HIghlights of the 2026 Quilt Fiesta! (3)

In the beautiful Sonoran desert of Arizona, the Tucson Quilters Guild celebrated their 50th anniversary with a spectacular show. The Quilt Fiesta includes a fascinating mix of styles, techniques, and patterns. We hope you enjoy our photos! This is Part 3 of 5.

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Racing the Sunset by Karen Neuendorf  

 This little art quilt is so well done!  It depicts racing the sunset to get home before dark. Karen Neuendorf says that she made it by using the "Accidental Landscapes" technique. Roving was used to create the appearance of dust at the base of the horses' hooves. [Note: The Accidental Landscapes method was created by Karen Eckmeier and is described in her book, Accidental Landscapes - Surprisingly Simple Quilted Landscapes.]

Arizona Blanket by Karen Chrisman, quilted by Linda Powell.  

Winner of a 2nd place award, this quilt was based on the  "Indian Blanket" pattern and class by Reeze Hanson. Karen Christman modified the pattern presented in class, using much less black.  "I chose the rich colors of our southwest to showcase the design. The print of the border is the perfect frame for my 'Arizona Blanket'."  

This was beautifully pieced by Karen Chrisman, and quilted by Linda Powell. NOTE: As of this writing, the Indian Blanket pattern by Reeze Hanson can be found at her website, Morning Glory Designs.

Southwest Sunrise, made and quilted by Luanne Wood.  

"Southwest Sunrise" was based on a BOM pattern, designed in 12 parts by Reeze 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."  

Southwest Sunrise was first exhibited at the 2023 Quilt Fiesta, winning multiple awards, including a Judge's Choice and Exemplary Machine Quilting by a Non-Professional. 

Orphans No More by Katherine O'Brien, quilted by Penny Boese.  

This quilt started with "orphan" blocks from the Moda Blockheads 2 patterns.  Katherine created an original layout for the final quilt, adding the setting star and additional blocks. She completed the project due to a group challenge to complete poor unfinished projects. Winner of a Judge's Special Merit award, AND a NACQJ Award of Merit from the National Association of Certified Quilt Judges. The "waves" quilting was done by Penny Boese.

 Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2026 Tucson Quilters Guild show.  Note: Quilt Inspiration is an Amazon Associate, meaning we earn a small commission if an item is purchased from an Amazon link on this page. (There is no extra charge to you.)  Thank you for your support of Quilt Inspiration.

 

Welcome to the Sun

Each fall and winter, millions of North Americans head South, seeking the sun.  The snowbirds often land in Arizona, Florida, and other warm climates.  Here are some wonderful wall quilts and sampler quilts that celebrate the warmth of Arizona and the Southwest.

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

My Christmas Cactus, made and quilted by Palma Davis

Palma Davis says, "This wall hanging shows our magnificent Saguaro in the morning, midnight, and sunset."  We love the fabric choices for the backgrounds, Saguaros, and even the stony base of the quilt. Pattern source: Sonoran Saguaro by Copper Thimble Makery.

Sun Kachina, made and quilted by Karen Neuendorf

The Sun Kachina is one of the most famous of the Hopi Kachina figures, and is a symbol of life and growth. This wonderful art quilt is appliqued, and the feathers are 36-gauge copper, tooled and stained with alcohol inks. The border batik fabric has southwest patterns as well. (Note: Karen Neuendorf is a member of the NW Tucson Art Quilters group.)

Welcome to Arizona, made and quilted by Wendy Anderson.

Wendy Anderson says, "When I first moved to Tucson, Arizona, I was drawn to all the wonderful, colorful southwest fabrics. This pattern was a perfect opportunity to use and show off those fabrics." We spy cowboy boots, the Arizona symbol, Saguaro cacti, Pueblo, Kokopelli and petroglyphs in this design. Wendy says that this great quilt was based on a 'Happy Trails, Cactus Quilt pattern' (we're still searching for the pattern source.) We enjoyed all the blocks, including the sun over the mountain (or 'moon over mountain') row shown below.

Beautiful Desert by Karen Chrisman, quilted by Brenda Taminga. 

This was a block-of-the-month project started in June 2019.  Karen Chrisman says, "During the shutdown in March 2020, the last 3 blocks were mailed to me.  I added my own designs to set the blocks, creating a beautiful southwest theme." Pattern source: Blockbuster "Desert Beauty" BOM, Quilters' Market. The half-square triangle blocks shown below give the appearance of mountains, while the quarter Dresden plate depicts the sun.

 Arizona Adventure, made and quilted by Barbara Lambrecht. 

Barbara Lambrecht says, "This is my first quilt, a BOM challenge from Saddlebrooke Ranch Piecemakers. I started it 5 months late but finished on time.  We were encouraged to add our own touches to the simple block pattern we were given along with two fat quarters required to use for each block.  I love the way it turned out."  Fussy-cut circles serve as medallions in the corners of some blocks, shown below.

Note: If you enjoyed this post you might be interested in our Free Pattern Day for Southwestern quilts (CLICK HERE):

Image credits: Original quilt photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2023 and 2024 Tucson Quilters Guild show.