Transparency Quilt Challenge: Continuity of Radiance

Transparency is a hot trend in quilting! The challenge is to choose opaque fabrics to create the illusion of transparency. The American Patchwork and Quilting Transparency Challenge produced some incredible quilts by artists around the world. We hope you enjoy our photos!

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Continuity of Radiance by Svetlana Silver (Omsk, Omskaya oblast, Russian Federation)  @svetoch.silver 

This quilt invites us to consider how just a few fabrics were used to convey transparency! Continuity of Radiance is "an attempt to convey the impact of an object that includes hypnotic glow, rotation, transparency and the endless cycle of ending and beginning of everything."  

The quilt was machine pieced and machine quilted on a frame (longarm).  Straight line "matchstick" quilting in green thread creates a subtle texture in the background.

You can see more of Svetlana's beautiful quilting @svetoch.silver on Instagram. 

 Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2025 QuiltCon show in Phoenix, Arizona.

The CIRCLES quilt challenge (2)

We love quilt challenges!  One of the best we've seen recently was the CIRCLES challenge, which has been traveling the country. Put on by the National Association of Certified Quilt Judges (NACQJ), the challenge was to create an original piece (up to 20") using the provided yellow and blue fabric cut into circles. There were so many creative entries. Which are your favorites?

p.s. Check out our E-Bay shop for great bargains on jewelry, patterns, and collectible items! For more quilt inspration, please visit us on Twitter ! 

Circular Fusion by Maribeth Schmit (Cedarburg, WI)

Circular Fusion is a fun exploration of traditional and modern quilt design and techniques.  The blue and yellow circles (the theme of the challenge) are used as punctuation, the focus being on the asymmetrial circular design.  The straight-line quilting adds order to the design.

 Double Complements by Andi Perejda (Arroyo Grande, CA)

Complementary colors add interest to artwork, as do fascinating fabrics! Andi Perejda says,  "I decided to add complementary colors to our blue and yellow colors, using fabrics I had printed and/or dyed.  So, violet and orange were used in conjunction with blue and yellow.  Thus, a double-complementary color scheme was born!"

Inspired by Joan Miro by Linda Rasmussen (Monrovia, CA)

Joan Miro was a famous 20th century artist who combined abstract art with Surrealist fantasy.  Linda Rasmussen says, "When I saw the colors that were to be included in this piece and the challenge of a cricle theme, I searched the internet for art that featured circles and bright colors.  Who popped up but Joan Miro?  One of his pieces inspired me to make this quilt.  I loved the color and the abstract nature of his piece... this is my interpretation.)

Circling the Sun by Cindy Seitz-Krug (Luna, NM)

 

Circling the Sun shows the planets in their orbits, with fabric chosen to represent their appearances.  A corner of the sun was placed in the upper left, and thread painting was used to denote heat and flares emanating from the sun.  The names of the planets were quilted next to their image as shown below.

 Dot-Dot-Dot by Phyllis Manley (Plymouth Meeting, PA)

A really interesting clamshell design, where colorful circles punctuate the curves of the black-and-white clamshells. Phyllis Manley says, "Working with circles is not always a challenge. I enjoyed using the "fused interfacing method" to make clamshells, then applique onto the background.  I did not want the quilting to interfere with the design, so outlining the circles was an easy choice."

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

The CIRCLES quilt challenge (1)

We love quilt challenges!  One of the best we've seen recently was the national CIRCLES challenge, which has been traveling the country. Initiated by the National Association of Certified Quilt Judges (NACQJ), the challenge was to create an original piece (up to 20") using the provided yellow and blue fabric cut into circles. There were so many creative entries. Which are your favorites?

p.s. Check out our E-Bay shop for great bargains on jewelry, patterns, and collectible items! For more quilt inspration, please visit us on Twitter ! 

In Tandem by Kathie Eubank (Urbandale, IA)

Whimsical and artistic come to mind when viewing this portrait quilt.  Kathi Eubank says that In Tandem reflects the right brain/left brain dichotomy. As she explains, the right side seeks creativity and is free-spirited.  The left side represents logic,and searches for precision and accuracy.  Both sides must work in tandem when judging quilts to evaluate design versus workmanship."

Is 62 Enough by Linda McCuean (New Galilee, PA)

This dynamic piece gives off great vibes! Linda McCuean says, "I had to think awhile to come up with a little quilt that screamed "circles"!  Designed from the center out, I just kept adding more circles until it told me "enough".

Phases by Mary Zesiger (Chandlersville, OH)

This simple yet elegant piece highlights the circle shapes against the black-and-white half-square triangles. The various prints add further interest. Rhis piece was well designed and well made.

Total Eclipse by Karen Kendo (Harleyville, SC)

Karen Kendo says, "My inspiration came from the solar eclipse that occurred on April 8 of 2024, along with the song "Total Eclipse of the Heart" by Bonnie Tyler.  I struggled with the design layout until I saw a meme on social media that illustrated the interaction of the sun and moon during a solar eclipse with Oreo cookies!" As shown below, embroidered flames emanate from the heart at the center of this quilt.

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

 

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!

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

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.