I have spent the last three days at the Road to California show in Ontario, California. It is a big and wonderful quilt show...and one of a minority in the USA that accepts crazy quilts in competition. This year of all the entries there was only one crazy quilt....but it was a masterpiece. It was entered in the "Traditional Other" category.
Its maker is a woman whose work I recognize from fleeting glimpses of tantalizing quilts online here and there. Her name is Gerlinde Hruzek, and I believe she resides in Arizona.
I hope that this fine lady does not mind that I post detailed photos of her quilt, All Creatures Large and Small, for the pleasure and instruction of other crazy quilters. Ms. Hruzek, you are a true inspiration!
This quilt was made entirely by hand: pieced, quilted, embroidered....there is cross stitching, needlepoint, and tatting as well.
I photographed each of the 20 blocks and am showing them below, followed by an overall shot of the quilt. Take your time and enjoy this truly superlative work! Click on the photos to see them enlarged.
This is her eleventh crazy quilt, truly the work of greatness. It took 3rd Place in her category, but I think it should have been 1st!
I'll just bet she is hard at work on #12 now, too......
36 comments :
Je to úžasné, nádherné, majstrovské dielo ♥
Oh my! What an inspiration! Thank you so much for sharing...just makes me want to go stitch something!
WOW! Fantastic! And to think it's all by hand........
Thanks so much for posting this... I have saved it all...you're right it is inspirational.... And it should have been first... Gerry K.
I'm so jealous!!!
Thank you for sharing this fantastic work! It must have been such a delight seeing it up close...
What an inspiration!
Annamaria
Я просто в шоке от такой красоты! Потрясающе!!!!
Truly a masterpiece. What a visual feast!
Wow! What a beautiful quilt. These are the types of quilts that get me going and make me bring my game up in creating my own quilts. When I use to teach classes I use to tell my students that if they had a great idea for a seam but they thought it would be too much work don't EVER let the thought that too much work on one seam stop you from doing that idea. Do it anyways. Put in the work and time. You will never be sorry you put too much work into your quilt. This quilt is a great example of that thought. Again, what a great quilt.
This is the style of work I want to do (but with more machine work, obviously). It is wonderful!!
and so much more deserving than a 3rd place. She clearly likes to embroider and needlepoint.
What beautiful work! Makes you wonder what those judges were thinking.
I love the buttonhole wheels and detached chain on border, and how the blocks are joined by feather stitch. That little bit of control in all the crazyness. This is a very beautiful quilt, did you get photos of the 1st and 2nd place getters? I'm wondering what the judges thought was better, as this is amazing.
PS I see the borders are hand quilted, were the blocks quilted in the ditch too?
Unbelievable - this is what we all aspire to!
Stunningly beautiful! Thank you so much for sharing these pictures with us - truly inspiring.
Thank you Alison for posting this wonderful piece of work. I'm sure Gerlinde won't mind a bit. She really is an inspirational person to be able to do work that this...
Many thanks -
Allie, thank you for sharing this quilt. It is the most fantastic quilt that I've ever seen. I'd love to meet this lady and hear her talk about her thought process for this fabulous creation.
Gita
I was there today and it was an amazing CQ! I loved the block with the cat in courtly clothing! I could not get as up close as you did to see it. I could have worked the show today and requested that area. Carolyn Reese is great, who runs the show. Her Mother was a very prolific CQer so she has a soft spot for CQ's. She has asked me to come by her house and wants to give me some of the stuff her Mom had in her stash. Mom passed 2 years ago, I think. I saw your CQ's. Wow, they are so fantastic in person. I love your newest quilt. It looks like it needs someone to sleep under it! It was good to talk to you too on the phone. My good Friend Jeanne Bird is the best! Love Ya!
Kerri Murphy
Wow...this is so awesome! You can feel the love Gerlinde has put into every stitch....such a delight to look at. Thank you Allie for bringing this to us!
What a magnificent quit! Thank you for sharing it; I wish I could see it in person. The embroidery is divine!
Thank you for sharing that fabulous quilt. What a talented Lady she is. Thanks so much.
This is beautiful. Thankyou for sharing this.
Thanks so much, Kerri! I loved talking to you too, and wish I could have seen you there.
Astounding work! It should have rec'd a first blue ribbon - thank you so much for taking a pic of each and every block - close up's are breathtaking. Those of us on the East side of the country don't get to see work like this. Cannot imagine why CQ'ers are not sought after for show.
Denise
Oh how I love the mishmash of needlepoint and cross-stitch...And I thought of you and stitching all that herringbone around your plaid quilt when i saw her beautiful white fan border against the black. Such a nice transition from the handwork on the blocks to the black. I'm wondering if you could figure out how she finished it?
Every block is a treasure. Thanks for taking the pics and sharing them. And it's a shame you didn't meet Ms. Hruzek...? She probably LOVED your quilts too...
I must make a full quilt, I must.
Allie, thank you for taking the time to post photos of this gorgeous quilt. As you know, I'm an animal person so I'm quite taken with this one. I will be back to spend more time looking at each photo and the gorgeous detail that the stitcher put into her beautiful quilt!
Art in it's finest form of love. This artist has brought much inspiration to many. Thanks for sharing it on your blog. Gerlinde where ever you are Thank you for your creative energy.
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Wow! Gerlinde did a fantastic job on this - how could it NOT have won?!?!
Thank you for sharing this.
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this is realey *B*E*A*U*T*I*F*U*L..!!!!!!
a great job...
thanks for sharing..
have a nice day
What a delicate beauty! And those wonderful colours.
It makes me feel very happy. Indeed, it has the WOW factor. Wendelien.
what amazing and beautiful work! the ideas and work are so beautifully done!
It is beautiful!!
I am in love .
I am shocked that you would take the liberty of giving so much detail of someone else's work. Hope she wasn't going to publish a book or write articles about the quilt etc. It is wonderful but it is hers!!
Awesome work, I can't imagine the number of patient hours that went into this beautiful item. Congratulations!
This is amazing! Many thanks for taking detailed photos and for sharing with us. I have done one crazy quilt. They are an amazing amount of handwork, but great fun. Mine is done in all neutrals, and in addition to embroidery and beadwork, I used mother of pearl buttons from my grandmother's button box. My mother lived to be 99, and the buttons were from her mother, so they are definitely antique buttons.
Thanks again for sharing. I applaud Gerlinde Hruzek!
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