Sunday, May 17, 2009

Kauai's 2009 North Shore Quilt & Fiber Show

Would you like to go to a quilt show with me? I hope you don't mind if my brain doesn't come along; it's still missing. (No, it hasn't even sent me a postcard. I'm getting worried...)

We're going to have to do some backward time travel....I hope you don't mind. This quilt show, the brainchild of quilter Jeni Hardy and the result of hard work of the No Nene Quilt Group, is just a couple years old, but growing every year. It was held this year on March 27th and 28th, 2009, at the Church of the Pacific in Princeville, Kauai.

I'm estimating there were approximately 90 quilts, which is a pretty great showing for our tiny island. This first quilt is by M. Lea Ingram, who never fails to blow me away with her talent:

"Hanalei Moon," M. Lea Ingram, 2008

This is the show as you walk in; the quilts filled a number of rooms in the small church:

Of course, I wish I could show you all the quilts. I'm so proud of our quilters here on Kauai.


These Hawaiian quilts were a special display. These are the work of Pua Miriam Kaona.


Her family graciously lent these quilts to the show. Amazing. All hand-appliqued and quilted. Gee...and I whine when I have to sew block rows together....

I wish I had a long shot of this next quilt by Eileen Sanders. This is the farthest away I could get from the quilt because frankly, I am so in awe of her hand quilting skills that couldn't back away. I was hypnotized by her tiny, perfect, regular stitches:


"Baskets" by Elieen Sanders, 2009, voted Best in Show 2009

Eileen is a stab-stitcher. She makes those stitches ONE AT A TIME. One year at Quilt Hawaii, Eileen's work was almost dismissed by the judges in the hand-quilting category because the judges initially thought her quilt was machine quilted--it's that perfect.

Can you imagine? Stab stitching all these stitches one stitch at a time??? Mind boggling. And Eileen is a prolific quilter! She turns out one of these huge hand appliqued, hand pieced, hand quilted quilts about one every two months or so.

I am humbled by her awesomeness.

This quilt is pretty humbling, too:

"Iz" by Paula Jimenez, 2002



This quilt is a picture of Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, a beloved singer here in Hawaii, now deceased. He's sitting under a mango tree, strumming his ukulele. This quilt took Paula five years to complete. The quilt includes many native Kauaian birds. It's spectacular. The quilt is large...possibly queen size?...not that you'd ever put in on a bed. That's just to give you a size idea.

I love this colorful strippy quilt:

"Rainbow Quilt," Jeni Hardy, 2009

I loved this next quilt, but I cannot find the maker's name in the program! No Nene's...anyone...help? I'll edit the maker's name in later. But I just had to show it to you because...wow...isn't it great? Look at those colors!!


"Unknown," by Unknown, Unknown Year. Anyone??



There were demos, too:

And this cute Hawaiian shirt quilt by Happy Parks, who comes up with the greatest ideas! I wish I could take a tour of her brain:

"Reyn Spooner Family Quilt," by Happy Parks

This quilt was made from a collection of Reyn Spooner Hawaiian shirts that belonged to her son, husband, father, and brother-in-law.


She used the collar, plaquet, and pocket of 12 shirts, then used the rest for the sashing. Isn't this clever?

Happy made one of my "Keiki Hula" patterns once and set it in such an imaginative way that I had to ask her if I could copy it. I love her work.

Back at the home front, I am busy being a mom again. All's right with the world.

I guess having a brain is overrated.

I am content.

Oh! and P.S. Be sure to look for me in the latest Quilter's Newsletter Magazine. I haven't seen the "Meeting Place" article yet, but thanks for your nice comments about it! I always worry about how I'm going to come off in an interview...I can be a little irreverent, you know. I hope it's okay...

20 comments:

ladydi said...

Thank you, Lisa for taking us along to the quilt show. I admire your time traveling skills! The quilts are amazing - I'm so glad we got to see them. And guess what!! I think our family is going to get to come visit your island. Owing entirely to your spokesperson for Hawaiian travel skills, we have decided that we will act completely out of character and leave the state of Ohio for the first time in ten years, get on an airplane for the first time in over thirty years, and do something recklessly expensive for a change. A girl I worked with last year said, "Aw, Diana, what are you saving it for? You can't take it with you, you know." As soon as I saw your photos of the Outrigger hotel I have dreamed of going there. I can't wait!

Mrs. Goodneedle said...

This was a trip worth taking, I love going back in time (I was YOUNGER then!), the quilts are just phenomenal! Thanks, Lisa!

Salem Stitcher said...

Wow. The quilts are all wonderful. I cannot imagine making a bed sized Hawaiian applique quilt. I made a wall hanging and thought I'd never get it finished!

Thanks for taking us along!

Joy said...

Great quilt show ... I can't believe Eileen Sanders' tiny perfect hand quilted stitches - such a talented lady!!
My brain's been gone for a while now too ... haven't heard a word either LOL!!!
Hugs,
Joy :o)

Pat said...

Loved this quilt show......some gorgeous work here! I have always felt "inadequate" at hand-quilting since I, also, am a stab stitcher and all the gals who are good at hand-quilting make me feel I've not gotten the hang of it if I can't do multi-stitches like they can. BUT...I have to be totally honest (at the risk of sounding like I'm bragging) and tell you that the finished look of my hand-quilting is much nicer than theirs. SO...I appreciated your comments about the hand-quilting on the work you showed here. I'm glad there are some who respect those of us who "only" stab-stitch!

MichelleB said...

Loved the quilt show! That shirt quilt was great - so imaginative. Loved Iz, too. What a lot of work in that quilt.

Unknown said...

Thanks for sharing the beautiful show!

SJ said...

Love the bright and detailed quilts. They look like Kauai. Were you able to get any pictures of the Mabel Wilcox exhibits last week? Thanks for sharing the Quilt Show. It was lots easier (and cheaper) than coming from California.

Anonymous said...

Aloha Lisa,
The "unknown" quilt with the beautiful pink and green colors was made by a lady named Monica - she is fairly new to the North Shore and does stunning work. I believe she made that during a class before she moved to Kauai. She is a delight - I am sure you will enjoy meeting her with the No Nene one day soon.
See you soon,
Melissa

artfilstitch said...

Thanks for the wonderful North Shore Quilt & Fiber Show...the quilts are awesome. I too, enjoyed the the work of Eileen Sanders, such perfect workmanship. The show has been great and my feet aren't tired at all, Thanks So Much!
Liz

Mokihana said...

Wow, the quilts are so nani!! Did you by chance take a photo of Peach's one?

Anonymous said...

The quilts are beautiful and I love that one "Unknown", the colors are so so pretty. Love your sense of humor (always have).

susan said...

jeni is so amazing. not only is she one of the most prolific quilters i know but she puts this together. the kauai quilter's have come so far. i remember when the kapaia stitchery was mainly cross stitch and knitting and canvas work with some aloha fabric and premade shirts. after i took my teachers training from el burns, going in there timidly and wondering if she might be interested in quilting...well that took a couple years to sink in with her but kauai now has such a awesome bunch of quilters. well, i think kauai has more musicsians, artists, etc. per square inch than probably anyplace else. i am not gonna say it, i ma not gonna cry. thank you for the quilt show.

Laurie said...

There wasn't a bad quilt in the bunch! All that hand quilting and applique was so gorgeous,isn't it almost unbelievable. The talent. Thank you so much for sharing the show with us!

Laurie

tina said...

You? Irreverent? NEVAH!

BetsyE said...

Thanks for the show! I'm so amazed by Hawaiian quilts! The interview in QN was fun! Not too irreverent ... just enough!

happy zombie said...

ARGH! You always make me want to leave a novella of a comment! I have so much to say, I don't even know where to start. The hand quilting (stabbing... are you kidding me? Do she not sleep? WOW!), the Haw'n shrit quilt (soooo clever!), the Iz quilt, all of it! And I loved your comment, "I wish I could take a tour of her brain". I love that!

Dionne said...

I love seeing pictures of quilt shows! Thanks for posting about it. Oh, and it was such a nice surprise to read your article earlier this month!
Cheers,
Dionne

Rhonda said...

Thank you for the quilt show, Lisa!
The quilts are amazing! I especially have fondness of those Hawaiian quilts.

Anonymous said...

I do like Jenny's Rainbow Quilt and I have written about it on my blog
http://handmadebyclairebear.com/2011/12/16/not-panicking-at-all/
thanks for posting,
Claire