Exotic flower quilts: Paradise Stitched, by Sylvia Pippen

Today, we begin a five-part series on quilts featuring exotic and unique flowers. To kick off the series, we are featuring several quilts from an outstanding and prolific designer, author, and teacher, Sylvia Pippen. Join us, as we sail the Pacific Ocean to Hawaii and Australia, lands of magnificent natural floral beauty.

Plumeria floating on water, 22 x 33, by Sylvia Pippen, at Sylvia Pippen Designs

Sylvia has so many fabulous quilt kits and patterns on her website - Sylvia Pippen Designs - that it's difficult to select favorites. However, we were enchanted by the exquisite appliqued pinks, peaches, corals, and magentas of the delicate plumeria flowers as they rest gently on a water background. Unconstrained, the flowers extend from the water, into the border batik. Silvia has made this quilt so life-like by the swirls of Japanese sashiko stitching which follow the curved applique background, thus replicating the ripples and undulations of a quiet pond. As a time-saver, the sashiko embroidery design is already screened onto the background cloth,  so all you have to do is follow the dashes printed onto the cloth in order to complete the stitches. Included in this kit is the Hoffman turquoise batik for the borders, water, and binding, along with sashiko thread and beautiful color-washed fabric for the plumeria.

 Blue lady orchid, 14 x 18, by Sylvia Pippen, at Sylvia Pippen Designs

This quilt block kit  is part of Sylvia's new quilt and new series on Flowers of the Outback, featuring six  Australian wildflower designs. We love how this cerulean blue fabric is gently tinted with pastel streaks to make it appear as if the orchid blossoms are streaked with sunlight.   Sylvia is preparing for a teaching tour of Australia in October/November 2011, where she will give classes and seminars on applique and sashiko techniques. The black Kona cotton background fabric is included in the kit and really makes the vibrant orchids just pop right off the quilt. We think that black is a great neutral when working with high-chroma, pure jewel-tone colors, as it provides a perfect contrast. Sylvia also sells the pattern for this quilt without the fabric, so that you can make a 20 x 24 wall quilt of Blue Lady Orchid.

Heliconia with bamboo, 31 x 38, by Sylvia Pippen, at Sylvia Pippen Designs

Heliconia flowers, with their bright pointed leaves, are an important source of food for hummingbirds in the tropical rainforest. The sashiko bamboo design provides a graceful sturdy backdrop for these exquisite blossoms in shades of orchid, pink, and pale yellow. Note the magenta, fuchsia and orchid inner border of this quilt, which glows against the black Kona cotton and reflects an eye-catching color scheme of fuchsia with yellow, orange-yellow and pale green. This "Heliconia with bamboo" quilt can be seen at Sylvia Pippen's Gallery; there is also a heliconia fabric kit in "sexy pink".

Paradise Stitched: Sashiko and Applique Quilts by Sylvia Pippen

Having lived in California, New England, and having sailed in her own sailboat across the Pacific Ocean to her current home in Hawaii, Sylvia Pippen is living a fascinating life. In addition to being a very gifted designer and teacher, she is also a wonderful author, as you will see when reading her book, Paradise Stitched, from C and T Publishers. It provides numerous ideas for creating beautiful quilts by combining sashiko stitchery with applique, including tips for fabric selection and patterns. Also, check out Sylvia's first book,  Asian Elegance, which she co-wrote with her mother, Kitty Pippen.

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Winners of the May Giveaway !

Thank you, everybody, for your wonderful comments ! You're a great group, and we are so fortunate to have you as our CFF's ! (That's internet talk for "cyber-friends forever"). We carefully wrote the name of each contestant on a square of paper, then folded it up and dropped it into the hat.

Greg, (the husband of Daryl), reached into the hat and drew out five names at random. Here they are, with our congratulations:

1. The winner of the "Luscious Lilacs" fat quarters is Julie Fukuda

2. The winner of the $ 10 Jo-Ann Gift Card is Mary

3. The winner of the "Color Blend Applique " book is Ros

4. The winner of the "Elements" fabric from Skydyes is Debbie

5. The winner of the "Quilt Mania" and "Quilt" Magazines is Linda E in AZ

Winners, please e-mail us your name and shipping address (which we will hold in confidence) to quiltinspiration@gmail.com . We'll ship out your prize, postage paid, as soon as possible.

All of your comments were so kind and thoughtful, that we really wish we could award a prize to each of you. However, we have the next best thing -- another Giveaway coming up soon. Please stay tuned to Quilt Inspiration !

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Visiting "The Cotton Patch" Quilt Shop

Did you ever have  a favorite quilt shop that was so interesting, so much fun, and so friendly, that you thought you could just spend the rest of your life there?  Well, The Cotton Patch Quilt Shop in Lafayette, California is one of those special places for us.

The Cotton Patch is owned by very well-known, very popular, and very friendly Carolie Hensley, who moved the store to its current location in 1983.  A savvy business entrepreneur, Carolie foresaw the revival of quilting just as the modern era of rotary cutting, machine piecing, and machine quilting was beginning about 30 years ago.  She purchased bolts of 100% cotton fabric, a departure from the polyester blends used for sewing garments of that day, and mentored young professional quilt artists just beginning their careers, such as Alex Anderson and Roberta Horton.  Here's Carolie below:

As interest in quilting grew, Carolie looked for a way to publish and distribute the latest ideas and patterns. Thus, she and her husband Tom founded what is now one of the biggest quilt publishing houses in the world, C and T Publishing  (for Carolie and Tom). If you have any C and T- published quilt books on your shelves, then that is the company started by Carolie !  Later, they sold the company to their adult sons, who have enjoyed increasing success with each passing year.

One of Carolie' main beliefs about quilt shops is that they should have a fabric selection that is fresh and updated,  displayed in such a way that the shopper can easily compare colors and patterns. Much of The Cotton Patch's 3000 bolts of fabric are grouped by color, making the fabric easy to locate. For example, if you're shopping for red fabric, you don't have to wander all over the store. She always displays quilt patterns interspersed with the fabric at eye level, so the patterns are close to the fabrics and easy to access.

Carolie believes in always making room for the latest and most recent fabrics, so there are always fabrics that are very current in her stock.  Here's the latest Kaffe Fassett polka dots for this year, above, along with a display of his books and a bag project.  

The Cotton Patch features an extensive list of quilt class offerings for all levels of quilters, as well as the latest sewing equipment, including gorgeous new Janome and Bernina machines. Recently, they added the Handi-Quilter Avante long arm machine to their inventory.  It sits right next to the front door, so shoppers are encouraged to take it for a "test drive" (with the help of staff members), just like a shiny new car.

When we asked Carolie about her favorite aspect of owning a quilt shop, she enthusiastically stated that she loves the customer service the best. She genuinely loves people and loves to encourage quilters as their projects take shape.  Here's Carolie in the center, along with teacher and Artichoke Collection pattern maker Christie Batterman on the left, helping a customer select borders and backing for her applique wall hanging. 

Now it's your turn !  Do you have a favorite quilt shop that you really enjoy?   We'd love to hear about quilt shops from our readers around the world  and in the U.S.A.  In the comments below, feel free to give a plug and some recognition to quilt shops that you love. 

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