Quilt Fiesta! The annual Tucson Quilters Guild show (5)

It's quilt show time!  The annual Quilt Fiesta, held by the Tucson Quilters Guild in Arizona, is an outstanding show. Here are more of our favorite photos.

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Braided Star by Kathie Miller, quilted by Nancy Stein

Kathie Miller says, "This one-time free download from Angela Walters used a binding tool to make the trapezoids that form the braids, making that part of the construction simple. (Pattern source: Braided Star by Angela Walters.) Putting it all together was a bit of another story but once it all came together, the result was pretty stunning." We agree!

Fluffy by Linda Cote

This fantastic collaged quilt was based on the Doodle-Doo Rooster applique pattern by Laura Heine. We love Linda Cote's choice of colorful florals to create this whimsical bird!

Truffle Duffel by Suzanne McLean, quilted by Nubin Minerd

This gorgeous wool applique quilt has multiple ribbons, including a Judge's Recognition award.  It was based on Sue Spargo's 2021 bock-of-the-month program.  The wool background was hand appliqued with a variety of mushroom designs done in wool and cotton. These were extensively embellished with a variety of stitches done with decorative threads. Some of the beautiful details can be seen in the closeup photo below.

Slot Canyon Shadows by Natalie Furrey

This quilt is amazing. Winner of the Exemplary Piecing award, plus a 2nd place Viewers Choice award, this masterpiece was created with an original set of traditional quilt blocks. Natalie Furrey says, "This quilt was inspired by trips to Northern Arizona's slot canyons, a photograph by Michael Fatali, and the colors of northern Arizona.  For the curious - the pieces were counted to be 11,362. [The] time invested to complete [this quilt] was 3 continuous years."  Wow.

Welcome Wagon by Ruth Murray Hill, quilted by Carol Gutierrez

Is there anything more cheerful than a yo yo quilt?  To create this quilt, 620 handmade yo-yos were attached to machine-pieced quilt blocks.  Ruth Murray Hill says that the pattern was from Kim Diehl's Simple Graces book.  This must have been fun to create!

Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2023 Tucson Quilters Guild show.

Fall Into Fall !

We love the warm and cozy look of folk art quilts ! Many are done in autumn colors and primitive styles.  Here are some outstanding quilts that remind us of days gone by.  This post is titled Fall Into Fall after the first quilt, which is rendered in beautiful fall colors.  We hope you enjoy today's quilts!

p.s. Check out our E-Bay shop for great bargains on quilt patterns and collectible items ! For continuous free quilt patterns, please visit us on Twitter !

Fall Into Fall by Yvonne Carter

Yvonne Carter says, "I love fall colors and enjoyed every minute working on this quilt." She fell in love with the picture in Kim Diehl's book, Simple Harvest, and knew that she must make this quilt.  It is part applique and part pieced, and is both hand- and machine-quilted by Yvonne herself.  The pattern is in the book Simple Harvest: A Bounty of Scrappy Quilts and More, available at Amazon and other sources.

In Full Bloom by Marianne Michaels, quilted by Ramona Sorensen

Colorful birds, flowers, butterflies, and a large vase of cut flowers serve as the dominant theme in this stunning quilt, winner of Honorable Mention at the 2019 Springville (Utah) quilt show.  The fibers in this quilt include a combination of wool, cotton, linen and silks.  Marianne Michaels hand dyed many of the wool applique fabrics.  In Full Bloom received Honorable Mention at the Springville show.

This quilt is heavily embellished by hand with a variety of cotton and silk threads; in the closeup photos you can see Marianne's many creative stitches and French knots. The In Full Bloom pattern, by Sue Spargo, is available at Amazon and other sources.

Not So aLone Star by Tamara Johnson, quilted by Lynn Peterson

Lone Star is a traditional Amish quilt design, and many examples are included in the collection of the Folk Art Museum. Tamara Johnson received an Award of Excellence for her Not So aLone Star, which she designed as she prepared to teach a Lone Star Color Theory and Technique class.  She says,  "The experience was challenging and rewarding, and I'm very happy with how this quilt - and others made with the same resources - turned out."

Chanticleer and Company by Laura Brown, quilted by Kim Peterson

We love the color scheme in this delightful quilt. The whimsical roosters, hens, and baby chicks are given a realistic flair by the use of chicken wire-print fabric in the background of the blocks. Laura Brown embellished the edges of the applique pieces with many different decorative stitches, as shown in the closeup photo below.  The Chanticleer and Company quilt pattern is by Nancy Barrett at With Needle and Thread.

Berry Blossoms by Monette Klinkenberg

Monette Klinkenberg created Berry Blossoms with an array of beautiful prints in hues of orange, brown, green, and pale blue gray.  The flower motifs are fused and machine appliqued and adorned with yo yo's in complementary colors.  Monette quilted her creation herself using sswirls and, in the flying geese border, heart motifs. The quilt pattern, designed by Kim Diehl, is available at the American Patchwork and Quilting shop.

If you're inspired by folk art quilts, you may want to check out our recent Free Pattern Day for Folk Art Quilts, including free patterns by Kim Diehl and other top designers !

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2019 Springville Museum Quilt Show (Utah).

Welcome to Modern Quilt Month ! part 4

We're celebrating Modern Quilt Month at Q.I., and we couldn't be more excited about these fun quilts!  So, what makes a quilt modern? According to The Modern Quilt Guild, the characteristics may include the use of bold colors and prints, high contrast, graphic areas of solid color, improvisational piecing, minimalism, and expansive negative space.  This is the fourth of five feature posts.

Note: please check out our E-Bay shop for great bargains on quilt patterns and collectibles ! For continuous free quilt patterns, please visit us on Twitter !

Angles by Penny Morris

Penny notes, "This quilt top is made entirely of silk. [It was] inspired by exercises in Jean Wells' book Intuitive Color and Design. 

Penny quilted this beautiful work herself. These rich, color-saturated fabrics in cool hues, complemented by elegant gold accents all work perfectly together. 

My Rooster by Mona Adams

Mona explains, "This design is by Helen Godden, called Year of the Rooster. The rooster is painted on fabric and embellished with fabric applique. This is my first endeavor into the world of painting on fabric."

Mona herself quilted this very eye-catching, intriguing work. All of the varied quilting patterns really  add a three-dimensional look to this contemporary project.

Guiding Star by Hildegard Pressesky

Hildegard states, "This small quilt ( size 28" x 36") was made in memory of  [fellow quilter] Carol Current , who left me the triangular scraps and who taught me so much about life, friendship, and quilting. [It is] machine pieced and hand quilted."   We admire the lovely workmanship and precision that went into Heildgard's thoughtul work.

Emiliania Huxleyi by Frances Murphy

Red ribbon second place winner in the category of Best Art Abstract quilts, Frances writes, "Emiliania Husleyi was inspired by the Emiliania Huxleyi algae in our ocean that not only help in the formation of could cover and precipitation, but also absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere."

Frances herself quilted this fascinating and original work, with the striking aqua hombre background fabric which provides a very realistic image of sunlight shining into the water from above.

Classy Clams by Penny Morris

Third place yellow ribbon winner in the category of  Best Hand-Quilted Quilts, Penny says, "The top is 100% silk. It is hand embroidered and hand quilted."

Clamshell pieces in these pretty and restful hues are the perfect design motif for showcasing all the different stitches here. We always enjoy seeing fabulous handwork like Penny has accomplished on this project.

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2019 Santa Clara Valley Quilt Association show (Guiding Star) and the 2019 Quilt Arizona show (all others.)

The Best of Quilt Arizona ! day 1

Here are our favorite quilts from the recent Quilt Arizona show!  The annual exhibit by the Arizona Quilters Guild draws visitors from around the country - we even saw license plates from Alaska and most Canadian provinces.  The array of talent at this show is truly impressive!
p.s. Check out our E-Bay shop for great bargains on quilt patterns, fabric, and vintage jewelry !
For continuous free patterns, please visit us on Twitter !      

Navajo Star by Cindy Stohn

Cindy Stohn won Second Place in the Modern quilt category for this original design, inspired by the weavings of the Native Peoples.  Cindy created the feather star design with bold colors. The blue fabric is printed with black and white feathers consistent with the theme of the quilt.  Weaving elements also inspired the quilting designs.

Owl Katsina by Frances Murphy

Frances Murphy created Owl Katsina using fusible and machine applique with commercial and hand dyed fabrics.  According to Frances' website, the inspiration for the figure came from the modern-day Katsina carvings of Jerome Naquatewa, an artist living at the Zuni pueblo 150 miles west of Albuquerque, New Mexico. An image of an owl was quilted into the background.  The Owl Katsina symbolizes intelligence, wisdom and the destroyer of the crop-threatening rodents.

A Country Journal by Caryl Yarmchuk, quilted by Debbie Barlow

Although this was Caryl Yarmchuk's first needle turn applique project... she won a blue ribbon!  The pattern was in her UFO box, and she first thought she would "do just one chicken....!"  The Country Journal patterns are by Maggie Walker.  Debbie Barlow's quilting can be seen in the closeup photo below.

On The Road 2015 by Christine Mahon

We really enjoyed this colorful travel quilt! Christine Mahon says that patterns for the "rows" were collected in each state visited on her travel in 2015.  Fabric choices, embellishments, embroidery and final arrangement make it uniquely hers.  the Idaho block, below, features swimming fish, while the Arizona block has coyotes, saguaro cactus, and mountains.

Dear Paula, With Sincere Thanks, by Karen G. Fisher

This stunning quilt won First Place in the Large Pieced quilt category, along with a special Award of Merit from the National Association of Certified Quilt Judges (NACQJ).  A Paula Nadelstern workshop inspired Karen Fisher to design a nine pointed star.  Bilaterally symmetric fabrics created a true kaleidoscope.  Gold fabrics, buttons and beads added plenty of sparkle.

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration.

Best of Utah: The 44th annual Springville Quilt Show (1)

This annual Springville quilt show is a juried exhibition that features quilts of all styles and sizes created by some of Utah's finest quilters. This is our third year attending the show and the quality of the work is outstanding. Here are some of our favorites!
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Kaleidoscope Walk by Kathi Shunn, Quilted by Ami Krenzel. Award of Excellence.

This quilt took our breath away. It was hand pieced and contains over 2900 pieces and 200 different fabrics. Kathi Shunn says the piecing alone took over a year. The design was based on the the La Passacaglia Quilt from the book Millefiori Quilts by Willyne Hammerstein.

Kathi Shunn says, “My favorite thing about making the La Passacaglia quilt was the ability to treat each rosette as an individual. I didn’t think about how the rosettes would look together until I was at the end just looking at what colors were lacking. I enjoyed the process of one rosette at a time so much that I am making four more of them for each of my children to inherit."

Blessed by Rhonda Montgomery, quilted by Charlene Nelson. Best of Show.

It's no wonder this fantastic quilt received Best of Show.  We loved the creative design and beautiful applique work.  Rhonda Montgomery says the quilt depicts her five children at one of the family's favorite beaches.

Rhonda says, “I have always wanted to make a beach quilt. After many years and several attempts at making an ocean, I decided I could live with this “storm at sea” one. I hand dyed the sky and decided an old mariner’s compass block would be perfect for my sun. I was born in Hawaii and have loved Hawaiian quilts, so I added a beach boardwalk border with appliqued flowers to resemble their style."

Round the Garden by Katherine Porter, quilted by Virginia Gore

The applique and embroidery details on this quilt were absolutely stunning. Katherine Porter says, “When I saw the picture of Wendy Williams’ Round the Garden [quilt pattern] it spoke to my heart and became my personal obsession. I started it in November and considered skipping Christmas to continue my 10-12 hour days. Wendy’s design called for wool applique but I chose to use needle-turned applique."

Katherine continues, “I love embroidery and after making three million, five hundred and sixty two French knots (not an exact number – there may be more!), I still love it. I have absolutely loved making this quilt.”

Woven Rainbow by Kira Carter, quilted by Marion McClellan.

Kira Carter says, “I wanted to push myself and make an illusion quilt in a modern way. The spectrum of colors in this was a challenge to get right but I love the way it turned out.

Kira continues, “Marion [McClellan] and I brainstormed on how to make the quilting pop. We decided on the straight lines to imitate a basket weave with the bold graphic flowers popping out as if in the basket.”

Sweet Millefiori Meadow by Karin Crawford, quilted by Kim Peterson. Award of Excellence.

This quilt reminds us of Spring in all its glory. You can see just about every technique of quilting in this quilt. It is hand pieced, machine pieced, hand appliqued, machine appliqued and hand embroidered. Karin Crawford says she wanted to portray a meadow with everything you can find: flowers, birds, insets, greenery and a beautiful sky.

Karin says Sweet Millefiori Meadow was made of Riley Blake fabric for a challenge in May 2017. She used every fabric in the Meadow Sweets line, and the theme was taken from the fabric line’s name.

Farm Quilt, made and quilted by Joan Hardman

Joan Hartman says, “As a quilter, I like to try new techniques. This art form comes from Marilyn Bedford’s book, Portraits for Fabric Lovers. Bonnie Keller used this technique to take stock photos of animals from the internet and posterize them [for the Farm Quilt pattern]. My quilt includes my three cats, Jimmy, Chloe, and Paddington."  The photo below shows some of the embroidery details.

Joan continues, "I used soft country colors from my stash and searched the Internet for material that looked like barn wood that I could quilt wood grain on. I used Steam-a-Seam to piece the animals and Quilted Treasures to print flowers and such. Each of my farm friends has hand-embroidered details and very little quilting to keep them dimensional.”

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration.