HOLY COW- I took 350 pictures at this show!

In order to break them down, I will do them in sections.
Here is the link to yesterday's posting
http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-121344-1.htm

Today's entry will focus on just one artist- Irena Bluhm. She's a previous show winner and does some awesome work. I will do one work per entry- please let me make several posts before starting to comment, so that those new to this thread can have all the pictures toward the beginning.

I will make one entry per quilt displayed, and give you part of the write up that tells you how she did it, book that it was featured in, etc.

First quilt: Plumes of Feathers
Featured in Quilts of a Different Color book
"All the quilting was done with color applied using colored pencils and textile medium to set the color.
Stitched on white bleached muslin with two layers of batting- Hobbs 80/20 and Quilters Dream Puff."

Sunflower Parade
Featured in Bluhming Background Designs 2 by Irena Bluhm

Paula's Stars

The Birds and the Bees

WOW! Thanks for sharing! Those are gorgeous!

Unnamed? Featured in Bluhming Background Designs 2

Irena is so talented! She has also developed the "Work Station" for the Gammill longarms and has a couple of books out for that. The designs that she does with those are also unbelieveable. I bought one of her books for the work stations but I haven't tried any of the designs yet. If you get a chance to talk with her you definitely should, she is very interesting and extremely friendly and loves to share her knowledge.

Thanks for sharing the pictures. I saw these quilts and many more in September in Tacoma, WA at Innovations.

Thanks,
Sherryl
Candlequilter

PS - if you have any pictures of the quilts that Sharon Schamber (sp) did I would love to see those too.

Synchronized Dance

AMAZING... I feel so unworthy!

There must be POUNDS of thread in each of her quilts.

Hummingbird

Butterflies in the Morning

Hawaiian Punch

Spinning Stars

From Heart to Heart

Starburst

WOWZER :!: :!: :!: :!: :!:

Gorgeous pictures!

Not sure about this last set, if they belong all together, but here goes.

Again, not sure where these were part of....

Ok, that's it for tonight's posting- watch for another set of quilts from all different artists tomorrow in part 3!

WOW !!!!!!! now who didn't like coloring in when they were a kid, this just takes wuilting to a whole new level. Thanks for sharing

I know, right? On Muslin, she used "plain old colored pencils"- the kinds you buy at Walmart- and fabric medium. Muslin is a cheaper fabric, the colored pencils will be on sale in a month or two for back to school sales, and my bottle of fabric medium has lasted me forever. Anyone can do this!!!

But, seriously, at the show they had patterns that were already quilted for the outline ready for people to purchase, for those that felt that they couldn't quilt their own outside border to color in.

The Satin projects she said the colored pencils didn't work, but she used the Shiva Paint sticks.

I've had success with any watercolor pencils and fabric medium, but my work isn't anywhere near this level. I'm just a baby trying his first word, while Irena is a world class poet!

I don't know what to say!! AMAZING!!

Only thing I can think to say is WOW! Those are some awesome quilts.

Thank you so much for sharing the photos. I wanted to go to this quilt show so much but since my quilting buddy moved away there was no one to go with me and it would have been just too lonely to go by myself. Maybe next year. Thanks again for the photos!!

Those are some beautiful quilts. I am a beginner here and did not know you could use coloring pencil. I still have a lot to learn. Thanks for sharing. Maybe I will get to go too one.

Stunning work!

Incredible!

I'm speechless. They are gorgeous.

OUT OF THIS WORLD PHENOMENAL!!!! WOW!

Soooo..... after you have colored the fabric with colored pencils, you can never wash that quilt, can you? And what does the fabric medium do?

What's to say? Breathtaking! :!: :!: :!:
Thanks so much for sharing! :D

You can wash quilts that have been made with watercolor pencils, but they need to be heat set first. If you color your blocks and heat set, then soak them in water before piecing and quilting. I have not found any color to come out.

I'm working with watercolor pencils (Michaels). You can use water to take the color from the surface of the fabric down into the fibers. However, water can make it bleed outside the lines. You work from the middle and push the dampness to the outside. Reading these posts I find that fabric medium works, but I haven't tried that.

Just this week I learned that clear aloe vera gel works great and there is no bleeding. I used it and like it. It dries quickly (5 minutes or less) just like water. You can heat set it before it is dry by using a pressing cloth.

I haven't tried painting or using watercolor pencils AFTER quilting. I would question heat setting after quilting as it could damage the loft especially if using poly batting. I do use wool in my quilts which gives loft but doesn't melt when pressed.

AWESOME! AWESOME!AWESOME!!

WOW WOW AND MORE WOW DEB

Thank you so much for sharing and taking all the pictures for us.... I love quilt shows... thank you again.
Rose

See what you can do with color pencils Shelley? Aren't you glad that I introduced you to faux applique? Of course this is waaaaaay beyong the basics and beginning.

FYI - I have washed my mug rug that I used regular color pencils on topped with fabric medium and the colors have stayed true.

Gorgeous work - they are all so fabulous.

I'm new to watercolor pencil, too. My mother who has Parkinsons and is in a nursing home uses them. I am making a quilt for my sister with the applique blocks she has colored. Here is a block she did with my help in shading. This is the easiest way to applique. The yellow centers were machine appliqued. When I used water to activate the watercolor, it bled into the yellow.