The Broccoli Quilt, by Lonni Rossi

Lonni Rossi is an internationally known fabric designer, color specialist, art quilt maker, pattern designer and teacher. While we were preparing an Ode to a Tree, we came across this Lonni Rossi quilt and marked it as a 'favorite'. Then we discovered it wasn't a tree... it was a giant broccoli !

Broccoli wall quilt, 20 x 28, by Lonni Rossi, at Lonni Rossi Fabrics

We asked Lonni Rossi about her inspiration for the Broccoli Quilt, and she explained: "A few years back I created a fabric line for Andover Fabrics called Cultivated Cottons (which is now out of print). All of the images in the collections were created by using actual vegetables as stamps. I usually make several quilts to showcase my new lines of fabric so it just seemed natural to make quilts inspired by vegetables!"    The vegetables include a giant artichoke and and a colorful onion (below). The patterns are all available on her patterns page.  Wouldn't they be fantastic as a set of three?

Onion quilt, 20 x 28, by Lonni Rossi

 

Artichoke quilt, 20 x 28, by Lonni Rossi

We have fallen in love with Lonni Rossi Fabrics, which are printed with contemporary, abstract and large-scale motifs with interesting textures and beautiful colors.  Here is one of our favorites from her Urban Shades Collection, below.  This swatch depicts "Chunks of concrete in a wall covered with strange graffiti poetry in Blue and Metallic Gold accents with Purple lettering".  Wow!

Lonni Rossi has participated in many group shows locally and nationally, and has had one-woman art quilt shows in Philadelphia, Munich and London. In fact, a one-woman show of Lonni Rossi's art quilts is on now, through January 16; for more information see her Facebook page.

Finally, we couldn't stop thinking about the Broccoli that reminded us of a tree. To prove that we're not crazy... here is a tree that looks like a Broccoli !

Adansonia Grandidieri Baobab, Madagascar

Image credits: Quilt and fabric images are shown with the generous permission of Lonni Rossi.  The photo of the giant Baobab is by Jialiang Gao and is licensed for use under the Creative Commons Attribution License.

January shows and exhibits!

Don't you love the New Year? Here are some outstanding quilt exhibits, shows and raffles - in January, 2011.  And a quotation that inspires us:

We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. 

The book is called Opportunity, and its first chapter is New Year's Day.

~Edith Lovejoy Pierce

Exhibits (above). Row 1, L-R: Art Quilts Etcetera - Lonni Rossi Exhibit, through Jan 16 2011, at The Gallery of Waverly Heights (Pennsylvania); Revisiting the Art Quilt, through April 3 2011, at the International Quilt Study Center, Nebraska; Art Quilts XV - Needleplay, through Jan 15, at the Chandler Center for the Arts and Vision Gallery (Arizona).  Row 2: Quilts = Art = Quilts, through January 9, at the Schweinfurth Memorial Art Center (New York); Quilts - Masterworks from the American Folk Art Museum, through Oct 16 2011 (New York); Yvonne Porcella - Bold Strokes, and Cream of the Cloth - Quilts from the Marbaum Collection, through Jan 30 2011, at the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles (California). Also see: Quilt Artistry - Pat Dicker, Loretta Armstrong, Joanne Berry and Sandra Harrington, opening Jan 4, at 142 Throckmorton Theatre (California); Home for the Holidays, through Jan 29 2011, at the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum (Colorado); The Art of the Stitch, through Jan 23, at the Visions Art Museum (California); Quilt Visions Biennial 2010 - No Boundaries, through March 13, at the Oceanside Museum of Art, California; the quilts from the 2010 American Quilt Study Group, opening Jan 3, at the Latimer Quilt and Textile Center (Oregon); Designer Crafts at the Mall 2011, opening Jan 8, at the Mall Galleries (London, UK); Crazy Quilts and Other Fancies, opening Jan 12, at the La Conner Quilt and Textile Museum; and No Holds Barred - Recent Works by New England Members of Studio Art Quilt Associates, opening Jan 20, at the New England Quilt Museum.

Quilt shows, raffles and festivals (above). Row 1, L-R: Heart of the Valley Quilt & Textile Arts Show, Country Crossroads Quilters (Jan 15-16, California); Quilt Fever 2011, Florida Cabin Fever Quilters Guild Show (Jan 21 – 22, Florida); Hibiscus Garden Walk & Quilter’s Marketplace, Hibiscus Quilt Guild (Jan 28-29, Florida). Row 2: Celebrate the Quilt - Explore the Art VI, Largo Cracker Quilters Show (Jan 28-29, Florida); 8th Annual Jefferson Quilt Show (Jan 21-23, Texas); Stitches in Bloom Quilt Show (Jan 28-29, Oregon).  Row 3: Journey 2011 Quilt and Fiber Art Show, Art Quilters Unlimited (Jan 21-22, Florida); Quilt Fiesta , Tucson Quilters Guild (Jan 21-13, Arizona). Also see the Oklahoma Winter Quilt Show (Jan 13-15, Oklahoma); Myrtle Beach Quilt Party (Jan 20- 22, South Carolina); and Quilting in the Desert, Jan 23-29 (Arizona)

International shows: Tokyo International Quilt Festival (Jan 21-29, Tokyo); Road to California Quilter’s Conference and Showcase (Jan 20-23, California)