Quilt News Roundup: We Are Luxe

I'm working on a large project (to be unveiled), so I don't have anything of my own for show-and-tell this week. But I have been finding some interesting articles related to quilting. Here's the roundup:

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Expensive Aura - I love it when quilting is associated with expensive things. Like Chanel purses, for all the good it does us. Why can Chanel charge thousands for a wee trifle like this...

...While quilt artists, making queen-size stuff, starve? 

Still, perhaps the expensive aura rubs off on us. So the good news is that quilted clothing is totally IN right now, according to Glamour Magazine. Actual headline: 

Quilted Clothes: The Sophisticated, Luxe Micro Fashion Trend We Are Loving Right Now

I Am So Loving That Headline Right Now. On a different site, I found these intense quilted shorts for men. They're made by the Sons of Odin? Is that a Tolkien thing? And don't peek - how much would you pay for these?

They're $220. If you cut them up and turn them into a purse, it's a bargain, compared to Chanel. I hope the people who actually stitched those shorts (probably in a sweatshop) get most of the money, but I doubt it. I personally have always found that quilting shorts is especially tricky. All those steep curves.*

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Hawaiian Bliss - A quilt collector shows off his spectacular Hawaiian quilts. I especially like this second one, in red and white!

(I'm a sucker for red and white - see my recent baby quilt.) Need more? Do a Google image search for "Red and white Hawaiian quilts." OMG!!!

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Digital Manipulation - In our last installment, I photographed a quilt, rearranged the pieces digitally and printed the new version on fabric. This week, Quilting Arts came out with a new free booklet with much more sophisticated techniques for creating photo collages and printing them onto fabric to embellish. Claim your copy here.

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They Had to Ask - Hilarious quilt show questions, by hilarious quilt blogger Kathy Matthews.

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Quilt Camp -  I want to go to quilting summer camp! Unfortunately it's only for second through seventh graders. Plus, it's across the country,  in Georgia, at the Southeastern Quilt and Textile Museum. They're currently featuring a gorgeous show called "Wall Art," by quilter Marilyn Wall. Really!

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Head Trip - I've heard of altered books, altered purses (not Chanel - sell it on ebay), and altered shoes, but what about altered bike helmets? They're real and way cool, at  the Funky Diva blog.  But a bike afficianado warned me - don't try this at home. Sanding and glue compounds might weaken the skull protection. They're fun to look at and, come to think of it, wouldn't that be a great quilt, showing different colorful helmets arrayed in rows? Or decoupage your old, used helmets and hang them on a wall!

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Have a great week, and remember to always wear your bike helmet, along with your quilted Tolkien riding shorts!


* Joke. I know they quilt the fabric first.