Feeling Happy (or Crabby?) Make a Quilt!

Quilting is not only an art form, but a way to express friendship, humor, and joy.  We especially love whimsical quilts!  These make us smile. We hope you enjoy these favorites from a 2025 show.

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Beads and Buttons and Quilting, Oh My! by Karen Fisher  

Check out the variety of colorful buttons, along with Karen Fisher's masterful machine applique! This original art quilt was made for the 2022 Cherrywood Fabric "Graffiti" challenge.  Karen says, "The words readily describe the majority of my quilts, and I used both my Tucks and Skinny Piecing methods to further highlight the words.  [This quilt is] a little nod to the "Wizard of Oz" (Lions, Tigers, and Bears, Oh My!) 

Last Mingo in Paradise by Katherine Verbeke  

This flamingo is incredibly stylish! The paper pieced pattern, designed by Lisa Fryxell for Katherine Verbeke, is an ode to Jimmy Buffet. Katherine Verbeke says: "The flamingo, palm tree and beach are calling... go grab a margarita!" The quilt is filled with embellishments, including beads, charms, and a Landshark beer bottle cap (can you spot it in the above photo?) 

Using Cherrywood Fabrics, beads, and other embellishments, this piece represents the carefree Caribbean lifestyle emulated by Mr. Buffett's lyrics and music. Sparkly beads and a tropical print "shirt" add to the festive atmosphere.

Feeling Crabby by Monique Baczewski, quilted by Linda Schwartz.  

Such cute crabs, in a variety of cool hues! Monique Baczewski says that this quilt pattern (Feeling Crabby by Wendy Sheppard) called to her from the rack at Cactus Quilt Shop.  "I raided my grunge stash from my sewing closet for the crabs.  [There were] lots of little pieces. I really enjoyed making this quilt!"

 Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2025 Quilt Fiesta in Tucson, Arizona.

 

Highlights of Quilt Arizona! (4)

The 2025 Quilt Arizona show features hundreds of quilters, many of whom spend the winter months in this sunny locale.  Here are some highlights from the show.  We hope you enjoy our photos!

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Moving Parts, made and quilted by Claire Victor 

Winner of a blue ribbon for 1st place in the Modern-Solo category, plus a special award for Exemplary Professional Machine Quilting, Claire Victor says: "Moving Parts was designed using Procreate [design software]. I am trying to create dimension and motion without shading or painting.  The background quilting design is my modern tribute to crazy quilting.  This is English paper pieced and machine quilted on a domestic Bernina machine." 

 

 

Claire's exemplary machine quilting can be seen in the closeup photos, with different quilting designs applied to each of the "segments" of the design. 

Wonkydoodle, made and quilted by Geri Cavanagh  

Winner of a special award for Excellent Use of Color, Geri Cavanagh says: "This is way outside my box.  I usually make quilts with traditional blocks and civil war fabrics.  I stretched my creativity with this since I had no plan and no pattern. I just developed into this wild and crazy quilt which I love."

She continues, "I found a purple and green print, and a Caryl Bryer Fallert Gradations print, then matched them with colorful, upbeat and wonky fabrics. I started doodling with purple and green strips of various widths. Some were too short, so I cut them which left a hole to be covered with a circle... I had no idea how it was going to turn out. It was fun to use my creativity and let it develop."

Freedom, made and quilted by Frances Murphy

This original design was given the NACQJ Award of Merit  by the National Association of Certified Quilt Judges.  Frances Murphy says that she pondered how to tell a story about freedom. She used birds because they are icons of freedom (as reflected in the saying "free as a bird".) The theme is depicted in 4 panels, from the open door of a bird cage on the left, to birds flying over the city, to birds viewed in their natural habitat in the wild. She says, "I love working with graphic design and color to create emotion and depth in my quilts."

Peacock Patchwork, made and quilted by Linda Hopkins

It was so much fun to see this colorful and unique quilt with its many details. Linda Hopkins says, "When cleaning out my Crazy Quilt fabrics, I discovered a multitude of peacocks.  In this color-washed Crazy Quilt I have incorporated vintage doilies, beads, buttons, and many of the peacocks that I purchased over the years. Enjoy the journey." (And so we did!)  Winner of Honorable Mention at the show.

Bottle Vases, made and quilted by Merci Apodaca

Made with machine-embroidery appplique with organza overlay on vases, this lovely piece won 2nd place in the Machine Embroidery category.  Merci Apodaca says, "I chose to make this quilt because it reflects my love of flowers.  It's been challenging growing flowers in AZ.  The next best thing would be to embroider flowers.  Published design: Anita Goodesign Embroidery.

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

Peace Angels

Here is a very special quilt that highlights the universal wish for peace among all people and all nations.  The quilt maker, Candice Harrison, represented angels of many different ethnicities.  We hope you can see her many creative embellishments in the photos below.  

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Peace Angels by Candice Harrison, quilted by Sally Eaglemann.

Candice Harrison says this is the first quilt she ever made (WOW!) 

The pattern source was "Peace Angel" by Kimberly Rado of Starry Night Hollow.  "The pattern was altered and fabric choices and embellishments made to illustrate the need for peace in the world among ALL people." 

Kaffe Fassett fabrics and other colorful prints, hairdos (made with embroidery thread or yarn), hats, and other embellishments were used to personalize each angel.

In the upper left corner of the above photo there is a tiny blue peace symbol charm. 

We truly admired Sally Eaglemann's flowing quilting design, as shown closeup in the border, below.

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

Feather Fancy

Quilted wreaths can be made either with piecing or with applique. Here is one of the most beautiful of all quilted wreaths, made with dozens of appliqued 'feathers'. Janice Jones did an amazing job with this heirloom creation; we admire her excellent needleturn applique work.

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Horse Feathers, made and quilted by Janice Jones

This quilt is made with needleturn applique. Janice Jones explains, "The title of the quilt is from my dad, who muttered 'horsefeathers' in frustration. Making each feather with tiny points, 'Horse Feathers' fit perfectly. Buttons were added for holly berries and piping [was used] in the borders."

The pattern source is "Feather Fancy" by Cherry Guidry for Cherry Blossoms Quilts. 

Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2024 Tucson (Arizona) Quilt Fiesta.

Assemblage Art: The Utah Surface Design Group

The Utah Surface Design Group is a group of artists dedicated to the principles of surface design and fiber art. Their exhibit at the Brigham City Museum included fascinating 3D ssemblage pieces made with fabric, string, beads, and 'found' objects.  

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Mannequin Head (2023) by Quincy Davenport.

 

This is a truly fascinating piece! Quincy Davenport says, "Mannequin Head embodies an intersection of inspiration and materials, sparked by a simple gift - a tiered gold headband.  Placed upon a mannequin, it transformed into a regal symbol, prompting the addition of gold, black, and white beads." 

Rhinestones, mirror tiles, and pearls followed, enhancing its sparkle and allure... Each bead and embellishment reflects not only creativity but also the serendipitous nature of artistic creation."  The embellished Mannequin Head was set on a brass candlestick.  We love the pearl choker necklace placed around the neck.

The Vast Man (2022) by Julie Strong.

We found this piece to be both beautiful and evocative. Julie Strong explains the title of the piece: "Khalil Gibran's Vast Man is a wandering being who is open to the opportunities of each moment, unafraid of the intersections in life that may lead to a new road. He is open to the direction of the winds, travels with the sun and the moon, and moves through outer and inner realms."  

Made with a found wooden head and hands, the armature is hand made. The gown is made from linen and embellished with hand embroidery and hand beading. Passages from Kahlil Gibran's The Farewell were hand lettered on the wooden base.

 Marking Time with a Mud Stone (2024) by Kim Deneris Brown.

This framed piece is minimalist in its conception yet it highlights the beauty of the natural materials, including the stone and the string which has been woven to embrace the rock. The stone comes from a unique and ancient geological formation in north-central Utah. Kim Deneris Brown says, "Over 720 million years ago, mud and clay particles were deposited in shallow waters near the shore of an ancient sea.  The sedimentary layers were compacted and over time and movement along the Wasatch Fault, elevated to the mouth of Big Cottonwood Canyon."  

Repeat by Lone' Vilnius. 

This assemblage art piece was made with old books and antique collectibles.  It was fascinating to see the materials take new appearances within the overal design.  Many intriguing details can be seen in the closeup photos.

Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the Brigham City Museum, Brigham City, Utah, August 2024.

Intersections: A Utah Surface Design Group Showcase (1)

Surface Design encompasses the coloring, patterning, and structuring of fiber and fabric. This involves processes such as dyeing, painting, printing, stitching, embellishing, quilting, weaving, knitting, felting, and papermaking. The Utah Surface Design Group is a group of artists who are dedicated to this genre. Here are some highlights of their 2024 exhibit — titled Intersections — at the Brigham City Museum.

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Crossed Squares (2023) by Roxanne Bartel. 

Crossed Squares is part of a series of quilts that explore the "intersection" of traditional quilting with abstract design. As Roxanne Bartel explains, "In this series, I am using four-patch traditional quilt blocks as a foundation paired with contemporary abstract design. My works are often color studies - here I am using the analogous colors red, orange, and yellow, with small accents of the complements (blue, purple)."

Roxanne creates her own palette of over-dyed fabrics through dying, bleaching, painting, and resist with cotton, silk, and re-purposed Japanese kimonos.

Girl in Tree (2022) by Rosanna Lynne Welter.

This evocative piece represents the intersection of time, memory, and childhood dreams. Rosanna Lynne Welter asks, "Those glorious, halcyon childhood days — was there magic in your life back then?  Special places you could go to dream your future?"   

Girl in Tree was created with whole cloth cotton, painted rayon, rayon thread, fabric inks, and beads.  The original artwork was sketched on whole cloth cotton, stitched, then painted with fabric inks.

The colorful autumn leaves were painted with fabric inks and hand cut, then attached with fusible and beading.

Becoming More Me (2021) by Judy Elsley.

The top left square of this quilt has the word "Becoming", and the bottom right square says "More Me".  Judy Elsley says, "The quilt documents my long, slow process of embracing and celebrating who I am, including my flaws and weaknesses. I see my job as a constant striving to become the best version of myself. It took me years to shift from the idea of perfection to this gentler and kinder approach as I make my way through the world."  

The quilt is composed of a harmonious selection of hand-dyed and printed fabrics.  It was machine quilted and beautifully embellished with beads, along with hand stitching with embroidery thread.

Bittersweet (2024) by Sheryl Gillilan 

Sheryl Gillilan says, "In the Buddhist tradition, the so-called "eight worldly winds" swirl around us all, buffeting our lives with an ever-changing cycle of positive and negative influences. There is no way to escape these bittersweet winds, or to know when they will intersect with our lives to foment chaos or engender bliss."  

The central portion of this quilt "represents my personal encounters with the winds, which have both gently wafted over me and unleashed ferocious storms." The chosen Scrabble words give a fascinating portrait of the personal identity, values, and conflicts that have influenced Sheryl's life and work.

Sheryl says, "As in the game of Scrabble, my life is an ongoing practice of using the letters and words that have blown my way to piece together a life that... ultimately anchors me in this world." 

Sheryl used commercial and hand-dyed fabrics, with stamped ink letter printing.  This piece was machine pieced and quilted.

Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the Brigham City Museum (Brigham City, Utah).
 

It's Modern Quilt Month! (3)

We're celebrating Modern Quilt Month at Q.I. This is the third of FIVE posts. According to The Modern Quilt Guild, modern quilts often use bold colors and prints, high contrast, graphic areas of solid color, improvisational piecing, minimalism, and/or expansive negative space. Enjoy!

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Garden Gone Wild, made and quilted by Sherrie Spangler

Splashy colors represent an exuberant untamed flower garden, with quilting lines adding a wind blown feeling. Sherrie Spangler says, "I painted much of the fabric, including sheer silk for color depth.  Feathers, yarn and beads scattered across the surface add to the wildness." The raw edges also add to the soft look of this quilt.

 Ripples in a Crayola Sea, made by Mimi Pollow, quilted by Quality Quilterz

Mimi Pollow says, "This quilt was started on a quilting cruise. Yes, it is from a kit, but it was far from easy.  In fact, it took me almost a year to finish." Pattern source: Strippy Double Diamond by Carol Morrissey.  

 Woven Wonder, made and quilted by Jana Knutson.

What a fantastic woven-look quilt! Jana Knutson says, "Only 400 squares to match up points! One and done pattern but it was fun." Pattern source: Over and Down Under by Bonnie Sullivan (available at many sources). 

It All Comes Together by Peter Adams, quilted by Kathy Harris. 

A graphic contemporary look was achieved with this two-color quilt. Pattern source: Modern 180 (Deb Tucker's Studio).  Peter Adams says, "This quilt was created following the Modern 180 Tumbling Triangles pattern, which uses the Studio 180 V-block tool. A V-block unit contains a centered triangle.  I was intrigued that the triangles appear to be suspended and in a free-fall motion."

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