Quilts from the Springville Museum of Art (part 1)

Each year, the Springville Museum of Art (Utah) has one of the best quilt shows around.  It features award-winning quilts from Utah, a state blessed with an abundance of accomplished quilters. Here are some highlights of this year's show!

Note: please check out our E-Bay shop for great bargains on quilt patterns and collectibles ! For continuous free quilt patterns, please visit us on Twitter !

The Circle of Life: Sunshine and Shadows by Shirley Olsen

Winner of a ribbon for Best Solitaire Machine Quilting, Shirley writes, "This quilt was begun in the 2016 Utah Quilt Guild "Quilt Fest" class taught by Jacqueline de Jonge, the pattern's creator. I love its complicated and intricate design and how it depicts the sunshine and shadows of my life."

Shirley continues, "I chose all of the fabrics from my stash and created my own quilting designs." The quilting was done on Shirley's Bernina 820 machine. Her precision workmanship on all of the delicate spiky points, plus the feathered quilting patterns, make this quilt a real show-stopper.

Caleb the Camel by Katherine Porter, quilted by Virginia Gore

Katherine explains, " This has been my year to explore new techniques. I was drawn to this particular pattern for two reasons: first, the bold beautiful colors, and second, its relationship to the Sahara Desert."

Katherine continues, "Every time I have flown over that huge space and on one occasion stood on its very edge, I have wished to be exploring the mysteries it holds. I still wish for that, but age is creeping in, and it may only happen in my dreams." Katherine has done a spectacular job on using applique and collage techniques to give the camel a dynamic and energetic look. Pattern by Laura Heine. 

Twilight by Judy Fitzgerald, quilted by Xenia Stirland

Judy notes, "This quilt was designed by Wendy Williams from Australia (Urban Owls pattern). I loved being able to use my own colors and embellishments. I loved doing the machine applique."

We love owls, and these are some of the cutest applique owls we've seen. They studiously observe the vibrant garden beneath them.. There are so many fun motifs to look at in Judy's quilt, that each section brings a fun new discovery.

Caribbean Dreams by Ruth Davis

Ruth explains, "I sit on the beach, listening to the waves crash against the shore. The hues of turquoise and teal against the cream-colored sands radiate warmth. Tropical birds perch in nearby trees with their songs, a joyful ode to the perfect weather. The sun dips below the horizon.....and [the stars] twinkle like a nursery rhyme."

Ruth adds, "I take the final stitches on my quilt using "Pearl and Mermaid" colored threads, couching re-purposed silk yarns onto the stars as the snow falls outside my window, and I dream of the Caribbean. This quilt was made using 'Lone Star' blocks made over 2018 in the Kaffe Club taught by Kaye Evans. I went totally off task this year and made my Kaffe [Fassett] fabrics the background and the cream fabric the stars! The appliques and quilt layout are my own designs." 
We love Ruth's idea to use cream fabric for the stars, and the Kaffe Fassett fabrics work beautifully, especially for the vividly colored bird sitting placidly amongst the eye-catching tropical foliage. Ruth's wonderful quilt is a great success.

Impressions of Brugge by Florence Evans

Winner of a Blue Ribbon Award of Excellence from the Utah Valley Quilters Guild, Florence says, "Brugge, often called "The Venice of the North", is a beautiful city in northwestern Belgium, full of canals, cobbled streets, and medieval buildings. This quilt is a compilation of the images of the city rather than a depiction of an actual street/canal scene."

Florence continues, "The churches, bridges, tiled roofs...and stair-step gables of Dutch architecture were constructed individually using improvisational piecing techniques. The elements were then fitted together, and the water and sky were filled in. The dense machine quilting (done on a traditional home sewing machine) adds details and texture to the piece."
Florence has done an excellent job of selecting fabrics, piecing, and quilting to emphasize the architectural details of Brugge, and the care she has taken in her work is reflected in this lovely quilt.

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2019 Springville Museum of Art show.