The 50th Annual Utah Quilt Show! (4)

Welcome back to the 50th Annual Utah Quilt Show! This show features some of Utah's finest quilters. Each quilt displays a convergence of artistry and creative decision-making, with the meticulous technical work required at every step of the quilting process.  We hope you enjoy our photos!

p.s. Check out our E-Bay shop for quilt materials & patterns, jewelry, and collectibles! We also invite you to follow us on Twitter ! 

Boho Heart (2023), made and quilted by Marcia Peterson. 

We love the warm colors in this large sampler heart quilt. Marcia Peterson says, "My quilt group each used their own favorite fabrics to make Jen Kingwell's Boho Heart pattern. I loved seeing how each quilt turned out different.  This was my take on the pattern."

Ezi's Quilt by Mary Duke, quilted by Dawna Sine.

Mary Duke says, "This is my first collage quilt. I started this quilt when my daughter was pregnant with our sweet granddaughter, Ezi. Some people say the baby has too much hair. When our sweet girl was born, her hair was over 2 inches long in some spots. I changed the pattern a bit to look more like my daughter. It was so fun creating this quilt... This quilt now hangs over our granddaugher's bed."

My 100 Block Journey (2024), made and quilted by Helen Butler.

Helen Butler says, "What started out as one quilt ended up being a completely different quilt simply by laying these 100 "Log Cabin" blocks out a completely different way.  Each block began with a black velvet square and was surrounded by a variety of silk, batik, and cotton fabrics. One day I was playing with these blocks and I artfully laid them out in the "Barn Raising" pattern according to their color.  It turned out to be a completely different quilt!"

 

The hand quilting lines can be seen in this closeup photo, below.

My "Happy" Carnival Flower (2024), made and quilted by Diane Wilber.

Diange Wilber says, "My "Happy" Carnival Flower is merrily twirling within sun-kissed waves. I colored the quilt in Quiltster, try8ing to capture Mother Nature's vibrant organic blends with my fabrics.  This quilt features hand appliqued dots and gumdrops, original center yellow flange, scalloped/wave border with double flange split binding, and braid trim edging" [shown below].

Mariners in a Pickle with Sunset (2023) by Sherrie Chambers, quilted by Cecile Wilson.

Winner of a Blue Ribbon (Award of Excellence), Sherrie Chambers says: "I thought the pattern looked lovely, so I accepted the challenge to make this lovely quilt. The sunset came from a picture I took while on a cruise in Alaska." Details of the beautiful batiks and precision piecing are shown below.

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

Best of the Utah Quilt Show! (part 3)

Here are more outstanding quilts from the the 43rd Annual Springville (Utah) Quilt Show! This juried exhibition features quilts of all styles created by some of the State’s finest quilters. We are always impressed by the quality and beauty of the quilts by these Utah quilters.

Please note: We're continuously posting free patterns on Twitter !
We're also selling beautiful quilting and crafting books at low introductory prices on e-Bay!

Mariner's Compass by Josephine Keasler, quilted by Wade Wardrop

This Mariner's Compass design is by Judy Niemeyer. Josephine Keasler says, "The use of color was a challenge and a tool in making this quilt. I wanted the color placement to have a balance around the compass. This was accomplished by using a dark and a light of the 8 colors and moving the colors one position over every time I added another layer."

We loved the intricate, filigree-like quilting by Wade Wardrop as shown below:

Tessellation by Jen Van Orman, quilted by Kaylene Perry

Jen Van Orman says, "This quilt represents what quilting is to me: an art form. Whether a quilt is meant to hang on a wall, be used on a bed, or go with a family to soccer games, it is a piece of art that provides comfort and beauty." The tessellation quilt pattern is by Alison Glass, done in an ombre version with fabrics by Vanessa Christenson.

Paricutin by Maria Hawkins, quilted by Becky Morganson

This brilliant French braid quilt is done in 12 gradated hues of yellow, orange and red. Maria Hawkins says, "Paricutin was named for a volcano that grew from a corn field in Mexico where I lived as a child. I love to work with batiks, the color black, and any bright fabric." 

Flowers to Towers - Island in the Sky by Peggy Harty

Peggy Harty lives in Moab, Utah, near Canyonlands National Park. Peggy says: "In 2014, Canyonlands National Park celebrated its 50th anniversary. Our guild picked that theme for our annual challenge. I used one of my own photographs to create this quilt." In the closeup photo below, you can see French knots that represent flowers.

Dakota Sunset by Marian Murdock

Recipient of a blue ribbon and Award of Excellence, Marian Murdock says: "Dakota Sunset is my depiction of the beautiful sunsets on the prairies of South Dakota at the time when the buffalo roamed free. The Native American culture is also represented in this quilt." Dakota Sunset was quilted on a domestic machine with some very creative designs including feathers and tepees.  We are seeking the source of this great design.

Kaffe Pinwheels by Charlene Nelson

Charlene Nelson says,"The pinwheels are made from some Kaffe Fassett fabric that I had bought in Houston one year. I made paper pieces for the pinwheels and constructed them using the English paper piecing method. They are appliqued onto solid backgrounds. Many of them are hand-dyed fabrics that were in my stash. The checkerboard backgrounds are quilted with Magnifico thread."

Rainbow Furrows by Barbara Colton, quilted by Dixie Sargent

I had always wanted to do a log cabin quilt and decided to use up my scraps to do it. Fortunately, I had enough rainbow colors to make this without buying much extra. The setting is ‘straight furrows’ but since I used rainbow colors, I call it ‘Rainbow Furrows.’”

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration.

Best of the September quilt show! Day 2

Welcome to a new season of quilt shows ! We had a wonderful time at the Diablo Valley Quilters' show in Walnut Creek, California ! Here is Day 2 of  some of our favorites from this fun show.

California Jane by Kathy Fitzpatrick

Kathy notes, "I started this quilt in 2009 with the Diablo Valley Quilters' California "Dear Jane Group" and the book by Brenda Papadakis.  I finished in July 2015."  That's actually pretty fast work, as the average Dear Jane quilt has approximately 225 different blocks !  Kathy's work is a true masterpiece and clearly destined to be an heirloom quilt for her loved ones.

Closeup, California Jane by Kathy Fitzpatrick

Gorgeous shades of sapphire and periwinkle blue provide an eye-catching contrast against the white background. The blues alternate with lemon yellow and gold blocks. Kathy pieced, appliqued and hand-quilted California Jane by herself.  We'll be posting more close-up photos on Pinterest.

Santorini Afternoon by Fran McNamee

Fran explains, "[This quilt was] pieced from my original design and photo of Santorini (a Greek island on the southern Aegean Sea).  The [piecing] technique came from Sue Rasmussen's class at the Empty Spools Quilt Seminars at the Asilomar Conference Center in Pacific Grove, California." Fran's delightful, realistic depiction of this sun-dappled, volcanic island shows her excellent use of perspective, light, and shadow to give dimension to the white-washed buildings.

Close-up, Santorini Afternoon by Fran McNamee

The vibrant blue tile of the ancient church rooftops mirrors the blue of the jewel-like sea. Fran designed, pieced, and quilted this fabulous project by herself.

Complementary Colors by Lynne Douglas

This quilt with its whimsical, expressive face reminds us of a Picasso abstract painting !  We especially loved the blue hair braid that graces the subject's face. Lynne is a member of the Creative Fiber Artists group in this guild and explains, "The challenge was complementary colors. Orange is my favorite color, so I had to use its complement, which is blue. I love doing portrait quilts, and this was so much fun to do." Lynne pieced and quilted this original design herself.

Giant City in Fall by Suzi Dillinger

Here's a quilt done in languid, watercolor fabric that perfectly depicts a quiet afternoon in autumn. Suzi notes, "Giant City State Park in Illinois was one of my mother-in-law's favorite spots." The quilt was based on Suzi's original photo of the park. Free-motion quilting over tulle adds to the texture of the water, woods and sky.

Pickled Pepper by Debby Horton, quilted by Loretta Jones

Debby writes, " I made this quilt at a class taught by Vicki Wind at Wooden Gate Quilts in March 2014. This was my first paper-pieced quilt!"  We think that Debby's quilt turned out spectacularly.  The vibrant colors and energetic prints are extremely eye-catching, and the border of little birds gives an especially cheerful touch. The pattern was designed by Judy Niemeyer.

Sunny Spring Frost by Diane Chambers, quilted by Christine Zachow

Diane says, " Sunny Spring Frost is based on the 'Earth, Wind, and Fire' pattern by Linda Ballard. Her class called for three color families with six fabric in each, but I instead explored jewel tones and their pastel counterparts. My 'families' were jewel, pastel, and yellow. 'Sunny' refers to the center of each Ohio Star and the diagonal yellow chains; 'Spring' to the color palette; and 'Frost' to the batik backing and binding."

Sunny Spring Frost by Diane Chambers

These gorgeous, color-saturated batiks remind us of bowls of ice cream sherbet in a rainbow of hues!  We admire Diane's excellent fabric selection and workmanship.  Christine Zachow  quilted the blocks with large butterflies and flowers.

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration.

Highlights of the 2014 Arizona Quilters' Guild show - Day 2

 The Arizona Quilters' Guild just keeps getting better each year ! We think you'll enjoy these interesting and beautiful highlights.  

Shaman's Dream by Sheila Arnold, design by Sue Olfers

Second place winner for Small Appliqued Quilts, Sheila notes, "I didn't trust just fusing the appliques, so I machine blanket-stitched them using variegated thread. The pieced background adds dimension and interest to this quilt."  We were intrigued by the vivid complementary colors of Sheila's work.  The design is by Sue Olfers at Off Your Rocker Designs.

Close up, Shaman's Dream by Sheila Arnold

Sheila adds that her work was inspired by the "Shaman's Dream" quilt pattern by Sue Olfers. This vibrantly colored pattern features hunter and animal motifs which are based on petroglyphs of the southwestern United States.

Pickle Promenade by Betty Santa

First place winner in the Machine Embroidery category, Betty notes that her lovely work was constructed using the foundation piecing technique. Betty chose the fabric and thread herself. If you're enchanted by machine embroidery, this work is a real show-stopper.

Close up, Pickle Promenade by Betty Santa

Betty used the Pickle Promenade pattern by Sharon Schamber, based on the traditional "Pickle Dish" quilt pattern. For a detailed and comprehensive lesson on how this magnificent embroidery is created, please see Sharon's instructional You Tube video.

Labyrinth by Nancy McFall

First place winner in the category of Modern Quilts,  Nancy explains, " [A] labyrinth is traced from its entrance to the center, then out again. It's the journey that's important, not the destination. I made it for my son, Chad. "  We really like the way that Nancy used lighter fabric in the center of the quilt to give it such a glowing, luminous effect.
Nancy's dynamic work is based on Wendy Wetzel's Labyrinth of St. Omer pattern, available online from the American Quilters' Society.

Roo Garden by Vicki Bohnhoff

Winner of the Excellent Use of Color Award and second-place winner for Large Pieced Quilts, Vicki notes, "Returning to Australia in 2009, I purchased Aboriginal fabrics [and[  became addicted to 3/4 " hexagons. [I] depicted a kangaroo, dawn rays, and flowers with 4,125 pieces."  Roo Garden also won First Place Traditional Pieced at IQF Houston 2013.

Close up, Roo Garden by Vicki Bohnhoff

We loved all the fabulous fabrics in Vicki Bohnhoff's spectacular quilt, which was an original design. You can hear Vicki talk about making her quilt in this video:

Red Mountain by Audrey Good

Third place winner for Best Group Quilt, these quilters took parts of a painting and made blocks with fabric, yarn, and thread, separating them with handsome neutral tones for the sashing and border. We love the great three-dimensional effect that shows up in Attic Windows pattern quilts, and this one is no exception!

Close up, Red Mountain by Audrey Good

Amidst these sparkling colors, on the right,  you can see the embellished, tall slender, Ocotillo cactus, well-known in the Southwest. The group who made this original design was inspired by Audrey Good's painting of  Red Mountain, a natural geologic site in Mesa, Arizona.

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration.

Some summery quilts

At the recent 2013 Arizona Quilters' Guild Show we saw some quilts whose beautiful colors of orange and raspberry sherbet, periwinkle blue, lemon yellow, and sage meadow green, reminded us of the joys of nature during the summer season. We hope you like them as much as we do.  And, if you're working on a quilt this season, please let us know in the Comments below !  We love to read about your latest creations.

Grandma’s Stellar Array by Ann L. Petersen

Second place winner for Mixed Techniques -Small Quilts, Ann says, "This was a challenge quilt using an Oriental print. I thought the background looked like Civil War reproductions, so I made a traditional-looking quilt." 

Close up, Grandma’s Stellar Array by Ann L. Petersen

 

Here, you can see Ann's excellent and accurate piecing of the tiny diamonds in the feathered star blocks.

Through Hubble’s Window by Alicia Sterna

Honorable Mention winner for Art/Abstract Quilts, Alicia notes," [This quilt was] originally conceived as an exploding flower inspired by Peggy Martin's Millenium Star. The final design reminded me of images sent back from the Hubble Telescope." We think that the black and deep blue backgrounds really create a dramatic "deep space" effect for this quilt.

OMG- A Million Tiny Pieces by Joan McNamara

Third place winner in the Large Pieced Quilts category, Joan writes, " I love this miniature piecing. Thee are over 15,000 pieces in this quilt and 40 different fabrics- 100% cotton, with wool batting." The design,  "Omigosh", is by Sue Garman.

Close up, OMG- A Million Tiny Pieces by Joan McNamara

Take a look at the pretty nine-patch sashing which separates the larger, traditional Monkey Wrench or Churn Dash squares ! The nine patches that create the chains are 1-1/2" finished, as are the half square triangles. The little four patches on point are 1" finished. With the refreshing white background, this large quilt provides the perfect decor for a summertime bedroom.

From Sunup to Sundown by Barbara Jansen

Honorable Mention winner for Best Use of the 2013 Theme, "Trends and Traditions", Barbara states: "Traditional quilting is honored in the familiar blocks revived over decades of American quilting. Batik colors and patterns reflect the global influence in today's fabric trends."

Close-up,  From Sunup to Sundown by Barbara Jansen

Barbara's very interesting and well-designed center motif of native women carrying their baskets and their children in the traditional style contrasts perfectly with the contemporary New York Beauty blocks on the outside border of the quilt. There's so much to see in this very eye-catching quilt.

Summer Kaleidoscope by Valene Sattler

Summer Kaleidoscope is part of the Red Rock Round Robin Challenge, where one quilter begins a quilt design, then other quilters add to the quilt and eventually complete it.  The split complementary colors of orange, blue, green, and lavender create a lovely effect and remind us of taking an outside stroll in the summer twilight.

In the close-up below, notice how the semi-trapunto butterflies float gaily and almost ethereally in the closely quilted periwinkle sky background.

Close-up- Summer Kaleidoscope by Valene Sattler

Check out the tiny ladybugs, adorned with small beads, which carefully make their way among the tall grasses. The multi-color border of narrow strips creates a cheerful, lively effect and adds to the quilt's personality.

Watermelon Smiles by Sharon L. Angelo

Sharon writes, "Tedious paper piecing done, I beamed with relief and celebrated with some juicy watermelon. Upon finishing the quilt, I broke into an enormous grin."  We can certainly empathize with Sharon, as we've experienced the sense of accomplishment and relaxation that comes with completing a major quilt project.

This distinctive design is known as "Rattlesnake" by Karen Stone; for further information, please see Wanda Hanson's "Exuberant Color" blog.


Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration.