PIQF

I went to PIQF (Pacific International Quilt Festival) a couple of weeks ago, and spent four fabulous days taking classes, looking at hundreds of incredible quilts, and, of course, shopping. I had planned to post a daily report with pictures and commentary about my classes and the show, but, alas, it was not to be. Without going into gory detail (of which there's plenty), I'll sum it up in two words... "Computer Problems". Arrrghh, the frustrations... such as only an improperly functioning computer can generate... @%!#&!! But, I'm ready for success now. Unfortunately, you'll have to wait until NEXT year's Festival for the blow-by-blow account, but, I promise, it'll be worth the wait.

I took three classes with South African Quilter Rosalie Dace, and the experience was just out of this world. Rosalie is an incredibly creative and skilled artist and quilter, with a wealth of knowledge and ideas to share. After three days, I was in a state of major overwhelm, but, hopefully, have managed to retain something of what she tried to impart to us. Here are pictures of my (unfinished) class samples...

Day One - Class: African Motifs and Designs
We viewed photos of various African designs and made a small piece from a selection of fabrics provided by the teacher. This design is an example of body scarifcation practiced by the Kinshasa people of the Congo.


Day Two - Class: Line Dance
We learned to make very skinny inserts of colorful fabric into a dark background, then embellished with fancy stitching.


Day Three - Class: Up Close and Personal
We explored the concept of looking at an object very closely, even down to a microscopic level. My piece is of a leaf from a microbe's view. The technique I used is a form of fusible applique by Esterita Austin, whose classes I took at last year's PIQF.


Here are two of my favorite teachers on the planet: Rosalie Dace, left, and, on the right, Priscilla Bianchi, whose classes I enjoyed at the 2006 incarnation of PIQF.