Highlights of the 2026 Quilt Fiesta! (5)

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 5 of 5.

p.s. Please see our E-Bay shop for great bargains on jewelry, clothing, and collectibles. For more free patterns, please follow us on Twitter. 

Greek Garden Party, made and quilted by Tami Graeber.  

In this original design, the Greek keys were hand drawn.  Tami Graeber says that she needed a project on a cruise, so she packed fabric and a limited color palette of paint.  She machine appliqued the elements to the back and added the Greek key border for a fun thing to do. The giant rick rack completes this whimsical piece.

Firefly Dance by Shawna Wallis, quilted by Kris Neifeld.  

Winner of the Quilt Show Chair's Choice award, this panel "One Block Wonder" quilt was begun with a class by Susie Weaver. [The One Block Wonder technique is by Maxine Rosenfeld.]  Shawna Wallis says, "When I saw this panel I knew if would be perfect for a One Block Wonder.  It exceeded my expectations!"

My Childhood in Wyoming, made and quilted by Julie Hallquist

A variation of Alex Anderson's Sequoia Sampler, this quilt won 1st Place and a blue ribbon in the One Person Small Pieced category. Julie Hallquist says, "This is full of reflections of my childhood on a sheep ranch in Wyoming.  My mother's poppies, my grandmother's Swedish heritage, our log cabin, learning to sew, the ever-present wind, and millions of stars at night."

 

 Purple Pineapple, made and quilted by Ann Weber

Ann Weber says, "We have purple potatoes these days - why not purple pineapples? I had been wanting to make a purple quilt to combine lots of different purple fabrics that I had been collecting. Then for some reason, I was drawn to trying the pineapple block. I had so much fun making this and watching the pineapples appear." The quilt is based on the classic pineapple block.  

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.

Highlights of the 2026 Quilt Fiesta! (4)

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 4 of 5.

p.s. Please see our E-Bay shop for great bargains on jewelry, clothing, and collectibles. For more free patterns, please follow us on Twitter. 

Cactus Trio, made and quilted by Barbara Lambrecht.  

This still life of cacti in pots is beautifully done. Winner of a 2nd place ribbon in the Art- Realistic category, Barbara Lambrecht says: "Two cacti from the class with Jane Haworth needed a companion.  I designed the barrel cactus to accompany the others. I used eyelash yarn for the spines and fused flowers for the blossoms."  

The Color of Music, made and quilted by Stephanie Nordlin

Winner of a ribbon for 3rd place in the Art - Realistic category, Stephanie Nordlin says, "My granddaugher recorded herself playing keyboard and guitar.  Her jacket [in the quilt] is made from leftover fabric from a shirt I made her 16 years ago.  Her face is made from layers of dyed silk."

Blossoms, made and quilted by Barbara Lambrecht

 Oh my... This gorgeous floral quilt is hand quilted; scroll down for closeup photos. Winner of the Exemplary Hand Quilting award, plus a red ribbon (2nd place) in the One Person Primarily Applique category. 

The blocks are original designs by Barbara Lambrecht, plus one from the book, East Quilts West by Kumiko Sudo.  Barbara Lambrecht says, "I designed these blossoms and finally found a setting design that was public domain.  This quilt is the first of two I made." We hope you can see the tiny hand quilting stitches in the background in these photos...

Sonoran Star Burst by Saddlebrooke Quilters entered by Tami Graeber; quilted by Athena Taylor.  

Winner of a ribbon for 2nd place in the Group Quilt category, this is the Saddlebrooke Quilters' 2026 Raffle Quilt. A chocolate background was chosen to make the desert color palette pop! The scallop border was added to soften the sharp lines. The quilt included two patterns designed by Linda McGibbons: Canyon Twilight & Luminary.

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 Quilt Fiesta! (4)

We attended the 2025 Quilt Fiesta in Tucson, Arizona, and had a wonderful time.  This show is produced by the Tucson Quilters Guild and there were so many beautiful quilts to admire. We hope you enjoy our photos of the show! Here is part 4.

Note: Please check out our E-Bay shop for great bargains on patterns, jewelry, and collectibles. You also can follow us on Twitter!

Four Little Cowpokes, made and quilted by Lisa Fryxell

Lisa Fryxell says, "Thanks to my friend, Lynn Rubel, for allowing me to make a quilt featuring her mom (in red) and uncle, with their cousins from Illinois at Arivaca Ranch in 1935. The original photo was black and white."

Lisa Fryxell is known for her paper-piecing patterns, and it's impressive to see the photo-realism she achieved in this original portrait quilt.  

Echoes of the Past by Kay Walen, quilted by Laura Farnham 

Each feature appliqued block is surrounded by small blocks, many of which are pieced, adding to the extraordinary detail in this quilt. Kay Walen says, "This quilt pattern reminded me of prehistoric art - prevalent in the Southwest.  I decided to hone my blanket stitch applique technique and enjoyed the process." (Pattern source: Echoes of the Past by Elizabeth Anne.)

(Note: The printed card next to this quilt said "quilted by Laura Faenham"; we are assuming this is a typo, so have tentatively corrected the spelling to Laura Farnham.)

Beach Boards and Balls, made and quilted by Nancy Zeller

This small improvisational art piece really captured our attention with its energy and sense of movement.  It was inspired by the fibert art of Sue Benner, a member of SAQA.  Nancy Zeller says, "This piece was created for a monthly challenge in our Art Quilt Group to emulate the artist drawn (selected) for that month."  We loved the end result.

Remembering Nancy, made and quilted by Tami Graeber

Winner of a blue ribbon for 1st place in the applique category, Tami Graeber says: "This original design was made in remembrance of Nancy Arsenault, my friend and mentor. Machine applique was her favorite technique." Some of the beautiful details can be seen in the closeup photos.

The quilt was "inspired by a Victorian tile I own. Heavy background quilting [was used] to make the design pop." Fancy double prairie point edges add to the piece, shown below.

African Art by Janet Chumbley, quilted by Quality Quilterz

We loved this quilt, which was made with random African fabric pieces with occasional thin strips of black fabric to set off the blocks.  Janet Chumbley says,"Over the years, I had collected several different pieces of African fabric.  Eventually I had to figure out a use for them. I tried to just use yellows, reds and black." Her choice and expert arrangement of the fabrics makes for a fabulous composition.

Note: If you enjoyed this post you might also be interested in our Free Pattern Day for Africa Inspired Quilts (CLICK HERE!)

Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2025 Tucson Quilters Guild show.

Welcome to the Quilt Fiesta! (3)

We attended the 2025 Quilt Fiesta in Tucson, Arizona, and had a wonderful time.  This show is produced by the Tucson Quilters Guild, and there were so many beautiful quilts to admire. We hope you enjoy our photos of the show! Here is part 3.

Note: Please check out our E-Bay shop for great bargains on patterns, jewelry, and collectibles. You also can follow us on Twitter!

Retro Living, made and quilted by Tami Graeber

This fantastic, large art quilt was one of the top award winners at the show.  The original design was awarded 1st Place - Viewers Choice, Judge's Choice, and 1st Place - Art Whimsy.  Tami Graeber says, "I grew up in the 50's - sat in front of a TV like this.  The good old days! [It was] fun creating the mid-century modern iconic images." Check out the retro wallpaper, a pole lamp (on the right), stylized cats, a French poodle, and even a martini glass on the arm of the sofa. 

The black poodle has a daisy collar and a real bow in her hair. She sits next to a modern potted plant.

Tami says, "I wanted to use "I Love Lucy" on the TV, but copyrights made me use the NBC peacock that was first used in color in 1957."

Summer's Night and Day by Caroline Ellermann, quilted by Glenda Davis

Multiple borders surround this fabulous medallion quilt with its lollipop flowers, houses, Dresden plates, hearts, and more beautiful elements. Caroline Ellermann says, "After seeing this Sarah Fielke pattern made by one of our accomplished guide quilters, I decided to make it. With all of the machine applique, it was a very big challenge.  However, I now have new skills." Pattern source: Sarah Fielke with adaption.

The Blue Door, made and quilted by Lisa Fryxell

Lisa Fryxell is known for her original paper pieced quilt designs.  She says, "This quilt is based on a photo I took in France in June 2024.  It is foundation paper pieced and quilted on my domestic machine."

Psychedelic Carpenter Square, made and quilted by Penny Boese 

A stunning color combination with its an ombre effects truly light up this modern quilt.  It is made with numerous brightly colored batiks. Penny Boese says that her design was inspired by a traditional pattern and Carpenter Square pattern.  The detailed machine quilting adds considerable interest to the design.

 Firewall by Carol W. Carpenter, quilted by Kris Neifeld  

A wonderful stained glass effect is achieved with this design, thanks to the vertical black borders and bright geometric fabrics. The pattern Source is Free Spirit Fabrics' "Play Quilt" by Adrienne Leban (this is a free download).  Carol Carpenter says, "I'm unsure why these wild, swirly fabrics from Adrienne Leban captivated me, but they certainly did. I had a great time under the tutelage of Susie Weaver, making sense of diverse directions, shapes and colors with a cohesive, beautiful result."

Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2025 Tucson Quilters Guild show.

Quilt Fiesta! Highlights of the Show (1)

Welcome to the Quilt Fiesta, the annual Tucson (Arizona) Quilters Guild show! We enjoyed seeing  hundreds of fantastic quilts and will be sharing highlights here.  We hope you enjoy our photos.

p.s. Please see our E-Bay shop for great bargains on patterns and vintage collectibles. For continuous free quilt patterns and blog updates, please visit us on Twitter.

Montepulciano by Kathy Adams

This stunning original landscape quilt by Kathy Adams won Best of Show, along with 1st place in the Art Quilts - Scenic category.  Kathy says the quilt was "Inspired by a picture I took of Montepulciano from our lodge in Tuscany." Numerous advanced techniques were used, including making lots of parts for all the trees, bushes and grapevines, using wash away stabilizer, tulle, fabric and yarns."

There were so many admirers of this large quilt, it took us several minutes to get these photos! Check out the intricate details of the flowers, bushes and trees, including lavender in the foreground, below. 

Art Deco Meets Southwest by Paula Fulton, quilted by Athena Taylor

Gorgeous purple, teal, turquoise hues go together beautifully in this dramatic, original design! This quilt won First Place in the Two Person Primarily Pieced category, plus a special Award for Exemplary Machine Quilting (Computer/Digitized.)

Paula Fulton says, "I was inspired by several traditional southwest quilts but wanted to add a twist to it with art deco-style strips in the center. Purple, teal, turquoise and exquisite quilting [by Athena Taylor] give the quilt the 'wow' factor." We love the sun motifs shown below.

Indian Summer by Tami Graeber

This piece was a show-stopper with its strong contrasts and Southwestern feel.  Tami Graeber won a blue ribbon for 1st Place in the Other Techniques category.  She started with the Empire Place pattern from Sassafras lane Designs, but she decided to make the pattern her own.  "I only used a few blocks, changed [the] size to square, hand painted several Acoma tribal blocks, and added screen printed 3-D butterflies."

 Flower Lady by Millie Burgheimer

An incredibly artistic creation by Millie Burgheimer! She saw a flower lady in a market place and loved her face.  This piece was made with *lots* of thread, creating a realistic portrait of the flower seller, and the flowers themselves. Millie was awarded a ribbon in the Art Portraits category for this beautiful portrait.

 Athena's Infinity by Athena Taylor

 

Athena Taylor won First Place in the Modern Quilt category for this fantastic rainbow quilt, filled with stars, curves, flying geese, and New York Beauty blocks. It was based on the Infinity quilt pattern by Jacqueline de Jonge.

Athena says, "The quilt uses 25 different fabrics, all paper pieced. The quilting was done using free motion quilting and rulers.  No computer assistance on this one!" (Wow!)

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