Our latest challenge in the Milwaukee Art Quilters guild is entitled Bead Inspired. We were to create a small wall quilt that was inspired by a single bead or button which had to be attached to the quilt. About 20 of our members participated in the challenge and 8 of those quilts were entered in the Ultimate Guild challenge at the AQS show in Grand Rapids, MI ….. and we won third place! To see a video of all of the winners in Grand Rapids click here (our quilts are about 4 minutes into the video ).
I chose a button called a Czech Aurora which I purchased at the Bead and Button show in Milwaukee a few years ago. I researched the history of this type of button and put this information on the label: “North Bohemia has been a European glass-manufacturing center since the 13th century. The vast majority of glass buttons made in the 20th century owe their existence to the craftsmen of this area. Almost all glass buttons require a significant amount of handwork. Glass button craftsmen typically work at individual stations furnished with a small furnace, a quantity of glass canes, and scissor-like button molds in which one button at a time is hand-pressed from glass drawn from a semi-molten glass cane. Intensely colorful fired-on iridescent lusters on these buttons are called “auroras”.”
While staying (and shopping) with my friend, Evelyn, in Arizona last January I found a striped fabric that was just what I needed to begin working on my challenge quilt. Evelyn is quite skilled in the use of Shiva Paintstiks™ and she encouraged me to use them in the quilt (click here for my post on how to use Paintstiks). I did just that plus some intense fussy cutting of the stripe to create my design. The button is at the center of the quilt and the Paintstiks create the outer 3 rings and the “half moons” inside the gold ring.
We will be posting pictures of all of the Bead Inspired quilts soon at https://milwaukeeartquilters.wordpress.com/2012/10/09/bead-inspired-quilts/
Have you used beads or buttons on a quilt? If you have, and you would be so kind as to email me a picture at: , I’d be happy to include it in a future blog!
An FYI for Wisconsin Quilters!
This weekend is the Quilt Fest at Ben Franklin in Oconomowoc, WI. The featured quilters this year are Laura Krasinski and Juleen Jaeger. The display of their quilts is amazing! The Fest includes a Viewer’s Choice quilt show in the aisles, a wonderful fabric department with many good sales and free demonstrations/lectures all weekend. Here’s the schedule for those interested:
Saturday, October 6
10:00-10:45 “Gradation Play” by Chris Lynn Kirsch
11:30-12:15 “Perfect Half Square/Quarter Square Triangles” by Caren Zimmerman
1:15-2:00 “What’s New!?” by Pam See
2:45-3:30 “Journey of a Needlefelter” by Tricia Anderson
Sunday, October 7
11:30-12:15 “Conquering the T-Shirt Quilt” by Sheryl Schwochert
1:15-2:00 ““Mastering Raw Edge Fusible Applique” by Laura Krasinski
2:45-3:30 “Fast & Fun Tips with Freezer Paper” by Kathy Frye
Hope to see you there :-)!