by Amy Milne | Jun 14, 2019 | Alliance Quilt Contests, Jigsaw puzzles
Your Quilt Jigsaw Puzzle Tip: for best results, solve puzzle on this page on a desktop computer or laptop. If you are solving on a mobile device, click on the puzzle piece icon in the lower righthand corner to solve on the Jigsaw Planet website. Welcome to another quilt jigsaw puzzle from Quilt Alliance! The beautiful quilts in the puzzles have all been entries in past Quilt Alliance quilt contests. Be sure to sign up for our blog notifications, so that you don’t miss any of the upcoming puzzles. Up and Away by Sheri Cifaldi-Morrill This week’s puzzle spotlights a quilt titled Up and Away made by Sheri Cifaldi-Morrill of Woodbridge, CT for the 2016 Quilt Alliance contest and auction, “Playing Favorites.” Materials: Cotton Fabric, Cotton Thread, Cotton Batting. Techniques: Foundation Paper Piecing, Domestic Machine Quilted. Artist’s Statement I designed and produced Up and Away using one of my favorite piecing techniques–foundation paper piecing. I love paper piecing because I can design and execute precise design elements. All of my paper piecing designs are created in Adobe Illustrator. I also love testing out new designs on a small scale before producing them larger. This challenge was the perfect opportunity to prototype a new design! Sheri’s quilt won Judge’s Choice (Mark Lipinski) and Honorable Mention (awarded by Quilt Alliance members). Judge Mark Lipinski’s comments: This entry is an original paper-pieced composition, a drifting hot air balloon, with an intentional modern design sensibility. On first impression, the simple templates and pieced colors jump off of the solid white background, drawing me in. I found the overall impact of the work fresh and clean. The shapes within the balloon widen and grow, from slivers of lime green (representing the balloon’s flame) through various blues and finally to deep red- and blue-toned purples, giving the small quilt both heft and dimension. I thought the artist’s fabric choices thoughtful and effective—primarily solid colors with just the slightest bit of minimalistic patterned fabric tossed into the mix. The quilting is simple but efficient, made up of clean and clear straight lines that accent the shapes within the balloon, contrasted with the slightly wavy lines quilted in the background. I really appreciated the white binding the designer used, as almost any other color would have felt heavy and constraining. About Quilt Alliance We rely on the generous support of donors and members like you to sustain our projects. If you support our mission of documenting, preserving, and sharing the stories of quilts and quiltmakers, join us by becoming a member or renewing your membership, making a donation, or learning how your business or corporation can become a supporter of the Quilt…
by Amy Milne | Dec 15, 2018 | Alliance Quilt Contests
This month we revisit some of the gorgeous pieces in our QA Contest Quilt archives, all made by groups. Since 2007, our annual contests have been open to both individuals and groups. Often these collaborative quilts break new ground for the artists-trying new techniques, or working with a specific team approach where the quilt is sectioned and divvied up amongst collaborators. Sometimes the collaboration echoes the artists’ relationship or marks a special moment in time. We are so grateful to have received support from these artists and to have documented their work. You’ll see three quilts by the Broadway Gentlemen’s Quilting Auxiliary. This group of talented quilters all share a connection–they have at one time worked on Broadway, as actors, dressers or other creative or supportive roles. Their approach differs in each of the quilts, each showing great care to create unified design without compromising individual group member contributions. Another group quilt, “Time for Tea” made for the TWENTY contest uses a strip technique to divide up the surface and group responsibilities. The quilt made by Asheville, NC area quilters won the Grand Prize in 2014 and the team had the difficult task of sharing a Handi Quilter HQ Sweet Sixteen sit-down machine. 🙂 Another team effort made for the TWENTY contest, “Second Triangulation,” showcases leftover pieces of the group quilt, “Triangulations,” exhibited at the International Quilt Association’s “World of Beauty” show at the International Quilt Festival in Houston, Texas in 2013. Inventive repurposing! Some group quilts featured here are a collaboration of two, sometimes a familial team and sometimes artistic colleagues. Esther Muh created a quilt with her daughter Elizabeth for the Inspired By contest in 2014, and Mary Pumphrey worked with her daughter Lorna on their entry for the 2012 Home Is Where the Quilt Is contest. Mary Kay Davis enlisted her son Clayton Alexander to submit a quilt for the Home contest. Quilt Alliance Treasurer Lisa Ellis allied with her husband Mike to create a beautiful “Sunflowers” quilt for the 2011 Alliances contest. Longtime Quilt Alliance member and volunteer Alice Helms made the quilt “Show of Hands” with her husband Arthur, “to put together two art forms – drawing and quilting. The twenty cartoon-like panels are integrated into a traditional quilt block layout and the drawings suggest the prominence of hands in all endeavors.” Syrie Blanco Walsh painted and Maria Ferri Cousins quilted their collaborative entry for the Animals We Love contest in 2015. Since quilts are historically a collaborative effort, it’s fascinating to see how group quilting evolves. Enjoy this gallery from the QA Contest Quilt Archives. [huge_it_gallery…
by Amy Milne | Nov 17, 2018 | Alliance Quilt Contests
Our heart goes out to all those suffering from the devastating fires burning across the state of California. Friends on social media report that many in our community have lost their homes, their businesses or both. We want all those who are suffering from losses and all those in fear of these fires to know we are with you in spirit, sending our love. And please pass on the availability of our Quilt Recovery Kits to those who have had quilts damaged by the fires. Quilts made by Californians or about California are our theme for this month’s gallery from our Quilt Contest Archives. [huge_it_gallery…
by Amy Milne | Oct 27, 2018 | Alliance Quilt Contests
Typically, November signals the launch of our annual quilt auction. For the past ten years, we have invited quilters from all over the world to enter our small quilt contest. Each year we offered up a different theme–adventurous, yet open-ended, to encourage quilters from all corners of our community to join in the challenge. Each quilter provided an artist’s statement, and a quilt label for their piece, ensuring future owners would know its history. Thanks to our devoted sponsors at Handi Quilter, Moda, Aurifil, Electric Quilt Company, Simplicity and Storypatches, our winners received fabulous prizes (as in: longarm and mid-arm sewing machines, giant thread collections and fabric gift baskets). After judging, the contest quilts went on an exhibition tour across the country, showcased at quilt shows and in corporate and public galleries. And the culminating event of the year was the online auction of the quilts, thanks to the generosity of the artists who donated them. This year, we hit pause on the contest in order to reconfigure our formula a bit. We wanted to process feedback from our entrants, our sponsors, our buyers and our members. Since our mission is to document, preserve and share the history of quilts and their makers, our contest allowed us to record and archive the work of today’s quilters while raising critical operating funds. We’re excited about the next chapter and look forward to sharing, so Please Stand By! In the mean time we thought you might enjoy a series of themed galleries of past contest entries, like this one focused on portrait quilts. We do love a quilted face! [huge_it_gallery…
by Quilt Alliance | Aug 23, 2017 | Alliance Quilt Contests
VOICES – 2017 Quilt Contest We are so excited to announce the winners of the 2017 Quilt Alliance quilt contest. The theme of the 2017 competition is “Voices”. We invited members to share their opinions, memories, language and truths in the form of a 16″ X 16″ quilt. After judging, all of the beautiful contest entries were donated to the Quilt Alliance for our annual quilt auction fund-raising event. You can go to the Quilt Alliance auction site to view all of the quilts and can bid on the quilts starting Nov. 13, 2017. It’s a wonderful opportunity to own one or more of the special “Voices” quilts. The Voices Quilt Contest Winners First Place Award Carol Poole of Rockledge, Florida, is the winner of this year’s First Place Award selected by Quilt Alliance members. Carol’s prize is an HQ Stitch 710 sewing machine provided by Handi Quilter (retail value: $3,495.00). Her quilt “My Alzheimer’s Voice,” pictured below, was made with hand dyed batiks and silk batting, using burned fabric and raw edge applique techniques. “I used my seam ripper for something besides unsewing,” says Poole. “I held the metal point over a candle until quite hot, then punched holes, to create the burned holes in my fabric, simulating the small burnt holes in my memories. In her artist’s statement Poole reveals her experience as an artist in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. “Having been diagnosed with early stage Alzheimers, I wanted to visually depict how my voice is changing. Once my thoughts, ideas and words were bright, quick, well-formed and easily articulated. They are becoming harder to express and even forgotten, at times, singed around the edges. The vortex expresses what my voice is and what my voice is becoming: less busy worked more reflective and thoughtful. I am slower to anger and am grateful of love.” “My Alzheimer’s Voice” by Carol Poole. Second Place Award Quilt Alliance members chose Tim Latimer’s “Quilt Talk,” pictured below, to receive the Second Place Award, an HQ Stitch 510 machine, provided by Handi Quilter (retail value: $1,495.00). Latimer, from Lansing, Michigan, created his piece from quilted leather, using free motion quilting on an antique treadle sewing machine. Tim described his quilt in his artist’s statement: “This Quilt represents my obsession with quilting. The voices in my head are often about quilting and those voices in my head need to come out. I talk quilts and I make quilts, and the quilts represent my artistic voice.” “Quilt Talk” by Tim Latimer. Third Place Award The Third Place Award, also selected by Quilt Alliance members, goes to Ramona Bates of Little Rock, Arkansas, for her quilt, “On (the Line),” pictured below. Bates wins an HQ Stitch 210 machine, provided by Handi Quilter (retail value: $595.00). Bates’ artist’s statement shares her remembrance of conversations with her mother and grandmother: “My mother died almost 8 yrs ago. Though I didn’t call often I still miss hearing her voice on the phone (& in person). This piece is a nod to conversations on the phone line and on line (ie Twitter)as we make our voices heard. My mom (& grandmother) would often say “a little bird told me” which I added to the label.” “On (the Line)” by Ramona Bates Honorable Mention Awards Judge’s Choice Awards Judge’s Choice Awards were given to these six artists by quilt world professionals who were invited to participate in choosing their favorite quilts. Our thanks go to each and every one of them. Judge’s Choice – Meg Cox Judge’s Choice – Marianne Fons Judge’s Choice – Marlene Ingraham Judge’s Choice – Mark Lipinski Judge’s Choice – Paula Nadelstern Judge’s Choice – Linda Pumphrey Honorable Mention and Judge’s Choice Award winners will receive Aurifil Thread Collections. All winners will receive StoryPatches quilt labels. See all of the quilts here: www.QuiltAllianceAuction.org Online auction begins Nov. 13, 2017. Quilts will be exhibited at Quilters Take Manhattan event on Sept. 16, 2017, and in the Quilt Alliance booth at the International Quilt Festival, Nov. 2-5,…
by Amy Milne | Jun 15, 2017 | Alliance Quilt Contests, Exhibitions
The Quilt Alliance contest turns eleven this year and the 2017 theme, “Voices,” hints at the diversity and the history of the yearly challenge. Each year since 2007, we have asked artists to create a quilt that speaks to an open-ended theme, adaptable to any quilt medium. We encourage everyone who makes quilts to enter our annual contest regardless of their style (traditional, modern, art) or technique (longarm, hand quilting, applique, pieced…) –all are welcomed and valued! The first QA contest was launched in 2007 with several goals in mind. One goal was to raise funds to support the Alliance’s move from Louisville, Kentucky to our present home in Asheville, North Carolina. We also wanted to establish this fundraiser as an annual initiative to provide ongoing operating support. Another aim was to document the work of our members by taking a “snapshot” of quilts made in a particular year. QA board members Karen Musgrave and the late Yvonne Porcella set out to make the contest friendly to all quilters, whether they identified as longarmers, hand quilters, modern quilters… or simply artists. With this in mind, they crafted an open-ended theme that anyone could speak to, and that tradition has continued. Quilt Alliance quilt contests from 2007-2016 2007: Put a Roof Over Our Head 2008: My Quilts/Our History 2009: Crazy for Quilts 2010: New from Old 2011: Alliances: People, Patterns, Passion 2012: Home Is Where the Quilt Is 2013: TWENTY 2014: Inspired By 2015: Animals We Love 2016: Playing Favorites There are two weeks left to enter the 2017 contest–we extended our postmark deadline to July 3, 2017. Find full details and online registration for the “Voices” contest on the Voices contest webpage.. Get a sense of the quality and range of our past contests by perusing our press gallery: Talking Textiles, Issue #1, September 2016. Please note the omission of credit in this piece for the quilt on the left side of the page: Luke Hayne’s quilt, “[Gifts #22] Like Michael James “. Quilting Arts Magazine, Nov/Dec 2015. The Daily Sentinel, Grand Junction, Colorado. Sunday, December 26, 2010. The Laurel of Asheville. September 2009. Quilters Newsletter Magazine. Nov/Dec…
