At our recent Kitsap Quilters Guild show there was a display of mystery quilts. One of our members, Jaxine Anderson coordinated the Judy Hopkins mystery project. The instructions were provided in our monthly newsletter over a period of a few months. What’s fun is the great variety of colorful quilts generated. It’s inspiring to see the results from the different choices of fabrics when everyone used the same pattern. Here are ten examples:

These quilts were made by guild members Nancy Cave, Jaxine Anderson, Jan King, Andrea Rudman, Charlie Peterson, Sherry Loomis, Keitha Unger, Linda Melcher, Nancy Parrott and MaryAnn Hooker. What a difference the background value makes as well as the use of busy prints versus more solid looking fabrics.

A special exhibit I particularly enjoyed, was In the American Tradition. This is an annual exhibit which seeks to honor the country’s rich quiltmaking heritage. All the quilts displayed are clearly based on a documented 20th century or earlier American design or pattern. These wonderful traditional patterns have stood the test of time and are still absolutely beautiful. I find myself returning to them again and again, especially the star patterns. Here’s a selection.

A gorgeous Lone Star, Texas Gold by Vickie Owen from Texas,was made using a pattern reproduced from an antique quilt in an old quilt magazine. The navy and black in combination with the cheddar orange makes this star striking.

Feathers and Stars Abound by Zvia Strahilevitz-Klein from Israel is lovely combination of stars in such pretty soft colors. Her design source was Judy Rothermel’s Ohio Star Medallion quilt and Marsha McCloskey’s Feathered Stars. She resized the blocks and center Feathered Star to fit into this medallion.

Last Summer’s Leftovers is a beautiful hand-quilted scrappy quilt made by Rahna Summerlin from Florida. The design source is a Railroad Crossing quilt in Sharon Newman’s Treasures from Yesteryear Book 2. Rahna writes, “I am constantly inspired by antique quilts and am infatuated with scrap quilts from the early mid 1900’s.” This quilt was made with leftover triangles from a prior project.

Grandmother Eulah’s Flower Garden was hand pieced by Nancy Davis-Altman from Washington and machine quilted by Lin Clark. Nancy’s grandmother, Eulah Davis was her inspiration. She gave Nancy a quilt for a wedding present and it was always a favorite. Nancy’s grandfather used to call Eulah his “Little Petunia”, so the Grandmothers Flower Garden seemed a fitting pattern for this quilt made to honor her.

Connecticut comes to Spring made by Minay Sirois of Spring, Texas is amazing in its simplicity and beauty. The design source is Chinz One Patch (c1820-1840) made by the Hollister Family of Washington, Connecticut. Minay saw a picture of this quilt in the book Quilts and Quiltmakers: Covering Connecticut. What makes this simple one-patch quilt with sashing so stunning is the fabric choices. It took Minay seven years to find just the right fabrics to recreate the effect. It is very successful and an absolutely gorgeous hand quilted quilt.

Every year Hoffman Fabrics organizes a challenge with a theme fabric. Contestants make small quilts or dolls using the fabric in any way they like as long as it is recognizable. It’s always fun to see the creativity and the different ways people are inspired by the theme fabric. The fabric is shown on the edge of the sign. Here’s the doll collection too.

I love the variety of interpretations as shown by the examples below. The Hoffman Challenge exhibit travels extensively and you can make arrangements with Hoffman to display their quilts at your local quilt show.

Willow II by Gayle Shelton, TX is a beautiful tree nicely set with loops around the outer edge of the quilt. Hexifun by Shirlee Carter, FL is a mini One-block Wonder – such pretty hexagons created from the theme fabric and the attractive addition of ribbon around the edges.

Paradise Cove by Benita Goodheart, OR, was awarded Best First Time Entry Applique. It reminds of a Vincent van Gogh impressionistic painting. The King and I by Anna Macaluso, NJ won First Place Mixed. The king’s face was beautifully shaded and quilted creating great perspective. It was stunning.

The Roswells from the Planet Quiltron by Alice Zimmerman, NY, made me laugh. It was such a different take on the fabric and pure fun. Ribbon Candy by Cyndi McChesney, CO was beautifully executed. Cyndi’s color gradations in the Twisted Log Cabin blocks give the quilt depth and a wonderful three dimensional quality.

The IQA judged show was a feast for the eyes with so many wonderful quilts. The award winners were not announced until after Market, but all the quilts were on display. It’s hard to select my highlights, but here are a variety that particularly appealed to me.

These two quilts are both original designs, hand appliqued and hand quilted and the workmanship is outstanding. On the left is Crest of Tulip, by Takido Fusako, Japan. Takido writes, “A spring flower, the tulip blooms proudly towards the sky. We can get energy from it as it flutters in the wind. I made the tulip like a crest in the oval using trapunto.” Linda Roy, TN made Primitive Web. I’ve enjoyed seeing Linda’s beautiful award-winning work over the years since were were both beginning quilters when we lived in Arkansas and were taught to applique by Irma Gail Hatcher. The design for this quilt was inspired by an antique all-hexagon quilt. The feathers are embroidered and the stuffed Yo-yos in the flowers add dimension.

These two hexagon quilts are both hand pieced using the English paper-piecing method and are both machine quilted. They are awesome. Roo Garden was made by Vicki Bohnhoft, AZ. Vicki writes, “Returning to Australia in 2009, I began collecting Australian Aboriginal fabrics. On our cruise, I became addicted to 3/4″ hexagons, eventually making over 5,000. This contemporary Grandmother’s Flower Garden was designed in five weeks using 4,125 pieces depicting a running kangaroo, rays of dawn and flowers everywhere.” Together in a Friendship World was made by Geta Grama and Quilt.Ro Group, Rasnov, Brasnov, Romania. I was blown away when I saw this hexagon globe and returned to the quilt several times to look in more detail. I think the 3-d effect is amazing.

I love star quilts and the Feathered Star is a favorite. This gorgeous quilt, Celebration of Feathered Stars & Wildflowers, was a collaboration by 22 members of the Veriens Quilt Guild, Frederickson, TX and is their 2014 raffle quilt. Helen Rode, Jan Graetzel, Joanie Wyall and Colleen Zabrenick masterminded and coordinated the project and the design was inspired by an antique quilt.

Here’s another absolutely gorgeous Feathered Star with Prairie Points in all the feathers and embellished with thousands of Swarovski pearls. A Truly Feathered Star was made by Karen Sivert, NC. Karen writes, ” I believe quilt making is a journey, one that teaches us much. Sometimes we take detours, hit bumps in the road, even construction zones! The trapunto beading and Prairie Points all lend dimension to the quilt, but to achieve them, I had to learn new ways to get to my destination.”

The picture doesn’t do Jack by Sandy Curran, VA, justice. Sandy concentrates her work on the emotion and expression in eyes, both human and animal. Jack Nicholson has such expressive eyes and this quilt was extraordinary in the likeness and the 3-d effect. I just loved these two parrots, Ricky and Lucy, by Nancy Sterrett Martin and Karen Sistek, KY. They are painted on silk and brought to life with the quilting stitches. The design is based on a various photos of macaws and parrots.