Wow!  The competition in this category, Art Quilts – Pictorial, was fierce.  It is an honor just to have one’s quilt accepted into this show.  Winning an award, even an honorable mention would be like a giant scoop of icing on the top of the cake!  Enjoy this selection!

Oklahoma Windsong by Cherrie Hampton, Oklahoma City, OK

Oklahoma Windsong won the Future Of Quilting Award, sponsored by Omnigrid and a $1,000 cash prise.  The quilt, by Cherrie Hampton is masterful!!!  Sadly, I did not photograph the sign that accompanied this quilt so I cannot provide detail on the story behind the quilt.

Faith Alone by Jerry Granata, Palm Springs, CA

Another beauty by Jerry Granata.  He writes, “Doors represent opportunity and mystery.  This quilt was teh result of an art group challenge.  Fabrics were batiks, commercial cotton, and my hand-painted cloth.  Also used were vinyl, theatrical gels, felt, yard, ribbon, and twine.”

Does He Make My Butt Look Big, by Kristen Bryson, Houston, TX

The whimsical nature of this quilt, due in large part to the title, makes this a particularly interesting quilt.  Kristen writes, “This quilt was made in response to a challenge to enter the Ultimate Guild Challenge.  Our chosen them was “Out of Africa”.  When I saw the photo taken by Maqsood Mughal, I had my inspiration.

Aquarium by Yoshiko Miyamo, Nishinomiya City, Hyogo Ken, Japan

Yoshiko writes, “The idea of a pair of quilts is adopted from traditional Japanese sliding doors. I especially tried to detail muscles which control beautifully delicate movement of fins.  I have realized from goldfish given the life in the aquarium that human life is given by the Earth.”

Ancient Echoes, by Jan Reed, Grass Valley, CA

Ancient Echoes won 2nd Place in the Art – Pictorial category, a complex quilt that combines the iiguana of today with ancient cultures.  Jan Reed writes, “This iguana is using his sunbathing hours to reflect on his ancestors’ interaction with the past glory of the Mayan culture.  over 250 pieces of fabric were used to create this image using both applique and reverse applique.”

Cock of the Walk, by David Taylor, Steamboat Springs, CO

How can one not simply fall in love with the creative, colorful and whimsical quilts of David Taylor.  He writes. “This is my second rooster quilt, and this one has a whole lot more attitude!  Finding the perfect had-marbled fabrics was the key to the feathers . . .  that, and amassing enough different red “textured” prints for his wattle.”

Honu Harmony, by Eileen Williams, Cedar Point, NC

Eileen Williams has captured the underwater scene beautifully with her exquisite detail in Honu Harmony.  I can almost imagine myself to be the snorkeler coming upon this scene.  She writes, “Earth’s oceans are home to vast numbers of sea creatures, many of which have become endangered.  Sea turtles are not on that list and are facing the threat of extinction.  We must work together to preserve these creatures and their habitat, and be mindful of the human effect on the balance of nature in our seas.”

Forest Spirit, by Hollis Chatelain, Hillsborough, NC

Closing out this section is another incredible quilt by Hollis Chatelain whose threadwork, painting,  and quilting always combine to create a masterful image.  She writes, “The drawing of Forest Spirit was made while visit the Milford Sound rain forest in New Zealand. On of the bewildering things to me is the fact that there is very little wildlife in this lush and compact forest.  Nevertheless, I knew that there were beings hidden among the shadows, forest spirits that I could almost feel peering out of the depths of the vegetation.”

Stay tuned .  . .

Back to International Quilt Festival!  As I look through the remaining images, it is interesting to me to see what captured my attention.  There is a definite preference for Art Quilts, but I didn’t take as many photos of the abstract designs as I expected. However, the ones that appear below really spoke to me, a combination of large and small abstract categories. Each was an incredibly creative endeavor with outstanding workmanship.

It all Comes Around, by Karlyn Bue Lohrenz, Billings,MT

Karlyn Bue Lohrenz writes, “I kept my hands and heart busy as I watched my 17-year-old granddaughter apply for, interview for, and accept a full scholarship to study abroad.  We went through many emotions as a family, and I finished this quilt the day she was greeted by her host family in Germany.”

Antelope Canyon by Kimberly Lacy, Colorado Springs, CO

I love the way the colors play on each other in Kimberly Lacy’s interpretation of a slot canyon.  Kimberly writes, “The slot canyons on the Navajo land in Arizona were my inspiration for this piece.  Narrow canyons of undulating sandstone capture light in unexpected and delightful turns and twists.”

Spider Lilies, by Enid Gjelten Weichselbaum, Rochester, MN

Sadly, my photograph does not do justice to this magnificent small quilt by Enid Gjelten Weichselbaum which won third place in the Art Abstract – Small category.  She writes, “I am intrigued by the elegant and sparse, leafless spider lily when in bloom.  A Jane Sassaman class helped me turn the lovely blossoms into and abstract quilt.”

Regeneracion de Elementos, by Marisa Marquez Cortezon, Madrid, Spain

This fascinating combination of elements by Marisa Marquez Cortezon converged in a single quilt, speak eloquently of the human life cycle.  Marisa writes, “Life is constant movement, ever changing through birth experiences, life, and eventually, death.  The forces of nature shape and mold us.  The circle represents the cycle of life. . . the elements that surround and affect us, and the Phoenix, the everlasting fiery bird, and its ability to overcome even death by reviving from its ashes.”

Bullseye by Barbara Oliver Hartman, Flower Mound, TX

Beautiful! Another masterpiece by Barbara Oliver Hartman in subtle tones.  Note the heavy quilting that gives this quilt texture that compliments the design.  Barbara writes, “This original design was a computer drawing that was enlarged to create a full-sized drawing.  I love to work with shapes that interact to produce an interesting design.”

BTW, if you are wondering why I haven’t shown any quilts by New Mexico artists, I am saving all of those for a special post about Quilting in the Land of Enchantment.

Stay tuned . . .

The quilts below are some of my favorites from the show.  Some are prize winners, while others are quilts that I found to be exceptional.  They represent more than one category of applique quilts.  I always admire those quilters who can make these exceptional quilts either by hand or machine applique.

Heralds of Spring by Joann Webb, Grain Valley, MO

Although not a prize winner, this quilt was one amazing piece of work.  I marveled at the detail in the blossoms!  Joann, writes, “My goal was to put all of my favorite spring flowers into a bouquet that will never wilt.  Flower sprigs are arranged as petals in one large flower head.  Mandalas were also an influence.”

Heralds of Spring – Detail

Three dimensional applique was created by using ruching and off-the-cuff fabric manipulation.

Heralds of Spring – Detail

Here, you can see more of the detail in the flowers.  I especially loved the Lily of the Valley, which was a common flower at my childhood home in Minnesota.

Designer Bootique by Holly Nelson, Comfort, TX

Here’s one of my favorites!  I saw this one a long time ago and actually wrote a blog post about this quilt by Holly Nelson, who wrote to ask permission to feature Flying Geese in one of the boots.  I was thrilled and honored.  Holly writes, “If some of our iconic quilters designed boots, what would the look like?  This is what I imagine they would come up with.”

Celestial Splendor by Rachel Wetzler, St. Charles, IL

Rachel Wetzler’s choices of color drenched fabrics makes this one a winner.  I love the detail and the way the colors shade throughout the quilt.  She writes,”Canterbury Cathedral’s central tower ceiling served as the model for this geometric composition.  Known as Bell Harry Tower, this magnificent example of English Gothic architecture was designed by John Wastell and completed in the 15th century.”

Four Loons and Friends by Patricia Sellinger, Ann Arbor, MI

Another of my favorites, Four Loons and Friends, won Honorable Mention in the Innovative Applique category.  The unique use of the medallion style, featuring appliqued birds that are realistically portrayed make this a show stopper.  Patricia writes, “This quilt pays homage to my love of birds, and my fondness for the symmetry founds in traditional quilts.  These are all birds that are found in my home state of Michigan.  The call of the loon in quite something to hear.”

Willow by Debra Crine, Marco Island, FL

I don’t quite know how the judges were able to make the decisions about which of these stunning quilts would be prize winners.  In my mind, each of them was a winner.  Willow, by Debra Crine, is an original design inspired by antique tapestries.  She writes, “Hand-dyed fabrics were used for the applique and fused to the silk background.  It was quilted with silk thread.  The applique motifs were inspired by Deb Kimball, and the border quilting designs were by Sharon Schamber.”

My Hope by Sachiko Chiba, Morioka, Iwate, Japan

My Hope won Third Place in the Merit Hand Quilting category.  Sachiko writes, “I wish that many pretty flowers of hope bloom for all the districts his by an earthquake.  I hope the people can live in peace and quiet.”

Birds and Blooms, by Janet Watson and Kim Norton, Coldspring, TX

Janet Watson writes about the colorful quilt she created with Kim Norton, “I made a few changes from the original pattern because that is what I do!  I love the birds so I added a few.  I rearranged blocks and added some color.  This was an opportunity to make my first perfect circles and I really enjoyed it.  This was a fun quilt!”

Love by Yuko Muakami Kousi-shi, Kumamoto-Ken, Japan

The attention to detail in this quilt is almost unreal!  Among the handmade quilts, either applique, piecing or quilting, the Japanese quilters far outshone their colleagues from other countries!  Their work has characteristics that are unique to their nation.  Yuko writes, “I would like you to look at the new quilt.  I hope you will be blessed with lots of happiness too.”

Letter Carriers by Janet Stone, Overland Park, KS

Mixing a touch of whimsy with a mostly traditional design, Letter Carriers won First Place in the Mixed Technique category.  Janet Stone writes, ” A love of basket blocks sparked the idea to try to create some by weaving bias strips.  An additional 26 pieced basket blocks in the border are embellished with 26 letters.  Prairie points, hand-covered buttons, and half-penny circle edging are just a few fun highlights.”

Wow!!!!

Stay tuned . . .

Good morning!  As I continue to sort through the hundreds of photos that I took at International Quilt Festival last week, I discovered that I sometimes failed to capture the category in which the quilt competed.  A big duh on my part!  Note to self: Make sure you get that next year.  Below is an assortment of traditional, or traditional with a twist quilts that I particularly enjoyed.  Sadly, I can’t always identify the category.

Eureka, by Marilyn Badger, St. George, UT

I first met Marilyn Badger, in September 2013 when I was fortunate to teach classes in beautiful St. George, Utah.  Marilyn is well-known in the quilting world for her incredible machine quilting (watch for a future post all about Marilyn).  Her quilt, Eureka, won second place in the Merit Machine Quilting category at the show.

Marilyn writes, “This quilt was inspired by Jacqueline de Jonge’s Circle of Life quilt.  The Lone Star in the middle is surrounded by parts of Jacqueline’s design with my original flowers and borders.  Over 2,000 crystal beads were hand-sewn after quilting, and couching with Razzle-Dazzle was added to highlight some of my original quilting designs.”

Outta the Loop by Karen Marchetti and Eyvonne Smith, Port St. Lucie, FL

How could I not just fall in love with this quilt instantly!  Might it be the use of bright, bold colors, the strong contrast, and the more subtle designs quilted into the background?  Karen and Eyvonne write, “We modified the Elements of Nature pattern by Jacqueline de Jonge by enlarging the pattern and adding various elements.  Additional stars and Flying Geese in the quilting create movement and add interest . . . a true collaboration between friends.”

Red Licorice by Linda McGibbon, Beaverton, MI

This wall-size quilt has incredible detail combined with strong contrast and bright, bold colors, all of which I find very appealing.  Linda writes, “I used Pineapple blocks in a diamond shape.  I then used black background fabric in some of the pieces and Stitch in the Ditch  to make the design three dimensional.”

Together in a Friendship World by Geta Grama and Quilt.ro Group, Rasnov, Brasov, Romania

I was immediately drawn to this quilt by Geta Grama and friends.  It won Third Place in the Group Quilts Category.   I also believe it is the first entry that I have seen from Romania.  I visited Geta’s Blogspot page and enjoyed reading about her, “I am a passionate quilter living in Romania. Unfortunately, here quilting is an unknown craft to most people. I love to share my quilts with you!”  Take the time to check out her site.  I know you will enjoy reading about her and her work.

About their quilt, Geta writes, “This quilt combines traditional English paper piecing technique and an altered three-dimensional Grandmother’s Flower Garden with a mosaic background.  The 3-D effect is enhanced by the vivid colors of the flowers, which float over the large white ball.  Intricate quilting follows the flower patterns and flattens the background, contributing to the 3-D aspect of the quilt.”

Roman Tilles by Ann Petersen, Aurora, CO

This is one of the first quilts that caught my eye.  I found the detail to be extraordinary and enjoyed Ann’s use of a limited color palette that allows the more subtle painting and stitching in the background to flourish!  Below is a detail of the piecing on this quilt.

Roman Tiles detail

Ann writes, “My original center star, borders, layout, quilting designs and painting we added to a small piece started in a workshop by Norah McMeeking.  The quilting was inspired by Roman Mosaic tiles.”

What a great show!  It was a privilege to be among so many beautiful quilts!

Stay Tuned . . .

The quality of the quilts entered in the two different IQA miniature categories, “Miniature” and “Art-Miniature” was absolutely mind-blowing!  I have combined the images from both categories in this post in order to condense the overall number of posts about Quilt Festival and to bring you images of my favorite quilts sooner.

Wind by Masanobu Miyama, Chofu-City, Tokyo, Japan

“Wind” won the Superior Thread Master Award for Thread Artistry.  What an incredible quilt!  The threadwork that creates the image draws one right into the quilt, where you could easily imagine being there with that happy dog on a windy day!

Masanobu says this about Wind, “My dog’s long fur was streaming in the wind while I walked her at the riverside.  I thought it might be fun to express the invisible wind with streaming fun, waving grass and so on.  The original micro-fused applique technique is applied to create the dog precisely.  I also hand-dyed almost all of the fabrics I used to match the color”.

Life on the Mesa by Mary Ann Hildebrand, Comfort, TX

This beautiful miniature won 1st place in its category, Art-Miniature.  Mary Ann wrote, “I participated in a challenge in which I was to interpret a quilt passed to me.  The quilt was a southwestern scene with a mesa in the background.  I chose to concentrate on the mesa and depict it as realistically as possible”.

Miniville . . .or It’s 5 o’clock Somewhere by Karen Eckmeier, Kent, CT

This stunning little quilt almost escaped from my camera lens and then I took a second look.  Wow!  What detail, and in such a small scale!

Karen Eckmeier writes, “Three days without electricity during a winter storm prompted me to start a collage project so small that it could fit only my living room table and be seen with my hiking headlamp!”

Miniville detail

And what detail there is!  I still can’t quilt believe that Karen could create this diminutive piece with all this detail.  It was the 2nd Place winner in its category.

House in the Valley #5 by Laura Wasilowski, Elgin, IL

Third place was awarded to this whimsical piece, created by Laura Wasilowski.  She says that this piece is a view of her house as observed by a busybody bird!

Mission San Juan Capistrano by Sharon Schlotzhauer, Castle Rock, CO

The threadwork in this piece was amazing.  Sharon Schlotzhauer writes, “Founded n 1776, San Juan Capistrano is the seventh of the California missions and is designated the “Jewel of the Missions”.  This quilt depicts one of its lovely courtyards.  I visited this historical site as a child and again earlier this year, which was the inspiration for this piece”.

Eagle Eyes by Margery Hedges, Kingwood, TX

Of course, it is nearly impossible for me to not photograph any of the quilts that feature birds, especially when as well executed as Eagle Eyes.  Margery Hedges writes, “I enjoy doing close-up views of animal faces, and this look of intense concentration makes you feel as if you are really face-to-face with this awesome eagle”.

Tranquil Swim by Melanie Marr, Houston, TX

Another masterful piece, Tranquil Swim features the incomparable Wood Duck, among nature’s most dramatically plumaged birds.  “This quilt was inspired by a photo taken of a Wood Duck at the Houston Zoo.  The ripples in the water made the perfect background with abstract patterns,” writes Melanie.

Dutch Flowerpots by Lahala Phelps, Bonney Lake, WA

This traditional miniature won honorable mention in its category and captured my attention with the lovely contrast between the red and cheddar as well as the fine detail.  Lahala writes, “A favorite quilt of mine is Pots of Flowers pictured in the book, A Flowering of Quilts, by Patricia Cox Crews.  I thought why not try making a miniature Pots of Flowers quilt?  I designed my own and used a cheddar background seen in many Pennsylvania Dutch quilts”.

Betwixt and Between by George Siciliano, Lebanon, PA

No miniature exhibit would be complete without at least one piece by George Siciliano, and the IQA exhibit featured two of his. He says, “This quilt is a micro-mini version (one-fourth the size) of my miniature quilt called Crop Circles.  My new, self-taught, silk techniques have enabled me to sew a one-inch square block with 49 individual pieces.  This quilt has over 2,874 pieces of 100% Dupioni silk fabric.”

Some Assembly Required by George Siciliano, Lebanon, PA

Closing out this post is George’s other entry that contains 4,860 pieces.  “When all the pieces of silk were laid out, and in order,” George wrote, “A funny thought crossed my mind.  In 1975, my partially-blind son was six years old.  We passed a flatbed tractor-trailer, and it was loaded with all the raw materials needed to build a house from roof trussed to flooring.  My son whispered under his breath, “some assembly required.”  These are my thoughts exactly.”

Congratulations to all whose quilts were accepted into these two categories.  The competition was intense.

Stay tuned . . .

I was fortunate to be able to look at the competition quilt at my leisure during the wholesale part of the International Quilt Market.  During these days, the aisles with the quilts are largely empty as shop owners and other quilt business folks are trying to either buy or sell the latest, greatest notion or fabric so that you will find it in a shop near you very soon.  But, while the aisles are nearly empty, making photography easy, none of the show winners are not identified as such until the International Quilt Association (IQA) Awards Ceremony on Tuesday night.  Because there are so many quilts that captured my camera lens with their uniqueness and beauty, I plan to show them over the next few days.  Clearly, the Art/Naturescapes category was one of my favorites.  Below are a selection of quilts from that section.

Autumns Early Light by Janey Argyle, Washington, UT

The quality of all the entries amazes me each year.  This year, I noticed an increase in the quality and quantity of machine quilting in many pieces, both those stitched on a longarm and those created on a home sewing machine.  When I photograph a quilt, I take the image of the quilt first followed immediately by a photo of the label, so I can be sure to give credit to the amazing artists that make this show so wonderful.

Janey said this about her quilt, “A photo of Canyonlands in southern Utah Haunted me for several years.  With permission of a photographer, the unusual rear lighting, early morning glw, and dancing tree in a confined colorful canyon provided a challenge that could not be resisted.  Beauty exists in unusual places, and this needed to be shared”.  Original design based on photograph by Robert Lefkow.

Indian Summer Sunset by Shirley Gisi, Colorado Springs, CO

Although, in my less than stellar photo of this quilt, there appears to be little quilting, this piece is beautifully quilted with stitching that complements the intricate graphic design.  It was an IQA award winner in its category.

Shirley says, “The landscape theme of the quilt utilizes straight lines and geometric shapes, including circles and semicircles.  Primarily pieces, the trees are machine appliqued.  White fabric paint gives the suggestion of snow on the mountain tops”.  Original design.

Night Bloomers by Beth Miller, Kambah ACT, Australia

“The delicate, highly perfumed flowers of the cactus contrast strongly with the columnar and prickly stems.  The large flowers bloom only at night, attracting moths and insects, and last only from one sunset to the next.” Original design by Beth Miller.

Although my photo does not do justice to the quality of the piecing and quilting, this is an amazing piece.

Traces of Seasons Past by Roxanne Ferguson, Mayfield, KY

“The machine quilted leaf images are stitched in spring green as upright buds at the top left and change to full-sized leaves at the top right.  The leaves take on fall colors and angle more downward toward the middle and, finally, are brown and drop vertically at the bottom of the quilt.  Original design inspired by Esterita Austin’s class.”

In the Bleak Midwinter by Ruth Powers, Carbondale, KS

This masterful piece was “designed to use the hand-dyed sky fabric and was inspired by Kansas winters,” said Ruth Powers, “where even in the bleakest of times, there is color to be found”.  Original design.

Amazing quilt, stitched by some incredible artists!

Stay tuned . . .

Students work on exercises at Color and Contrast in Quilting 2013

One of my favorite classes is the half-day, Color and Contrast in Quilting.  In this class, there is a lecture about the use of color in making successful quilts, but especially, there is discussion about the need for contrast in a good quilt!  Then, students critique a number of samples that I provide, figuring out why it is that one works well and another does not.  Moving right along, each student is given 16 random fabrics and a limited amount of time to cut and glue their very small project into the workbook.  We had time for three exercises in this year’s Houston Class.

Color Exercise 1

In the first exercise, each student worked on a line drawing that appeared to be a nine-patch.  They were told that they had to use at lease 3 different fabrics.  They also were told that they did not have to ‘color within the lines’.  Check out the wide variety here.

Color Exercise 2

In Color Exercise 2, you can see that more students departed from the traditional 25 patch line drawing.  In fact, none of these small works even resembles a 25 patch block.

Color Exercise 3

By Exercise 3 we were running out of time!  Students had only 10 minutes to work on their final exercise.  I think the designs are pretty imaginative!  Below are a few of my favorites.

Color Sample 101

I loved the abstractiveness of this little design which shows the very effective use of the Zinger fabrics, the lime green and the light rust.

Color Sample 102

This design is effective both in contrast of color, but also the use of scale in the combination of the hearts, dots, and solids.

Color Sample 103

This very creative piece is simply adorable, from the flower cutouts to the mountains and sun.  This student went event further in her 10 minute proejct, by using a marker to draw in the window panes.

What a creative group of students!  This was a fabulous class and everyone was a STAR!

The Royal Roost by Jill Monley

I first met Jill in my class at Empty Spools Seminars at Asilomar in 2011.  It was the five-day design workshop, Flying Colors, where each student designs their own project.  Jill told me with enthusiasm about the story book quilt challenge that her guild was running.  The Princess and the Pea was the story that inspired the above quilt.

Jill says,  “Usually, there are 8 to 25 quilts in each challenge.  The chair of the challenge for that year figures out some sort of challenge.  The year of the Princess and the Pea, the challenge was children’s stories/books.  There were/are very few rules. The quilts are kept totally secret right down to turning them in.  They are delivered in a brown paper bag and then displayed.  Members vote, not knowing the maker of any of the quilts.  The winning quilts best meet the intent of the theme, workmanship, best quilting, etc. Princess and the Pea was the winner that year. Then these quilts become a special exhibit at the Guild’s show, and sometimes at Sisters Quilt Show in Sisters, OR.”

On The Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jill Monley

Jil says, “On the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is a a delightful story in the early 1940s  set in Seattle WA.  It is about a young Chinese boy and a young Japanese girl.  It was a good read!”

“Our small book group reads two books a year, on which we base a quilt.  One is done in conjunction with the local library which annually chooses a ‘community read together’ book.  The project receives a lot of publicity and 6,000 people in our area participate. The author is brought in to town for a week of lectures, book signings,gallery visits, book group visits and a variety of other events.  Many artisans here are now making pieces, paintings, sculptures and, in our case, quilts based on things that spoke to the artisan about the book. ”

Mozarts Requiem by Jill Monley

“Last year 67 quilts were made.  The author was blown away!  As a matter of fact, all the authors have been very moved by them.  Those of us in small book groups talk about the book as we are formulating ideas.  We bounce ideas off each other and share partially completed work.  I’ve found that synergy in the design stage to be very insightful and helpful.  And, to some level, it’s skill building as less experienced quilters try new techniques or products and we talk about them.

Lumbys Bounty by Jill Monley

“The second book is one that our small quilt group selects.  We meet monthly at someone’s home and have cookies and tea. In the selection process, we each bring a book for suggestion and pass it around. We make a decision and then each of us makes a quilt based on that book. The quilts are generally small which is appealing to a lot of people. Our hope is for all of us to try new techniques or new approaches. We talk about the book as we read, about ideas that strike us or that maybe that no ideas are striking us. It is so rewarding to me to see the quilters gaining confidence in their skills.  At the end, we have a big reveal which is not a surprise for the most part, but we put on clean shirts and have a little upscale evening of fun.”

“Then the quilts become an exhibit that hangs almost annually in the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show, generally in the library, in our guild quilt show and in the gallery of the local quilt shop.”

“Some of us the book as inspiration to make a quilt for a ‘need’. One gal owed a quilt to a fellow who had done a lot of favors for her, soshe found some batik with big crows in it (his favorite bird) and made him a pieced quilt using that fabricas that year’s book mentioned crows throughout.  This quilt was outrageously beautiful and masculine!”

“I sold one of mine to the author’s uncle and it hangs in a public building.  Last year, I gave mine to the author, a young gal from Alaska.  It was her first published book.  She loved the quilt so I gave it to her!”

As we all look for inspiration for our local groups, I just love this idea.  Perhaps it would be a good challenge for your group too! If you do sponsor a challenge like this, please send photos to me of your finished quilts.