Design: Skyscape Quilts
Materials: hand-dyed cotton, cotton thread and quilt batting
Designer: Kim Eichler-Messmer
Link: eichlermessmer.blogspot.com
Location: Kansas City, KS
Price Point: These quilts are crib/lap size and they are $300. I can also make them in twin ($600), queen/double ($800) or king ($1000).
"I create heirloom quality quilts that are soft and durable enough to be used on a bed but beautiful enough to be hung on the wall. My Skyscape quilts are inspired by the sky in the Midwest, especially right before or after a thunderstorm."
"I love to see strange color combinations and am constantly amazed and delighted by what Mother Nature has to offer. My own photographs of the sky act as starting points for the color use and proportion in each quilt. Each quilt top is pieced from at least 19 different hand-dyed fabrics using my own custom dye recipes. I use only the highest quality materials including glue and resin free cotton batting, and mercerized cotton quilting thread."
STUDIO TOUR
My studio is in a big brick building in downtown Kansas City, KS called The Kansan. It used to be a newspaper building, but was renovated to be offices and studios. The studios are in the basement, what used to be the press room. Currently there are eight artists renting studios and we open them up to the public for an Art Walk every second Friday of the month.
This is my print table. I use it for many things including laying out quilt tops, pinning quilt layers together, screen-printing fabric, and ironing. I do have a sewing machine in my studio, but do most of my piecing and quilting at home where it is much cleaner.
This is where I set up my dye baths. There are communal sinks in another room and I bring water back to my studio for the dye process. One of the great things about my studio is that there is a ton of natural light from huge windows. It also has concrete floors which clean up easily when I make messes (and I make a lot of messes).
FAVORITE DESIGNER
I am a total nerd for Josef Albers. His body of work is inspiring in its beauty, passion, and breadth. His approach seemed to be about searching, exploring, staying true and honest, and learning from what is real, what is around us. That is something I strive for in my own work — to not be pretentious or something I’m not, but to make honest work. I love that he believed practice (and lots of it) always comes before theory. Or, like I always say, you have to make a lot of bad work before you can make good work.
FAVORITE DESIGN
It’s hard to choose one favorite design. In general I really like bold colors, attention to fine detail, clean lines, and things that will keep me warm (I’m always cold). Examples: Hawaiian Quilts, Amish Quilts, Fiesta Teapots.
• View Kim's original entry with comments
• Design Showcase 2010 Judges
• Go to 2010 Design Showcase Main Page
- 3 finalist entries will be posted on Monday, 9/27 (no voting yet)
- 3 more finalist entries will be posted on Tuesday, 9/28 (no voting yet)
- VOTING BEGINS on Wednesday, 9/29 at 11:30 am EST with an announcement
- VOTING CLOSES on Friday, 10/1 at 5:00 pm EST
- Two winners will be chosen: 1 judge favorite and 1 crowd favorite
- WINNERS ANNOUNCED on Friday
DIY Idea: Concrete Pendant Lamp
Danielle's Charming, Classic Walk-Up
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
White Enamel Flatwa...
On Saying No to Paleo: Why Eating Isn't One Size Fits All
Perfect Summer Cocktail Recipe: Honey Bourbon Lemonade
Yay! Kansas City! The quilts are lovely and I have a feeling that the photos don't come close to doing them justice.
I totally agree. Your creativity, color and design is fabulous.Pgeiser ARK.
They are so wonderful Kim!!!
These are very pretty but honestly I find the price tag very steep. Maybe in person I wouldn't give it a second thought but I do find it to be a boundary if I was purchasing it online. With that said I do love the colors.
Teenie, I'm guessing you've never purchased a handmade quilt or made a quilt. If you have someone only do the quilting after you do all the piecing, even that can run hundreds of dollars. My aunt makes quilts and has paid up to $500 just to have the quilting portion done for a queen size one. The time and expense of equipment & materials to produce a quilt is actually quite high. The price seems really reasonable, especially considering she hand dyes the material.
good
Elankat-you are correct, I have never purchased a handmade quilt. I was stating my own opinion on it and I think there are likely many people like me who also were not aware of the costs associated with the time and expense that go into it. Thank you for clarifying but I will stand firmly in my original comment that to ME I find this price tag steep. Off to research quilting now.... :)