Desert Adventure: Quilt Arizona ! Part 3 : Southwestern Quilts

Warm sunny weather greeted us upon our desert adventure to Quilt Arizona!, the new name for the 2016 annual show of the Arizona Quilters Guild in Mesa, Arizona.  Here's Part 3 of the highlights of the show, plus some of our personal favorites. This week, we're featuring quilts with a southwestern motif !
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Sedona Star by Janet Grant

Second place winner in the Small Pieced Quilts category, Janet writes, "[This] quilt is paper pieced and reminds me of  [the town of] Sedona's red rocks, turquoise and silvery jewelry, and beautiful Arizona sunsets."  Janet has done a wonderful job of selecting fabric hues which exemplify the colors of Arizona's natural scenery, especially the earth and the sky. The design is Glacier Star by Judy Niemeyer.

Closeup, Sedona Star

Sedona Star was quilted by Janet Grant on a track mounted machine. The contemporary quilting pattern on the background really help the flying geese circular medallion "pop" and provide one of the focal points for the viewer's eye. We thought that this quilt was one of the prettiest ones in this year's show.

 Code of the West by Roberta Simpkins

Roberta states about her design,  "I started with a cowboy pattern, but didn't like it. Changed and decided he needed to be out on the range. He is a true cowboy, the code of the rugged American West. " This cowboy fits in perfectly with Roberta's excellent landscape background of cactus, tall rocks, mountains, and sky.

Closeup, Code of the West

Roberta has provided a special touch to this fun quilt by embellishing the cowboy with a real rope, a belt buckle, and brass-colored buttons. Note her careful attention to detail by the addition of  tiny springtime flowers on the cactus plants. Roberta quilted this herself on a track mounted machine.

Talavera de Norris by Susan S. Norris

Susan's quilt depicts the vibrantly colored Talavera ceramics, produced in Mexico and very popular throughout the American Southwest. She notes, "I have always loved Mexican tiles and pottery. This is my interpretation, using dark batik background and an original border... [It is a ] gift for daughter-in-law Brooklee Norris."

Closeup, Talavera de Norris

Susan's fabulous work was hand-appliqued and hand quilted on her lap. We think she did a super job! The pattern for this quilt is Fiesta de Talavera by J. Michelle Watts.

Two Gray Hills by Beverley Shinkle, quilted by Lana Corcoran

Two Gray Hills is a cotton fabric quilt based on a woven wool rug made by the Navajo native people of Arizona. Starting in the 17th century, the Navajo tribespeople acquired a herd of sheep from the Spanish explorers in the region. They used wool from the sheep to make yarn and develop their now famous weaving skills. Navajo rugs are  highly sought after items, and Two Gray Hills is one of the best known patterns of  Navajo weaving.

Closeup, Two Gray Hills

Susan explains, "I have a Two Gray Hills [Navajo woven] rug. When I saw this pattern, I wanted a quilt to match the rug." We think that's a terrific idea to make a quilt based on a rug pattern, and Susan's work turned out exceedingly well !  We really like this quilting motif done by Lana Corcoran on a track mounted machine.  This piecing pattern is Two Gray Hills by J. Michelle Watts.

Desert Etchings by Sharon Husted, quilted by Linda Visnaw

Each block of this intriguing quilt contains a replica of a Petroglyph, a symbol or image of animals or nature engraved into the rocks of the Southwest by ancient peoples. Sharon did beautiful  work on piecing both the front and back on this vivid quilt, as well as the very precise sashing comprised of half-square triangles. The Desert Etchings piecing pattern, plus the embroidery pack of the primitive etching motifs are available  at Sew What Quilting.

Closeup, Desert Etchings

Desert Etchings was machine embroidered and quilted by pattern designer Linda Visnaw on a stationary machine. These softly muted shades of cinnamon, coral, gold, and green give this quilt a warm, glowing effect that is so pretty.

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration.