Inspirational Sunday (12) - via the 2013 International Quilt Festival in Long Beach

This week my brain has been on applique for some reason - strange since I've mostly been paper piecing this week.  So, I am sharing a couple of amazing applique quilts.

The first one is called "Flower Quartet" by Yasuko Sugaya of Ichibara, Chiba, Japan.  She one Honorable Mention in the Mixed Technique category.

She hand pieced, hand appliqued, hand embroidered, hand quilted, and used trapunto on this quilt.  It is an original design, inspired by a class with Ms. Noriko Masui.  She made the quilt as a gift for her daughter, sewing it and hoping for her happiness.

So sweet!  And you know how much I love the gray.

I'm not sure you could have a post about applique and not mention Baltimore Album quilts.....

This quilt is called "My First Trip to Baltimore" by Carolyn Stine of Springfield, Illinois.  She needleturn appliqued, inked, hand embroidered, machine pieced, and custom long arm quilted this beauty.

The design source was Susan Garman's pattern Friends of Baltimore.  The quilter says, "This quilt consists of sixteen blocks, each with a typical Baltimore or Album style design that was popular during the 1830-1860 period in the eastern portion of the United States.  They include complex floral, fruit, vases, cornucopias, birds, berries, and eagle, bows, a ship and four diverse border of floral patterns.  This was the first Baltimore Album quilt I made, therefore the name I chose for it is "My First Trip to Baltimore".  I was drawn to this pattern by the denseness of the applique and the richness of the colors.

I just love the half square triangle sashing!  It is so precise!

It has been ages since I've hand appliqued something.  What about you?  Have you appliqued anything recently?

Thanks for reading today,

Jen