“a robin’s view of CBOT”
a robin’s view of CBOT
January 27, 2015 by Leave a Comment
“Inspired By”
March 31, 2014 by Leave a Comment
This year the Quilt Alliance chose inspiration for the annual contest, from either The Quilt Index or the Q.S.O.S. (Quilters’ Save Our Stories).
When I reviewed quilts from Illinois on The Quilt Index, I found a quilt from the 1933 World’s Fair in Chicago when Sears, Roebuck & Co. sponsored a quilt contest for the fair. The quilt was entered by a woman, Louise Rowley, but in fact was made by her son, Richard, a draftsman. The pattern name called A Century of Progress is an aerial view of the fairgrounds and was entered in the contest at the State Street store.
The quilt spoke to me .. the bright blue and waves of Lake Michigan, the architecture of the buildings, the sunny yellow orange, purples, appliquéd pieces on the quilt; mesmerizing.
The Chicago Century of Progress was the theme of the fair. I own the book by Merikay Waldvogel and Barbara Brackman which features quilts and the history from the Sears competition. Recently I acquired the booklet from the competition.
The links to me include: from Chicago, worked downtown in the loop near the Sears Tower, love Chicago architecture, near and dear.
This inspiration led to my quilt design of the Chicago Board of Trade which was built in the same time period (1930).
Red & White
March 31, 2014 by Leave a Comment
I first saw a red and white folded log cabin quilt in 2007. In 2011, the American Folk Art Museum displayed a portion of the collection of Joanna Rose called “The Infinite Variety: Three Centuries of Red & White Quilts.” The 2011 exhibit was magnificent!
This year, the International Quilt Festival will present an exhibit to celebrate its 40 years as the largest quilt show in the US. The 2011 NYC exhibit was mentioned as part of the inspiration and theme for their special exhibit.
Deciding this was the time to make a timeless red and white quilt, I designed a quilt. It is in process. Photo will be here at a later time.
The Quilt Alliance also has a quilt contest, “Inspired by.” This 16″ x 16″ quilt should be inspired by a quilt that is documented on The Quilt Index or Q.S.O.S. Not a copy of one but an original design. This quilt design came first but was also the basis for the IQF red and white quilt. More details to follow …