Best Use of Color

The recent QuiltCon show was filled with beautifully designed and made quilts, but these really stood out. "Best Use of Color" was not a specific entry category, but we would've awarded ribbons to these outstanding entries.

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Vesta by Julia Wachs @juliawachs.designs, quilted by Jana Royal (Seattle Modern Quilt Guild)

Vesta is an Art Nouveau-inspired design meant to evoke the roaring 20s spirit.  Julia Wachs says, "I named it after my grandmother, Vesta Wachs.  She didn't teach me how to quilt (she made one and decided it wasn't for her) but she did teach me to always use my creativity and to approach challenges with a positive attitude.  

It incorporates both foundation paper piecing and machine applique, and was custom quilted by Jana Royal on a frame (longarm).

Color Schemes, made and quilted by Cathleen Kilpatrick (Philadelphia Modern Quilt Guild) 

Each block of this quilt is a color scheme starting with Violet, or its complimentary color Yellow. The blocks are arranged so the composition moves from darkness to light. The combination of the block pattern, the arrangement of the colors and the quilting creates an optical illusion.  The blocks recede to the background, and the circles are dominant. The arcs of circles within the larger outer circle were added to create a spinning effect.  

 

The Crush by Abigail Vargas @avargusdesigns (Sacramento [California] Modern Quilt Guild) 

Abigail Vargas says, "This quilt is part of my Kinetic Series inspired by Newton's Cradle Pendulum. Energy is transferred through a stationary object when colliding with an object in motion then propelling an object on the other end into movement." The Crush was machine pieced and machine appliqued.

 Image credits: Photo were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2025 QuiltCon show in Phoenix, Arizona.