This past weekend was our Western North Carolina Quilters Guild’s biannual Garden of Quilts show, and what a show it was! The amount of work and volunteers it takes to put it on is staggering, but the inspiration is worth the effort. I don’t know how many quilts were on display, but it had to be over 150 in sizes from small wall hangings up to large bed quilts. There were traditional pieced quilts, modern art quilts, whimsical applique, and ones with intensive hand work. Then there were vendors with fabrics and notions, a used bookstore and a gift gallery. Today I’ll show a bit of it, but there is just no way to show the entirety of wealth of talent on display. First I have to crow a bit, my Koi Pond won a First Place ribbon in its category, and I was thrilled.
The ribbon committee did a wonderful job this time, the tops have a paper-pieced quilt block in ribbon colors. I can’t imagine how long it took to make the number required for the show.
The things that caught my eye this time were the ones with interesting quilting mostly custom work. This modern quilt was made by Natalie Rockley and won first in its class. The crazy piecing looks like it was difficult with many curved seams, and each section has a different quilting design. She did this on a domestic machine, and won Best Domestic Machine Quilting special award.
Here’s a close up of the quilting. Amazing work.
This medallion quilt called Southwest Star was made by Jan Mott, and won first place in its category. Note how the quilting in the white background creates a continuous design. The green ribbon was awarded by the Carolina Mountain Longarm Association for outstanding longarm quilting.
Each diamond was quilted individually with different designs.
Lois Davis made this amazing Winter Star Wedding Ring quilt, winning a second place in its category.
The piecing is fabulous, and the custom quilting put it over the top.
Putting brights on black is always striking, and master applique artist Sue Marra won a second place for her gorgeous butterfly garden she called Flourishing.
The quilting was all custom work with ruler work and feather medallions. It was hard to photograph, but I hope you get the idea here.
This small quilt was made by Barb Boatman and had an amazing amount of thread work. It is called Yellow Fields with Blue Trees and is a memory quilt of her grandfather’s farm. It won Honorable Mention.
Sorry that this picture came out a bit blurry, but you can still see the amazing matchstick quilting in the horizontal rows on the right. The stitching rows are about a quarter-inch apart.
The quilting on the section on the lower left is done with decorative stitches and ditch stitches.
There were several quilts that featured wool work. I loved this one that must have taken months to create. It is called Halloween on the Farm, and is wool applique over crazy patch backgrounds, created by Sheila Wright. It won first place in its category.
There was so much more, as is the usual for a guild sponsored quilt show no matter where it is. These shows are full of awe inspiring work, getting the viewer charged up to go home and create. I have so many ideas right now, and there aren’t enough hours in the day to accomplish all I have in mind! It inspires me to learn a new technique, try something different, create something special. I can’t wait to get started! And I look forward to attending more shows presented by other guilds in the area.
Do you enjoy quilt shows? How have they inspired you?
From My Carolina Home 
Congratulations on your ribbon! Well deserved.
Carole, congratulations on the ribbon for your Koi Pond! I love the Butterfly Garden quilt!
I knew your koi pond would win big. It’s fantastic. All of these are really lovely and I can see why you would be over the moon with inspiration! (Is this where the shop/sales are? I hope your items did well!)
All quilt shows, whether virtual or in person, inspire me. Thank you for sharing all the beautiful works of art!
Congratulations on your ribbon for your Koi Pond quilt. Changing that lily pad really put it over the top. Thanks for sharing all the wonderful photos from your show. You are indeed surrounded by talent and I can see why you are inspired.
Congratulations! Love the ribbons too. Very clever. It looks like a nice show.
The quilt show sounds like it was just amazing! Congratulations on your Ribbon, Carole – that is neat how they created a tiny quilt to go on the ribbon. I enjoyed seeing these quilts that you shared – you would definitely go home with a feeling of wanting to try a little bit of everything!
Congratulations and well deserved! I can always find inspiration at a quilt show; the time and detail that are put into quilts never ceases to amaze me.
Congratulations Carole on your ribbon with the Koi Pond quilt, it is fabulous. I love going to quilt shows not only to support those who work so hard getting it all done but for the inspiration of ideas and uses of textiles. It looks like this show was over the top wonderful.
Congratulations on your win. Your pictures show an amazing breadth of style and technique. I’m sure everyone who was fortunate enough to attend had similar feelings.
Thanks for sharing some of the sights with us today.
Congratulations on your ribbon! All of the entries are wonderful. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Carole,
Some very talented quilters in your show! Congratulations on your Koi quilt blue ribbon!
I like how you highlighted the quilting in your photos.
Quilt shows fill me with inspiration and wonder at the wide variety of color variations, techniques, quilting design approaches, etc. Hoping to get to a couple quilt shows this year.
Jo Anne
How exciting! Well done Carole!!
What a wonderful show. So many lovely quilts and wall hangings. I always come home from a show full of ideas and inspiration.
I loved the tiny blocks used to display the ribbons. What a super idea. Thanks for all the great photos of the entries. Just loved seeing them.
Looking forward to see what you come up with for the next exhibition with all this inspiration and an armful of Quilting Art magazines there will be Art pieces flowing from your fingers.
Mary :))
Such beautiful work, and amazing, creative group indeed. And many congratulations on your well deserved win too.
Your koi pond is magnificent. I’m so glad it won.
Wow! What fabulous craftsmanship in the samples you shared! Congratulations on your recognition.
Carole-Congratulations on the ribbon for your Koi Pond piece! I have always liked it but thought changing out the blooms made it even better.
i do enjoy going to area quilt shows. You never know what you will find there to inspire you but there will always be something. And as a quilter there is a connection with other quilters even if you have never met. Thanks for the inspiration you have shared from your show. Amazing work!!
Congrats on your ribbon! The koi pond is beautiful!
Nice post. Mona Houle received the CMLA ribbon for her quilting on this lovely quilt.
The ribbon goes to the longarm quilter.
Congratulations on Koi Pond and thanks for the lovely inspiration.
That does look like a great show!
Congratulations Carole, for your well deserved ribbon! Beautiful quilts, thanks for sharing them with us!
Your show was a success and so glad your Koi quilt did well…it is a beauty. It is fun to see what catches your eye as you go through a show. There is quite the variety in the pics you show, and, I, too, find myself drawn to the quilting and what interesting and intricate work people have done.