HIghlights of the 2026 Quilt Fiesta! (3)

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 3 of 5.

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Racing the Sunset by Karen Neuendorf  

 This little art quilt is so well done!  It depicts racing the sunset to get home before dark. Karen Neuendorf says that she made it by using the "Accidental Landscapes" technique. Roving was used to create the appearance of dust at the base of the horses' hooves. [Note: The Accidental Landscapes method was created by Karen Eckmeier and is described in her book, Accidental Landscapes - Surprisingly Simple Quilted Landscapes.]

Arizona Blanket by Karen Chrisman, quilted by Linda Powell.  

Winner of a 2nd place award, this quilt was based on the  "Indian Blanket" pattern and class by Reeze Hanson. Karen Christman modified the pattern presented in class, using much less black.  "I chose the rich colors of our southwest to showcase the design. The print of the border is the perfect frame for my 'Arizona Blanket'."  

This was beautifully pieced by Karen Chrisman, and quilted by Linda Powell. NOTE: As of this writing, the Indian Blanket pattern by Reeze Hanson can be found at her website, Morning Glory Designs.

Southwest Sunrise, made and quilted by Luanne Wood.  

"Southwest Sunrise" was based on a BOM pattern, designed in 12 parts by Reeze Hanson. Luanne Wood says, "I learned a lot about New Mexico's Zuni Indian tribe from this pattern.  I added thread drawn motifs of Arizona's Sonoran Desert in the corners of the main section, and revised the outer border."  

Southwest Sunrise was first exhibited at the 2023 Quilt Fiesta, winning multiple awards, including a Judge's Choice and Exemplary Machine Quilting by a Non-Professional. 

Orphans No More by Katherine O'Brien, quilted by Penny Boese.  

This quilt started with "orphan" blocks from the Moda Blockheads 2 patterns.  Katherine created an original layout for the final quilt, adding the setting star and additional blocks. She completed the project due to a group challenge to complete poor unfinished projects. Winner of a Judge's Special Merit award, AND a NACQJ Award of Merit from the National Association of Certified Quilt Judges. The "waves" quilting was done by Penny Boese.

 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 Houston International Quilt Festival! (3)

We had a wonderful time at the Houston International Quilt Festival! We enjoyed seeing 1200 quilts from around the world, and are excited to share photos of our favorites... here is Part 3!

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Cuckoo Clock by Alethea Ballard @maverickquilts (USA) 

 

Gorgeous colors and imagery drew us into this brilliant quilt by Alethea Ballard. Read on for more details of the artist's inspiration.

  Arcane Snap by Kestrel Michaud (USA)

Winner of a 2nd Place ribbon in the Pictorial category, Arcane Snap captivated viewers with its imagery, colors, and expert quilting.  More amazing fabric art can be seen on the artist's website at Kestrel Michaud.

California Huipil by Allison Lockwood (USA)

Woven Guatemalan fabrics were used to create this lovely quilt which is embellished with yo yos. This piece was inspired by the huipil, a garment worn by the indigenous women in Guatemala. The chevrons and embroidery add even more dimension to the surface.  

detail, California Huipil

 

MASTER AWARD for TRADITIONAL ARTISTRY: Poco a Poco by Keiko Morihiro (Japan)

It's no wonder this quilt won the award for traditional artistry. You can't tell from a distance, but this quilt is made entirely of tiny hexagons: more than 30,000, to be exact. Each side of each hexagon measures only 8 mm.  WOW.

 

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

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.

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.

Welcome to the Quilt Fiesta! (2)

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 2.

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

We Chose Arizona by Maine-ly Quilting Sisters (Karen Chrisman, Betty Jordan, Mary Lucas, Katherine Kenwood & Susan Baxter); quilted by Betty Jordan & Katherine Kenwood.

This incredible landscape quilt was constructed in parts, then assembled.  Each part was made with Seminole piecing. The description says, "Our group began practicing Seminole piecing together. Betty, Katherine & Mary are from Maine; Susan is from Oregon and Karen is from Arizona. We live in this beautiful state by choice. The work shows our skills and our bond as quilters."

 Queen of the Night by Trish Hastings-Sargent  

This is a framed work of art, representing a relatively new category called Rigid Finished Art Quilts (RFAQ).  They are supported by a frame, stretcher bars or other means rather than a sleeve.  When art quilts are stretched onto a rigid frame, or matted and put into a decorative frame, they resemble a fine-art piece.

We were captivated by the translucent quality of these flower petals and the embroidery representing the pistil and stamen in the center. Trish Hastings-Sargent says, "Once a year in June, the night-blooming Cereus (cactus) turns into a stunning display of fragrant white blossoms! The show begins just after dusk and is usually over by midnight. By morning, the blooms are all gone."

Tucson Five-O by the Tucson Quilters Guild Quilt Fiesta Committee, quilted by Athena Taylor.  

 Pattern source: Inspiration from TQG opportunity quilt blocks over the years.  In 2026 the Tucson Quilters Guild will celebrate its 50th Anniversary. This quilt was created with this milestone in mind (hence the name, Five-O).  It will be the guild's 2026 opportunity quilt (wow!)  The quilt center showcases the stately saguaro cactus of the Sonoran desert, along with an ocotillo and prickly pear, highlighted against the mountains and the colorful sky.

Various local birds can be seen including an owl, hummingbird, and a Gambel's quail (below). 

Sonoran Baltimore by Judy Tenen, quilted by Linda Cote 

This gorgeous Baltimore album-style quilt was designed by Nancy Landon.  Judy Tenen says, "As always, I enjoy making quilts that Nancy Landon designed.  I modified her pattern slightly and enjoy the elements that represent Tucson while still being a traditional "album" style quilt.  Linda Cote furthered the desert theme with her custom quilting. Thanks to both Nancy and Linda!"

The historic San Xavier Del Bac mission is shown in the closeup photo above. Sitting just south of Tucson, the mission is not to be missed if you are visiting the area. It is Arizona’s oldest European structure and a masterpiece of Spanish Colonial architecture, completed in 1797.  

Beautiful applique work can be seen throughout this quilt, including the doves, squirrels, and vines in this photo.

Happiness by Sandra Schuster, quilted by Rick at Sunset Quilting

Sandra Schuster won a blue ribbon for her brightly colored beauty.  She says, "It pulses - from small to big, from thin to thick, with such saturated colors, and OH! Those feathers that are quilted on it! Brought together they equal happiness."  Pattern source: Prismatic by Gina at Gem Hill Quilts. 

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