Last of SMQ Show Quilts

"Sunbonnet Sue - Entrepreneur" by Sheila Rauen of Knoxville, Tennessee awarded 2nd Place in Small Art Quilt category.
Sheila says, " This quilt is inspired by the vintage Sunbonnet Sue motif. I wanted to update her and show a modern business woman pursuing her dream to have a flower shop." Techniques include applique, fabric painting, free-motion embroidery and machine quilting.

"Welcome Home" by Sheila Rauen of Knoxville, Tennessee in the Mixed Techniques Wall Quilts.
Sheila says, "How many times has my Gabriel greeted me like this, when I get home? He's not just saying 'Hi,' but 'Feed me', too. Techniques include fabric painting, applique, free-motion embroidery and quilting." Sheila's sense of humor and fun just tickles me.

"My Elton" by Bonnie B. Ouellette of Seneca, South Carolina in the Mixed Techniques Wall Quilts.
This piece was created for an auction to benefit the Elton John Aids Foundation. And yes, it is solid beading!

"Sparkles" by Nancy Hahn of St. Peters, Missouri awarded 2nd Place in the Mixed Techniques Wall Quilts.
There is an amazing amount of detail and sparkle to this quilt. However, I personally had a hard time focusing on it because of soooo many dots. It is hand-appliqued using cotton, cotton lame and polyester lame. Outline hand-embroidery using metallic, rayon, and cotton floss. Machine trapunto, machine quilted with metallic and thread and hand-beaded.

"Bugs and Butterflies" by Linda Luggen of Cincinnati, Ohio in the Two Person Team category.
Linda says, "These bright and cheerful colors and cute bugs and butterflies welcomed my grandson, Will. Pattern is from a McCalls Needlework from the 70's. Quilted by Doris Goins." This one tickled me, too. I like the detail in the patterned wings.

"Mosaic Window" by Kip Ford of Knoxville, Tennessee in the Two Person Team category.
Kip says, "This is a fun quilt to make." The basic pattern is by Beverly Ingram, Piecemakers Quilt Club, Amarillo, Texas. Quilted by Robert Randall of Amarillo, Texas. This one inspired to begin a quilt for my great-nephew using this concept. I am using the Australian fabric collection purchased from one of our vendors (what's award money for?) plus a few from my stash.

"African Ritual" by Kate Meyers of Sevierville, Tennessee in the Mixed Techniques Wall Quilts category.
Kate says, "I collect African fabrics and batiks with a serious passion. I enjoy mixing and matching all the glorious colors." This is a Jan Krantz design with adaptions.

"I Love Limes" by Carol snapp of Knoxville, Tennessee awarded 1st Place in the Pieced Wall Quilts category.
Carol says, "My desire was to make an asymmetrical quilt. I found it inspiring to not follow a pattern and just let the quilt happen. I had never made a quilt without a border. The design was from a Mary Mashuta class."

"Simply Fuchsia" by Marlene Brown Woodfield of LaPorte, Indiana awarded 1st Place in the Large Art Quilt category.
Marlene says, "A branch of the fuchsia plant is featured on a hand painted background, surrounded by a window of needle-sketched leaves." This is one I stopped to study every time I walked past it during the 3 days of our show. The combination of the wonderfully painted whole cloth background, the colors, the composition, the bold shapes combined with the fine thread-drawing ROCKS.

"Spring Riot" by Mary Ramsey Keasler of Cleveland, Tennessee awarded 2nd Place in the Mixed Techniques Wall Quilt category.
Mary says, "A challenge with the criteria of being a season and using a technique never attempted before. I was inspired by Barbara Olsen's designs, her techniques and her applique method."

"Fresh Snow" by Elsie Vredenburg, of Tustin, Michigan awarded 2nd Place in the Pictorial category.
Elsie says, "Original design based on a photo of tree that I see on my daily walk." I can feel the crystals in the air just looking at the photo ... let alone seeing it in person.

"The Waterfront - Capetown, South Africa" by Cynthia Hall of Asheville, North Carolina awarded 3rd Place in the Pictorial category.
The only description from her for the show booklet is that this is "original art" and is for sale.

"Courtship" by Tone Haugen-Cogburn of Maryville, Tennessee awarded 2nd place in the Appliqued Wall Quilts category.
Tone says, "This was inspired by a deck of playing cards. It was done using my own freeform machine applique technique." It is machine quilted.

"Floating" by Patty Ashworth of Oak Ridge, Tennessee awarded 1st Place in the Appliqued Wall Quilt category.
Patty says, "I loved the background fabric and didn't want to cut it up, so I did the designing of the 'ribbons' and circles to fit on the background." I hear a symphony when I look at this one. Patty and Tone are two of the four member quilt group, The Out of Towners, who create fabulous award winning quilts locally, nationally, and internationally. Candace Tucker and Bridget Wilson Matlock are the other two.

"Amish Inspired Unequal Nine-Patch" by Jan Wass of Vonore, Tennessee awarded 3rd place Pieced Wall Quilts category.
This small quilt has big visual impact. It's made of two pieces from Caryl Fallert's "Graduations" line of fabrics by Benartex. Jan was inspired by an Amish bed quilt, ca.1870, in the collection of the Illinois State Museum. If you'd like to make one, too, the pattern and instructions can be ordered from Jan's website.

The quilts presented here and in the last several posts are those that I either had a connection to or they had personal appeal to me. To see all the quilts exhibited in this show go to the Smoky Mountain Quilt Guild website.

PS: Viewer's Choice ribbon was awarded to "Wistful Willow" by Linda Roy of Knoxville, Tennessee. Woo Hoo!