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.