The Pennsylvania Quilt Extravaganza

Field Trip! Yesterday was the first day of the Pennsylvania Quilt Extravaganza held in Oaks, PA and run by Mancuso Show Management. I had a busy day yesterday and wasn't able to get to the show until the late afternoon - perfect - the morning crowds were gone and I felt like I had the show to myself. Here are my favorite quilts from the show - some won awards, most did not - but they all win the "A Thread From The Edge Award for Inspiration".

When ever possible I have linked the artist to their website / blog so that you can explore their quilting further.

This is the first quilt that greets you when you enter the show - Hybrid, by Rachel Wetzler of St. Charles, IL - and won first place for best use of color, I agree! Rachel created it for the Miami Orchid Show. There are eleven separate sections to this quilt where Rachel played with color transitions - simply stunning! It is machine pieced, appliqued and quilted.
This quilt was awarded a show prize as well, I just forget which one - woops. Created by Amy Bright of Tucson, AZ, "Parcheesi" is done entirely by hand and took over 3 years to complete - well worth the effort! Why this obtuse view - agghhh! - it was displayed on an angle with no way to get a front on shot.
I love the color play of "Jacob's Coat" by Marcia DeCamp of Palmyra, NY. The four square partitioning of the design really moves your eye around the quilt. The use of gray is so restful to the eye. In researching Marcia I discovered she runs DeCamp Studios as well - be certain to visit this link.
Woops! I simply love this quilt - and it is the only quilt that I did not get the information on - darn - I do not know who made it - so sorry! It has such a dramatic visual impact and movement.
And it also has a touch of surprise - beading - lovely seed beads punctuating the hand quilting in sections. I have never been a big fan of embellishments, but this is an excellent example of a very effective use of beading.
This quilt, "Poem in Cloth" was created by Caroline Wilkinson of the UK. Caroline is an active participant in Fine Cell Work - an enterprise that teaches needlework to prison inmates. There is so much going on in this quilt - it takes a few minutes of close inspection to take it all in.
Ahhhh, mellow my mind! This quilt by Sheena Norquay of the UK, "Pearls Are Not Always White" is just lovely. It was inspired by strands of pearls. Sheena purposely created the "s" curving design to keep the eye moving through the quilt. The circle detail is stenciled, and all of the quilting is free motion.
Have a look at this detail shot - lovely!
POW! This explosion of a quilt, "Green Fire" by Chris Kenna of New Zealand, attacks you.
Here's a detail view of the machine appliqued pieces - WOW!
A photograph does not do this quilt justice - I hesitated including it in my review, but decided you needed to see it so that if you ever have the opportunity to see it in person you can do so. Why is it difficult to photograph - sheers! "Impressions", made by Ruth Marchese of Brooklyn, NY incorporates multiple blocks created entirely by sheers - "windows" inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin West in Scootsdale, AZ.
The show included an exhibit of Kaffe Fassett quilts - I really like this one, "Backgammon" by Kaffe Fassat and Liza Prior Lucy, quilted by Judy Irish. There was lots of Kaffe Fassat fabric in the merchandise mall, including Liza's Glorious Color.
This amazing quilt, "Ladies of the Sea" was created by Ruth Flood and quilted by Kelley Cunningham of Severna Place, MD, and is entirely machine made - pieced, appliqued and quilted. It features historical ships from around the world - this is a shot of the Mayflower. There is just way too much detail to take a full shot.
I found this piece very moving - "Leaving" by Tanya Brown of Sunnyvale, CA - part of the SAQA exhibit titled No Place to Call Home. It depicts a homeless man, Hugo Alfredo Tale-Yax, who was fatally stabbed when he came to the rescue of a woman who had been assaulted. Passers-by ignored his lifeless body as he lay dying. Take a close look at the quilting - it is EKG patterns, becoming flat lines - chilling. Such a big message for such a small quilt (19 x 30 inches).
This quilt, "Unsprung", by Helen Giddens of Norman, OK won first place for most innovative. What do you think? The more I examine it, the more it grows on me.
The detail view.
This was the second place winner for most innovative, "The Moment of Inspiration" by Sandy Curran of Newport News, VA. I love this salute to Alfred Hitchcock - her imagery was very successful. It was hand painted and dyed. My family is addicted to all things Hitchcock!
I love this quilt - "Structured Freedom" by Kathy Bachofer of Allentown, PA - love the flow of color and the linear development of the design. I especially love Kathy's statement on quilting - "quilting calms my soul while driving my passion" - I love it!
Hope you enjoyed the show! As with most quilt shows, the lighting was spotty at best, making accurate photos difficult. Did I shop a lot - no, not really. I did do damage at the ProChem booth - needed to restock my paints.

If you have the opportunity to visit the show do so! Enjoy!