Sunday 3 November 2013

Master Awards at Houston Quilt Festival 2013

SANOBU MIYAMA from Tokyo, Japan, won the Superior Threads Master Award for Thread Artistry valued $5,000 for his portrayal of his dog, "Uri" in a quilt he called "WIND".





He said he was at a riverside one day when the wind was streaming everything so he though it might be fun to quilt the wind streaming fur through his dog's coat.  He photographed his dog, drew a design, matched the hand-dyed colour fabrics and microfused applique to complete his awe-inspiring likeness to his dog.
You have to agree it is a magnificent resemblance.










A delightful couple from Chiba City, Japan, gladly told of the Award Winning Quilt earning $5,000 to quilter NORIKO NOZAWA for her quilt named "Photographer Darling" because her husband was forever with the camera in his hands so she decided to make a quilt depicting the love of her life.

Winner of the Fairfield Master Award for Contemporary Artistry "Photographer Darling".


 He so kindly also posed for the photograph I took, 
with a cheeky grin on his face and so very proud of Noriko.


Noriko said that a European rail trip inspired her quilt, though her photographer husband only took scenery shots, so she drew a figure of him uniting the impressive scenery in her quilt.


JANE SASSAMAN from Illinois, USA, won the Baby Lock Master Award for Innovative Artistry, awarding her $5,000 for her quilt "ILLINOIS ALBUM".


Jane said "I was inspired by my rural environment in norther Illinois" and offered the quilt for sale, though nowhere did it indicate the price being asked. She used hand-dyed and commercial cotton to machine applique and quilt her design.
The Pfaff Master Award for Machine Artistry, again for $5,000, was awarded to SHIRLEY GISI from Colorado, USA, for her "QUILT NOIR".

Now
Shirley said the inspiration for her quilt is mid-century abstract art.  It features ombre fabrics which contribute to the shading effect and polyester shantung for the rings to add a metallic sheen.  Done in muted tones and is entirely pieced.  The quilting echoes the geometric shape of the pieces.


Her techniques were machine piecing using freezer paper pattern, then machine quilted.

Now, one for John's heart.  "IT TAKES THE CASE" was made by KARLYN BUE LOHRENZ from Montana, USA, saying she has watched her husband, Harold, working long hours with heavy loads using this Case Track Loader, so made a quilt using machine applique, machine piecing and free-motion quilting.


Karlyn said "they have seasoned well, as they represent some of the backbone of our country in their projects.  I am proud to introduce you to the character this machine acquired over time."


It won a Pink Ribbon Prize in the Art-Pictorial Section.

I have many more blogs to post to complete my journey to the Houston Quilt Festival and shall continue over the next few weeks, however, tomorrow I leave USA to fly home to attend the Craft & Quilt Fair in Adelaide, so there may be a few breaks in between blogs from now on.  

Still heaps of great quilts and stories to follow.
Continue to enjoy as I share.  

5 comments:

  1. The quilts look sensational. I am NOT going to show the Loader quilt photo to my husband as he might ask me to make one. He will have to settle for the real toy in his shed, which I have now renamed the Toy Shed, because why else would you extend a shed? To fit in the toys, of course. Boy, am I patient!! Enjoying your blogs, Judy, safe trip home.

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  2. Hi there Jill, yes, how well I can relate to all of that. We have so many things in common. Thanks again.

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  3. What amazing talent. The dog and the loader especially in this post. Thanks for sharing all the pics over the last few days look forward to more from Adelaide. Safe trip.

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  4. Attention to detail, certainly a major contributing force, as well as confidence in artistic expression. WOW!! As the majority of us will never go to Huston your page has given us an aspirational insight into exceptional talent.....thanks Judy.
    Stratie in the Roaring Forties

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