Quilt Fiesta! The annual Tucson Quilters Guild show (1)

It's quilt show time!  The annual Quilt Fiesta, held last weekend by the Tucson Quilters Guild, is an outstanding show. We're rolling out some of our favorite photos from the show.

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Abuelita Scrappy Quilt by Millie Burgheimer

Winner of an award in the thread painting category, Millie Burgheimer created a lovely portrait as a tribute to grandmothers who quilt. She says,  "Our grandmothers (abuelitas) often made quilts by hand or [with an] old sewing machine.  They used old scraps and feed sacks. [This was] a fun project to create by thread painting and fabric that was given to me." 

Southwest Sunrise by Luanne Wood

This stunning quilt was based on the 2020 Southwest Sunrise BOM (block-of-the-month) by Reeze L. Hanson.  Luanne Wood says, "I learned a lot about New Mexico's Zuni Indian tribe from this pattern.  I added thread drawn motifs of Arizona's Sonoran Desert in the corners of the main section and revised the outer border with more Zuni thread-drawn motifs." The quilt won Judge's Choice plus an Exemplary Machine Quilting award.

Bienvenidos by Tami Graeber

Bienvenidos ("Welcome") won the 1st place Viewer's Choice award. Tami Graeber says, "I love painting Mexican tiles; this is my 5th tile quilt. It was inspired by a stairway at the McNay Art Museum in San Antonio, Texas. The stairs were painted one row at a time and machine appliqued into place."

Southwest Lone Star by Kris Neifeld

This beautiful Lone Star quilt was based on the book, All-Star Quilts, by Helen Frost and Blanche Young (available at Amazon and other bookseller sites). We loved the combination of coppery oranges and reds with turquoise and teal blues. This classic Southwest color combination was achieved with batik fabrics.  The top was made and quilted by Kris Neifeld.

Monument Valley by Richard & Shari Thompson

This intriguing digital quilt was a collaboration between Richard and Shari Thompson.  Creating the border from a Navajo rug purchased by his grandmother in 1935, Richard used Photoshop to blend 40 of their Monument Valley images into a single file.  When this was printed on fabric, Shari quilted and embellished the scene. The detail was outstanding, as shown in this closeup photo of the sheep.

Tree of Life by Kay Walen

This wonderful foundation-pieced quilt was based on a design by Lisa Fryxell at the PreFurred Quilt Shop. Kay Walen says, "This quilt is entirely paper pieced.  I needed to improve my skills [with this technique]... I had a large learning curve and lots of reverse sewing opportunities and wasted fabric." The result, as you can see, was outstanding! This Tree of Life was quilted by Double T Quilts.

 

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

The 2022 Tucson Quilters Guild Fiesta (2)

Can you believe it... an in-person quilt show! WOW! We hope you enjoy these fabulous creations from the talented quilters of the Tucson Quilters Guild.  As you can see, they have been quilting up a storm for the last two years.  Here is Part 2 of our photos.

Also check out our E-Bay shop for great bargains on quilt patterns, fabric, and vintage jewelry!
For more free quilt patterns, please visit us on Twitter.

Waiting to Dance by Millie Burgheimer

Millie notes that her quilt shows Native American sisters waiting to dance at a tribal powwow in the city of Prescott, Arizona, a medium-size town in the mountains, about three hours north of Phoenix, Arizona. Millie used thread and beads as embellishment of three layers of fabrics. 

 Millie quilted this very artistic work herself. Her work is known for its soft colors, texture, subtle depictions of light and shadow, and a very realistic depth of field.

Old Pueblo Stories by Cindi Huff

Second place winner for one person, machine quilted, applique quilts, Cindi writes, "This quilt depicts historically relevant places here in Tucson, including the University of Arizona and St. Augustine's Cathedral. Cindi took a class from artist Catherine Skow,  who supplied the pattern. Cindi's creation is a fascinating look at diverse architectural details found in this city.
 

In this close-up of the cathedral, you can see Cindi's careful attention to detail. Cindi quilted this work herself and says that she learned a lot about Tucson from Tucson native and quilt teacher Catherine Skow.
 

 Wait For Me by Jo Brickwell

First Place winner for Art Pictorial Quilts, Jo notes, "[This] original design was created in Ricky Tims' "Gridified Art Quilts" class. We see many quail families in our yard, and there is always a straggler trying to catch up with the group. So I am calling this "Wait for Me."

Jo quilted her amazing work herself and chose the perfect subject matter by portraying these cute birds against the backdrop of the desert, mountains, and sky. 

Alaska Rainbow by Meg Silvern, quilted by Linda Powell

Meg comments that during the Covid quarantine, she and her sister each made this quilt during an online quilting class. The pattern is by Edyta Sitar at Laundry Basket Quilts.  Meg made the quilt from a kit, which included all the top fabrics.

Vibrant cottons,  saturated with color, arranged in designs resembling snowflakes and stars,  make this quilt a real eye-catcher. We like the geometric lines of the blocks and the cheery bright fabrics. 

Jane's Wedding Ring by Jane Smith

 Here's the dynamic Diamond Wedding Ring pattern  designed by Judy Niemeyer from Quiltworx. Jane made a great choice when deciding to include this elegant pattern in the Tucson show. Jane explains, "I like paper piecing, batiks, and wedding ring quilts, so this pattern seemed like a good choice for me. "

Jane adds, " I don't like to do applique, so I simply left the applique off my quilt. I quilted it on a Gammel longarm machine using the Creative Studio Software.

Sea Side Sunset by Malcolm Neifeld, quilted by Kris Neifeld

Malcolm remarks, "On a Lone Star kick with my mother, I decided to make my first ever. Skimming through Helen Frost's  Lone Star book, I saw the design and had an idea to make it on my own. "

 Malcolm adds, "I really enjoyed sunset colors, and I thought my first Lone Star would fit the look."

This beautiful scheme of warm and cool hues with soft monochromatic shading, provides a lovely watercolor effect. Malcolm's work really sparkles against the dark background.

Image credits: Photos were taken at the 2022 Tucson Quilters Guild show.

Blooming nine-patch: a perennial favorite

Did you ever construct a quilt which looked really challenging, but was incredibly fun to make because the patchwork was so simple? Well, the blooming nine patch is one of those intriguing patterns. It gives us  the impression of a color wash with the easiest of piecing:  nothing but 9-patch and same-size solid squares.  That's all !

Each solid block alternates with a nine-patch that uses the two adjacent fabrics, creating a subtle transition from one fabric to the next.  The pattern was first published in 1996 by Blanche Young with her daughter, Dalene Young Stone, in their classic book Tradition With a Twist.   Another daughter, Helen Young Frost, arranged the design in concentric diamonds, much like the Amish Trip Around the World pattern.

Batik blooming nine patch, quilt kit, 85 x 93, at Stitchin' Heaven

Blooming nine patch quilts look gorgeous with mottled or tonal fabrics which can blend into each other and create a contrast which is subtle and nuanced. This Stitchin' Heaven kit relies on an orange multicolored fabric of apricot, peach, and tangerine shades, set off by a medium grape inner border. We are showing some of the fabric swatches below, courtesy of Nichole Croft at Stitchin Heaven.

Blooming nine patch quilts are a great way to use medium value or lighter value batiks, because they will produce the gradual variation in tones that give such a soft and gentle look to this design. Also, Stitchin' Heaven has a great selection of quilt kits and block-of-the-month programs (check out their amazing red Dear Jane).

 Nova, by Helen Young Frost, at the Arizona Quilters Hall of Fame

For an inspiring read, check out Helen Young Frost's fascinating biography at the Arizona Quilters' Hall of Fame. Helen is the daughter of Blanche Young and the co-author of Radiant Sunshine and Shadow. One of the early teachers of contemporary rotary cutting and strip piecing, she writes that she has always loved the symmetry and design of the traditional Sunshine and Shadow pattern as depicted in "Nova".

Like many residents of the American West, Arizonans enjoy a "big sky" earthscape, and it's easy to imagine that Helen was motivated to create this quilt from the colors of the sunrise and sunset in her home town of Tucson, Arizona. We like the half-square triangle border, which adds to the contemporary geometric effect of the medallion pattern.

Blooming Nines, 88 x 93, by Peg Graney at Sew Fresh Fabrics, as seen at the 2009 Rising Star Quilters Guild Showcase

Peg Graney won a People's Choice Award at the 2009 Rising Star Quilters showcase for "Blooming Nines", which was machine quilted by Cathy Harnisch.   In her show statement, Peg says:  "I love this pattern because of the fluid look that is created despite all the hard geometric blocks. It was fun picking the fabrics and see how each new row changed the whole look of the quilt." Peg gave the quilt an upbeat contemporary look by incorporating bright colors, along with a lively blue and white pattern at the edge of the inner border.  You can see more of her quilts at Ivy Arts and the Mixt Media Fine Art Gallery. Peg Graney's current blog (and online shop) is Sew Fresh Fabrics.

Blooming nine patch, 72 x 82, by Sarah Griffin, at the 2010 Rising Star Quilters Guild Showcase

The Rising Star Quilters guild in Lexington, MA has so many talented members that their shows are always wonderful. This Blooming Nine Patch, constructed by Sarah Griffin and machine quilted by Laurie LaConte, won first prize, People Choice, for Large Quilts at the 2010 RSQ show. Sarah has superbly blended the neutral tans and chocolate shades so that this quilt would work well in any room in the house, but she has also added a dash of sparkle right outside the russet inner border.  Sarah says:  "I love the way the colors blend into one another going from light in the center to dark at the outer edges."

Paisley Peacock, by Faith Wescom, as photographed by Susie Ziegler at the 2009 Chicago International Quilt Show

The Paisley Peacock quilt was a showstopper at the International Quilt Show in 2009. Faith Wescom says that this quilt is one of her favorites.  Her husband, Gary, notes: "This design originated from a desire to experiment with different but similar shades of fabric. Faith thought they looked good together while on the bolt. I think they look even better assembled into a quilt!"  You can see this and other quilts by Faith Wescom at the Wescom website.  For another photo, see the 2009 Quilt Show Favorites post by Violette Severin. Many thanks to Susie Ziegler for permission to use her photo.

Sunset Garden, by Helen Frost and Catherine Skow, from the book Radiant Sunshine and Shadow and the Quilts 2011 Calendar

Helen Frost and Catherine Skow have used their expert color placement skills to create a quilt with a shimmering halo, which really catches the eye. Like most blooming nine patch patterns, the focal point falls close to the center medallion or the inner 50% of the quilt. Helen has enhanced this radiant effect by choosing a color which is complementary and a few shades lighter than the color of the medallion. In this case she has selected orange as the complement to the muted grape inner medallion, but not just any orange. It's a pastel muted yellow-orange which provides radiant highlights for the medallion itself.

Baby blooming nine patch, detail of work in progress, by Lynn Stalowy at the Bigfork Bay Cotton Company

The blooming nine patch pattern provides a great way to use fabrics from a collection. Lynn Stalowy, quilter and shop owner, says: "This is one of those patterns that looks good in any type of fabrics... I have done it in Cherrywoods, batiks, and just regular cottons like here." You can read the fun post about the project at the Bigfork Bay Cotton Company blog. For those not familiar with the store: check out the Bigfork Bay Cotton Company (in Bigfork, Montana and online). They have a really unique selection of patterns and kits which we love.

Books: Tradition with a Twist and Radiant Sunshine and Shadow

*Image credits and links: Images are shown with permission.  The photo of Paisley Peacock by Susie Ziegler can be seen at the IamSusie photostream on Flickr, and Susie Ziegler's blog can be found at http://iamsusie.blogspot.com/.

Note added on 2-26-2011:  Helen Frost explains that the original 'blooming nine patch' design was inspired by an antique quilt of a friend of Helen's.  At a trunk show in Phoenix Arizona, on February 26, 2011,  Helen showed off the quilts from All Star Quilts - 10 strip-pieced Lone Star Sparklers.  You can see the trunk show photos at our Flickr photostream.