Tuesday, September 6, 2011

APWQ - In Living Colour

Oh my word - how can it possibly be September 6th already? The days have been gloriously sunny of late, but summer was so late coming this year that I'm not quite ready to see it go yet. But the days we're enjoying now are golden, for sure, perhaps because we know they won't last that much longer. So to catch up - what happened to August? What were the highlights? One of them has to be attending the APWQ (Association of Pacific West Quilters) Quilt Show at their new venue in Tacoma, Washington. It was fabulous! The calibre of quilts was unbelievably high, and could be quite daunting. I had entered by quilt, "There's an Elephant in My Garden", and was honoured just to have been juried in, especially when I saw the competition. The quilt photos I'm blogging about today were part of one of APWQ's Special Exhibits - In Living Colour, just one small part of the exhibition. The first piece was made by Cher Cartright from White Rock. I was really drawn to this explosion of colour, radiating out from a circle that appears to be spinning with life. Next is Janet Steadman's piece - recognizable for her piecing in solid colurs - more subtle tones, but
just as dynamic as Cher's piece. Then comes the full-to-overflowing
overflowing entry from Kathryn Botsford from Campbell River. I think I only managed to take in a fragment of the detail in this layered and heavily embellished work. Lisa Jennie's palm leaves were a different interpretation of the theme again - magnificent - such a celebration of the colour green. You could almost hear the breeze chattering overhead, and imagine a sea of blue a few steps from you when you looked at it. The last piece is made by Lorraine Torrence, whose designs I have long admired. The justaposition of the greys and the bright saturated colours is so pleasing. I believe that this collection of quilts is soon to be auctioned as a fund raiser for the APWQ, and I will be sure to let you know when I hear the specifics of that as soon as I hear them. And I'll post more from the quilt show in the days to come. And if you think you will be travelling anywhere near Tacoma/Seattle the 4th weekend in August next year, I would highly recommend you attending this show. It truly showcases the best of the best from Western Canada, and the Western US, now including more states, provinces and territories than ever.

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