2018 Festival of Quilts spark memories

                  

The winner of the Art Quilts Section at this year's Festival of Quilts was this amazing quilt made by Jean McClean from Blenheim, New Zealand.
It's title  "And the sky danced "was so apt. Jean was depicting The Aurora which she says "is an amazing and exciting demonstration of raw energy as well as being incredibly beautiful ".
Having spent much time in New Zealand over the past 20 years this quilt really spoke to me, reminding me of so many memories, many of them actually in Blenheim. Congratulations, Jean!

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In the Pictorial Quilts Section this quilt of an Indian Chief really caught my eye. The detail and the dynamic appearance of the Chief was wonderful. Made by Adricina Brianes Calleja from Spain.
Again, lots of memories were stirred - this time of a visit almost 20 years ago - to a Hopi Mesa in Arizona.

This little quilt in the Miniatures Quilt Section really called to me. Entitled "Memories of the Farne Islands" by Judith Bevor, UK. We lived in Northumberland for ten years and visited the Farne  Islands on several occasions. Visits in Spring are particularly exciting when the birds are nesting but puffins are gorgeous at every part of the year. This little quilt beautiful showed the bright colours of those funny birds.

On Thursday I visited the Festival with my sister and she immediately spotted this quilt was of Amsterdam. And of course it was, made by Juliana Teixeira and Isobel McBay from Wick in Scotland in the Two Person Quilts Category. Very cleverly and precisely made. My sister and I and our husbands spent a lovely few days together in Amsterdam back in 2014 so again a quilt evoked
some happy memories.
As we were  admiring the quilt three ladies approached us and very proudly told us the quilt was made by friends from their Guild. The three friends were staying for all four days of the Festival having flown all the way down from Wick.