Inspirational Sunday 4 - via the 2013 International Quilt Festival in Long Beach.

Back to School

There happened to be an exhibit at the quilt show this year with a theme of "Memories from My Childhood".  The interpretations of the theme were vastly different.  I must not have liked many of them because I have very few pictures from this particular exhibit, but here is one.

It is called "Holly at 4 - the Year of Discovery" by Holly Altman of Santa Fe, New Mexico.  Under techniques she says it is "left hand quilted, left hand cut and left hand machine quilted for the "Kid Look".  I think you will agree it looks very whimsical.

The source of her design were drawings her mom had saved (Aww).  She says, "When I was a child, I was the original water baby.  Whether it was a zinc basin, a tub, or a puddle, I was in it.  At the same time, even at the tender age of four, I was falling in love with nature.  It was not unusual for my parents to put me in a tub of shallow water, put a pith helmet on my head and a magnifying glass in my hand and let me pretend to be the explorer and naturalist I was to become as an artist.  I knew nothing of the Amazon or Zambezi.  But I was already recognizing that water and critters often went together, and maybe I too was one of the critters.  It was about that time I began to draw flowers, bugs, and animals."

I just love how you see the face through the magnifying glass.  So clever.

This next one is not from the "Memories of my Childhood" exhibit, but as it is time for back to school here in the States, I thought it was a good time to share this traditional schoolhouse quilt, with a non-traditional border.

It is appropriately called "School Days" by Lynne Allen, Doris Bond, Leila Loosemore, Estella Miller, Shirley Phillips, Eilene Patterson, Pat Patterson, Jean St. Pierre of London, Ontario, Canada.  It is pieced, embroidered, hand quilted and appliqued.  The design came from the book Quick Quilts for the Heart by Liz Porter and Marianne Fons.  This quilt was made for Gail Patterson on the occasion of her retirement from teaching.  The names of the schools where Gail taught or attended are embroidered on the yellow school buses on the border of the quilt.  The schoolhouse windows contain personalized embroidered items and there are children evident in some of the buses.

I just love that school bus border.  Brilliant idea.

I know many of you with school age children make things for their teachers.  What have you made?

I hope today's quilts have inspired you somehow.

Thanks for reading,

Jen