The second annual Bainbridge Island Quilt Festival took place on 13th September. This Festival was initiated in 2013, by Barbara Kirk, owner of Esther’s Fabrics on Bainbridge Island. Barbara was inspired by the joy and beauty of the annual Sister’s Quilt Show held outdoors in Sisters, OR and wanted to put on a similar but smaller venture on Bainbridge. The Bainbridge Island Modern Quilt Guild collaborated with Esther’s Fabrics and other local businesses to display the quilts on our main street in Winslow.

It was a warm sunny day and the locals, as well as many visitors, were delighted by the colorful array of quilts. I gave a lecture in Mount Vernon in the morning and drove back in the afternoon. Unfortunately, the ferry traffic was backed up at Edmonds so I had to sit and wait. I arrived at the quilt show at 5.00 p.m. just as quilt take down was starting, so I hurried along the street to see as much as possible.

I arrived in time to see my own entry still hanging. Catherine’s Lone Star, made for my niece, was hanging outside the Wildernest Outdoor Store.The stunning Log Cabin quilt was made by Terry Lay and machine quilted with gorgeous feathers by Marybeth O’Halloran. It hangs with a traditional Nine-Patch made by Emily Steed and quilted by Amy Steed.

These two quilts caught my attention. The classic red and white Snail Trails and Stars quilt entitled Supernova looked striking. It was made by Ki Kilcher and quilted by Teresa Levitt. The attractive Bordered Diamonds was made from a Kaffe Fassett pattern and Kaffe fabrics by Heather Kitchen and quilted by Country Threads. Next year, I hope to be at the show for the whole day and to take a more active part in volunteering to help.

Ten days ago, I was fortunate to visit the La Conner Quilt & Textile Museum where there was a stunning exhibit of Suzani embroidery from Uzbekistan. These pieces, covered with dense embroidery, are bold and colorful. They are recent acquisitions for the museum from the Miriam Wosk Family Trust. They will be displayed for one more day, so if you are in the La Conner area, get over there to see them!

This floral example was made in the late 20th century. The word “suzani” is derived from the Persian word for needle.They are traditionally created in the western region of Central Asia, including Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kryrgystan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan. They remind me of the beautiful embroidery I saw in Western Mongolia, the Kazakh area of the country. Natural motifs are often the theme. Here is my favorite one with lovely birds.

This one was made in the first half of the 20th century.The suzani is both decorative and functional. Often they are created when a daughter is born as part of her dowry. Women work together and several suzanis may be presented to a groom on the girl’s wedding day.

This maroon suzani bedspread was made in the late 20th Century. The stitching in suzanis is dense and includes chain stitch, buttonhole stitch and couching. They sometimes look as though they are woven. The larger ones are often created in smaller panels, two to six depending on the size and the design. The Kazakh pieces I saw in Mongolia were all done with chain stitch and the stitching was not so dense.