Quilt Fiesta! Highlights of the Show (4)

Here are more photos from the Quilt Fiesta, the annual Tucson (Arizona) Quilters Guild show. We saw so many fabulous quilts and are sharing some highlights here.  We hope you enjoy the photos!

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Maty Colter: Builder on the Desert by Karen G. Fisher

This amazing original art quilt was made and quilted by Karen G. Fisher as a tribute to Mary Colter, the architect and on-site construction boss for the Fred Harvey Company, who designed many iconic buildings across the southwest, including several at the Grand Canyon.  In the middle of the quilt you can see the Four Corners at which Arizona, Utah, New Mexico and Colorado meet.

Karen G. Fisher notes, "Mary Colter pioneered using on-site building materials, and originated the style now called "National Parks Rustic"; many of these iconic buildings are depicted on the quilt.  Karen won multiple awards for her creation.

Cactus - Yes! by Manya Powell

Entered in the Modern Quilt category, this pieced quilt captures the beauty of the saguaro cactus which is native to the Sonoran Desert including Tucson.  The color and fabric choices and the design make this quilt really special.  [Note: The source of the cactus pattern was not listed.]

The Civil War Bride found her 'lost boy' in the old Pueblo, by Nancy Landon, quilted by Brenda Smitley

Here is a very creative adaptation of the Civil War Bride quilt, based on A Bountiful Life by Karen Mowery. Nancy says, "The design combines reproduction blocks from the famous "Civil War Bride" quilt made originally in about 1863 and original South West designs by me."   The quilt took 2 years to complete the outstanding hand applique.

The machine quilting was beautifully done by Brenda Smitley. Examples of the original elements include a hummingbird, placed below the "Bride" in the block shown below. Winner of Second Place in the Two Person, primarily appliqued, hand or machine quilted.

The block shown below depicts Mission San Xavier del Bac (The White Dove of the Desert) which is located south of Tucson.  Nancy also created a prickly pear cactus, and a pair of javelinas (collared peccary), which are native to many parts of the desert Southwest.

Jewel of the Reef by Melanie Harris, quilted by John Harris

This gorgeous quilt was based on a pattern by Quiltworx ("Glacier Star").  Melanie Harris says, "I fell in love with the blue border print.  I then selected white and gray to represent the coral reef. The jewel tones are the flashy fish, flowers and algae that populate the reef."  Winner of a 2nd place award in this show.

Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2024 Tucson Quilters Guild show.

Beating the Heat at the 2015 Arizona Quilt Show #2

It was 95°F for this year's Arizona Quilt show... but, as they say, it's a dry heat! Moreover, it was the perfect occasion to enjoy an air-conditioned quilt show. This is our 5th year of attendance, and we always look forward to seeing the variety and creativity displayed by members of the Arizona Quilters' Guild. Let's beat the heat with a look at this year's fantastic quilts... here is part 2 of our virtual show!

Arizona Grand by Wanda Seale 

We really enjoyed this stunning landscape quilt by Wanda Seale.  Although the scene has a photo-realistic appearance, it is not a digital quilt.  Wanda says, "Capturing the iconic splendor of our favorite landmark, I appliqued specific fabrics to showcase the depth and colors of the Canyon."

Georgetown Wedding, 74 x 75", by Ann L. Petersen

Award-winning quilter Ann Petersen has created another stunning quilt in colors that remind us of chocolate and cotton candy.  Ann's original design was based on the traditional Double Wedding Ring pattern, combined with Georgetown Circles.  At the 2015 show the quilt won First Place - Mixed Technique Large.

This is a close-up photo of the Georgetown Circles with appliqued centers. (For more information on the traditional Georgetown Circle block, see the post by Martha Dellasega Gray.) It's no surprise that Georgetown Wedding also won the award for Exemplary Machine Quilting – Stationary. At the 2014 Houston International Quilt Festival it won a blue ribbon in the Innovative Pieced category.

 Midnight Dahlia by Elaine Putnam, quilted by Gina Perkes

There was a spotlight shining on the corner of this quilt, but we tried our best with this photo.  This Midnight Dahlia (a pieced Dahlia on a black background)  won First Place, Pieced – Medium.  The quilting, by Gina Perkes, was awarded a special ribbon for  Exemplary Machine Quilting (Track Mounted).   Here is a photo of the pastel center of the Dahlia:

Midnight Dahlia was inspired by Marti Michell’s Giant Dahlia templates and Sharon Schamber’s Piece-lique method. You might be interested to know that Sharon's daughter, Cristy, has a tutorial on the Piece-lique technique at her website, Sew Much Like Mom.  We'll be posting more close-up photos on our Exemplary Quilting Board on Pinterest.

Brimill - Icelandic Horse by Georgia Thorne

Georgia Thorne won a Judge's Recognition award for her artistic depiction of an Icelandic horse.  She says, "Inspired by a Threadplayers (fiber art group) challenge to design a fiber art piece using Zentangle details, I chose an Icelandic horse with his flowing mane and tail."  The background fabric is a silver-and-white diamond print; Georgia echoed the pattern with diamond-shaped shadows.

Each section of the horse had a different Zentangle design rendered in machine embroidery and applique.

Out of Egypt by Florence A. Evans

Out of Egypt won 2nd place in the Pieced – Large quilt category. It was made of Egyptian-themed fabrics and strip-pieced panels, inspired by a class on Strips and Curves taught by Louisa Smith.   This is such a successful design; we loved the way in which Florence used the bright blue to provide a focal point.

close up, Out of Egypt by Florence A. Evans

In the close-up photo you can see some of the fun Egyptian-themed fabrics in this quilt, including silhouetted camels at sunset (upper right).

In Memoriam by Maggie Hagen, quilted by Pamela Dransfeldt

We enjoyed this intricate applique quilt, which features patterns from the 1858 Bird of Paradise quilt top in the American Folk Art Museum.  Some of the blocks and borders are Maggie's own design. The Bird of Paradise block patterns can be found in A Bountiful Life: An Adaptation of the Bird of Paradise Quilt by the late Karen Mowery.

There is a lot of detail in this quilt: the edges of some flowers and leaves were embellished with French knots.  Pamela Dransfeldt used echo quilting around the flowers, and created veins in the leaves.

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration.  We appreciate the assistance of Cathy Tognoni !