Highlights of the Utah quilt show (4)

Each year, the Springville Museum of Art (Utah) has one of the best quilt shows in the country.  It features award-winning quilts from Utah, a state blessed with an abundance of accomplished quilters. Here are some highlights of this year's show!

Note: please check out our E-Bay shop for great bargains on quilt patterns and collectibles ! For continuous free quilt patterns, please visit us on Twitter !

Autumn Forest by Jared Moore (Orem, Utah)

Jared notes, "This quilt is a unique, one of a kind design inspired various photographs and my own imagination. Each piece is hand cut and placed with purpose. Every quilt I create has an emotional connection for me."

Detail, Autumn Forest

Jared continues, "This reminds me of my childhood and the many adventures I have had in the wilderness with my family and on my own. Trees are an obsession in my art work. I say artwork with some hesitancy, as I have no skill or training in art, except perhaps with quilts." We think that Jared's quilt is indeed very artistic!  The placement of the yellow and orange fabric pieces enhance the look of dappled sunlight coming through the trees.

Cabin Crazy by Pam Wing (Summit, Utah)

Pam says, "This started out to be a table runner, but I had so much fun making the log cabin squares that I made it into a full quilt. There are 3,585 pieces designed, pieced, hand-dyed, and hand quilted by myself." 

Detail, Cabin Crazy

 In this close-up, you can see all of the hard work and color arrangement that Pam put into the piecing of her full size quilt.

Afternoon Delight by Patsy Wall (Payson, Utah), quilted by Kim Peterson

Award of Excellence winner, Patsy states, "There was no special occasion for making this quilt. Applique quilts are my favorite quilts. I love all different kinds of handwork, but needle-turned applique is my favorite." 

Detail, Afternoon Delight

Pam's center block is a beautiful example of curved applique piecing, which is set off by her very precise quilting of the background.

Devotion by Helen Butler (Alpine, Utah)

H

 Helen explains, "I rarely name my quilts, and this one is no exception. After witnessing the many hours of hand quilting this quilt, my dad commented one day, "Anyone who can stick with that no matter what, should name the quilt 'Devotion', so thus it became its name. " 

Helen adds, "Countless hours have been put into the completion of this applique and hand-quilted heirloom. Every stitch is done by hand. A small piece of my life is in this quilt! " We so much enjoyed seeing Helen's gorgeous hand work.

Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2022 Springville (Utah) quilt show.

A Quilt for Valentine's Day: X's and O's

Happy Valentine's Day! Every year on February 14th people celebrate this day by sending messages of love and affection to family and friends. We're sending best wishes to fellow quilters for a fun and relaxing day!  We've always admired red and white quilts, and thought you would enjoy this one too, which we photographed last summer.

Also check out our E-Bay shop for great bargains on quilt patterns, books, and collectible items !
For more free quilt patterns, please visit us on Twitter.

Cross Stitched Heart by Elizabeth Teerlink, quilted by Kim Peterson

This colorful heart quilt says “I Love You” in 52 different fabrics It looks like giant red and pink cross stitches, but it’s actually pieced blocks!  Elizabeth Teerlink, from Cedar Hills, Utah, did an excellent job selecting the fabrics and arrangement and piecing the blocks.

Elizabeth explains, "Arkansas Traveler blocks placed in groups of 4 form X's. 34 of these blocks form a giant cross stitch heart against a white background. Four extra blocks below the heart create balance. The artful arrangement and shading of red and pink fabrics radiate light from the heart center to darker edges. X and O blocks signifying hugs and kisses border the top and bottom of the heart."

Check out the fun messages on thered and white cute fabric above: "You're the bee's knees.. Faithfully Yours... Yours forever..." and more!  The lovely pink hearts, below, remind us of candy hearts with the simple message of "Love."

The quilt was beautifully quilted by Kim Peterson, and exhibited at the 2019 Springville (Utah) Museum of Art show.

Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration.

Fall Into Fall !

We love the warm and cozy look of folk art quilts ! Many are done in autumn colors and primitive styles.  Here are some outstanding quilts that remind us of days gone by.  This post is titled Fall Into Fall after the first quilt, which is rendered in beautiful fall colors.  We hope you enjoy today's quilts!

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 !

Fall Into Fall by Yvonne Carter

Yvonne Carter says, "I love fall colors and enjoyed every minute working on this quilt." She fell in love with the picture in Kim Diehl's book, Simple Harvest, and knew that she must make this quilt.  It is part applique and part pieced, and is both hand- and machine-quilted by Yvonne herself.  The pattern is in the book Simple Harvest: A Bounty of Scrappy Quilts and More, available at Amazon and other sources.

In Full Bloom by Marianne Michaels, quilted by Ramona Sorensen

Colorful birds, flowers, butterflies, and a large vase of cut flowers serve as the dominant theme in this stunning quilt, winner of Honorable Mention at the 2019 Springville (Utah) quilt show.  The fibers in this quilt include a combination of wool, cotton, linen and silks.  Marianne Michaels hand dyed many of the wool applique fabrics.  In Full Bloom received Honorable Mention at the Springville show.

This quilt is heavily embellished by hand with a variety of cotton and silk threads; in the closeup photos you can see Marianne's many creative stitches and French knots. The In Full Bloom pattern, by Sue Spargo, is available at Amazon and other sources.

Not So aLone Star by Tamara Johnson, quilted by Lynn Peterson

Lone Star is a traditional Amish quilt design, and many examples are included in the collection of the Folk Art Museum. Tamara Johnson received an Award of Excellence for her Not So aLone Star, which she designed as she prepared to teach a Lone Star Color Theory and Technique class.  She says,  "The experience was challenging and rewarding, and I'm very happy with how this quilt - and others made with the same resources - turned out."

Chanticleer and Company by Laura Brown, quilted by Kim Peterson

We love the color scheme in this delightful quilt. The whimsical roosters, hens, and baby chicks are given a realistic flair by the use of chicken wire-print fabric in the background of the blocks. Laura Brown embellished the edges of the applique pieces with many different decorative stitches, as shown in the closeup photo below.  The Chanticleer and Company quilt pattern is by Nancy Barrett at With Needle and Thread.

Berry Blossoms by Monette Klinkenberg

Monette Klinkenberg created Berry Blossoms with an array of beautiful prints in hues of orange, brown, green, and pale blue gray.  The flower motifs are fused and machine appliqued and adorned with yo yo's in complementary colors.  Monette quilted her creation herself using sswirls and, in the flying geese border, heart motifs. The quilt pattern, designed by Kim Diehl, is available at the American Patchwork and Quilting shop.

If you're inspired by folk art quilts, you may want to check out our recent Free Pattern Day for Folk Art Quilts, including free patterns by Kim Diehl and other top designers !

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2019 Springville Museum Quilt Show (Utah).

Quilts from the Springville Museum of Art (part 4)

Each year, the Springville Museum of Art (Utah) has one of the best quilt shows around.  It features award-winning quilts from Utah, a state blessed with an abundance of accomplished quilters. Here are some highlights of this year's show!

Note: please 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 !

Mary - Queen of Bedford by Karin Crawford, quilted by Kim Peterson

Best of Show winner Karin explains, " I deconstructed a panel called the Tree of Life by Mary Koval. Then, I reconstructed the wreath of birds and flowers using Broderie Perse. This quilt has so many elements in it which I enjoy doing: English paper piecing, hand applique, reverse hand applique, serpentine borders, hand mitered corner, scallops, etc. "

Karin concludes, "It was a joy to make!"  We'd like to add that it was a joy to view this breathtaking quilting, with the broderie perse technique shown above. Karin has carefully fussy cut out the motifs of the large prints of flowers, birds, and butterflies from the original panel. She then appliqued each motif onto the new background, which gives an elegant and vintage look to her work.

Aladdin's Window by Donna Moyer

Donna notes, "Aladdin's Window is completely done by hand except for the pieced backing and the hanging device. I tried many shapes before deciding it really needed to be a circle, slightly reminiscent of some of the magnificent stained glass rose windows I have seen in Europe. This 'window' takes on a Mid-Eastern flavor with a nod to the paisley design which originated long ago in Persia."

For her lovely, unique work, Donna won the award for Best Solitaire Hand Quilting. She says, "I couldn't resist adding a personal touch by quilting eight lotus blossoms in gold. Lotus Blossom was my husband's pet name for me."

Purple Posies by Penny Adams

Penny states, "Each of the flowers was made by hand over the period of six months and then appliqued. The insects were drawn and then embroidered. Beads were added to the insects to help catch the light and add an element of life. "

Penny adds, "I used echo quilting to add movement to the quilt. I am pleased with the quilt because it reflects my love of nature."

Here are some more of Penny's hand-made flowers. We really admire Penny's creativity and inventiveness in creating these realistic flowers, including the very lifelike petals.

Scrappy Happy by Nancy Hillman Roberts, quilted by Monica Steelman

Award of Excellence winner, Nancy writes, "Above my desk as a high school teacher was a wacky plaque that asked, 'Have You Dazzled Your Teacher Today?' This is my purpose in submitting a quilt in this show. ...I hope that [people] say, 'I like this quilt. It draws me in, and I'm a little dazzled.'
We'd like to say that we are just not a little bit dazzled; we are extremely dazzled! We are very impressed with all the different fabrics, hours of work, patience, and concentration that Nancy put into her incredible work.  It really exemplifies her devotion to the quilting arts, and she has a fantastic creation to show for it.

Nancy continues, "This quilt kept me engaged, excited, and satistfied with the end product. It's not perfect, but I'm happy-scrappy happy because with my color addiction, variety is essential.
I worked on it when I was sitting (in the car, watching TV, visiting, waiting, etc.) It took twenty-one months to complete. My inspiration was a Kim Diehl wall hanging with 6 3-inch blocks, 24 orange peels, and 12 yo-yo's. Mine exploded into 960 3-inch blocks, 3,840 orange peels, and 1,983 yo-yo's."

Saddle Up by Celia Belcher, quilted by Stephanie McGee

Celia remarks, "Twenty years ago while traveling out of state, I found this pattern and desired to make it for my daughter and her new husband. She and I picked the material, and I was to begin. Not having much experience in advanced quilting, I kept putting it aside. Finally, in 2017, I determined I had to start and just do the best I could."

Celia concludes, "Working on it when I could, I finished it in August 2018. Finding pattern-detailing ideas online, I designed the saddle flowers. I also added the ribbon detail and the initials of their names." We congratulate Celia on her determination to finish what is a very colorful and precisely sewn quilt. The saddle flowers and the initials of Celia's daughter and son-in-law add a special, personalized touch to her work.

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration.

Quilts from the Springville Museum of Art (part 3)

Each year, the Springville Museum of Art (Utah) has one of the best quilt shows around.  It features award-winning quilts from Utah, a state blessed with an abundance of accomplished quilters. Here are some highlights of this year's show!

Note: please check out our E-Bay shop for great bargains on quilt patterns and collectibles ! For continuous free quilt patterns, please visit us on Twitter !

Spring Flower by Monette Klinkenberg

Monette did not provide any details on the description card for her quilt, but we can see that it is a lively flower that bursts forth to greet the sunlight in a new season. The scalloped border edge provides a nice contrast to the geometric points of the flower petals.

Close-up, Spring Flower

Monique's use of vibrant color is enhanced by the dark neutral background.  The solid stitching that she has done around the petals of each leaf provide outline and definition, helping them to "pop" off the background.

Chance by Karen Post

Karen explains, "Chance is very mad as he waits in the animal shelter for just the right person whom HE will choose as his new owner. Chance belongs to my dear friend, and he is a little hellion ! He is always in trouble. "

Close-up, Chance

Karen continues, "I created Chance on my domestic machine using the art form of thread painting. There are probably 60-75 different colors of threads in this art quilt." Karen has created excellent texture, dimensionality, and detail with her wonderful thread painting. Chance looks so realistic, that we're tempted to give his head a friendly pat !

Lucy Boston, Patchwork of the Crosses 2019 by Lil Anderson, quilted by Jane Giles and friends

Honorable Mention Award winner Lil remarks, "I love scrappy quilts. I had so much fun with this quilt, because each block is different. It was as much fun to pick the fabric and fussy cut the pieces as it was to put it together."
(The pattern is in the book Lucy Boston: Patchwork of the Crosses by Linda Franz.)

Close-up, Lucy Boston, Patchwork of the Crosses

Lil adds, "The original was English paper pieced. It took a little longer (3 years), but I chose to hand piece each block without the papers." Lil's intricate, precise piecing gives her work such a professional, finished touch. This is truly an heirloom quilt, to be treasured for years to come.

Mosaic Masterpiece by Kathy Porter, quilted by Kim Peterson

Show Committee Award winner Kathy writes, "I used Quiltsmart and Tensisters grid interfacing to make this quilt and fabric from my stash. The quarter inch grid design used on the board literally took me a couple of years to finish."

Close-up, Mosaic Masterpiece

Kathy concludes, "This is my Masterpiece, because I will NEVER do it again!"  We congratulate Kathy on the completion of her beautiful quilt, with its brilliant colors and incredible workmanship.

That Town and Country by Katherine Porter, quilted by Virginia Gore

Award of Excellence winner Katherine Porter  (not to be confused with the quilter above) says, " I have loved making this quilt. I saw the pattern and knew it was perfect to hang in a room I am redoing. There are 365 four-inch block in the pattern. it transforms from the city at night to the country in daylight. I have 293 blocks plus the mountains on the border."

(The pattern is That Town and Country Quilt Book ~ A Block a Day for a Year by Susan Claire Mayfield.)

Katherine adds, "The designer is from New Zealand, and I chose to keep the colloquialisms in the wording [of the signs]. I did add much of the embroidery and just in general enhanced most of the blocks with added details. I am almost sad it is finished.It was just so much fun to make."  We love house quilts, and the details of this fabulous quilt make it a real joy to look at. With every glance, we are aware of another fascinating motif or whimsical embellishment.

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

Best of Utah quilts: The 2018 Springville show ! part 3

We had lots of fun seeing the pretty quilts at the 45th annual Utah Quilt Show in Springville, Utah. It's a juried show, featuring quilts of all styles and sizes. We hope you enjoy the "eye candy" below !

Note: For great deals on quilt patterns, fabric, and vintage jewelry, visit us on E-Bay - We're Top Rated Sellers ! And for continuous listings of free quilt patterns, please check us out on Twitter.

Joci at Meiji Shrine by Sandra Rindlesbach - Award of Excellence

Sandra notes, "Joci at Meiji Shrine is adapted from a photo of my daughter while on vacation in Japan. The quilt is completely thread painted with over 100 threads. It was started in a class by [art quilter] Jennifer Day. This is my first thread painted quilt. "

Close-up, Joci at Meiji Shrine

In this exquisite quilt, you can see every detail of Joci's face. We really admire Sandra's amazing work.

Everlasting by Helen Butler (Best of Show)

Helen explains, "This multi-faceted quilt has been year in the making and finishing. Begun in 2014, the Coxcomb pattern has intrigued me, as I was drawn to its circular design and secondary pattern. The coxcomb flower is known as an "Everlasting", being one that when it dies, it does not lose its color or shape."

Close-up, Everlasting

Helen adds, "Last, not but least, this quilt, as my family knows, has literally been everlasting in its completion, and now it's done. AMEN. This original design quilt features trapunto, stuffed work, thread play, piping, couching, and needleturn applique. Quilted on my domestic machine."  Many congratulations to Helen upon the completion of her stunning work, with such intriguing shapes and beautiful quilting.

Autumn Migration by Margo Faccini

Margo says, "I couldn't resist the wonderful colors in this [fabric] line, so I bought several yards of several pieces and have ended up with two fall colored quilts."

Close-up, Autumn Migration

We really like the center medallion of long-stemmed flowers, which is set off so nicely by the flying geese inner border. Margo's pretty work perfectly captures the moods and colors of a sunny autumn day.
  
Magnificent Mola by Ellina Poulson, quilted by Kim Peterson (Award of Excellence)

Ellina writes, "I purchased the mola several years ago in Midway, UT and then struggled with ideas to frame it. It finally came together this year."
Ellina is referring to the  textile with the circular motif in the very center of the quilt. 

detail

In this close-up of the center motif, you can see the gorgeous colors and patterns that went into its construction. Ellina adds, "The quilting by Kim Peterson exquisitely sets off the design."

Deep Blue by Aftyn Schwab, quilted by Carol Rawson

Aftyn states, "Deep Blue" is a one block wonder quilt, but it is an original design. I didn't want a normal one block wonder quilt in the way they are usually made. I wanted something completely different and organic - like the ocean. The organization of the blocks is inspired by the ocean. The lightest blocks are near the top, where the sun penetrates and causes [the water] to be lighter."
(Based on One Block Wonders: One Fabric, One Shape, One-of-a-Kind Quilts by Maxine Rosenthal)

Close-up, Deep Blue

Aftyn continues, " The symbolism between my quilt and the ocean is similar. As you go deeper in the ocean, the colors deepen due to the absence of light. This is the effect I wanted to replicate in my quilt. I chose to do the ocean because I absolutely love it. I think it's gorgeous, mysterious, endearing, and captivating. This quilt was made entirely by me, with my Grandma Evans as my technical advisor." This is such an energetic,  pretty quilt, with a perfect selection of fabrics to depict the myriad hues of the ocean against a background of sandy and gray neutrals. 

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration.