Houston Festival
The International Quilt Festival Judged Show 2021 Winners List
Here are the results of the debut of our Festival Judged Show! All prizes are non-purchase.
Check back later to see video interviews with the top six winners.
*Click on quilt image for larger view.
TOP WINNERS
THE HANDI QUILTER BEST OF SHOW AWARD ($12,500)
Sponsored by
Rondo
(80” x 80”)
By Sachiko Chiba
Morioka City, Iwate, Japan
Original Design
Artist’s Statement: “I wanted to keep the beautiful flowers in my quilt forever. In particular, it took me a very long time to write the design. I sewed the flowers, being careful to choose the right fabric to make them look more realistic. I hope I can describe the stunning beauty of the flowers.”
Watch an interview with artist.
THE EQUILTER.COM MASTER AWARD FOR CONTEMPORARY ART ($5,000)
Sponsored by
Leap of Faith
(55” x 36”)
By Kestrel Michaud
West Melbourne, Florida, USA
Original Design
Artist’s Statement: “In this Steampunk fantasy world, men and women have taken to the skies on ships held aloft by hot air, ingenuity, and luck. Faith’s favorite past-time is bungee-jumping off the side of her airship, with Bubo, her pet clockwork owl. This quilt depicts the photo Faith took on her latest jump to test her brand-new camera and selfie stick.”
Watch an interview with the artist.
THE GAMMILL MASTER AWARD FOR MACHINE ARTISTRY ($5,000)
Sponsored by
Desert in Spring
(53.5” x 42.5”)
By Andrea Brokenshire
Round Rock, Texas, USA
Original Design
Artist’s Statement: “My Mom and I embarked on an epic travel trip we named our Thelma and Louise Adventure. We drove down the west coast, eventually ending up in Palm Springs, California. While there, we visited the Living Desert Botanical Garden. This quilt is inspired by one of the photographs I took that spring day of a Prickly Pear Cactus in bloom. I loved the leathery texture of the cactus leaves (paddles) and the almost translucent citron yellow blossoms.”
Watch an interview with the artist.
THE GRACE COMPANY MASTER AWARD FOR TRADITIONAL ARTISTRY ($5,000)
Sponsored by
ABCDvine
(68” x 79”)
By Janet Stone
Overland Park, Kansas, USA
Original Design
Artist’s Statement: “This quilt was inspired by antique Wreath blocks. All quilting was free-motion quilted on a sit down machine with no rulers. Quarter inch channels were stuffed with yarn after quilting for a trapunto look. Hand-covered buttons and embellishments were added because who doesn’t love a little embellishing?”
Watch an interview with the artist.
THE JANOME MASTER AWARD FOR INNOVATIVE ARTISTRY ($5,000)
Sponsored by
Just Thinking
(59” x 36”)
By Jill Kerttula
Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
Original Design
Artist’s Statement: “During 2020 we did a lot of this; just sitting and thinking. About the political world, our home and family, the creative world, and our health. This piece started as a self portrait printed on fabric. Additional fabrics were then appliquéd, layered, and woven into and onto the portrait. Texture was added with stitch, and painting helped to merge the fabrics with the photograph so they melded together.”
Watch an interview with the artist.
THE SUPERIOR THREADS MASTER AWARD FOR THREAD ARTISTRY ($5,000)
Sponsored by
Sharing the Moment
(75” x 50”)
By Hollis Chatelain
Hillsborough, North Carolina, USA
Design Source:
Original Design
Artist’s Statement: “I believe that African-American women are the matriarchs of their families and communities. They have always been a powerful force in getting their communities to vote. This piece also highlights the fact that African-American women did not receive the right to vote in all 50 states until 1965 when the Voting Rights Act was passed. I met Phyllis at a rally. She enthusiastically agreed to be my model, and brought her friend Loretta with her.”
Watch an interview with the artist.
JUDGE’S CHOICE ($250 each)
Sponsored by
Choice of Cynthia Collier
In the Morning Light
(32.5” x 44”)
By Roxanne Nelson
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Design Source:
Shutterstock License
Artist’s Statement: “Impressionism is the art of capturing a moment in time where the play of sunlight and color bring life to the subject. I love finding surprising colors in the shadows of a white duck and the brilliance of the early morning light on feathers and water, inviting a new day. This regal duck is created using thousands of tiny pieces of fabric fused, then stitched to enhance the texture of the feathers; the lake is a single fabric sectioned for effect.”
Choice of Ginny Eckley
Penguin Playground
(85” x 50”)
By Sue Sherman
Newmarket, Ontario, Canada
Original Design
Artist’s Statement: “This is a compilation of many pictures taken by the artist in Antarctica, and the scene is typical where gentoo and chinstrap penguins are taking a rest from diving for fish and krill. Both species are abundant in 2021, but remain vulnerable to climate change impacts.”
Choice of Cynthia England
Repelling Radial
(52” x 52”)
By Audrey Esarey
Louisville, Kentucky, USA
Original Design
Artist’s Statement: “Repelling Radial is the fourth quilt in my Offset Series, which focuses on bold, asymmetric, and balanced quilt designs. The quilt creates an optical illusion of connected white bars. However, the bars hover next to each other, just like repelling magnets. A limited palette forces focus on the composition, with specific attention to where I can omit arcs of pieced wedges to create negative space while maintaining overall visual balance.”
ABSTRACT category
Sponsored by
First Place
Genesis: Spirit Upon the Waters
(50” x 39.5”)
By Judith Beaver
Sisters, Oregon, USA
Original Design
Artist’s Statement: “The inspiration for this quilt came from the creation story in Genesis (the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters). Imagine the beautiful colors and emerging life forms as they began to develop and grow in this primordial soup. The deconstructed printed fabric centered in the blue blocks and the two large circles reflect the organic nature of early life forms while the embroidered branched strands represent developing plant life.”
Second Place
Bricks ‘n Gears
(71” x 86”)
By Claudia Pfeil
Krefeld, NRW, Germany
Original Design
Artist’s Statement: “In my imagination, old used gears and wheels are piled along a wall of Bricks—a still-life of technical relics.”
Third Place
Dreamweaver II
(63” x 40”)
By Beth Schillig
Columbus, Ohio, USA
Original Design
Artist’s Statement: “After hand dyeing my fabrics, I love exploring the capabilities of my various machines. An electric cutter machine creates perfect circles & ovals in heavy interfacing for appliqué templates. My sewing machines are used for accurate piecing and decorative embroidery stitches to enhance the appliqués. And my sit down longarm for freehand quilting including ruler work. Only handwork is to attach the yo-yos and add beads.”
APPLIQUÉ CATEGORY
Sponsored by
First Place
Happy Thanksgiving
(53” x 53”)
By Aki Sakai
Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan
Original Design
Artist’s Statement: “Appreciating the blessing of nature, I made this quilt while thinking about the origin of Thanksgiving.”
SECOND PLACE
Espalier
(72” x 79”)
By Joann Webb
Sedalia, Missouri, USA
Original Design
Artist’s Statement: “This quilt was inspired by espaliered fruit trees trained in what is called a Belgian Fence pattern. This pattern made for perfect on point blocks to place the birds and butterflies. I love putting birds on quilts and collecting fabrics that could be bird eyes, bird feet, and feathers.”
THIRD PLACE
THE CROSSING
(79” x 78”)
By Linda Roy
Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
Original Design
Artist’s Statement: “Inspired by antique appliqué pomegranate quilts. Colors chosen to compliment my sister`s home. Hand appliqué to include entire border. Hand quilted, hand embroidered, hand appliqué. Stipple quilting and up side down stuffed yo-yos add texture.”
HAND QUILTING/HANDMADE CATEGORY
Sponsored by
FIRST PLACE
Somewhere in the World
(67” x 77”)
By Chinami Terai
Abiko, Chiba, Japan
Original Design
Artist’s Statement: “In this quilt, I made colorful towns, trees, and bright sky. I think that those towns exist somewhere in the world. I hoped towns are peaceful, bright, and happy life of people while I was quilting.”
SECOND PLACE
A Walk in the Meadow with Ellen
(72” x 72”)
By Nancy Kerns
Laytonsville, Maryland, USA
Design Source:
Ellen Heck designed all the patterns in this quilt The pattern set was called A Walk in the Meadow.
Artist’s Statement: “When I first met Ellen Heck, I fell in love with her appliqué designs. It took several years for me to collect all the patterns. In the meantime, I became good friends with Ellen. This quilt will always represent that friendship to me. The border was adapted from a shorter one Ellen designed. I flew from Maryland to California to spend a week with Ellen and we worked on this border design together. Quilted during the Covid-19 lockdown.”
THIRD PLACE
Young Leaves
(76” x 76”)
By Chizuko Ito
Hokuto City, Yamanashi, Japan
Original Design
Artist’s Statement: “It is the most beautiful and the brightest season in early summer, when woods are getting green and flowers in fields are blooming. I expressed such a lovely scene in this quilt.”
MACHINE QUILTING CATEGORY
Sponsored by
FIRST PLACE
Cake Plate
(74” x 75”)
By Salena Korpi Beckwith
Columbia Falls, Montana, USA
Original Design
Design Source:
Traditional Clamshell Pickledish block
Artist’s Statement: “Inspired by traditional Clamshell and Pickledish quilts, I designed my interpretation to use a collection of green silk and silk blend fabrics. The result reminds me of Grandma`s green depression glass cake plate. The quilting is all hand-guided, using Superior So Fine and MicroQuilter threads with Hobbs 80/20 and wool battings. Elegant beaded piping decorates the binding.”
SECOND PLACE
Lavender in Provence
(65” x 65”)
By Karen Lambdin
San Antonio, Texas, USA
Original Design
Artist’s Statement: “Quilted freehand on an Innova longarm machine. I was inspired to quilt this beautiful Valensole tablecloth fabric by l`Ensoleillade with designs similar to those seen on vintage French Boutis quilts. Some of the round designs are inspired by a recently uncovered Turkish mosaic floor. Quilted freehand on an Innova longarm machine.”
THIRD PLACE
My Secret Garden
(71” x 71”)
By Margaret Solomon Gunn
Gorham, Maine, USA
Original Design
Artist’s Statement: “Peer through the wrought iron gate to my secret garden. Here, flowers bloom in my favorite shades of pink and orange, while abundant butterflies dart about. Cotton prints are chosen for color and texture, while my signature silk is used to showcase the original, hand-guided machine quilting. There are accents of embroidery and crystals.”
MINIATURE CATEGORY
Sponsored by
FIRST PLACE
Emerald Labyrinth
(18” x 18”)
By Kumiko Frydl
Houston, Texas, USA
Design Source:
From book The Grammer of Ornament by Owen Jones; 1910
Artist’s Statement: “As a starting point, I used an image from the entrance to the EL Barkookeyeh Mosque in Cairo. Thinking of an elegant and intricate garden, I added bursts of natural color and filled the area between the large elements of the design with finer ornament inspired by butterflies and plants. I set the circular image in a rectangular frame with a subdued complimentary design of rippled reflective pools.”
SECOND PLACE
Dream Weaver
(18.25” x 18.25”)
By Judy Spiers
Foxworth, Mississippi, USA
Original Design
Design Source:
This quilt was designed by me using my Electric Quilt design program. The block name is Pineapple.
Artist’s Statement: “Although I love a challenge, this little quilt was the greatest challenge of my quilting journey. At 18.25 inches square, it has 225 blocks, 77 pieces in each block, for a total of 17, 325 pieces. This is the fourth quilt I`ve made in a series of Miniature Pineapple Block Quilts. My love of miniature quilts began with a challenge in our local guild, and they have been an obsession ever since.”
THIRD PLACE
Firebird
(21.5” x 21.5”)
By Megan Farkas
Sanborton, New Hampshire, USA
Design Source:
Inspired by antique quilts, traditional Princess Feather pattern
Artist’s Statement: “Inspired by antique Mennonite quilts, I found miniaturizing the Princess Feather pattern to be an enjoyable challenge in needle-turn appliqué. All work by hand.”
PICTORIAL CATEGORY
Sponsored by
FIRST PLACE
Harlequinad
(68” x 83”)
By Beckey Prior &
Quilted By Jackie Brown
Henderson, Texas, USA
Original Design
Artist’s Statement: “Harlequinade is a theatrical quilt filled with visual clues guiding viewers to discover the hidden story. Inspired by Venetian Carnival masks and commedia dell’arte characters, the quilt features the antics of Harlequin, the trickster, who has his own ideas about freedom and fun!”
SECOND PLACE
Fabulous Welcome
(75” x 45”)
By Brigitte Villeneuve with Diane Cote & Doris Boivin
Jonquière (Québec), Quebec City, Canada
Original Design
Design Source:
Jean-Paul Chaer photos
Artist’s Statement: “Each fall, people on board cruise ship docking at LaBaie, Saguenay, among migrating snow geese, are greeted by volunteer from a local show Fabulous Story of a Kingdom. Music, dancing, tasting local dishes are all part of a Fabulous Welcome.”
THIRD PLACE
Songkwangsa Temple
(60” x 47”)
By Mikyung Jang
Seodaemoon-Gu, Seoul, South Korea
Original Design
Artist’s Statement: “Songkwangsa-Temple is one of the three typical temples in South Korea. I feel calm when I go there. I would like to express the beauty of temple by thread drawing this time.”
PIECED CATEGORY
Sponsored by
FIRST PLACE
Pure Velvet
(32” x 32”)
By Amy Pabst
Le Roy, West Virginia, USA
Original Design
Design Source:
Traditional Pineapple block
Artist’s Statement: “This original design was machine foundation pieced and quilted in the ditch. The center of each block is velvet. Each block has 49 pieces, for a total of 21,609 individual pieces in this quilt. This quilt is the third quilt in a series called Micropiecing.”
SECOND PLACE
Christmas in St. Andrews
(82” x 82”)
By Marilyn Badger
St. George, Utah, USA
Original Design
Design Source:
Original Claudia Clark Myers design
Artist’s Statement: “My first ever Christmas quilt, I was challenged by Claudia to use the plaid fabric for the background. 8 yards later everything finally matched up. Machine appliqué, paper pieced and lots of pearls and crystals from Cheri`s Crystals. A vintage brooch added the finishing touch in the middle.”
THIRD PLACE
Lying Ties
(45” x 45”)
By Karen K. Stone
Dallas, Texas, USA
Original Design
Design Source:
Traditional block Arkansas Centennial (KC Star 1037) from Barbara Brackman’s Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns, 3rd Edition (cover)
Artist’s Statement: “Traditional Maltese Cross blocks, called “Arkansas Centennial” (KC Star 1937), found on the cover of Barbara Brackman’s new Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns, 3rd Ed., enhanced by additional dots. Cotton, silk and polyester fabrics, most of which are up-cycled neckties gleefully snagged on a stealthy thrift store excursion mid-pandemic. Cotton and silk thread, cotton batting.”
VIEWER’S CHOICE ($500)
Sponsored by
Welcome Home
(92” x 65”)
By David Taylor
Techniques:
Hand pieced, appliquéd, and embroidered; machine pieced and quilted; heat-set metal embellished
Artist’s Statement: “It took years to convince my friend Margo Clabo to grant me permission to adapt her heartwarming photo into a quilt. I knew from the beginning it would be a huge undertaking as I could only imagine it at this size. To faithfully re-create the pieced quilt resting on the front porch swing, detailed patterns of minuscule pieces were drafted. It was more than four years in the making, but worth every moment spent in the studio.”
