Festival of Quilts - my favourites ..

I love Festival of Quilts .... I am always completely shattered afterwards, but it is so worth it .. nowhere else will you see so many, or such a wide variety of 'quilts' ... almost too much to take in. This was the third year I had my own stand, which gets so busy it is hard to get away to look at the quilts. The last two years I have failed totally, so this year I was determined to at least try and fly round to spot some favourites. I am sure I didn't get to all the galleries .. but I loved Christine Chesters' collection about Dementia which were just down from me, and Quilt Arts and Through Our Hands galleries also looked exciting and also just down the aisle that led me to coffee, so I managed to catch them. It was also a joy to finally see all the work (including my own) in the Crossing Oceans Gallery. This has already appeared at several venues abroad, but it was the first time I have actually seen the work in the flesh. Of course I didn't have my camera with me,at the time, but if you go to the groups facebook page: (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Crossing-Oceans-Textile-Artists/1444364839182803?ref=hl), you will see images of the works - which are now going on to France and then Russia. 

So this selection comes with the huge caveat that I certainly didn't do a thorough trawl and no doubt missed some other treasures. But these are the quilts that stood off the walls for me:

This beautiful work is called 'My Lady' and is by Susan Orchin. Fabulous sensitive painting and exquisite quilting - I especially loved the feathers down the spine. For once I was in full agreement with the judges who awarded this 1st in Art Quilts

 

  Another monochrome quilt - this one by Hazel Ryder and called 'Beautiful Lips' Again beautifully painted and quilted, this also won a prize - 3rd in the QG challenge

 

Some colour now - and a long title: 'The last show of glorious sunlight before the rest that night time brings' .. this is by Jill Brennan and got a Highly Commended certificate .. I love it

 

Given how much I love colour, I am surprised by how yet another black and white piece caught my eye amongst so many. But this 'Silence' by Jean McLean was another that stopped me in my tracks. This got a Judges Choice in Art Quilts ... I keep agreeing with the judges - they might ask me to be one if I carry on .. ok - perhaps not

 

 Of course one has to visit Fine Art Quilt Masters to have a really good chunter and disagree with judges .. but there are always some you love too - and this was one such for me. Called 'Sharon & Co' and by Anne Smith I just loved it

Also in FAQM was this one by Cherry Vernon Harcourt, called 'Coastal Study 1' 

 Really hard to take a good image of this .. when I saw it originally in the catalogue I didn't get it at all - but in the flesh it really resonated for me, with my love of the coast. Some artists are very worried about showing images of their work before an exhibition - but this sort of proves the point that seeing them in reality is a totally different experience

I couldn't take photos in Through our Hands - but I loved Jette Clovers 'Footnotes' series. I was also taken aback by the feeling that flowed out of Jenni Duttons 'Dementia Darnings' Again - I had seen images of these and admired them .. but was unprepared for how the over-stacking of simple handstitches spoke so strongly of the love of the daughter and the increasing fragility of her mothers mind .. very powerful. I have borrowed an image from Jenni's website 'Mum with Red Scarf'  - do visit and see the others (http://www.jennidutton.com/dementiadarningscontents.html), and if you have a chance to see them in reality do grab it

This last image is by Elizabeth Michellod-Duthei and is titled 'Mal Etre'

This was part of the EQA gallery and  reminds me of a piece by John Piper which I cannot for the life of me now find .. but which I loved. I would have bought this one home if it had been for sale - best in show for me . 

I shall now finish unpacking and find all the cloth I made during demonstrations Always a lovely surprise as I can't remember what I have done - I'll try hard to get that posted in the next few days. Thank you for visiting - Hilary x