The 50th Annual Utah Quilt Show! (3)

Welcome to the 50th Annual Utah Quilt Show! This show features some of Utah's finest quilters. Each quilt displays a convergence of artistry and creative decision-making, along with the meticulous technical work required at every step of the quilting process.  We hope you enjoy our photos!

p.s. Check out our E-Bay shop for quilt materials & patterns, jewelry, and collectibles! We also invite you to follow us on Twitter ! 

Purple Elephant (2021), made and quilted by Emily Weinheimer.

A 60%-scaled version of Violet Craft's original foundation paper pieced Elephant Abstractions quilt pattern.

Sonoran Preserve Saguaro & Cactus Wren (2024) by Carol Librizzi, quilted by Leisha Farnsworth. 

Carol Librizzi says, "I made this quilt based on a photo I took of a saguaro cactus in the Sonoran Preserve in Arizona.  I was inspired by the collage cactus in Emily Taylor's book, Collage Quilter.  I added colors other than just greens in the cactus to add interest and a bit of whimsy.  The ombre background was suggested by my daughter after I could not find the "right" blue.  It captures the Arizona desert sky."

Carol says, "I love all the textures and movement Leisha Farnsworth did in the quilting. Every year, I try to learn something new, and I thoroughly enjoyed learning this."

Colorful (2022), made and quilted by Marilyn Snow.

Marilyn Snow says, "When I first saw the pattern, I knew I needed to make it. The hardest part was keeping everything organized so that the pencil points lined up with the correct pencil. It was a fun pattern and I really love how it turned out.  I love to play with fabric and any of my great quilting machines. I have sewn for many years and quilted for about 20 years.  I'm inspired by the many patterns and fabric lines that creative people come up with."

Burgoyne Surrounded (2024), made and quilted by Shirley Olsen.

We love this quilt pattern, which is hardly ever seen these days, so this was a special treat. Winner of a Blue Ribbon (Award of Excellence), Shirley Olsen says: "This quilt is a combination of the traditional "Burgoyne surrounded" block and an adaptation of a border designed by Trudie Hughes. Although begun in 2003, this quilt was put aside while I worked on other projects. I finally worked on it again in 2022 and 2024. I hand-guided the quilting on my Bernina 820 stationary machine." Beautiful!

Shirley explains that her quilt was inspired by a red and cream version shown many years ago at a Utah Valley Quilt Guild meeting. "Blue is my favorite color, so I chose blue and cream for my quilt. I am so happy to have finally finished."

Kaleidoscope Stars (2023) by Kathy M. Asay, quilted by Common Threads.  

Here is another gorgeous re-creation of a traditional design! This quilt is based on a Civil War quilt.  Each star has a twin star with the facets reversed.  This design really sparkles.

Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the Springville (Utah) Museum of Art.

The 50th Annual Utah Quilt Show! (2)

Welcome to the 50th Annual Utah Quilt Show! This show features some of Utah's finest quilters. Each quilt illustrates a convergence of artistry and creative decision-making with the meticulous technical work required at every step of the quilting process.  We hope you enjoy our photos!

p.s. Check out our E-Bay shop for quilt materials & patterns, jewelry, and collectibles! We also invite you to follow us on Twitter ! 

Garden Gem (2024) by Becca Barlow, quilted by Marion McClellon.

Winner of the Art Director's Award, Becca Barlow says:  "I made this quilt during an online workshop with Jenny Haynes, whose Instagram profile is @pappersaxsten.  The workshop/pattern is called "Hexibore." Saturated colors, curves, and outstanding quilting can be seen in this dramatic quilt.

Secrets of a Mushroom Garden (2024) by Katherine Porter, quilted by Emmy Evans.

This quilt is adorable, and beautifully made! Winner of the Corn Wagon Award, from a major show sponsor, Katherine Porter says: "This whimsical quilt has been running through my mind for a while.  It is my idea of what we might see if we had an enlarged peek into the corner of a garden - birds flirting, bugs and butterflies untended. It's not just toads that use mushrooms for stools."

One of the special details of this quilt was the edging, featuring fabric knots as shown below:

 Ombre Zephyr (2024), made and quilted by Luanne Hyer Olson

We love the 3D rainbow effect in this quilt... It seems to glow from within! The Ombre Zephyr pattern is by Tiffany Hayes at Needle in a Hayes Stack and is designed for 2-1/4" strips. Some fun, large bubbles and spirals were used for the quilting.

 Penguins in Hawaii (2022) by Dee Dehart, quilted by Emmy Evans. 

 Dee Dehart says, "I made this quilt for my son-in-law, who had the idea to make a quilt with sunburned penguins vacationing in Hawaii."  Some very cute details can be seen in each of the penguins' shirts! 

Note:  We recognize this pattern as Penguin Party by Elizabeth Hartman.

In the Garden with Patsy (2024), made and quilted by Ruth Davis.

Stars, Log Cabin blocks, tulips, and quarter Dresden plates abound in this outstanding quilt. Winner of the Show Committee Award, Ruth Davis says, "I designed this quilt using purple and teal - my favorite color and my friend Patsy's favorite color.  she was my mentor when I was learning to quilt and has inspired my entire quilting career.  She was a positive role model and always gave critiques in a kind manner.  I will always miss her!"

Purple ruched flowers and yo yos were added as embellishments!
 

Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the Springville (Utah) Museum of Art.

The 50th Annual Utah Quilt Show! (1)

 Welcome to the 50th Annual Utah Quilt Show! This exhibition features quilts of all shapes and sizes created by some of Utah's finest quilters. Each quilt illustrates a convergence of artistry and creative decision-making with the meticulous technical work required at every step of the quilting process.  We hope you enjoy our photos.

p.s. Check out our E-Bay shop for quilt materials & patterns, jewelry, and collectibles! We also invite you to follow us on Twitter ! 

Heavenly Splendor (2023) by Pat Bell, quilted by Chadra Poulson.  

Winner of a blue ribbon (Award of Excellence), Pat Bell says, "In a small way, enjoying the beauty of a sunset feels like enjoying a bit of heaven. My grandson took a sunset picture in 2021 at Lake Powell which was the inspiration for my original design."  

Pat says that she first began quilting in 2023. "This is my second quilt and it was created in the 2023 "Kaffe Club Quilt Class", taught by my sister, Kaye Evans. I chose to create a king size New York Beauty quilt using paper pieced patterns from the book New York Beauty Sampler by Cinzia White. I added One Block Wonder blocks using my focus fabric, "Love Always" by Anna Maria.

Knocking On Heaven's Door (2023) by Marcia Peterson, quilted by Jen Ostler

This fantastic original design really spoke to us, as a woman bearing her burdens "knocks on heaven's door".  Marcia Peterson says, "At times, I have found myself struggling to carry difficulties and burdens.  Sometimes I feel I can square my shoulders to the challenge, but other times it's overwhelming...  I know I am not the only one - no one is immune from trials.  I needed to express how it feels to "take the hard times to God when I am at my limit."

Posh Penelope (2023) by Averi Smith, quilted by Tanya Colbert.

Averi Smith built some wonderful contrasts and colors into this design.  She says, "This was my first time doing curves and it was a fun project.  I'm happy with how it turned out."  [Note: The Posh Penelope quilt pattern is by Sew Kind of Wonderful. It combines a love for curves with on-point sashing and cornerstones.] 

 What a Wonderful World (2024) by Judy Hainsworth, quilted by Judy Hainsworth

Judy Hainsworth won an Award of Excellence for this quilt, with its fantastic embroidery designs and stitches.  Judy says, "While recovering from foot surgeries, I was "no weight-bearing" for a total of 12 weeks.  To keep my spirits up, I began the embroidery portion of this quilt.  My daughters and Pinterest provided the embroidery designs... Happily, everything came together."  

 

Steam Punk (2024) by Kathleen Gee, quilted by Emmy Evans.

Kathleen Gee says, "After many years of admiring this pattern, I was finally motivated to make the quilt after my friend brought her version to our sewing group.  The color palette is a complete departure from my typical "quilting comfort zone", but I had fun coming up with combinations for the blocks with some help from my daughter.  My curved piecing skill improved along the way, too!" [Note: The Steam Punk pattern is by Jen Kingwell Designs.

Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the Springville (Utah) Museum of Art in August, 2024.

Dear Jane Returns!

"Dear Jane" quilting craze began three decades ago (my, how time flies!) The original civil war-era quilt was made by Jane A. Blakely Stickle in 1863. Jane's quilt received scant attention until it was 'discovered' by Brenda Papadakis. One of our first posts, titled Crazy about Jane, covered the challenges of this design with its 225 blocks (169 squares, 52 triangles, and 4 corners.) We were thrilled to see THREE outstanding Dear Jane quilts at the 2024 Springville, Utah quilt show.  

p.s. Check out our E-Bay shop for quilt materials, collectible items, and jewelry! We also invite you to follow us on Twitter !

It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time (2023) by Katrina Crane, quilted by Debbie Lee.

There are so many gorgeous details in this quilt. Winner of a Blue ribbon (Award of Excellence), Katrina Crane says, "I took a class to reproduce my own "Dear Jane" which seemed like a good idea while, at 50 years old, my eyesight and faculties were in working order. Having never done much applique, and no foundation piecing, this was terrifying. But with a class and a deadline to guide me I vowed to complete it in a year or less. Things will take as long as you give them. Please enjoy!  If I can do it, so can you!" 

 

 

Some of the blocks are appliqued and some are pieced; each one is a work of art.

 

 

Debbie Lee's beautiful quilting especially stands out in the border triangles, as shown below.

Dear Jane (2024) by Lisa Delora, quilted by Tonya Colbert.

Lisa Delora says, "I attended a wonderful class that aided me in creating this quilt.  It was fun to work on each block and learn new skills." The bright, saturated colors come from a variety of prints including many Kaffe Fassett classics. Tonya Colbert's quilting stands out in these closeup photos.

My Dear Jane (2023) by Gay Jackson, quilted by Gay Jackson.

We love this dramatic black-and-white version! Gay Jackson says, "I was invited by a friend to take a quilting class. I had no idea what I was in for! I decided to make the pattern my way and used a monochrome palette I also wanted to finish it, so I chose to do raw edge applique when called for.  I used double batting for the free motion quilting."

Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the Springville Museum of Art (Springville, Utah) in August 2024.

Assemblage Art: The Utah Surface Design Group

The Utah Surface Design Group is a group of artists dedicated to the principles of surface design and fiber art. Their exhibit at the Brigham City Museum included fascinating 3D ssemblage pieces made with fabric, string, beads, and 'found' objects.  

p.s. Check out our E-Bay shop for great bargains on quilt materials, collectible items, and new and vintage jewelry! We also invite you to follow us on Twitter ! 

Mannequin Head (2023) by Quincy Davenport.

 

This is a truly fascinating piece! Quincy Davenport says, "Mannequin Head embodies an intersection of inspiration and materials, sparked by a simple gift - a tiered gold headband.  Placed upon a mannequin, it transformed into a regal symbol, prompting the addition of gold, black, and white beads." 

Rhinestones, mirror tiles, and pearls followed, enhancing its sparkle and allure... Each bead and embellishment reflects not only creativity but also the serendipitous nature of artistic creation."  The embellished Mannequin Head was set on a brass candlestick.  We love the pearl choker necklace placed around the neck.

The Vast Man (2022) by Julie Strong.

We found this piece to be both beautiful and evocative. Julie Strong explains the title of the piece: "Khalil Gibran's Vast Man is a wandering being who is open to the opportunities of each moment, unafraid of the intersections in life that may lead to a new road. He is open to the direction of the winds, travels with the sun and the moon, and moves through outer and inner realms."  

Made with a found wooden head and hands, the armature is hand made. The gown is made from linen and embellished with hand embroidery and hand beading. Passages from Kahlil Gibran's The Farewell were hand lettered on the wooden base.

 Marking Time with a Mud Stone (2024) by Kim Deneris Brown.

This framed piece is minimalist in its conception yet it highlights the beauty of the natural materials, including the stone and the string which has been woven to embrace the rock. The stone comes from a unique and ancient geological formation in north-central Utah. Kim Deneris Brown says, "Over 720 million years ago, mud and clay particles were deposited in shallow waters near the shore of an ancient sea.  The sedimentary layers were compacted and over time and movement along the Wasatch Fault, elevated to the mouth of Big Cottonwood Canyon."  

Repeat by Lone' Vilnius. 

This assemblage art piece was made with old books and antique collectibles.  It was fascinating to see the materials take new appearances within the overal design.  Many intriguing details can be seen in the closeup photos.

Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the Brigham City Museum, Brigham City, Utah, August 2024.