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Techniques Used: Machine quilting, machine appliqué, professional fabric printing.

Design Source: Original design.

Artist’s Statement: This quilt draws inspiration from a classic ancient Chinese folk song. Depicting fish darting and playing amid lotus leaves, it implicitly expresses young lovers’ tender romance, with lotus bloom standing for purity. The piece uses over 100 silk hues for vivid, layered color. Mixed free-motion machine embroidery and appliqué create painterly modern textures. Its border adopts traditional Chinese patterns like an art frame.

 

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Techniques Used: Machine quilting, machine embroidery, original digitized embroidery.

Design Source: Original design.

Artist’s Statement: When I open the drawer, it’s packed with an abundance of threads and yarns, nearly overflowing. Just looking at them sparks pure joy and gets the ideas flowing for my next project. To express this sense of fun, I purposely arranged the motifs in a playful, jumbled layout. I used machine cross-stitch embroidery to bring out the unique, tactile textures of each thread and yarn.

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Techniques Used: Hand quilting, Machine quilting, hand embroidery, machine appliqué, machine piecing.

Design Source: Original design.

Artist’s Statement: Inspiration for this quilt came from 19th century textile sample books at the Museum of Printed Fabrics in Mulhouse, France. The colors were bright and unfaded. The quilt is made from silk fabric, machine appliquéd and machine quilted. Hand stitches were added before quilting. The center block was designed using my favorite elements from the blocks.

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Techniques Used: Machine quilting, machine piecing, foundation piecing, ditch quilting, micropiecing.

Design Source: Traditional Log cabin Designs: barn raising.

Artist’s Statement: This quilt was constructed while I was recovering from a hospital stay. I thought of each block as a little composition, and working on them every day helped me heal. The quilt was foundation pieced on a 1947 Singer Featherweight and then quilted in the ditch on a Bernina. Each 3 block has 49 pieces, and there are 16,000 individual pieces of fabric in the quilt. Each piece represents its own individual design decision: 16,000 decisions.

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Techniques Used: Machine quilting, raw-edge fused, hand dyed and commercial batik fabrics, mixed media, foundation piecing, ditch quilting, micropiecing.

Design Source: Based on a photo by Beverly Thain, used with her permission.

Artist’s Statement: Derived from a photo by Beverley Thain, who captured a lovely image of a group of African elephants crossing the river. I loved it, and also the reflection on the water and even the small rocks in the foreground.

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Techniques Used: Machine quilting, fused appliqué.

Design Source: Generated AI image to use as visual reference for the position of the mountains. This entire quilt was freehand-drawn, not directly copied or traced.

Artist’s Statement: Three explorers have discovered an ancient device in the frozen north. Though excited, they don’t yet know the significance. In my steampunk world, humans have harnessed steam to power their society because they lack the ability to use arcane energy. This machine extracts arcane energy from magic-infused crystals, allowing magic to be used as an energy source. It is going to completely revolutionized steampunk society.

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Techniques Used: Machine quilting, hand embroidery, machine piecing, facing (instead of binding).

Design Source: Quilting edge-to-edge design credit (with permission): Boardwalk by Barbara Becker, Urban Elementz (c) 2016.

Artist’s Statement: Since the focus fabric consists of bold, bright colors, my challenge was to create an impactful design while using very little. I added paths to connect the shapes. The path beginnings and endings are similar, while the detours branch out to represent the different paths we choose in life. The outer path along the border is pieced. The inner paths are hand quilted. Then I used a multi-directional quilting design to secure the hand-quilted paths.

Techniques Used: Hand quilting, machine piecing.

Design Source: Traditional clamshell.

Artist’s Statement: I was feeling stuck in a design rut, so I decided to explore how far I could push the definition of the clamshell shape. Pulling, stretching, adding rows and stripes, putting them upside down: is it still a clamshell?! Well, I don’t know the answer, but I do know that the result was a joyful and vibrant quilt. It taught me that on the other side of struggle and doubt there can be something special waiting if you just keep going.

Techniques Used: Machine quilting, hand embroidery, machine piecing.

Design Source: Original design.

Artist’s Statement: My days are moved together by meeting new people and receiving their inspiration. I will move forward towards the future together with them.

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Techniques Used: Machine quilting, hand appliqué, hand embellishment, hand embroidery, machine appliqué, machine piecing.

Design Source: Dresden Plate traditional pattern.

Artist’s Statement: The Vintage Dresden plates were given to me from Gold Bug Quilters. I love to finish quilts that were otherwise heading for the landfill. The plates were appliqué to Radiance. The quilting was a combination of ruler work and free-motion quilting. The binding was constructed from five pieces of scraps. Rickrack pearls cotton hand embroidery, crystals, and buttons were added for a finished look.

Techniques Used: Machine quilting, hand embellishment, machine embroidery, trapunto.

Design Source: Original design.

Artist’s Statement: This quilt was many years in the making. From first drawing the design to eventual quilting, I had a goal for myself to enter a quilt in a show and had to make it a priority. I learned how to say no to other people and take the time to do what I love. Once the quilting was completed, I felt that it still needed a little something. So, I outlined some areas by hand stitching over 4,000 beads. Then machine embroidered lace to outline the edge.

Techniques Used: Hand quilting, hand appliqué, Machine, hand embellishment, hand embroidery, hand painting, machine appliqué, machine embellishment, machine piecing.

Design Source: Original design.

Artist’s Statement: This quilt is one in a series of doily quilts I have made recently featuring hand dyed vintage doilies by Wendy Richardson. I have found her doilies go perfectly with Paula Nadelstern’s beautiful fabrics. I love to showcase these doilies and add lots of beading and other embellishments to, as well as hand embroidery to accent the quilting designs, along with a little added paint. It is also great fun to come up with different edge treatments.

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Techniques Used: Machine quilting, hand appliqué.

Design Source: Original design.

Artist’s Statement: This patchwork artwork depicts a lively corner of a lotus pond in summer, featuring koi leaping from the water, blooming lotus flowers, aquatic plants, dragonflies, and snails. The composition draws inspiration from the aesthetics of traditional Chinese meticulous painting and circular floral patterns. Its circular design symbolizes the recurring cycle of the seasons and the continuous renewal of nature.

Techniques Used: Machine quilting, hand appliqué.

Design Source: Based on a photograph by Joshua Robertson, Alberta, Canada, used with permission.

Artist’s Statement: While making this quilt, Goose A (left) and Goose B (right) quickly became known as Arthur and Beatrice. Arthur refused to ask for directions-again-and now they appear to be quite lost. Being from Alberta, Canada, I decided to place them in front of the iconic Three Sisters mountain range in Canmore, Alberta. Whether they are lost or simply sightseeing remains open to interpretation.

Techniques Used: Machine quilting, hand appliqué, professional fabric printing.

Design Source: Original design.

Artist’s Statement: Every summer I spend a few days in Rocky Mountain National Park. In 2020, as I was snapping images on my new digital Nikon, I spotted a big horn ram sitting alone on the arctic tundra at the top of the park. As I zoomed in to take another picture, he stood up and seemingly smiled for the camera—a one-in-a-million shot! Using Photoshop, I merged his head with another scenic images from the day and the result became Say Cheese! (aka “Cheddar”).

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Techniques Used: Machine quilting, machine appliqué.

Design Source: Design is based on cave paintings located near the Silk Road in the Gobi Desert, done over 700 years ago.

Artist’s Statement: The Long Road, known as the Silk Road, went from the Far East to the Western world. Today, as it passes through the Gobi Desert, there is a treasure trove not to be missed. This World Heritage site, The Mogao Caves, contains the largest collection of Buddhist art in the world, including 492 caves filled with ancient arts. The quilt you are viewing today, beautifully, and skillfully, reproduces many of the designs found within this ancient site.

Techniques Used: Machine quilting, hand dying, machine appliqué.

Design Source: Original design.

Artist’s Statement: The layout of this quilt is a traditional Medallion design. I designed the entire quilt in Adobe Illustrator from the layout down to the quilting before I even touched a piece of fabric. For the fabric I used my own hand dyed fabric to fit the exact image that I wanted to convey.

Techniques Used: Hand quilting, hand appliqué, hand embroidery, machine piecing, trapunto.

Design Source: Original design.

Artist’s Statement: Inspired by the beauty of Christmas roses, I created this quilt using carefully selected fabrics and mimosa accents. I focused on harmony and balance while making the most of the base fabric, hoping to bring warmth and comfort to those who view it.

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Techniques Used: Hand quilting, hand appliqué, machine quilting, hand embroidery, machine piecing.

Design Source: Original design, traditional blocks.

Artist’s Statement: Quilt was made to showcase my skill level to enter in quilting teacher training. I had to choose nine traditional blocks. Instead of making a traditional sampler quilt I illustrated the old quote: “I am glad I never threw them away, my scraps of yore are my quilts today.” (Found in: Quilting. Quotations Celebrating an American Legacy. Compiled by Joyce S. Steward 1994 Running Press. Philadelphia). This speaks to more than just textile leftovers.

Techniques Used: Machine quilting, hand appliqué, hand embroidery, machine appliqué.

Design Source: Full Circle pattern by Wendy Williams.

Artist’s Statement: This quilt uses the Full Circle pattern by Wendy Williams. I started this quilt in a class taught by Barbara Black. I rarely make quilts from patterns, but this one appealed to me as a skill builder and for the opportunity to learn from Barbara.

Techniques Used: Machine quilting, hand embellishment, machine appliqué, machine piecing.

Design Source: Norah McMeeking, Bella Bella Quilts, Venice Rose for large center circle.

Artist’s Statement: I have loved Medieval art since I was a child, and had been planning to make a Medieval themed quilt. Norah McMeeking’s floor pattern gave me the anchor piece that brought the whole design together. My collection of gold-embellished fabrics and gold buttons gave it the perfect finish.

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Techniques Used: Hand quilting, hand appliqué, hand embroidery, hand piecing.

Design Source: Original design.

Artist’s Statement: I created a quilt depicting fans dancing gracefully amidst a shower of cherry blossoms. I incorporated girls in kimonos into the fan design. There are 256 fans and 768 girls in kimonos. I also decorated the edges of the quilt with cute fans.

Techniques Used: Hand quilting, hand appliqué, hand embellishment, hand embroidery, hand piecing.

Design Source: Original design.

Artist’s Statement: It represents a sacred place, a gift of the stars, guarding the whispers of a lost civilization of which the Nile was a silent witness. They are the laughter of women, the splashing of fish, the rustling of the wind in the ears of corn, the murmur of the water…a collection of everyday scenes silently preserved as a legacy of beauty from those who lived along the Nile.

Techniques Used: Hand quilting, hand appliqué, hand embellishment, hand embroidery, other, hand piecing, hand trapunto, hand beading.

Design Source: Original design.

Artist’s Statement: Nature’s flowers inspire and comfort us every day. Through carefully chosen fabrics, intricate quilting, trapunto, and beadwork, I sought to capture their beauty and grace. I hope this quilt invites viewers into a peaceful garden and leaves them with a warm heart.

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Techniques Used: Machine quilting, hand painting, hand dying, machine appliqué.

Design Source: Photo by Kasey Carrothers, used with written permission.

Artist’s Statement: Paddling the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon is a stunning, terrifying experience. Creating this peaceful memory, using Sandra Mollon’s brilliant collage techniques aided me in processing those harrowing and wonderful ten days. Thanks to Kasey Carrothers for having his camera ready in this moment. I recommend Kevin Fedarko’s book The Emerald Mile to learn more about the perils of paddling through the Grand Canyon.

Techniques Used: Machine quilting, machine appliqué.

Design Source: Photograph from James Bethanis with his permission.

Artist’s Statement: Watson Lake in Arizona is one of those places that feels timeless. Granite boulders shaped by the elements over millions of years, rise from still water that mirrors the sunset. I created this quilt to capture that moment of balance and reflection where the rock, water, light and time meet. Started in a class with Sandra Mollon, I used a photograph from James Bethanis with his permission.

Techniques Used: Machine quilting, hand quilting.

Design Source: Original design.

Artist’s Statement: I always liked the sense of stability of houses built with red bricks. And the light speed and beauty of car light trails, a kind of power that shocks the heart.

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Techniques Used: Machine quilting, hand embroidery, machine appliqué, machine embellishment, machine piecing, professional fabric printing.

Design Source: Original Design.

Artist’s Statement: At the coffee shop, I watch people experience both community and isolation. My triptych composition reflects this by creating both a unified composition and individual vignettes. The base layer is made from three of my photographs, then opaque and translucent layers of fabrics are layered over and woven into those images. Threads and yarns are both hand and machine stitched for texture and color.

Techniques Used: Machine appliqué using double-sided heat-sealed tap; raw edge pieces, machine quilting.

Design Source: Inspired by a photo licensed online.

Artist’s Statement: The photo reminds of the prayer in the Gospel of John that Jesus addresses to the Father, raising his eyes to heaven.

Techniques Used: Machine quilting, hand piecing.

Design Source: Family photograph.

Artist’s Statement: My father from the 1940s, with his little brother and Poochinelli the dog in a simpler time. The quilt top was found with this small photo in my grandmother`s things. My father recently passed, so the project was bittersweet. Poochinelli was legendary as he survived being shot and dragged to the dump. When he found his way home, all 10 kids cried and wailed until Poochinelli was taken to the vet and healed, to live many years more.

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Techniques Used: Machine quilting, machine appliqué.

Design Source: Original design, personal photo.

Artist’s Statement: Mort, our veiled chameleon, was a grouchy guy who would change from a quiet green to blazing colors when he was agitated, which was quite often!

Techniques Used: Hand appliqué, hand embellishment, hand painting, hand piecing, machine appliqué, machine embellishment, machine piecing.

Design Source: Original design.

Artist’s Statement: In Oriental aesthetics, nature serves as the paramount source of inspiration. My works draw inspiration from nature, utilizing elements such as mountains, rivers, flowers, and birds, and employing a deconstructive compositional approach of decomposition and reassembly to express integration, balance, and harmony. This concept of harmonious coexistence with nature embodies the respect and pursuit of the beauty of nature in Oriental aesthetics.

Techniques Used: Hand quilting, machine quilting, hand embellishment, professional fabric printing.

Design Source: Original design.

Artist’s Statement: We had time, knowledge, tools. Yet we failed. Fires burn, seas rise, habitats vanish. Now children step up, acting where adults were paralyzed by denial. String Theory hints at the physics theory built on hidden dimensions. These children can’t perceive all the dimensions of the challenge of global warming, but within their limited understanding, they believe they can fix what is broken. That says something about them. And something about us.

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Techniques Used: Hand quilting, machine quilting, hand piecing, machine appliqué.

Design Source: Original design.

Artist’s Statement: I spent about six hours in the ancient city of Arles while in France. I was captivated by the cobblestones. Which were laid in a very subtle pattern. I also found the ironwork, mostly gates and lanterns, all very old and still in use, very beautiful. My design is based on memories of these images. I lost my photos.

Techniques Used: Machine quilting, machine embroidery, machine piecing, original digitized embroidery.

Design Source: Original design.

Artist’s Statement: This quilt was inspired and designed while I was a journey deep into machine embroidery. Designing and digitizing all my own embroidery to live in harmony with all the traditional techniques I have taught over the years.

Techniques Used: Machine quilting, paper piecing.

Design Source: Hard Times, Roaring Thru the Twenties, Quilts for Rosie, and Paper Pieced Garden, all by Carolyn McCormick.

Artist’s Statement: I made a promise to myself that if I learned how to quilt I would make one from my grandmother`s Kansas City Star blocks. Too fragile but was lucky enough to find books that had the blocks converted to paper piecing. A thank you to my Grandmother Beck who taught me to sew on her treadle sewing machine and made sure I learned all the needle arts.

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Techniques Used: Machine quilting, hand painting, machine appliqué.

Design Source: Original design.

Artist’s Statement: Held in the hush of Becoming, a single journey unwinds—through joy and grief, through burdens and growth, through the universal turbulence of living—entering the vast quiet that holds everything.

Techniques Used: Hand quilting, hand appliqué, hand embroidery.

Design Source: Original design.

Artist’s Statement: My quilt was made for my sister’s birthday that ended in a zero. My quilt was inspired by the many four block appliqué quilts of the mid-19th century.

Techniques Used: Machine quilting, hand dyeing.

Design Source: Original design, inspired by a photo taken by Louise Jean, used with permission.

Artist’s Statement: This piece explores the quiet authority and elegance of the blue heron, a bird defined by stillness as much as motion. Poised between water and sky, the heron becomes a symbol of balance and patience. Its outstretched wings suggest both strength and restraint, capturing a moment suspended between standing and flight.

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