shot cottons. Her teen-aged daughter loves it in her purple room.

Square Dance

Alice Foster was inspired by Carol Taylor and Denyse Schmidt. She made this quilt by just sewing fabrics together to see what happens. Alice then pieced them together like a puzzle. This type of quilt patterning appeals to me greatly ... I love "playing". The machine quilting was done by Cyndi Herrmann.

Tabby Tree-O

Sheila Rauen of Knoxville, Tennessee created this quilt for an issue of the magazine, Quilt It for Christmas. She says, " After appliqueing the tree and trios of cats and cardinals, I embellished the quilt with free-motion embroidery and quilting on her trusty Bernina." I love Sheila's humor and style and so did the judge as evidenced by it receiving the Judge's Choice Award as well as an Honorable Mention.

This one elicited a huge smile from me and all who viewed it.

Williamson Sisters II

Donna Wiffen of Oak Ridge, Tennessee made this delightful quilt from the pattern, "A Toast to Isaac Newton" by Barbara Lavallee to depict and record an evening spent drinking spirits in a hot tub in Kelowna, BC with her sisters. Looks like a jolly time was enjoyed by all. I love the effect of that sheer fabric used for the water.

Stay tuned for more quilts from this show tomorrow.