Chicago Festival 2010 - the Quilts

I was rather disappointed in the class offerings this year -- there were a couple that I would have liked to have taken, but none that I really needed.  I took a class with Judy Coates Perez last year and, while I love Judy and would take another class with her in a heartbeat, the rooms where the classes were held were less than stellar.  And the ladies room was too far away.

Festival is moving from Chicago next year (as is the friend with whom I stay), so I probably won't be attending. In no particular order, these are some of my favorite quilts from Festival.

Hoffman Challenge  "Tembo" by Colleen Harvey

This quilt was just wonderful.  The elephant was completely threadpainted and the ears hung loose.  I loved the fabrics she used -- the stuff in the border looked like tapestry and the little swirling paisleys in the background and the corners were just cool.

"Here Kitty Kitty" by Georgianne Kandler

Another from the Hoffman challenge.  I had to look twice to see the lion.  The eye was really well done and I loved the curving inner border.

"Early Spring in Banff" by Judy Leslie

I'm pretty sure this was one of the Canadian group.  There was beautiful thread work and felting on this piece.  From the painted (?) trees at the top to the beautiful texture of the foreground -- a wonderful work.  I soooo wanted to touch it.

"Crazy About Ballet" by Linda Steele

This was an amazing piece -- a restrained crazy quilt with beautiful embroidery.  The details and the quilting were gorgeous.

Detail from "Crazy About Ballet"

This dancer and her beau were my favorite part of this quilt.  The entire skirt was thread painted and looked like she used trapunto to give it dimension.  Notice all that embroidery -- the whole quilt was like this.

My Stash at 50 (aka Log Cabin with an Attitude) by Karen Eckmeier

This quilt had it all -- color, whimsy, and great execution from the colorful wonky blocks to the multicolored binding.  Just fun fun fun to look at.