Beating the heat at the 2015 Arizona Quilt Show!

It's already 95°F in Arizona... but, as they say, it's a dry heat! Moreover, it's the perfect occasion to enjoy an air-conditioned quilt show.   This is our 5th year of attendance, and we always look forward to seeing the variety and creativity displayed by members of the Arizona Quilters' Guild.  Let's beat the heat with a look at this year's fantastic quilts! Here is part 1 of our virtual show.

A Splendid Display, 80 x 80", by Cindy Seitz-Krug

This stunning quilt was awarded Best of Show along with 1st place in the Pieced - Large Quilt category.  Cindy Seitz-Krug says, "I have a 'thing' for peacocks, so when this line of fabric came out, I had to make a peacock quilt."  (We recognize the peacock from the 2012 Plume Collection from Timeless Treasures.)

A Splendid Display was hand appliqued, machine pieced and machine quilted.  In the photo above, the tiny stippling, done in blue, makes the gold-outlined feathers really stand out. Here is another closeup photo of the outstanding quilting:

We can't imagine the number of hours that must have gone into this masterpiece; it's no wonder this quilt won the top award at the show.

Spirit of Sedona by Margot McDonnell, Wanda Seale, Evelyn Link, Patricia Bliss, Barbara Janson and Georgia Heller. Quilted by Evelyn Link

This showstopper won the Arizona Quilters Hall of Fame award, which is presented each year to a quilt deemed worthy of special recognition.  A photo of Sedona, Arizona, was first divided into 6 equal vertical pieces. Each piece was made into a quilt by a different person, and then the finished quilted panels were sewn together.

Textures were created with printed/dyed fabric and thread painting.  The fabrics perfectly captured the colors of the bright blue sky, red rocks and green trees we associate with the landscape surrounding Sedona, Arizona.

Later Bob, 36 x 36", by Ann Gonzalez

First Place winner in the pieced-small quilt category, the colors of this quilt capture the colors of the high desert. Ann Gonzalez says, "My daughter and I designed and pieced this quilt for the 2013 Hoffman Challenge, where it received first place for use of challenge fabric."

The quilt was based on traditional log cabin and New York Beauty blocks enhanced with simple yet effective machine quilting.

Lisbeth Lizard and Little Ones by Ruby Koch

Lisbeth Lizard won second place in the Mixed Technique - Small Quilt category. The background  is made of canvas that was painted to resemble a stone wall.  The flowers and leaves in the upper right corner, which resemble bougainvillea, were hand-dyed. Ruby says that the background was the biggest challenge for this quilt. 

The lizard is made with fabric collage.  Ruby says that the collage was inspired by Susan Carlson.  The lizard was enhanced with many decorative threads as shown above.  Small lizards were stenciled on the canvas as shown below.

Tucson Remembers Baltimore by Maggie Hagen

Winner of Honorable Mention at the show, Maggie says that this quilt is her Arizona (Tucson) version of a Baltimore Album quilt.  It was done on “copper” fabric rather than white or ivory, "because Arizona is the copper state."  The blocks include some quilt basket patterns by Helen Frost. The center medallion shows the famous Mission San Xavier del Bac (the White Dove of the Desert) in Tucson.

The block below features the javelina, which can be found in the desert and low mountains surrounding Tucson!

Here is a pretty floral wreath surrounding a heart.

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration.