How a booth at Quilt Market comes together...

We are back with a post-Quilt Market report! (You can read about getting ready for Quilt Market here.)

The booth is our opportunity to show off our new fabric lines and offer inspiration as to what those fabrics can become: quilts, aprons, placemats, wall hangings, etc...

Let's start the tour! 

Here are two overall shots of the booth, toward the end of set up. (After everyone's booths have been set up, the exhibit hall crews come back and carpet the aisles.)

This section showcases Peggy Sue, Dancing Cranes, Folk Heart, and Pretty in Pink.

This section showcases Cook's Helper, Marblehead, Budding Beauties and Sorrento.

Backing up to set-up, our assigned area started out looking like this:

And ended up like this:

Pretty impressive transformation in a day, isn't it? We have a great team.

Now, onto some close-ups!

The Budding Beauties sample quilt and pouf in the background, a table with a Garden Whimsy placemat in the foreground. All of the chair covers you see in these photos are made from Marblehead prints.

A couple quilts that you're recognize: Marblehead Northern Woods and Joan Shay's Harvest Home, using Marblehead.

Cook's Helper, a Judy Hansen collection that we'll be sharing with you later this week, and a little Garden Whimsy.

A wall hanging and jacket made from Dancing Cranes, as well as the Peggy Sue At the Hop quilt off to the left.

Sara Trail's Folk Heart, shown in an apron, quilt and bag.

Do you remember the Hopi Opportunity quilt? We brought it to Market to hang in the booth, where it received many compliments. You can still buy raffle tickets to win it--click here for contact information. Off to the right, the free pattern quilt for Pretty in Pink.

A unique tote bag by Cathy Miles, made from Marblehead Global Brights.

Who needs fresh flowers when you can have gorgeous blooms by Kim Denault made from Marblehead prints that will last all year long?!

 A close-up of the Pretty in Pink quilt.

Kitchen items made from the Sorrento collection.

Whew! How's that for inspiration? We were thrilled to be able to show off so many different fabric lines and quilting/sewing ideas in our space. 

p.s. Don't forget that you can find free patterns for the QUILTS shown in these photos on our website!

''Tavupo,'' the Hopi Opportunity Quilt

Recently we showed you a close-up of this gorgeous quilt, made with our Marblehead fabrics. Today, we're sharing the entire story. Enjoy!

Hopitutuqaiki, the Hopi School on the reservation in Arizona, is dedicated to developing an educational process derived from Hopi language and culture, preserving Hopi language and craft forms while preparing students to thrive on or off the Hopi Reservation.

Butterfly and Badger Clan & Rabbit and Tobacco Clan symbols

Five Hopi women worked with quilter Linda Visnaw to design, sew and quilt an opportunity quilt to raise money for the school. Linda shared the background of how this quilt came together.

Clouds, rain and lightning symbols

Q. How did you get involved with this project?

A. This is the second year that I have taught quilting at the School. The Hopi learned quilting since the early 1900s, when missionaries taught the skill. They still make quilts by tying them, and one of my goals was to teach them to machine quilt, making their quilts more durable. One of the school's biggest problems is funds, so I suggested that we make an opportunity quilt at the end of my teaching days for the year.

Eagle and Coyote Clan symbols

Q. Tell us about the quilt design.

A. I designed the quilt using their ideas and Marblehead fabric. I cut everything, and two ladies did all the artwork, painting with Tsukineko inks, and three sewed. Every piece of artwork on the quilt is original, created by two of the gals. We had three days to finish the quilt top.

Mary Duwyeni paints a design on a block.

Lorna Quamahongnewa sews block pieces together.

Eleanor Tenakhongva shows a finished block, ready to be embellished.

Eleanor Tenakhongva (left) and Ella Humetewa stand with the finished quilt top.

Q. What about the meaning behind the design?

A. Multiples of three are used throughout to note the importance of the three mesas to Hopi life (the Hopi live on three mesas in Arizona). The ladies used clan and other Hopi symbols to decorate the individual blocks and show the Hopi peoples’ ingrained artistic talent.  Even the pieced blocks look like things you would see in their designs.

Migration symbol

Q. Talk about the machine quilting.

A. The Hopi artwork is really wonderful. Jewelry, painting…there is not one line, not one mark that doesn't have meaning for their culture.I took a lesson from them and tried to make sure everything in the quilting was meaningful. I sat down with the ladies, laid Golden Threads paper over the top, and drew right on the paper to see how designs would look. There isn't one line on that quilt that isn't representative of something: Swirls representing prayers, corn, waves. I also chose thread colors that would blend into the background, because their work was what you are supposed to see. It was so much fun to quilt!

Hopi prayer feathers

Raffle tickets are $1 each or 6 for $5. The quilt will be raffled off July 14, 2013

For more information about The Hopi School, or to buy tickets for the opportunity quilt, contact:

Robert Rhodes  Ed.D            

P.O.Box 56                       

Hotevilla, AZ 86030

928-734-2433

rwrhodes@quixnet.net

Spider Clan symbol and pumpkin

Center motif: Dawa, the most important of all the Hopi deities

Hopi Snow Maiden

What have you made with Fabri-Quilt fabrics? Send a photo to fabriquiltblog@gmail.com or post a photo on our Facebook page. 

You asked for inspiration...

We'll deliver! 

Here's a mouth-watering close-up of an opportunity quilt designed and quilted by Linda Visnaw and made by five Hopi women this summer.

 The quilt will be raffled off in July 2013 to benefit the Hopi School in Arizona.

The colors, the motifs, the quilting...all we can say is WOW!

We'll be sharing the entire story of this quilt, and of course more photos, very soon.

What has inspired you today?

p.s. If you're new to our blog, welcome! Please become a follower or sign up to follow the blog by email (both on the righthand sidebar). Let us know that you did so (by leaving a comment) and you'll be entered in our fat quarter bundle giveaway. Learn more here.
You can also like us on Facebook.