I’m always looking for ways to stoke my creativity, whether for personal projects or just to explore a new design angle or school of thought. Usually my good ol’ Moleskin journal is just the ticket, but since I really enjoy being a tourist (but not looking like one) I like to check out oddball festivals, art shows, gallery walks, etc. I always leave these events with new ideas for projects, and sometimes a new friend or two.
The 2009 Vermont Quilt Festival is one of those gatherings that I would not normally attend as a personal passion, but boy was there some incredible design talent showcased. Most of the quilts featured some level of machining, and more than just your regular Singer sewing machine – there were vendors demonstrating stitching machines that you’d need a 2-car garage to keep in. Beautiful end results, but something about quilting as a pastime or hobby should lend itself to the handmade. Amid the hokey, country, garish and over-embellished, I came across some very imaginative projects that just oozed genius from a graphic designer’s perspective.
Disclaimer: Taking pics of many of the quilts was not allowed, but hardly enforced. Flash cameras and even sketching (!) were absolutely not tolerated. Unfortunately I did not gather every artist’s name for credit, but you can find out more about the festival at vqf.org. These are from my phone:
My favorite. No painting from what I could tell, just fabric as food. The dark background fabric had a felt-y pattern which really gave it some drama and depth.
Honey, I'm Home - Hope Johnson Heavy on the hex and stunning. Math geek as quilter?
This rogue quilter chose unusual subject matter and cropped it - love that.
Tribute to Pantone #1
Tribute to Pantone #2 (Escher and Tetris, too!)
Life in Holly Ridge - Nancy Prince This small wall quilt was over-the-top with fluffiness and texture, but I found it remarkable how the fabric was used to show shadow, light and perspective.
