QuiltCon 2023 – Travelling Exhibition
Direct from the 2023 QuiltCon event, these works are fantastic examples of modern quilts – here is a small selection of the display at AQC
Bananicklenation by Steph Skardal, Ohio, USA. @stephskardal
QuiltCon travelling exhibition is coming to AQC in an exclusive exhibition!
The recent international event has selected a travelling exhibition and we’re pleased to present it at AQC – the cream of the modern crop is a selection of the best from the Modern Quilt Guild’s international event.
Quilts by makers from the UK, USA, Canada, Spain, UAE and Australia are included!
Pictured left: This quilt was inspired by the shapes and bright colors of pop art combined with a present day mashup of banana and pickle mashup! The shape was created digitally and pieces were appliquéd on a traditional block layout structure as a nod to Andy Warhol art. This quilt blends the “old” pop art with new techniques as well as a mix of construction. A quilting motif was created from a banana drawing by my then 8 year old daughter and digitally modified to create a repeating banana motif.
Thank you to the Modern Quilt Guild for sending this exhibition from QuiltCon Atlanta 2023 to Australia for display at AQC.
Heartwall by Diana Fox, Colorado, USA
This quilt was made over a number of months in 2020 when the entire world was living in a state of high anxiety. I was no exception and hit a proverbial wall. I had extreme difficulty focusing but made it a point to go to the studio every day. Some days I was able to sew two pieces together, and other days managed a few more. Heartwall is an outward expression of my inner landscape during that tumultuous time.
@hiitsdi5280
Tsuro by Holly Clarke, Winnipeg, Canada
I designed this quilt when I was inspired by one of my family’s favourite board games, Tsuro. The name is taken from the Japanese word tsūro (通路) meaning “route”. The quilt is designed using 5 different modular blocks. Each block could be placed anywhere in the layout and would connect up with the blocks beside it. The blocks could also be rotated in any direction so the layout possibilities were endless! As a graphic designer, I am also inspired by color, so my main palette in this quilt is made up of cyan, magenta, and yellow, however, when the colours intersect, they create the secondary palette of red, blue, and green, as they do in traditional offset printing. I love the idea that when the shapes connect and intersect they line up to take new directions and create new possibilities.
@holdmyseamripper
Treasure Island by Daisy Dodge, Florida, USA
Utilizing block designs I created, I love the central, compass-like design accented by an unexpected palette. These blocks, inspired by the Bauhaus movement have beauty in their simplicity.
Sawtooth No 3: Betelguese by Simone Symonds, Parap, NT, Australia
Working in a series inspired by using the improv sawtooth border as the feature of a quilt, this third quilt in the series was designed to explore the tension of constraining a dynamic improv sawtooth within a traditional courthouse steps framework.
The use of a limited colour palette of reds and blues and a simple repetition of the improv sawtooth resulted in a powerful visual effect that resonates like the nebula of Betelguese.
@salty.plum
Tears by Debbie Jeske, Washington, USA
Tears was one of my first forays into liturgical quilting, a form of Visio Divina, the practice of contemplating with the eyes through visual art. It was my response to a worship text, now reflected in fabric choice, piecing, quilting and thread color.
This was a really unique opportunity and process for me, and I appreciated the chance to explore a unique genre in my creative practice.
@aquilterstable
Sashes by Elizabeth Ray, Arkansas, USA
Quilting feeds my creative and analytical soul. The quilting community and collaboration brings me joy and belongingness as it supports and encourages my continuous growth and development as an artist. In December 2021, Sashes was my first prompt to the newly formed Quilts Unscripted Bee and its members: Carole Lyles Shaw, Chris Davies, Chris Simon, E A Cox, Elizabeth Ray, Ellyn Zinsmeister, Emily Lang, Isabelle Selak, Loide Wasmund, Sarah Goer, and Sarah Ruiz. I was inspired seeing Nancy Goodman’s quilt, Peace and Freedom: The Border Wall. Inspiration used with permission. Each column of improv components, made with 2 colors, uniquely represents its maker.
My quilting friends, we build beauty together! I am so grateful for the opportunity to stretch, grow, and be challenged creating improvisationally with you all. Thank You.
@elizabethkray