CWQG and SSQ (quilt guilds in Grand Junction) were lucky to have TWO speakers and teachers this week, both from Utah. According to them, they are the best of friends but couldn't be more different in their quilting styles. Sharon said Barbara is an "excellent technician" and more of a traditional quilter, whereas Sharon creates her own designs and patterns as she goes. Both of them are excellent quilters and make
beautiful quilts.
The quilt above was designed and made by Sharon and the Kim Diehl quilt to the right was made by Barbara. Barbara is friends with Kim Diehl and has made several of the quilts in Kim's books.
Sharon has entered into a "wool" phase of quilting in an effort to use up all of the wool fabric she has been collecting over the years. She was inspired by this book on Welsh Quilts by Jen Jones, and has pieced several wool quilts and quilted them in the Welsh style of quilting. I captured only a few photos of the many amazing quilts she brought.
The pieced designs on some of them were large and fairly simple, but the quilting was intricate and absolutely amazing - all done on a domestic home sewing machine. Imagine pushing an entire wool quilt around on a domestic machine. Imagining that makes this quilt even more amazing....
She has also dipped her fingers into quilting on silk - this quilt above is her first all silk quilt (even the batting is silk).
The members of both guilds really admired both Sharon's and Barbara's work.
Front and back of this quilt - so you can see the quilting better!
Above is one of Barbara's - machine embroidered
Below is one of Sharon's made from silk neckties
Below is the back of the necktie quilt - using even more neckties!
Sharon, visiting with guild members at SSQ.
Barbara visiting with Laura at SSQ.
Below - Christmas stockings designed and made by Sharon.
Barbara teaching Precision Piecing in the afternoon - her class members raved about all of the great tips they learned.
Sharon teaching Well Done - Finishing Techniques. The students in this class learned: Piped Faced binding, Piped binding, two-toned prairie points, tubing, and probably more that I'm not remembering! It looked like everyone was getting the hang of it!
Below are some pictures of Sharon's quilts using these edging techniques.
I was lucky enough to host these two lovely ladies in my home and as a thank you gift they gave me some Jam in a Jiffy packages, which I am
excited to try. I love homemade jam and apparently all you have to do is mash up fresh fruit and mix a package of this in - how easy is that?? With the lovely fruits we get here in Western Colorado I am going to have some FUN making jam.
What a wonderful, inspiring couple of days! I hope yours have been too!
