QuiltCon Raleigh, Part 6 - Other Quilts

Continuing with my QuiltCon review, I have only a few more quilt photos to share, most of which I took on Sunday afternoon when the show was winding down. That's when it was mostly just me, the quilts, and the vendors.

Since I wasn't fond of the colors of the Windham Artisan Fabrics Challenge chosen by keynote speaker Hillary Goodwin, I have only one  quilt from that category to show. 

Flight, Melinda Gerber @melindas.creative.journey, California

Domestic machine and hand quilted, and embroidered. I like the way Melinda hand stitched one color and then re-hand stitched in between the first stitches. Original, isn't it? 

Balance of Light & Dark, Lauren Klementz-Hart @creativelifesampler, California

Lauren won 1st place in the Handwork category with Midnight & Noon, and the quilt below was in the Handwork category too.

Lauren says this work is "the creation of interesting composition given random remnants from my scrap collection." Hand appliquéd, hand embroidered, hand quilted. 

Another QuiltCon challenge was the Diamond Quilting Challenge sponsored by American Patchwork & Quilting magazine. I adore this one, and would voted for it if I'd had more than one vote for People's Choice.

Bolt Loads of Fabric, Lindsey Eisenhardt @wildeandpurdy, Wisconsin

Foundation paper pieced and domestic machine quilted.

My friend from South Florida MQG, Sarah Muslim Lefebvre @sidestitchesdesign made the quilt below also for the Diamond Quilting Challenge.

Broken Splinters From Fallen Stars

Foundation paper pieced and domestic machine quilted. Sarah told me she thinks she used five color values.

Group & Bee Quilt - Hilma, Stephanie Ruyle @spontaneousthreads, Colorado

Participants made blocks that "channel the major artwork of Hilma auf Klint." 

Other makers are: Leanne Chahley, Debbie Jeske, Karen Foster, Felicity Ronaghan, M-R Charbonneau, Marci Debetoz and Kari Barber.

While at QuiltCon, a special treat was getting to meet-up for the first time with two Bloggers whose blogs I have read for several years, and who read my blog! 

On the left is Mary of ZippyQuilts. I recommend following her to see the creative quilts she makes. Here's her blog post about seeing quilted clothing at QuiltCon - something I didn't get into because... I don't have occasions to wear cold-weather clothing, and some of the clothing was way over-the-top. Prints, designs, colors in a mishmash that could be overpowering. 

Another Blogger I met was Joy who blogs at The Joyful Quilter. When I met her I wasn't feeling well (a head cold) so I didn't get to hug her. 

I also briefly talked with Doris Brunette, a long-time friend from Iowa. Doris and I knew each other when we both worked at Drake University in Des Moines, and then later, in 2010 we co-founded the Des Moines Modern Quilt Guild, now the Central Iowa Modern Quilt Guild. Doris is currently the Editor-in-Chief of American Patchwork & Quilting magazine and presented awards to the winners of the Diamonds Quilting Challenge sponsored by American Patchwork & Quilting. 

Lisa Ruble @quiltyzest DMed me on Instagram to come to the Benartex booth where she was promoting her fabric line. She wanted me to see the tote she'd made using my Confetti Pouch tutorial. 

Lisa used leftover project scraps to make this. Didn't it turn out cute? If you're interested in the tutorial, go here. 

This is Emilié Trahan, a Canadian who's a previous QC Best in Show winner, and who had several quilts at this QC. I stopped her to ask for a photo of her in her crocheted top. Of course, I shouldn't have been surprised to learn that she designed and made it herself! So cute and colorful. 

Since I mentioned People's Choice several times, I'll add a photo of the quilt that received the People's Choice award. In nine QuiltCons, I have yet to vote for the winner which I suppose says a lot about my taste in quilts. 

Frances, Jeanne Eileen Garcia @jeanne.garcia, Colorado

I don't have any quilt details except that this is a portrait of Jeanne's mother. She's certainly beautiful. 

I've just scrolled through all the pictures I took of quilts, and realize I've shared them all. I'm sorry I missed taking photos of quilts in the Improv Category, but perhaps my psyche was subtly reminding me that I'm no good at improv. One more post about QuiltCon, and I'll call it a wrap. Linda

QuiltCon Raleigh, Part 1

Attending QuiltCon for the ninth time, I knew what to expect. But it's the people one encounters, and the quilts that make each show special and different. 

As you may know, I hate flying. Though I usually fly a couple times a year, it's always with consternation and uncertainty because I'm afraid. I've learned that it helps immensely to fly with someone I know - someone who can distract me from the odd sounds and turbulence that remind me I'm way up high in the air!

This year I flew with friend Karen who was also my QC roommate. We traveled on Southwest Airlines, on a brand new plane. Given that Southwest now assigns seats, imagine our surprise to learn that three other members of Central Florida Modern Quilt Guild were on our flight, and seated near us! 

L-R: Linda, Karen, Cindy, Donna

Also, you'll note that the plane wasn't even close to being full! None of us could recall flying out of Orlando on a plane that wasn't packed to capacity. 

When in Raleigh on Wednesday evening, a few Central Florida MQG members lined up outdoors in front of the Raleigh Convention Center to check-in and get our QC badges. 

L-R: me, Karen, Donna, Cindy, Mel and Janice

The weather was mostly overcast and occasionally rainy, but the atmosphere was welcoming.

We attended the Wednesday evening awards ceremony. Rather than reshare all the winning quilts, here's a link to them on the MQG website.

From Thursday through Sunday (February 19 through 22) it was quilts, quilts, quilts, and vendors. 

What I appreciate about the Raleigh Convention Center is the ability to view the entire show/vendor floor from above. Quilts are on the left; vendors on the right.

I think Carolyn McKibbin's @quiltergardner Best in Show, Mom's Jeans, deserved to win.

I had a chance to congratulate Carolyn and have a nice chat. Believe it or not, she entered Mom's Jeans into QuiltCon 2025 and it was a QuiltCon REJECT! The lesson in that is to try again!

Carolyn domestic machine quilted.

Another award winning quilt that astounded me was Midnight & Noon by Lauren Klementz-Harte @creativelifesampler who won Best Hand Quilting. This is the quilt front.

This is the quilt back. Basically, she made two quilts and then hand quilted in areas determined by the shapes either on the back or on the front.

A QC volunteer and I spent at least ten minutes trying to work out how Lauren created her quilting designs. We decided she quilted from the back for a while, and then quilted from the front for a while. She quilted the sleeve too! How did she do that? It would have been nice to talk with Lauren about her process. Quite impressive!

I managed to catch a photo of Kelly Spell @kellyspell with her award-winning quilt, Racing Stripes. She won the MQG Excellence Award and deservedly so. Her precision workmanship was evident. Fabrics in this quilt were hand-dyed by Kelly. 

Another Central Florida MQG member's quilt was in the show.

Shown in the Appliqué category, this is In Search of Peace by Jane Grant @gonequiltinginflorida. She also has precision workmanship. Jane big stitch hand quilted peace symbols across the quilt. 

I like to see quilts in their context. On the right is my quilt, Turnabout in the Appliqué category. On the left is Slices of Joy in a Sea of Despair by Karen Duling. That quilt appears in QuiltCon Magazine.

The Turnabout surface is covered with big stitch hand quilting. 

This is Infrastructure in the Modern Traditionalism category. 

It's domestic machine quilted and enhanced with big stitch hand quilting. By the way, Infrastructure was a 2025 QuiltCon reject too. 

The QuiltCon Community Outreach Challenge Quilts were displayed in a separate room (apart from the quilt show area) near the lecture hall. 

 

On the left is Fins, Feathers, and Fronds, our Central Florida MQG submission made by about a dozen members and quilted by Karen (in the photos above) and me. 

Fifteen of our 45 members attended QuiltCon this year.

Each year we give our Community Outreach Challenge Quilt to the church that allows us to meet monthly in their fellowship area. The church then raffles the quilt to raise monies to support Rapha International.

More pictures of quilts in QuiltCon Raleigh, Part 2! Linda

While in Kansas City

I just spent a full week in Kansas City, visiting family. I stayed with our daughter, hubs, and two teenage grandsons, while also getting to visit with our son and two 11 year-old and teen grandsons, my Dad, sister/BIL, and two great-nieces - pretty much a sweep of family! I had a great time with everyone, enjoying every moment of being with them. We don't do this often. 

Also while in KC, I wanted to be sure to visit KC Maker Studio and Fabrics, a shop I follow on Instagram and from where I get Painter's Palette solids. I met KC Maker Studio owner Pat at QuiltCon in Atlanta, and have jumped on her unexpected one-day sales of PP solids (watch for them on IG). I spoke with Pat at the shop and learned she has signed a contract to be a vendor at the next three QuiltCons, in Raleigh (2026), Atlanta (2027), and who-know-where in 2028. Even she doesn't know where that show will be. 

Let me just say that KC Maker Studio is pretty much the largest quilt shop I've ever been in. And though I've been to Hancock's of Paducah, by comparison KC Maker Studio has the most extensive variety of fabrics (not just quilting cottons), and notions I've ever seen in one place.

This was my first impression walking in the store. I had to stop for five minutes to take it in. 

I tried to capture it all in a panorama photo, but even that doesn't do the shop justice. It's simply BIG! 

I was blown away by the fabric collections, beginning with Kaffe Fasset at the front. 

Both sides of the tall aisles were full of Kaffe. Though I'm not a Kaffe lover myself, I could sure appreciate the beautiful view!

So much Kaffe color!

Then there were the Tula Pinks. Again, I'm not a fan, but was impressed by color.

Here are Anna Maria Parry fabrics.

Marcia Derse fabrics.

Alison Glass fabrics.

And then I looked up. Fabric as far as I could see to the back wall! To give you an even better understand of the store size... the women's bathroom has three stalls! 😀

The opposite (left) side of the store repeats the size and structure of this right side (!) with the left side stocking wide backs, canvas, knits, and garment patterns. Seeing it all was overwhelming. 

Being a linen-loved, I was delighted to see how much Fableism she stocks. If I'd known what I wanted to make with it, I would have bought some.

In the end, though I meant to visit the shop only to browse (Who was I kidding?) these are my purchases: 

1. 8 ½" X 11 Ultimate Appliqué Freezer Paper - for foundation freezer paper piecing
2. brown .005 micron pigma pen - for marking seam lines when using my Inner City template
3. 4 spools of thread - 1 Aurifil and 3 Scanfil (Scanfil is my new favorite thread)
4. a skein of #2 cotton yarn - for making a crocheted amigurumi teddy bear
5. and, fabric:

• 2 yards of a wideback for the Posh Penelope quilt I'm working on
• blue lollypop print - Ruby Star, Eye Candy, to make a Cielo Top
• ½ yard pink - Benartex Sunny Day by Christa Watson 
• ½ yard pink/aqua stripe - Michael Miller Fly By Butterfly

The pink and striped pieces are mean to go with the Pick-a-Decade Challenge Quilt I've just started.

I recently finished this atomic-looking 20" block. I had thought to surround the teal and pink circles with bias tape, but that was a big fail. I ended up making circles, pillowcase-style, so all the circles have a turned under edge. No raw edge appliqué.

I made the pink circles first, with white fusible on the back (sew right sides together; clip raw edges of the circle; slit the interfacing; turn right side out) press to fuse onto black fabric; machine appliqué, then make a pillowcase circle with black fusible on the back. Fuse and machine appliqué the double-circle to a background of Oyster Painter's Palette. Whew. It worked. I achieved the 1950s vibe I was going for.

Anyway, the pink print and stripe will work into this project nicely. I don't know where at this point, but having these prints gives me options, even if it's to use the stripe as binding. 

About the threads I bought... At QuiltCon, I bought a three-pack of Scanfil thread - 50-weight/2-ply - that's made in the Netherlands. I love it! It's fine, practically lintless, and machine pieced beautifully in my recently finished Diagonal Scrap Quilts. It's also organic, if you're into that sort of thing. The spool itself is wood. So, seeing all the colors on a store shelf made me happy. 

Thread Trivia

KC Maker Studio charges $9.29 for a spool of Scanfil; and $15.95 for a spool of Aurifil. I thought to do a price per yard comparison. 

• Scanfil - 500 yards is .0186 per yard
• Aurifl - 1422 yards is .0012 per yard

• Scanfil is .0074 per yard more expensive than Aurifil.
• Scanfil is 66% more expensive than Aurifil. 
• If Aurifil was priced the same as Scanfil, you'd pay $26.45 for a spool of Aurifl. 

I will continue to use Scanfil - it's that nice - and I'll keep using Aurifil too.

After an hour or so at KC Maker Studio - I could have spent much longer! - I met up with my friend, Carla. She and I met 16 years ago through our blogs, and in September 2010 (when I lived in Iowa) we met for the first time in person in KC! I blogged about her HERE. She blogged about me HERE. Maybe you remember Carla when she blogged at  Lollyquiltz.blogspot.com? 

I treasure our special friendship. Even though we haven't seen one another for about six years, when we're together we pick up right where we left off and could talk for hours and hours. 

As wonderful as it is to get away, it's also good to return home. I feel reenergized and invigorated about getting to work on projects, though which project is the biggest dilemma. I want to keep going on the Pick-a-Decade Challenge; and make eight Posh Penelope blocks to meet my July self-imposed quota; and make that Cielo Top; and begin crocheting an amigurumi "Cuddle Me Bear;" and do some diamond painting.

There's also Saturday morning's Central Florida MQG meeting to attend, and Maria Shell's Improv For Everyone: Scrapbuster's Edition virtual workshop Saturday afternoon. 

There's nothing like jumping in with both feet, right? I can do it all! Linda