Quiltfest 2014 - photos

Quiltfest had a lot of visitors at the Pavilion to see Barbara Howell's retrospective exhibition.  I don't think we have ever seen so many people in the gallery at once. There must have been more than sixty people there.

Barbara's son, Rob, and his wife Sue had organised a buffet lunch and invited other family members and Barbara's many friends to join them.  It was lovely to remember her and to be able to chat to so many other friends about her beautiful and inspirational work.

Rob gave a short speech at the lunch.

I think Barbara would have been delighted to know so many friends gathered to enjoy her work.  Here is a selection of some of my favourites, with detailed photos. Click the photos to see them in more detail.  There will be more images from all three Quiltfest exhibitions coming soon on the Quiltfest website (see links, right).

Some of Barbara's sketchbooks were on display.  It was very interesting to see these, as they were full of written notes, not the kind of elaborate and colourful sketchbooks that many quilters seem to think they should keep.

I didn't get as far as I hoped with the latest Japanese Circles and Squares piece, but it was good to be able to work on it and chat to friends and visitors at the same time.  I will be adding fine gold cord couching by machine, using a technique Barbara showed me several years ago - she used a cording foot a lot in her work, as well as running embroidery threads in the bobbin and stitching from the back.

'Roofscape' (centre) will be getting a new home - it is coming to live with us in Scotland. I am delighted that we will be able to enjoy it every day, but hope that it will be going out to other exhibitions of Barbara's work too.

 

The River Dee was in flood and quite spectacular -

Trading day seemed well attended and people weren't put off by the wet weather.  I hope visitors were inspired by the exhibition and will create their own art quilts using our fabrics!