5 Fantastic Contest Quilts Featured at the Great Wisconsin Quilt Show

Last week, I was thrilled to vend at the Great Wisconsin Quilt Show. On the final day, I had a little time to see the contest quilts. Today, I’m excited to share just a few outstanding quilts.

How I Select the Quilts

My primary standard for selecting a quilt for this post is that I like the quilt. Seems obvious, right? Especially when I have limited time to see the quilts, I can only look closely at a few that draw me in quickly. Since my overall taste leans towards Modern quilts, most of the quilts that catch my eye lean toward that aesthetic.

Next, I look for quilts with unique, uncommon, or trending design features. There are hundreds of fabulous quilts at every show, but some design features help specific quilts stand out in the crowd.

Finally, I avoid choosing quilts that win an award. Award-winning quilts tend to get shown a lot online and even in print media. They should receive this level of recognition, but I like to share quilts you may have yet to see elsewhere when making my final choices. I make some exceptions, especially if the quilt wins a less prominent prize. You’ll see in this post that I did include a quilt that received an honorable mention.

The 5 Fantastic Contest Quilts and Why I Love Them

Glacier

By Kris Ann Luet

This hand-dyed quilt gives the maker extreme control of the use and placement of value and pattern.

• The indigo-dyed hexagons use patterns to create value and movement within the design.
• Some hand-dyed fabrics tend to have nearly the same value, but this monochromatic quilt includes a broad and dynamic value range.
• The make embraces the shape of the hexagon components to the edges of the quilt, especially at the top and bottom of the layout, where hexagons dip in and out to create shape variation along the edges.

A Study in French Seams

By Marah Light

This two-color quilt uses distinctive fabric manipulation to create movement and dimension in the design.

• The piecing of this quilt is all done with straight lines, but curves appear based on where the fabric is folded in and out within the design.
• The hand-quilted lines echo the straight lines of the quilt until you reach the center, where curved lines echo the shapes created by the folding of the pieced fabric.
• The use of black-and-white fabric allows the shadows cast by the fabric manipulation to play a vital role in the quilt’s overall design.

Metamorphosis

By Stephanie Ruyle

Shape, line, and subtle color shifts are crucial in this abstract pictorial design.

• A mix of solid and print fabrics gives this graphic butterfly design depth.
• The lines of the wings extend to the edges of the quilt, making the motif reminiscent of orange peel and double wedding ring blocks. The two simple antennae make the overall design recognizable as a butterfly.
• The shift in background color enhances the graphic feel of the design, and small lines of color similar in color and width to the wing lines push the viewer’s eye inward toward the central image.

Finding Neverland #7: Fanfare

By Jan Soules

This improvisational piece uses line and value to create a design reminiscent of a medallion quilt.

• The nearly central floral motif incorporates five irregularly spaced petals. The irregular spacing and slightly off-center spacing add interest that keeps the viewer engaged.
• Using gradient fabrics lends additional interest to the overall design, allowing play between the light-colored background fabrics and the boldly colored linear elements.
• The colorful linear elements create the feeling of a circle around the central motif, and the loose petals balance and add interest to the corners of the design without imposing unnecessary symmetry.

Quiet Winter Morning

By Lisa Jenni

This design features finely pieced line work with a primarily subtle color palette.

• Individual blocks feature narrowly pieced curved lines that feel like delicate tree branches. When the blocks combine, the overall impression is of a winter landscape.
• The quilter arranged a few strong quilting lines to draw your eye around the quilt, while most quilting stitches add to the feeling of delicate branches.
• The mostly subtle color palette incorporates fabrics with a metallic sheen to give the quilt the feeling of sun on a snow-covered winter scene.

What Quilts Stand Out to You?

Which quilts catch your eye when you go to a quilt show? Do you pay the most attention to the pieced or appliquéd design or the quilting stitches? Is your aesthetic based on Modern, Traditional, or Art Quilts? Which of these quilts would you like to see in person?