More on Houston

 When I was in Houston, one of the quilt displays I saw was a selection of Texas Star Quilts.  It was an amazing display of a variety of pieced, appliqued and art quilts, mostly with a star or Texas theme. All were made in Texas by Texas residents.  Here you see the front and back covers of the book, Lone Stars III: A Legacy of Texas Quilts, 1986 - 2011, by Karoline Patterson Bresenhan and Nancy O'Bryant Puentes. Images reproduced here with written permission.

There were two previous books about earlier Texas quilts, and this third book represents the more recent history of quilts in Texas. It was a very impressive display. I think I've said this before, but to see the quilts in print is one thing, but to see them on display is quite another. You get to see the stitching and pieces up close, and get a real feel for the piece in person.

There was no photography allowed in this particular exhibit, so I bought the book. I am pleased to do so in any case, since it is the best representation of the show, and is a good memory keepsake of my trip to Houston.

Kaffe Fassett as inspiration

Not long after I started quilting, Kaffe Fassett's work crossed my radar screen. Since then, he has inspired me, and influenced my large quilts. I was drawn in first by his use of colour, and soon after, his use of pattern. You may recognize my use of many, many fabrics in a quilt, along with my repeated patterns. This I learned from Kaffe, and have tried to use in my own way. I have several of his books, and have read a few more from the library. Ok, some I've read in Chapters! For my birthday recently, I received a copy of his latest book, Simple Shapes, Spectular Quilts. See here the front and back covers.

What I find so intriguing about this book is the way Kaffe talks about his own inspirations. In fact, he dedicates the book to all the quilters worldwide who ask where he gets his ideas. He sees ideas everywhere, in museum quilts, in sidewalk tiles, in ancient art, in industrial settings, in commercial products, in painted doors, in brick doors and windows. Anywhere there is unusual use of colour or pattern, he is there recording with his camera or his mind. And he explains clearly in this book how he converts these ideas into a quilt. Permission pending to use images.

I'm inspired now to look more for my own ideas, in nature and elsewhere, to develop my quilt ideas. Although I do admit, that it is much easier to be inspired by other quilters like Kaffe Fasset.

Yvonne Porcella

I picked up this book last week, Art & Inspirations, by Yvonne Porcella, from C&T Publishing. I really enjoyed this book. I typically look for books that are more about art and an artist's journey, and not so much about instructional patterns. This book definitely fits the bill.

Yvonne chronicles her life of sewing, which included clothing, and weaving in the early years, and later quilts and wearable art. Her work has been colourful all along, and she does a great job describing her life, her process, her imagery, and her inspiration.