Taking a Closer Look: 5 Quilts from QuiltCon

March 25, 2022

QuiltCon 2022 had spectacular quilts lining every aisle of the show, and I have already shared some of the trends I noticed including the use of neutrals, circles, and curves.

Today I have selected five quilts that are among my favorites to take a closer look at. Even though I love most of the award winning quilts, I intentionally did not include any in this piece because those quilts tend to be posted frequently. As usual, these are in no particular order.

Hextraordinary by Isabelle Selak of @southbaybella

What I love about it:
  • It’s a hexagon quilt that is unconstrained by expectations that all hexagons are regular (all sides and angles of equal measurements)
  • Many of the hexagons form points that lead your eye around the quilt
  • A wide range of values are included in the design
  • Multiple quilting thread colors integrate well with the fabric palette

Seeing Red Feeling Blue by Jennifer Broemel of @Jen.broemel

What I like about it:
  • The use of layering, particularly how the wide stitching creates a transparency effect when viewing the quilt
  • From a distance the overall design appears to have a mostly traditional, even formal layout, but as you get closer it becomes clear that several non-traditional construction techniques were used.
  • Potholder style construction done in a contemporary way
  • The warm color palette

Radioactive Flying Donuts by Emily Watts of @emilywattsquilts

What I like about it:
  • Black bias tape line as a design element- especially since this technique is most commonly used in formal compositions, and Emily’s work here is definitely not formal
  • The use of high contrast prints in areas that pop out visually from the background
  • A color palette that combines bright and muted colors

Poof, There It Is by Laura Loewen of @quiltfortco

What I like about it:
  • The texture created from the poofs made from wool yarn and hand poof-ified!
  • High contrast hand quilting
  • The overall color palette and how it shifts from warm to cool as you move down the quilt (and how the poofs shift color too, but the hand quilting is a single color throughout)

Expand Positivity by Brittany Burton of @brittanybowenburton

What I like about it:
  • The color palette starts dark in the center and works towards light colors in the corners, but it isn’t a constant gradual shift- the value shifts back and forth along the path
  • The piecing is intentionally and unapologetically wonky while still clearly evoking the traditional starting point for the design
  • Combining hand and machine quilting
  • Using contrasting thread for the hand quilting portions of the design

Thanks for joining me to take a closer look at some of my favorite quilts at QuiltCon 2022!

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