PMQG Bountiful Mini Quilt Challenge
Photo courtesty of Portland Modern Quilt Guild Showcase
One of the greatest honors a fabric designer can be given is when other creatives sew with your fabrics. The Portland Modern Quilt Guild gave its members a challenge to create a mini quilt using my Bountiful fabrics from Art Gallery Fabrics. To see all the entries visit the PMQG Bountiful Mini Quilt Challenge page here.
The Bountiful Mini Quilt Challenge ran from May 18 through September 7, 2017. Art Gallery provided 10 fat quarters of Bountiful to 24 PMQG members to make a Modern Mini Quilt inspired by rustic elements that complemented the homey and earthy feel of Bountiful.
The amount of thought and planning that went into each entry was so exciting to see and so inspirational. The quality of the piecing and quilting was a testament to how talented this guild's members are. I was one of the judges and read each entries design process and evolution of their mini and was so impressed with each entry. My Bountiful fabrics really resonated with the makers and choosing a first, second, and third place winner was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do--they were all so darn good!
Alis Volat Propriis by Maddison Stapleton - 1st place winner
First place winner Maddison Stapleton created her own foundation paper-piecing template with the help of a program called Quilt Assistant. She hand quilted the bird and machine quilted the radiating lines in the background. Maddison even used the selvage of the Bountiful fabrics utilizing the letter "G" from Art Gallery Fabrics to made the bird's eye.
This quilt feels like a celebration of my fabrics! I love the subject and composition as well as the striking use of color and prints accentuate the overall design. Well done!!!!
Overflow by Kimberly Lumapas - 2nd place winner
The symbolism and thought behind Kimberly Lumapas's Overflow quilt is as great as her skills in making this beauty. Overflow is about interconnection of people and sharing. As Kimberly wrote in her statement about her quilt, "None of the circles in my quilt could exist without the other. Each relies on the piece next to it to be complete, just as people lean on each other. We are interdependent by necessity, and by choice."
Just look at those points on her piecing and I also love the quilting. The composition and fabric placements are sublime.
Windsong by Ruthie Windsong - 3rd place winner
Ruthie Windsong's quilt impressed me from the start as I saw images of her work pop up on instagram under the hashtag #BountifulMiniQuiltChallenge. Ruthie used appliqué, fussy cutting, piecing, and hand stitching to make her mini that represents windmills, fields, covered bridges, crops, and barns found on old homesteads. An improv back was made using left over material and depicts a wooden fence with trees, flowers, fields, and sky in the background. It's truly a masterpiece and I can see all the love and care that went into making it!
Images courtesy of PMQG
Take a moment and visit the PMQG Bountiful Mini Quilt Challenge page to view all 20 entries--the work is astounding. Thank you PMQG for selecting Bountiful for your challenge!