AQS Quilt Show in Phoenix, AZ continued

Following are more photos of some of the quilts at the AQS Quilt Show held in Phoenix at the convention center last week. These quilts are ones that spoke to me for one reason or another.

These first five quilts are in the more traditional category.

Upper Body Workout Improved by Laura Trenbeath of Pavillion, WY. 45" x 50".
First place Wall Quilts - Traditional. The quilted Victorian scroll work in metallic
thread was beautiful. The added crystals made it sparkle. 

Civil War Bride by Judy Elliott of Edmond, OK. 70" x 72". The pattern
is Corliss Searcey's Civil War Bride pattern.  Wall Quilts - Traditional category.
I love Baltimore Album quilts. They were done generally as part of a trousseau to
show off sewing skills. Some year I will finish the Baltimore Album quilt I'm creating.  

Kootenay Peony by Dawn Fox Cooper. 45" x 45"  Second Place in the
Wall Quilts - Traditional category. I enjoy the red-and-green quilts of the 1800s.
This one is beautifully done. I love the ruched ribbon peony.

Oh, Mexico Beach by Jane Zillimer of Mercer, WI. 85" x 85" Honorable Mention
in the Bed Quilts-Innovative category. I love the cute sandpipers and other
shore birds she's added to the traditional fan pattern. It's a fun quilt.  

Mistaken Identity by Gail Stepanek and Jan Hutchison of New Lenox, IL. 83" x 83".
First Place in the Bed Quilts- Traditional category. The 21 point blocks are a Sunburst
variation. I love the movement the radiating quilting design adds.  

Mistaken Identity closeup to show the beautiful, radiating quilting pattern. 

The rest of the quilts shown are in the art quilt category. Some are innovative, fun or just plain whimsical!

Climate Change by Gail Garber and Kristin Vierra of Rio Rancho, NM.  42" x 52". I love the curved
piecing and flying geese in this quilt. I took a workshop with Gail Garber to learn these techniques.
She's an excellent teacher and made the class fun. I'm excited to add these techniques to my designs.

Giant Panda by Anne F. Zick and Joyce Freehill of Hinsdale, IL. 37" x 38". The design source is
from Endangered Species Quilt Project by Rob Appell. I think pandas are beautiful creatures.  

Quilteenies 3: Going Ape! by Carol Steuer of Brooklyn, NY. 54" x 59". This is just such a fun, whimsical
quilt. The apes are quilted individually and then attached to the border.  This quilt just made me laugh!

Dancing to the Sky by Janet Haefner of Tucson, AZ. 41" x 64". I live in AZ, so this quilt
really speaks to me. I love the various Kachina figures, celebrating on the mesa top and down
in the pueblo. Unfortunately, the photo does not show the dimensionality of the figures. 

Okanagan Sunrise by Naomi Pearson of Vernon, British Columbia, Canada. 30" x 30".  The design
for this landscape is so original. I like how the sunrise radiates out from the mesa or mountains
and the fields radiate downward from the mountains and are represented by a diamond block . 

Sweet Nectar by Barbara Kilbourn of Ann Arbor, MI. 31" x 31".  The quilt was inspired by a
photo taken by her daughter. I love how large she made the bee, bringing us into the bee's life.

I could go on for pages with photos of the quilts at the AQS Show. It was wonderful to see. Another special exhibit was the Route 66: Honoring Main Street USA, which was fun and whimsical. Bobby Troup's song encouraged all to "Get Your Kicks on Route 66". Nearly 50 artists created a personal favorite memory to honor this highway and the communities it went through. Route 66, also known as Main Street USA, connected Chicago to Los Angeles. The exhibit was curated by Kelly Gallagher-Abott and Patt Blair, who also created a wonderful painted backdrop to which the individual quilts were attached. It included 6 panels approximately 90" x 85" each.  If you get a chance to see this exhibit, go to it. It's worth seeing.