Inspirational Sunday (11) - via the 2013 International Quilt Festival in Long Beach

OK, so my hiatus interrupted my little Inspirational Sunday post just before Halloween, and I have one quilt that I thought would be fun to share at that time, and another that reminds me of fall. But, I dropped out of blogsphere before I posted, so here they are today instead.

The first quilt is called Forest Intrigues by Caroline Vroom of Gravenhurst, Ontario, Canada.  She appliqued and machine quilted this spooky quilt using a newspaper rendering of Wall Street Wolves as a design source.

She says, "A newspaper rendering the business section depicted the danger of the Wall Street Wolves and their effect on the innocent or unsuspecting client, in this case, Red Riding Hood.  I started with that block and expanded on the theme of innocent damsels in the forest where some danger lurks.  The male-like animals depict intrigue and menace but also a vague sense of protection.  The middle panel suggest the happy ending. Duality is displayed by light vs. dark, man vs. woman, and fantasy vs. reality.  Magic surrounds the panels with three leaf clovers, unicorns, and a family crest for tradition.

I was impressed with all those little wisps and tendrils of the trees - tiny pieces to applique, it looks painted to me (but they usually say it is in the description if paint is used as a technique).  And of course, I like the owl.

This quilt is called "Prairie Fire" by Ruth Powers of Carbondale, Kansas.  She one the Fairfield Master Award for Contemporary Artistry.  It is machine pieced, and machine quilted.  This original design was worked from an original sketch of the early spring burning of the Flint Hills.

This quilt reminds me of fall rather than fire, and more specifically a picture of my grandfather looking across the landscape of Herbert's Hill in Connecticut.  Granted the landscape is not exactly the same, I don't remember a lake that can be seen from the hill, but it is interesting to me that, like all art, quilts can spark memories from your own experience.

Do you ever have strong memories sparked by looking at or using a particular quilt?


Thanks for reading today,

Jen