Quilt Fiesta! The annual Tucson Quilters Guild show (4)

 It's quilt show time!  The annual Quilt Fiesta, held by the Tucson Quilters Guild in Arizona, is an outstanding show. Here are more of our favorite photos.

p.s. Check out our E-Bay shop for great bargains on quilt patterns and collectible items. For continuous free quilt patterns, please visit us on Twitter !

Will by Kathy Godbout, quilted by Wolf Quilting

Kathy Godbout says, "This quilt was created from a photo I took of my dog Will. The collage process was taught by Susan Carlson at a quilt retreat. The quilting was done by Kristy Wolf on top of an old piece of Japanese fabric."  This quilt was framed; it was entered in a new category called "Art - Rigid Finished."

Venus Galactic Explosion by Yvonne M. Flores, quilted by Quality Quilters

Venus Galactic Explosium was based on a Missouri Star Block-of-the-Month project. Yvonne Flores says, "This was a block-of-the-month project during [COVID-19] lockdown. The block pattern and fabric were mailed monthly. It was selected because of the design and warm colored fabrics. The sewing was a stress release."

Happy Trails by Gloria Magee & Carey Larue, quilted by Susan Gorder.

Happy Trails was awarded 1st place in the Group Quilt category. This lovely quilt was based on the ‘Happy Trails’ quilt pattern by Pearl Pereira. Gloria Magee says, "My daughter and I saw this pattern at a workshop we took from Pearl [Pereira]. We decided to make a wall hanging with the center block only. The branding irons represent the initials of my daughter’s five sons."

Mystery Reimagined by Penny Boese

Mystery Reimagined won First Place in its category (One Person Medium Pieced Machine Quilted.) It is a pattern redesign of Michelle Hiatt’s Holiday Sensation Mystery Quilt. Penny Boese says, “I learned I am not a mystery quilt person!"

Penny says, "I started off completing clues but I didn’t like the fabric placement nor blocks as the quilt came together. I left some elements in place, but really redesigned the quilt.” We admired the machine quilting designs and execution, which softens the angular lines of the blocks.

Desert Blossoms by Camille Salisbury, quilted by Brenda Smitley

This stunning applique quilt is a real standout. Camille Salisbury says that Desert Blossoms was based on Nancy Landon’s BOM Cactus Quilt [at the Cactus Quilt Shop.] “I loved choosing bright desert colors for this quilt. I enlarged the pattern to make it a king size quilt.”

3877 by Cherie Swanson, quilted by Quality Quilterz

Cherie Swanson based this fabulous quilt on 'Finger Lakes' in Judy Martin’s Log Cabin Quilt Book. Cherie says, “3877 is the number of pieces in the quilt. Or maybe that’s the number of hours it took to piece it?”Cherie's fabric choices and contrasts make this design sparkle.

Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2023 Tucson Quilters Guild show.

Creativity in Quilting: An Irish Chain Design

Irish chain is a very traditional quilt pattern.  However, today's photos show that Irish Chain quilts can have stunning visual impact! The use of patterned batik fabrics, and innovative embroidery designs, created an outstanding quilt.

p.s. Check out our E-Bay shop for great bargains on quilt patterns and collectible items. For continuous free quilt patterns, please visit us on Twitter !

Southwest Twilling Irish Chain by Nancy Landon, quilted by Brenda Smitley

Nancy Landon created a beautiful double Irish Chain quilt and then embellished the open spaces with 12 different circular embroidery designs, as shown in the closeup photos below.

Nancy created her embroidery designs based on photos of classic or old Southwest Indian pottery and baskets. Twilling is an old European embroidery stitch that makes a knot-like raised texture. (You can find a description of twilling by Mary Corbet on her  Needle n' Thread website.)

Photos of Southwest Twilling Irish Chain were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2023 Tucson Quilters Guild show. This quilt was awarded a 3rd Place ribbon in the "Other Techniques" category in the show.
 

p.s. For more inspiration, please see our Free Pattern Day for Irish Chain quilts (CLICK HERE!) 

Image credits: Photos of the Southwest Twilling Irish Chain were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2023 Tucson Quilters Guild show.

Quilt Fiesta! The annual Tucson Quilters Guild show (3)

 It's quilt show time!  The annual Quilt Fiesta, held by the Tucson Quilters Guild in Arizona, is an outstanding show. We're rolling out some of our favorite photos.

p.s. Check out our E-Bay shop for great bargains on quilt patterns and collectible items. For continuous free quilt patterns, please visit us on Twitter !

Bareback Champ by Millie Burgheimer

Bareback Champ received an award for expertise in thread painting. Millie Burgheimer included a quilt show banner on the fence behind the rider! We can't imagine how many colors of thread were needed to create the detail of this scene.  Millie says, "Attending many a rodeo event, I got a to photograph many a rider. Doing this piece brought back memories. [It was] fun recreating with thread."

Talavera Fiesta by Lynn Rubel

Talavera is a Mexican and Spanish pottery tradition that originated in Talavera de la Reina in Spain.  Talavera pottery is known for its brilliant colors set against a pristine white background. Lynn Rubel created a stunning original applique quilt inspired by this tradition. Lynn says, "My friend Shirley inspired me to make a Talavera quilt. Various designs from Talavera were incorporated into the design. I chose primary colors to make this bright and fun with embellishments to make it fiesta!"

Tucson by Jeannie Clegg

We love the Southwest design and colors of this quilt! Tucson by Jeannie Clegg was based on a pattern by Elizabeth Anne Quilt Designs (as of this post, the pattern can be found on Etsy. ) Jeannie explains that she purchased the pattern in 2007, and that the fabrics were selected by her daughter & granddaughters during their visit to California in 2008, where she used to live. She then made the quilt at a retreat summer of 2022.

Saguaro National Park East by Lynne Saul

Saguaro National Park East by Lynne Saul was inspired by a photo of this beautiful area of the Sonoran desert. It is primarily pieced and was machine quilted by Lynne herself.  One Person, Primarily Pieced, Machine Quilted.  The original design was made using Ricky Tims' Gridified Art Quilt process, which Lynne took as an online class. The majestic saguaro cactus are beautifully highlighted against the mountains.

In My Desert Backyard by Barbara Hanson

 

So many animals and plants can be seen in this original design quilt, titled In My Desert Backyard. You can find Gambel's quail, butterflies, prickly pear and barrel cactus, hummingbirds, penstemon flowers and more in this quilt. Barbara Hanson says, "Our move to Tucson in 2020 and learning about the many plants and animals of the desert inspired this quilt. Backyard landscaping included bent rebar to resemble ocotillo."

 

An appliqued hawk soars gracefully over the desert landscape.

Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2023 Tucson Quilters Guild show.

 

Quilt Fiesta! The annual Tucson Quilters Guild show (2)

It's quilt show time!  The annual Quilt Fiesta, held last weekend by the Tucson Quilters Guild in Arizona, is an outstanding show. We're rolling out some of our favorite photos.

p.s. Check out our E-Bay shop for great bargains on quilt patterns and collectible items ! For continuous free quilt patterns, please visit us on Twitter !

Helen Hardin - Between Two Worlds by Karen G. Fisher

 This original art quilt by Karen G. Fisher was awarded First Place in the Art Pictorial category.  Karen explains, "Painter Helen Hardin (1943-1984) was half Pueblo, half Anglo. Her Pueblo roots inspired her imagery and color palette. I’ve included her face, and the motifs and colors she used throughout her works, which are in museums all across the U.S."

We enjoyed this amazing detail, from decorative stitches to turquoise buttons and silver feathers, in these closeup photos. 

The Guardian by Stephanie Nordlin

The Guardian was award First Place in the One Person Small Pieced Machine Quilted. The design is semi-original with 3 rows from “Simply Seminole” and block from “The Seminole Patchwork Book.” We love the colors and the design, which highlights the Gambel's quail that live in the Sonoran desert. A male quail is shown watching out for the female and her chicks.

Stephanie Nordlin explains, "The Guardian started as a row-by-row challenge, but I added extra sections of desert, night sky and original appliques." The quilt was beautifully embellished with beads.

A Cactus Garden by Manya Powell, quilted by Creative Lines Quilting, LLC

What a wonderful quilt! Manya Powell entered A Cactus Garden in the Two persons – primarily pieced - hand or machine quilted category.  She says that the multiple types of cactus were fun to make!  The finished quilt was quilted by Creative Lines quilting. (Note: The pattern source was not identified, but the blocks resemble the Greenhouse quilt pattern by Elizabeth Hartman, which has 5 different cactus blocks.)

Heart & Soul in a Quilt by Athena Taylor

Winner of First Place in the One Person Large Pieced Machine Quilted category, here is a gorgeous double wedding ring quilt featuring 42 fabrics. Athena Taylor says, "The applique is needle turned, with some of the birds having more than 50 pieces! The machine quilting was done on my sit down Q20 using ruler work." The closeup photos help show Athena's expert piecing, applique, and quilting.

Celtic Horse, Sleipnir by Jeanne Deloria

Jeanne Deloria says, "Sleipnir is Odin’s eight-legged horse birthed by Loki. It was not the Norse mythology that led me to choose this design, it was the feeling of movement that it evoked and its suitability to reverse applique." The border design is a perfect complement to the crossed motifs in the quilt's center.

 Copper Mountain Springs by Melanie Harris, quilted by John Harris

The colors, precise piecing, and stunning machine quilting really drew our eyes to this quilt. The colors and shapes were chosen to represent the beautiful Huachuca Mountains and big sky in Cochise County, Arizona. Quiltworx (Judy &Bradley Niemeyer) was identified as the pattern source; we recognize this as the inner section of Quiltworx' Iceberg Ridge design.

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2023 Tucson Quilters Guild show.

Quilt Fiesta! The annual Tucson Quilters Guild show (1)

It's quilt show time!  The annual Quilt Fiesta, held last weekend by the Tucson Quilters Guild, is an outstanding show. We're rolling out some of our favorite photos from the show.

p.s. Check out our E-Bay shop for great bargains on quilt patterns and collectible items ! For continuous free quilt patterns, please visit us on Twitter !

Abuelita Scrappy Quilt by Millie Burgheimer

Winner of an award in the thread painting category, Millie Burgheimer created a lovely portrait as a tribute to grandmothers who quilt. She says,  "Our grandmothers (abuelitas) often made quilts by hand or [with an] old sewing machine.  They used old scraps and feed sacks. [This was] a fun project to create by thread painting and fabric that was given to me." 

Southwest Sunrise by Luanne Wood

This stunning quilt was based on the 2020 Southwest Sunrise BOM (block-of-the-month) by Reeze L. Hanson.  Luanne Wood says, "I learned a lot about New Mexico's Zuni Indian tribe from this pattern.  I added thread drawn motifs of Arizona's Sonoran Desert in the corners of the main section and revised the outer border with more Zuni thread-drawn motifs." The quilt won Judge's Choice plus an Exemplary Machine Quilting award.

Bienvenidos by Tami Graeber

Bienvenidos ("Welcome") won the 1st place Viewer's Choice award. Tami Graeber says, "I love painting Mexican tiles; this is my 5th tile quilt. It was inspired by a stairway at the McNay Art Museum in San Antonio, Texas. The stairs were painted one row at a time and machine appliqued into place."

Southwest Lone Star by Kris Neifeld

This beautiful Lone Star quilt was based on the book, All-Star Quilts, by Helen Frost and Blanche Young (available at Amazon and other bookseller sites). We loved the combination of coppery oranges and reds with turquoise and teal blues. This classic Southwest color combination was achieved with batik fabrics.  The top was made and quilted by Kris Neifeld.

Monument Valley by Richard & Shari Thompson

This intriguing digital quilt was a collaboration between Richard and Shari Thompson.  Creating the border from a Navajo rug purchased by his grandmother in 1935, Richard used Photoshop to blend 40 of their Monument Valley images into a single file.  When this was printed on fabric, Shari quilted and embellished the scene. The detail was outstanding, as shown in this closeup photo of the sheep.

Tree of Life by Kay Walen

This wonderful foundation-pieced quilt was based on a design by Lisa Fryxell at the PreFurred Quilt Shop. Kay Walen says, "This quilt is entirely paper pieced.  I needed to improve my skills [with this technique]... I had a large learning curve and lots of reverse sewing opportunities and wasted fabric." The result, as you can see, was outstanding! This Tree of Life was quilted by Double T Quilts.

 

Image credit: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2023 Tucson Quilters Guild show.