The AQS QuiltWeek – Paducah, Kentucky event is famed around the world for its many contributions to quilting. Not only do quilters earn the largest cash awards for quilting in the world, miniature quilt artists find a showcase and platform for their unique mastery of fabric, thread, and design. Each year, quilters and non-quilters alike are left with a big impression from these mini masterpieces.
Pat Holly’s quilt TINY TIGERS 2 took home the Benartex Best Miniature Award at AQS QuiltWeek – Paducah, Kentucky 2013. Get the inside scoop on her inspiration, how she made such a great work of miniature art, and a secret on what Pat’s collecting these days.
Pat’s Inspiration
Pat finds inspiration from her own home to the other side of the globe. Always a lover of Indian textiles, many elements of the piece directly recall the ornate decorative works found adorning homes and doorways in India. Even the individual tabs lining the bottom of her work directly harken to hangings seen over doorways in India.
Made entirely of silk, this piece shines among the miniatures, both from the color and the intricate detail she’s embellished throughout.
Embellish with decorative stitches
No stranger to the sewing machine, Pat has created a way to “create my own fabric.” Using the decorative stitches on the sewing machine, she adds the patterns and depth directly into the piece. With the different colors of fun threads and stitches, she weaves a layer of depth and interest into an already stunning design.
Need some inspiration for how you can use your decorative stitches? AQS has produced two books to help you master this technique.
Pat’s Collection
For all quilters, a good quality stash includes a wide assortment of fabrics and thread. Better known as a collection, no quilter’s creative space is complete without a constant supply of new inspiration. Pat continues to collect fabric and thread, but has added a new source of inspiration to her studio. She’s become an avid collector of trim. “Wherever I can find them, I collect them.”
Two-of-a-Kind
Why is this quilt named TINY TIGERS 2? Adorned with interesting tigers dancing around the piece, Pat made this for her daughter, a true tiger lover. But what kind of gift would it be to create a tiger-themed quilt, then give it to The National Quilt Museum instead of to your daughter? So, her daughter and visitors to view the work can delight in these masterpieces, since she made two of them.
Meet Pat Holly and learn the story behind the newest addition to The National Quilt Museum’s collection.
