QuiltCon in Review: 5

Today's QuiltCon review is a look at quilts in the Small Quilts category. According to the QuiltCon app, 43 quilts were displayed in that category. 

Whenever possible, when I ran into a quilter whose quilt was hanging, I invited them to show me their quilt so I could take a picture. One of the first people I saw was Sarah Muslim Lefebve, a member of South Florida MQG.

Sarah's quilt is delightful, colorful, and well-suited to its name: Goodie Bag. Using a fabric charm pack from last year's QuiltCon swag bag/goodie bag, she made this 16" X 20" quilt. Love it!

Another maker I rounded-up for a quilt picture was Pip Porter @mizrini from Adelaide, Australia. Pip made this 60" X 60" Red and White Study 1 that was in the Use of Negative Space category.

From leftover bits, she then made 4 X 10 = 40 a 16" X 16" quilt in the small quilts category. Didn't she get lots of mileage from red and white improv piecing? 

Rachel Singh made The Chaos in My Head, a 28" X 26" quilt that demonstrates a great use of bias tape. I noticed a lot more quilts this year included use of bias tape. This one was domestic machine quilted.

Is Neon a Neutral? was made by Jessica Easterly @jesasterly

It's 29" X 20" and was improv pieced, domestic machine quilted, and hand embroidered and hand quilted. 

My friend, and a contributor to our Pot Luck group quilt, Patty Dudek @elmstreetquilts made this two-color quilt, Island in the Sky, using Irene Roderick's improv book as a guide. 

The quilt is 22" X 23" and was domestic machine and big stitch hand quilted. 

The Karman Line was made by Sue Erdreich, is 12" X 22", and was entirely machine pieced and domestic machine quilted.  

Such little pieces! Size-wise, these tiny triangles remind me of Jen Carlton-Bailey @bettycrockerass 's curvelets. 

I've never been one to use botanicals in my quilts, but this one could change my mind. Love the colors Rosell Crockett of Georgia used to make Boho Fiscus Elastica.

It's 25" X 34" and was machine pieced, and freezer paper appliquéd. Quilting is by domestic machine, and hand embroidery. 

A simple shape, but engaging with repetitive color, Liz Kuny made this 22" X 26" quilt named Back and Forth.

Its machine pieced and domestic machine quilted. 

Square Peg in a Round Hole was made by Dawn Johnson @positivedawn. It's 25" X 25" and was machine pieced and domestic machine quilted. I always marvel that a quilter can figure out how to hang a round quilt.

It's been quite a while since I've seen a pixelated quilt at QuiltCon. This is Paradise in a Can by Erynn Truex @true.threads.quilting. 

At 20" X 35", that's a lot of tiny pieces in a small quilt! Machine pieced and longarm quilted.

Small quilts is a category I've never entered, mostly because I don't make small quilts, unless it's necessary.

Over the years, I've found that wall-sized quilts are difficult to give away. No one wants them because the colors aren't right, or don't coordinate with their decor, or there's no place to hang them.

On the other hand, lap-sized or bed-sized quilts are always accepted with open arms. Colors don't matter. Looks don't matter! In the end, it can be used. Have you discovered that too? 

Linda

QuiltCon in Review: 4

The piecing category at QuiltCon offers a wide range of styles, and the variety of quilts was just plain enjoyable to see. The 50 quilts shown in this category ranged from improv to foundation paper piecing to appliqué, and included Diginity, the foundation paper-pieced Best in Show quilt by Veruschka Zarate. See in QuiltCon in Review: 1.

Of course I must begin with this picture of my adorable, ever-smiling, vivacious friend Candi @candipursuits of St. Augustine, Florida, who's a member of the Jacksonville MQG. Her improv quilts are always as colorfully exuberant as she is. 

This is CandiLand 2: Carnival. It's 55" X 45" and was quilted on her Bernina sewing machine. 

My Red Circles #2, is 46" X 46" and was made by Debbie Schultz of Arizona. 

Debbie domestic machine quilted. 

I really like her addition of white ghost quilting on top of previous quilting.  

This striking quilt, Grief is 66" X 67" and was made by Canadian Julie Lapalme @hobbylanding. It was domestic machine quilted. 

Queen of Chaos is 52" X 52" and was made by Jen Sorenson @aquiltingjewel in the Boston MQG. 

Sky Top 3, 62" X 62" was pieced and domestic machine quilted by Nancy Lambert of Georgia. I really admire how she created this three dimensional design with piecing (not appliqué). 

Kathy York @kakiyork of Austin, Texas, pieced and domestic machine quilted What's Next? It's 65" X 65". It reminds me of Brenda Gael Smith's Dreamlines.

Julia Wachs @juliawachs.design foundation paper pieced and appliquéd Vesta, an Art Nouveau design named after her grandmother. It's 64" X 76" and was longarm quilted. 

At left is Veil, a 54" X 56" quilt pieced by Peter Byrne of the Toronto MQG. To the right of it is 60" X 72" Dovetails a foundation paper-pieced design by Amy Friend @duringquiettime. 

Benjamin Darby @huntspatchquilts made Miami Meets Manhattan, a 72" X 82" quilt based on Guicy Guice's Deco Glo II fabric, and the New York Beauty block. Its domestic machine quilted. 

Sketch 1 was made by Lisa Hofmann-Maurer @sewwhatyoulove of Switzerland. It's 42" X 42" and was improv pieced and quilted on a longarm. 

I was happy to see Stephanie Ruhle @spontaneousthreads with her quilt, Metamorphosis which is 37" X 33". This quilt received recognition in the MQG's Pollinator Challenge in 2024. 

Stephanie was wearing a jacket she had made from scrap pieces given to her by Christine Perrigo, an award-winning quilter who passed away in March 2024. Stephanie said she felt like Christine was with her at QuiltCon. 

Transformation is 50" X 62" and was pieced by Liz Young of Canada.

It was straight line longarm quilted by Laura Gates of @foreveryoungquilting. 

The 95 by Vicki Ruebel @orchidowlquilts is 67" X 59" and was pieced by Judy Dale and quilted by Vicki. It was designed in EQ8.

Interestingly, the circles are vinyl! The quilt is layered with Soft 'n Stable topped with wool, and was longarm quilted. 

I've admired Glitterball, since I first saw it as a pattern. This 77" X 77" quilt was designed by Jo Westfoot @thecraftynomadefleet of the UK. The design includes improv piecing, foundation paper piecing, and curved piecing. 

It was quilted on a domestic machine. 

Intersections is 33" X 44" and was made by Miguel Huidor @mh_x_q of the New Jersey MQG.

The design includes improv piecing and English paper piecing. It was domestic machine quilted. 

Kate Henderson @katehendersonquilts of Australia made Psychedelic. It's 42" X 56" and was foundation paper pieced and machine pieced. 

More straight line quilting on a domestic machine. 

These are just a fraction of the quilts in the piecing category at QuiltCon 2025. No doubt you agree some of them are pretty wonderful. Linda

QuiltCon in Review: 3

Twenty quilts were displayed in the appliqué category at QuiltCon.

It strikes me that modern appliqué designs are few-and-far-between. Most of the photos I took at QuiltCon are of quilts that did not win awards. I figure everyone can view the winning quilts on the QuiltCon website. These are just a few of the appliquéd quilts I liked. 

A-Mazing Circuit impressed me because of the movement it evokes. Made by Lori Tourscher @stipplequeen of Canada, it's 63" X 83."  

According to Lori, the design is based on Truchet's tiles. It's machine appliquéd and longarm quilted.

One of my favorite people, Clara Stoikow @bim_bam_buki_blog has been a frequent award-winner at QuiltCon. She made blocks for our group quilt, Pot Luck.

Until recently Clara lived in the US; she now lives and works in Berlin, Germany. But before moving, she made Harrison Map, a 45" X 28" quilt based on a US place.

Clara includes lots of hand-piecing and hand stitching in her pieces, often using appliquéd elastic in the design. Her attention to detail is exquisite.

Ba Da...What?! was made by Iva Steiner @schnigschnagquiltsandmore of Switzerland.

This 38" X 38" quilt was hand pieced, hand appliquéd, and longarm quilted.

Karen Burns @warpedspinster of Council Bluffs, Iowa made Glyphs. It's a 40" X 38" and machine appli-pieced in the style of Sheila Frampton Cooper.

It was longarm quilted with ruler work and free motion quilting.

This colorful quilt, Temari, was made by Nancy Lambert.

It's  51" X 52" and was machine pieced, machine appliquéd and domestic machine quilted. I like the visual dimension she achieved.

Catherine Butterworth @ccbutterworth of Australia, made this 52" X 54" quilt called The Early 90's. It's pieced with scarves made by an Italian fabric company. 

Domestic machine quilting is enhanced with hand embroidery and hand quilting. Check out the colorful stitch made in the center of each X. Love that idea!

Unblocked was also made by an Australian - Caroline Hadley @geometricquilt. 

Her 60" X 60" design was machine appliquéd and quilted on a longarm.  

As I observed at QuiltCon 2024, many QuiltCon 2025 quilts were straight line quilted. When QuiltCon judges focus more on design than technique, straight line quilting is the most popular quilting option. 

This year, I'd like to made a modern, hand-appliquéd quilt, and I'm thinking to do so when I create a quilt for our 2025 Central Florida MQG "Pick a Decade" challenge. I'm choosing the decade of the 1950s, and have selected an inspiration design. Now to get started. Linda