By Heather Hopcraft

The challenge was to take inspiration from Diana, Princess of Wales, to create a unique quilt using a limited color palette: pink and white.

Quilters were encouraged to push themselves creatively, think outside the box, and create new fiber art. The contest was open to anyone and everyone.

All the quilts are the same color, fabric, size and theme, making the exhibit very cohesive and striking. Cherrywood fabrics in the official challenge bundle had to be used; accent colors were allowed. Quilt size is 20” x 20”. Any techniques or embellishments could be used.

Sponsored by

COLOR MY WHEEL by Barbara Harrell

The New Quilts from an Old Favorite contest and exhibition was created by The National Quilt Museum to pay tribute to our quiltmaking heritage, while celebrating the innovation, creativty, and excellence of today’s quilter. This contest and exhibition challenges quilt artists to interpet a single traditional quilt block in a work of their original design.

The contest requires all quilt entries to be recognizable in some way as a variation on 2020 selected traditional block, Wheel of Fortune. The quilts must be no larger than 80” and no smaller than 50” on a side, plus each entry must be quilted and submitted by the artist(s).

ISOLATION by Tina Sommer Paaske

The expression ‘Wide Horizons’ often evokes feelings of openness, exploration, experimentation, new work, new themes, new stories. But the words can also be interpreted as in-depth analysis of favorite subjects, seeing familiar things in a new light, pushing the boundaries of what we already do. Whatever the approach chosen, creativity rather than mere technical skill, and commitment to the art form, should be foremost. Artists were encouraged to submit work likely to spark a conversation on some aspect of the theme. Quilters from ten European countries made the quilts in this exhibit.

In Fall of 2017, Wendy Brackman, an artist and quilter based in Arkville, NY, learned that the Pine Hill Community Center had received a large donation of silk men’s ties. Inspired by the variety of color and beautiful patterns, Wendy started a community project to keep hands busy during the long winter months in the Catskill Mountains. During the long winter of 2018, a dozen dedicated quilters washed, opened, and ironed hundreds of men’s ties for the purpose of cutting out hexagon shapes to create these mosaic story sculptures.

The Catskilled Crafters are: Wendy Brackman, Blythe Carey, Gail Freund, Karen Goertzel, Barbara Hagstrom, Hedi Kyle, Gail Lennstrom, Teddy Slater Margulies, Pamela Martin, Barbara Redfield, Berns Rothchild, Sharon Suess, and Ros Welchman.

This exhibit of 27 quilts represents quilts by members of 26 chapters of the Quilters Guild of The Villages for The Villages Honor Flight Program. The Villages Honor Flight was formed in 2012 with the purpose of taking veterans to Washington, DC to see the national memorials at no cost to them.

To date, only 50 women veterans have participated on these flights. The Quilters Guild of The Villages was asked by the Tri-County Women Veterans to coordinate an Honor Flight just for our women veterans. Florida’s first All Women’s Honor Flight is scheduled for May 31–June 1, 2022. There are currently 66 women veterans scheduled for this historic flight and they will be accompanied by another 45 veterans who will be going as guardians on the flight.

AQS QuiltWeek Daytona Beach 2020 Best of Show – THE VALUE OF VIOLET by Margaret Solomon Gunn

The international quilt contest sponsored by AQS presents quilts showcasing a wide variety of techniques that quiltmakers around the world are using today. Quilters will vie for $54,000 in cash awards, with the Best of Show receiving $10,000. Quilts range from traditional designs that everyone knows, like Lone Star and Log Cabin, to Modern and Art quilts that reach outside the box with new designs and techniques.