Highlights of the Houston International Quilt Festival! (1)

We had a wonderful time at the Houston International Quilt Festival! We so enjoyed seeing 1200 quilts from around the world, and are excited to share photos of our favorites... starting today!

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BEST of SHOW:  The Visitation by Ricky Tims

Spectactular in every way, it's no wonder this quilt won the Best of Show award. So many expert techniques were combined to create this masterpiece.

 

Silent Companions by Ting-Ying Liu

 Here is one of many outstanding portrait quilts. Intricate fabric collaging was used to create the realistic faces of the dog and cat.

 

Rusty Jane by Dena Angela Miskel

Stop my beating heart... here's a gorgeous Dear Jane quilt, made with intriguing rust-dyed fabrics and sashiko.  So beautiful! Made with over 5000 fabric pieces, this deserves a top award.

 

A bright pineapple quilt, shown below, welcomed thousands of viewers from around the world.  Stay tuned for more highlights from this fabulous show!

 Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2025 Houston International Quilt Festival.

Modern Quilt Month: Bursting Free

It's Modern Quilt Month here at Quilt Inspiration! We'll be posting a new modern quilt each weekday... we hope you enjoy our photos! Today's fun quilt is based on a design by Ricky Tims.

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Bursting Free by Susie Voss, quilted by Penny Allen

"Bursting Free" was based on Ricky Tims' Grand Convergence design [in Ricky Tims' Convergence Quilts]. The saturated hues of the batiks add tremendous energy to this quilt! Susie Voss says, "After finishing the convergence pattern and having it quilted, I felt as though the dark blue strips were a "jail cell" confining the energy within.  So I cut the quilt and released this fiery energy."

 Image credit: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2023 Quilt Fieta (Tucson, Arizona).

Quilt Fiesta! The annual Tucson Quilters Guild show (3)

 It's quilt show time!  The annual Quilt Fiesta, held by the Tucson Quilters Guild in Arizona, is an outstanding show. We're rolling out some of our favorite photos.

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Bareback Champ by Millie Burgheimer

Bareback Champ received an award for expertise in thread painting. Millie Burgheimer included a quilt show banner on the fence behind the rider! We can't imagine how many colors of thread were needed to create the detail of this scene.  Millie says, "Attending many a rodeo event, I got a to photograph many a rider. Doing this piece brought back memories. [It was] fun recreating with thread."

Talavera Fiesta by Lynn Rubel

Talavera is a Mexican and Spanish pottery tradition that originated in Talavera de la Reina in Spain.  Talavera pottery is known for its brilliant colors set against a pristine white background. Lynn Rubel created a stunning original applique quilt inspired by this tradition. Lynn says, "My friend Shirley inspired me to make a Talavera quilt. Various designs from Talavera were incorporated into the design. I chose primary colors to make this bright and fun with embellishments to make it fiesta!"

Tucson by Jeannie Clegg

We love the Southwest design and colors of this quilt! Tucson by Jeannie Clegg was based on a pattern by Elizabeth Anne Quilt Designs (as of this post, the pattern can be found on Etsy. ) Jeannie explains that she purchased the pattern in 2007, and that the fabrics were selected by her daughter & granddaughters during their visit to California in 2008, where she used to live. She then made the quilt at a retreat summer of 2022.

Saguaro National Park East by Lynne Saul

Saguaro National Park East by Lynne Saul was inspired by a photo of this beautiful area of the Sonoran desert. It is primarily pieced and was machine quilted by Lynne herself.  One Person, Primarily Pieced, Machine Quilted.  The original design was made using Ricky Tims' Gridified Art Quilt process, which Lynne took as an online class. The majestic saguaro cactus are beautifully highlighted against the mountains.

In My Desert Backyard by Barbara Hanson

 

So many animals and plants can be seen in this original design quilt, titled In My Desert Backyard. You can find Gambel's quail, butterflies, prickly pear and barrel cactus, hummingbirds, penstemon flowers and more in this quilt. Barbara Hanson says, "Our move to Tucson in 2020 and learning about the many plants and animals of the desert inspired this quilt. Backyard landscaping included bent rebar to resemble ocotillo."

 

An appliqued hawk soars gracefully over the desert landscape.

Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2023 Tucson Quilters Guild show.

 

A Celebration of Color

Are you ready for some color on this Friday? Here are some quilts from the Celebration of Color exhibit at the 2022 International Quilt Festival in Salt Lake City!

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Bubbles by Hanne Lohde (California)

Hanne Lohde says, "To catch a glimpse of a mermaid is never easy, but you might just be lucky enough to see one here in Bubbles  This quilt tells the story of endangered fish, like Helga, the black herring from the Baltic Sea, and Safia, from the Mediterranean. They come from all over the world to Bubbles to help the mermaid, Queen Pernille, harvest pearls.

There's so much fun detail in Hanne's vibrantly colored quilt, that it's difficult to decide where to look first. The embellishments and embroidery are superb! Her original design is hand appliqued, embellished, embroidered, dyed, and pieced; plus it's machine quilted.

Clamshell Surprise by Lou Ellen Hassold, quilted by Valerie Wagner

Winner of the Art Prize, Lou Ellen writes, "I wanted a vivid, interesting look for my version of Judy Niemeyer's  'Clamshells'.  The quilt was made from a variety of Kaffe Fassett scraps, paired with Moda Grunge fabrics. I was pleasantly surprised by the results as the quilt was even brighter than I imagined. It almost seemed to glow as if lit from behind. Valerie Wagner's quilting design adds a lovely texture."

What really sets off these color-saturated fabrics is Lou Ellen's choice of black background fabric. It provides a striking visual effect which separates each clamshell motif and highlights the intense hues.

Seven Sisters by Cathy Perlmutter (California)

Cathy explains, "This quilt is made from about 1,000 3.75" triangles, improvisationally pieced, Log Cabin style, on paper backings. The colorful central stars are in a traditional Seven Sisters layout and seem to be flinging out an outer ring of six ghostly half-stars." 

Cathy's very intriguing work is machine pieced and quilted. She explains that the traditional Seven Sisters quilt design is hiding deep inside this quilt.

Flamboyant by Linda Riesterer (Washington)

 Linda notes, "Bright colors make me happy, and this is one of the happiest quilts I have made. [This original design] was inspired by the Rhapsody quilts by Ricky Tims. "

Linda's purple background adds extra pop to these gorgeous floral motifs. Her quilt is hand appliqued, embroidered, pieced, and quilted.

I Danced Along a Colored Wind by Amy Kidd (Massachusetts)

Amy says, " This Flowering Snowball quilt is third in a series using variegated striped fabrics with a traditional quilt block. The subtle color changes, along with the curves and quilting pattern variation, dance across the quilt."

Amy concludes, "The dark background and flickering color created by the stripes produces a luminous quality." We admire Amy's quilt because the color scheme is so carefully planned and executed. It is machine pieced and quilted.

Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2022 International Quilt Festival in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Fun with Fabric! (part 1)

We were delighted with the immense talent on display at the Spring quilt shows. The quilters made great use of a wide range of fabrics from batiks, to solids, to traditional and modern prints.  Join us in admiring these creations!

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Winter Crystals by Karen Kelter

 We love this quilt! Karen Kelter made Winter Crystals using Ricky Tims' simple strip-piecing techniques from his book, Kool Kaleidoscopes. She used about 20 fabrics and combined them masterfully without buying any new fabric!  Her choice of complementary purples and yellows pull the whole design together. Karen says, "I was surprised how easy this was and how quickly it came together."

Starry Patchwork Sampler by Francie McMillan, quilted by Kim Votava

The stars positively dance across this joyful quilt! Francie McMillan, describes this as a "colorful 20 block sampler with red backing with white polka dots." The pattern source was a BOM from Quilt Mama. A closeup (below) reveals some really fun fabrics, such as the red lips and the fussy-cut house.

Scrap Pineapple by Jillane Ocano

Jillane Ocano says that Scrap Pineapple was an attempt to reduce the contents of her scrap bins. "It contains scraps from most of my projects from the beginning of my quilting journey 5 years ago." This dynamic creation was expertly quilted by Jillane herself. The kaleidoscope design fits the theme of the 2022 Quilt Arizona show, "Kaleidoscope of Quilts!"

My Herd by Kate Clark

Kate Clark created My Herd with a stunning array of jewel-tone fabrics. She says, "This quilt has been a series of errors... know that this happens to others. I still love elephants and this quilt keeps us warm." We enjoyed the many beautiful prints, including some Kaffe Fassett favorites. This wonderful quilt was based on the Cirque d' Elephant pattern from Sew Much Ado.

Rainbow Starlight by Nancy Duckworth

Nancy Duckworth created Rainbow Starlight using dozens of colorful fabrics grouped by hues. She says, "Since shopping was hard during the pandemic, I needed a project using what I had.  I was hoping a scrap quilt would use a lot of fabric.  It didn't make a dent in my scrap bin!"  We loved the quilted bubbles in the sashings. Nancy used the versatile Scrap Happy Star Quilt pattern by IzySewbuzy Creations on Etsy.

Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2022 Quilt Arizona show (Scrap Pineapple) and the 2022 Tucson Quilt Fiesta (Winter Crystals, My Herd, Rainbow Starlight, and Starry Patchwork Sampler).

The 2022 Tucson Quilters Guild Fiesta (4)

Can you believe it... an in-person quilt show! We hope you enjoy these fabulous creations from the talented quilters of the Tucson Quilters Guild.  As you can see, they have been quilting up a storm for the last two years.  Here is Part 4 of our photos.

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Geese Encircling the Stars by Ann Adams, quilted by Linda Cote'

Winner of 1st place in the Small-Pieced quilt category, here is a stunning rendition of Jacqueline de Jonge's Enchanting Stars pattern!  Ann Adams began this foundation paper-pieced quilt in a class with Jacqueline in February 2020. She notes that it was challenging to use so many different batiks to produce the color gradations. The end result is positively luminous and well-deserving of its blue ribbon.

What's Up Doc? by Suzanne Irving

Suzanne Irving designed and made this quilt for her son, Louis, who will be receiving his doctoral degree this year.  "Cow" became his childhood nickname, bestowed upon him by his big brother David. 

This delightful quilt was inspired by a painting titled "Maisie in Black and White" by Tucson artist Geri Bringman (one of Suzanne's favorite artists).  Suzanne included many features of the Sonoran Desert, including red rocks and a hillside dotted with saguaros!

Rain Forest by Ruth Sharp

Rain Forest began with a fabric panel that was added to, cut out, and thread painted, creating a lush tropical landscape of trees, bushes, flowers, butterflies and birds.  The waterfalls were added, and many different thread colors were used to enhance this scene.

You can see details of Ruth Sharp's expert thread painting of the parrot, as shown above. This quilt was awarded Honorable Mention in the Art-Pictorial/Whimsical category.

A Corgi for Every Season by Lynn Rubel

Here is a paper pieced quilt based on Lisa Fryxell's "Life's A Beach Corgi" pattern. Seven smiling Corgis adorn this cute wall quilt, which was made and quilted by Lynn Rubel as a gift for her cousin, who owns a pack of award-winning Corgis. Are you curious about the sashing fabric? It has printed corgi silhouettes with text that reads, "Corgi butts drive me nuts." (Who knew?)

Each cute Corgi has distinctive clothing, button eyes, and an embroidered smile!  (Winner of Honorable Mention at the Tucson show.)

Crystal - by Hoffman "Sew Into It", by Janice Graham

This sparkling star quilt, made and quilted by Janice Graham, was based on the Hoffman California Fabrics Crystal pattern.  Janice says that this quilt was a real challenge as each pre-cut piece was cut on the bias, so each seam had to be exact. "There were days that I put it away, and started on it again the next day." She notes that she loves the finished quilt. It was truly a showstopper (winner of Honorable Mention award.)

Daisy Chain by Peg Clampet

Daisy Chain is an original design based on the Kool Kaleidoscope technique, which was taught by Ricky Tims at the first virtual Quilt Luminarium (courtesy of the pandemic).  The large floral print fabrics were an inspired choice for this colorful quilt, adding dimension and interest to the overall design!  Some pieces were fussy cut to highlight the large flower prints. Peg Clampet used an overall quilting design, with leaves, to continue the floral theme.

 Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2022 Tucson Quilters Guild show.