Detail from "Rain Dance," an original quilt by Sherrie Spangler

Monday, October 21, 2013

"Red is a neutral," Freddy says



A few weeks ago, my husband and I took the ferry over to Vashon Island so I could visit Island Quilter and he could go to a wine tasting. Here's the view from the ferry line as we waited to get on and sail through that layer of fog. That's Vashon Island, above, poking out of the cloud.


And these two photos show Mt. Rainier towering above the morning water activity in Tacoma.




It got gray as we entered the fog bank, but once we got to the quilt shop there was this explosion of color:
 
Island Quilter on Vashon Island, WA
Do you see the mountain hanging above the fabric? Besides thousands of bolts of vivid color, Island Quilter has a different exhibit each month.
 
October's exhibit has dozens of quilts by the VERY colorful Freddy Moran, whose quilting mantra is:
"Red is a neutral."
 
Freddy Moran exhibit
I got permission to take photos and put them on the blog, so here is a glimpse of her fabulous work. You have until Oct. 31 to see them in person, and she's also scheduled to do a book signing at Island Quilter on Oct. 29. Check with the shop for details.
 

"Oklahoma Chickens" by Freddy Moran

I really liked "Oklahoma Chickens." The closer I looked, the more details I discovered.



"Around the Block" by Freddy Moran



"White Flower" by Freddy Moran



The exhibit is uninhibited delight! Here is what the shop's blog has to say about Freddy, in case you're not familiar with her:

"Freddy Moran has been producing her groundbreaking colorful quilts for the past 22 years. Her first quilting book, 'Freddy's House,' brought her fearless use of color to a wide audience and is still in demand. Since then she has written and co-authored several other books. Freddy travels and teaches extensively, challenging quilters to break the rules and do what works best for them. "

"Then Pony" by Freddy Moran


After the exhibit, we had lunch and wandered around the little business area. Vashon has a large community of artists, so there is plenty of local art and other interesting activities.


Then it was back on the ferry for a sunnier ride home.



Have a colorful day




5 comments:

Living to work - working to live said...

Thanks for this post. I love the quilts and now feel much more educated about the geography in your part of the world. I had no idea that there was so much water in your neck of the woods. I looked it up on Google Maps. I feel much more knowledgeable now!

Judy Sall Fiber Art said...

Love the shop and exhibit! Maybe you should see if you can sell your scarves in that Arts/Crafts shop... just sayin'!

The Idaho Beauty said...

I'd forgotten all about Freddie Moran - yes indeed, she sure is a COLOR person. I couldn't help noticing that in the photo just below the statement about red being a neutral, one can spot a bit of red thanks to the truck also waiting for the ferry.

You've managed to capture what's best about living around the Sound. And if I'd been with you, I'm sure I would have detoured into Dova Silks!

Marti said...

I also loved the Oklahoma Chickens. I would like to share the picture with a quilting group I am a part of on fb. Do I need to get Freddie's permission or just name her as the artist?

Unknown said...

I would like to know if you can tell me what book Oklahoma Chickens quilt pattern is in Thank you