QuiltCon 2022 Highlights (Finale!)

The outstanding QuiltCon show was held in Phoenix, Arizona this year! Presented by The Modern Quilt Guild, QuiltCon is the largest modern quilting show of its kind. Hundreds of modern quilts were on display, including a juried show with entries from MQG members around the world. Here are some of the remarkable quilts we enjoyed.

Also check out our E-Bay shop for great bargains on quilt patterns, fabric, and vintage jewelry!
For more free quilt patterns, please visit us on Twitter.

Sisterhood of the Traveling Quilt by Kim Soper @lelandavestudios (New York) and Megan Collins @megancollins_a (Texas)

Sisterhood of the Traveling Quilt is made of a combination of New York Beauty blocks (made by Kim Soper in New York) and Friendship Knots (made by Megan Collins in Texas). The large, disrupted blocks give this quilt a fantastic modern "feel"! This quilt began as an idea to keep two friends united across the miles, but it became so much more in the wake of the pandemic.  This traveling quilt journeyed across the U.S. three times in various stages of construction.  The grid quilting was done by Megan on a domestic machine.

Aunt Sophie's Chair by Susan Braverman @wildpoppyquilts (California)

Susan Braverman explains that her Aunt Sophie had a wonderful pink velvet tufted chair in her bedroom. "My childhood visits with her always included story time when I would sit in that chair and get lost in whatever book she was reading to me."  -- This quilt design incorporates negative space with paper pieced "tufting" that loosely interprets the creases of button-tufted upholstery.  The quilting inside the negative spaces adds a wonderful, dimensional effect, creating a convex appearance to the shapes.

Piercing Pyramids by Claire Victor @cvquilts (Arizona)

Piercing Pyramids is part of a series by Claire Victor, who has focused on achieving 3D effects with geometric shapes. Claire says, "I envision it as pyramids with stiff ribbon-like shapes piercing through them.  I have continued the ribbons into the background quilting design." It is English paper pieced, double batted, and free-motion quilted on a domestic Bernina. The quilted swirls within pyramid provide a delightful contrast to the geometric shapes.

Outward by Karin King @karin_quilts (Calgary, Alberta, Canada)

Outward seems to vibrate with positive energy! The original design, by Karin King, was derived from the traditional pineapple quilt block, and pieced using colors seen most often during sunset or sunrise. The quilt suggests movement from the center of the quilt, done in marigold yellow, to the outer edges, in purple. Four solid colors were used to create the gradations. This piece was quilted on a longarm machine.

Zester by Caroline Hadley @geometriquilt (East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia), quilted by Valerie Cooper

Using a simple palette of just two colors, Zester plays with positive and negative space. It is a totally new and modern design, made with just two traditional shapes: the quarter-circle and half-square triangle. The blocks are offset, with a wide margin on the left hand side, while the blocks meet the right-hand edge of the quilt. The straight line quilting - done by Valerie Cooper - adds to the modern, graphic feeling of the design.

Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2022 QuiltCon show.

QuiltCon 2022 Highlights (5)

The outstanding QuiltCon show was held in Phoenix, Arizona this year! Presented by The Modern Quilt Guild, QuiltCon is the largest modern quilting show of its kind. Hundreds of modern quilts were on display, including a juried show with entries from MQG members around the world. Here are some of the remarkable quilts we enjoyed.

Also check out our E-Bay shop for great bargains on quilt patterns, fabric, and vintage jewelry!
For more free quilt patterns, please visit us on Twitter.

Metamorphosis by Terry Smith (Greely, Ontario, Canada), quilted by Nellie Van de Ven

The excellent foundation paper piecing stands out in this stunning quilt by Terry Smith, who participated in a project that helps save Monarch butterflies. Terry says, "When my girlfriend challenged me to enter a quilt in QuiltCon 2022, of course I accepted.  I thought, what can I make that is significant? That makes a statement? Metamorphosis spoke to me, loud and clear."

Beautiful batiks make up the wings of the butterfly, which stand out brilliantly against the neutral gray background. The Metamorphosis pattern was created by Veruschka Zarate at Pride and Joy quilting.The machine quilting (by Nellie Van de Ven) was done with dense pebbles below and around the body, while light quilting was done to follow the lines of the body.

 Surf's Up by Nancy Lambert (Georgia)

Surf's Up really captured our eye with its intriguing design and complementary hues. Nancy Lambert used sunshine colors to evoke the beach and surfing. The machine-appliqued curves, which reminded us of the Art Deco style, were used to represent surf boards, water and waves. It was machine quilted without a frame (domestic).  Colors were gradated for added dimension, as shown in the closeup photo below.

May I Hug You by Gwen Edwards (Keynsham, Avon, UK)

This lovely hand embroidered, hand quilted piece was one of our favorite quilts at the show. It is so beautiful in its simplicity.  Gwen Edwards explains that May I Hug You? is the third in a series about hugs and the pandemic.  It was started as England came out of Lockdown #3 - with rules that included no hugging of anyone outside your "bubble".  Nancy poses the question: "In the future, what will the psychological barriers to hugs be?  May I? May I hug you?"

This piece was hand quilted with two sets of lines, sometimes aligning and sometimes opposing, mirroring our complex relationship with others.

We Are All Made of Stars by Melissa de Leon Mason (Utah)

We Are All Made of Stars beckons the viewer to approach and to admire the details, from the piecing and machine quilting to the hand quilting done with colored threads. The quilt plays with the idea of scale, suggesting the vast sprawl of the universe and the microscopic precision of the human eye.  The rays and sunspots are foundation paper pieced with hand quilting and hand applique in the center.  The quilt is both hand and machine quilted in a swirling galaxy motif.

Stovetop by Linda Leake (California)

There is so much energy and movement in this contemporary pieced quilt - it seems almost to vibrate!  Linda Leake says that she branched out from making traditional quilts, and created her first original design during the pandemic.  "After many hours at the stove either cooking or cleaning up the mess from quilting, the stovetop became my inspiration."

Linda continues, "I loved the experience of making my own fabrics for each spoke from scratch, not always using a ruler to cut, taking changes with color and design, and hand quilting.  Making this quilt taught me to be patient and to be willing to rearrange, start over if necessary, and give the design time to grow."

Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2022 QuiltCon show in Phoenix, Arizona.

QuiltCon 2022 Highlights (4)

The outstanding QuiltCon show was held in Phoenix, Arizona this year! Presented by The Modern Quilt Guild, QuiltCon is the largest modern quilting show of its kind. Hundreds of modern quilts were on display, including a juried show with entries from MQG members around the world. Here are some of the remarkable quilts we enjoyed.

Also check out our E-Bay shop for great bargains on quilt patterns, fabric, and vintage jewelry!
For more free quilt patterns, please visit us on Twitter.

Pride and Joy, 70 x 70", by Veruschka Zarate (California)

Winner of a 1st Place ribbon in the Piecing category, Pride and Joy is a self portrait of Veruschka Zarate and her sons. It is completely pieced together using Foundation Paper Piecing.The quilt is made up of 2,359 shapes and uses 20 cotton fabric colors of Bella Solids by Moda Fabrics. It took 4 months to complete. 

Veruschkz Zarate says, "Although the use of solid colors can increase the margin of error when piecing the quilt, I enjoy clean, modern, minimalistic approaches to quilting to give an impressionistic and modern effect." Pride and Joy was machine pieced, machine quilted on a frame (longarm). 

Blooming Saguaro by the Las Vegas Modern Quilt Guild

This stunning modern saguaro was designed by Anita Wilbur, Quilted by Gina Fiddes, and bound by Sue Green. These members of the Las Vegas NV chapter of MQG chose to celebrate the creative spirit of its membership by highlighting the City of Phoenix as the host of the 2022 QuiltCon.  The quilted stars lend a sparkling 1960's-era vibe.

The Big Fib by Brandy Maslowski (Summerland, British Columbia) 

This stunning Fibonacci swirl is made modern with its jagged edges. Designer and maker Brandy Maslowski says, "Imposter Syndrome is real for many of us. Whether you are dressing yourself for a job interview... or making your side gig your “real” career, we can all feel like we are not good enough. The Big Fib is a whimsical take on the Fibonacci Swirl as the creator (that’s me!) makes the leap from art quilter to Modern quilter, because Yes She Can!” Beautifully quilted by Sam Alberts of Quilting Curve Studio. 

Voltron by Irene Roderick (Texas) 

This striking improvisational quilt was made from strip-pieced elements. Irene Roderick says, "To make the piecing more challenging, I decided to make the quilt symmetrical along the vertical center axis. I started with a single small element in the center of my design wall and added one element at a time then its ‘partner’ until it felt balanced, interesting and joyful. When I stepped back to look at the finished quilt, it reminded me of the Japanese Voltron robots my boys collected when they were young."

Make Something from Nothing by Clara Stoikow (New York) 

This delightful quilt was made from denim scraps (mostly old, torn, sorted out jeans). It serves as a reminder and an invitation to start something new! Clara Soikow says, "A while ago I read somewhere how amazing it is to create – to make something from nothing, to bring something into this world that wasn’t there before. I found that thought fascinating and wanted to turn it into a quilt." 

Tiny Bubbles by Marla Varner (Washington)

Some fascinating optical illusions were created with large and small circles. Tiny Bubbles was quilted during the pandemic. Marla Varner says, "These tiny bubbles kept me occupied while isolated in my own small bubble. All of the quarter circles were traced from templates, cut with scissors and pieced by hand. The curved units were then assembled by machine."

Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2022 QuiltCon show.

QuiltCon 2022 highlights (3)

The outstanding QuiltCon show was held in Phoenix, Arizona this year! Presented by The Modern Quilt Guild, QuiltCon is the largest modern quilting show of its kind. Hundreds of modern quilts were on display, including a juried show with entries from MQG members around the world. Here are some of the remarkable quilts we enjoyed.

Also check out our E-Bay shop for great bargains on quilt patterns, fabric, and vintage jewelry!
For more free quilt patterns, please visit us on Twitter.

Sam and Pam by Patti Coppock (Oklahoma)

If you need a reason to smile, this delightful quilt could do the trick. Sam and Pam seem to have so much personality! 

Patti Coppock explains that the quilt was inspired by a piece of artwork by her grandson, drawn a few years back. She says, "I enjoy hearing the interpretations people share describing the relationship between these two and the reasons for their expressions."  

Sam and Pam was hand appliqued, reverse appliqued, and machine quilted without a frame (domestic).

Dragon Dance by Sheila Frampton-Cooper (California)

Here is a stunning creation by Sheila Frampton-Cooper, who explains how the design came to light: "One day, looking through a yoga magazine, I noticed a simple line drawing of a Mandala, and something inside of me started to stir!  I grabbed my iPad and started drawing like crazy.  The design for this quilt was the first one that came through."

Dragon Dance was created with a mixture of machine piecing and applique.  It was machine quilted without a frame on a domestic machine.

Battistero di Firenze by Laura Armiraglio (Italy)

The stunning Battistero di Firenze was inspired by the flooring of the Baptistery of the Duomo of Florence, Italy. The technique used was reverse applique by hand (wow).  We are in awe of the technical mastery and the graphic, three-dimensional effect which Laura Armiraglio achieved.  The genius lies in the perspective: rather than viewing the floor straight on, Laura uses the perspective of a person standing on the floor, making the viewer feel as if they are in the midst of the scene.

Phosphorific (Tri Color) by Ben Millett (Iowa), quilted by Kristen Lee

An intriguing optical illusion was created by Ben Millett, who wanted to explore using a constant-sized block with varying-sized patches within it.  As he explains, "I was intrigued by the possibility of combining an isosceles right triangle and an orange peel in the same block, and changing the size of both shapes across a quilt. No-pin, no-glue curves add an organic feel to the orange peels, as if they are seedlings sprouting as they use the surrounding water."

Rhythm in Blues by Terry Sargent Peart (Seattle, Washington)

Blue is the color of serenity, as exemplified in this gorgeous quilt by Terry Sargent Peart.  She says, "I was enamored by the symmetry and complexity of the curves and the geometric shapes of this design by graphic artist, Matt W. Moore, who graciously gave me permission to turn it into a quilt.  I took his line drawing and enlarged it to full size for the pattern.  From the paper, I cut out each piece individually and used those as templates to cut and sew the various blues together."

2020 Temperature Quilt by Sarah Schreiner (Colorado)

Here is a quilt that cleverly depicts the cyclical nature of the weather. As a scientist and quilter, Sarah Schreiner used a radial design to represent the cyclical nature of the weather. There are 12 colored wedges, one for each month during 2020. Each strip depicts the high and low temperatures for each day. The temperatures ranged from <5 degrees Fahrenheit for the coldest (purples) to >100 degrees for the hottest (pinks) with 5-degree increments.

Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2022 QuiltCon show.

QuiltCon 2022 Highlights (2)

The outstanding QuiltCon show was held in Phoenix, Arizona this year! Presented by The Modern Quilt Guild, QuiltCon is the largest modern quilting show of its kind. Hundreds of modern quilts were on display, including a juried show with entries from MQG members around the world. Here are some of the remarkable quilts we enjoyed.

Also check out our E-Bay shop for great bargains on quilt patterns, fabric, and vintage jewelry!
For more free quilt patterns, please visit us on Twitter.

Jessica Big Skirt by Patti Coppock (Oklahoma)

Winner of a Judge's Choice award, and 2nd place in the Negative Space category, this quilt by Patti Coppock drew a crowd of admirers at the show for its dynamic design. Jessica Big Skirt was inspired by a drawing, done by Patti's granddaughter when she was 5 years old.  Patti says, "The skirt came together 'accidentally' when I was sewing tiny scraps together for placemats."

Jessica Big Skirt was machine pieced, hand appliqued, and machine quilted on a domestic machine. A fascinating collection of prints and batiks were used to create a dynamic collage.

Sacred by Karen Stone (Texas)

Sacred by Karen Stone is a gorgeous original lotus design made with hand dyed and commercial cottons and silks.  The solid color fabrics in the lotus shapes are contrasted with the prints at the upper and lower edges. Commercial and hand-dyed cottons and silks make up this award-winning applique quilt, which was quilted with a domestic machine.

Illusions of Victor by Linda Hungerford (Florida)

In January 2020, the Central Florida Modern Quilt Guild members were challenged to design and make a quilt based on the art of a midcentury modern artist.  Illusions of Victor was inspired by Victor Vasarely and his optical illusion quilts, these drunkard's path blocks and 45-degree diamonds are pieced from a variety of solid colors and values. The piece was domestic machine quilted with a walking foot and a ruler foot with echo guide.

Windisch by Robert Lowe (New Mexico)

 The inspiration for this piece was the beautiful architecture of the Mülimatt Gymnasium in Windisch, Switzerland designed by Studio Vacchini architects.  Robert Lowe says, "I was taken by the cathedral-like windows surrounding the entire sports complex, allowing an incredible view of the outdoors from within the facility."  This outstanding piece was machine pieced, and machine quilted on a domestic machine.

My Memphis by Corinne Sovey (Texas)

We loved this playful, energetic design! Corinne Sovey says, "I've always been a fan of Memphis design from the 1980s and this is my take on the design aesthetic.  I used turned-edge machine applique for the shapes and chose to add texture to the quilt by adding batting to some of the shapes so they would pop out of the quilt (faux trapunto if you will).  I quilted over some shapes and left the trapunto shapes unquilted so they would jump off of the quilt." This piece was machine quilted without a frame.

Crossed Ribbons #2 by Diane Wespiser (Massachusetts)

Diane Wespiser has created a fascinating optical illusion with Crossed Ribbons #2, which is based on a traditional "knots" block.  The sizes of the blocks were varied and reversed to connect to the grey ribbons, creating a more three-dimensional image.  The center block is the largest, and the peripheral blocks become smaller as they approach the edges. The impression is that of a convex surface. (This quilt was designed in EQ8.) The open spaces were quilted with radiant sun rays.

Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2022 QuiltCon show.