Sheri Nockels
The SaddleBrooke Quilters were well represented at the Tucson Quilt Fiesta and won in several different categories! The show was the 50th anniversary of the Tucson Quilters Guild. Previous award-winning quilts by Tami Graeber and Pat Morris were displayed. There were also hundreds of quilts in a variety of categories. A certified quilt judge from Nebraska inspected more than 140 quilts, assigning first, second, and third place in each category and sometimes awarding an Honorable Mention. Attendees voted for three quilts, and the top five quilts were awarded the Viewer’s Choice award on the last day of the show.
“Sonoran Starburst,” the quilt that will be raffled at the SaddleBrooke Quilter’s quilt show on March 21 in the MountainView ballroom, took second place in the Group category! (Remember to buy your raffle tickets for the quilt or Dine Around packages at the show.)
Several members won awards at the show. Doreen Diaz placed first with her “Chasing Rainbows” quilt in the Large Pieced Two-Person category. She has enjoyed making Judy Niemeyer patterns for the last 10 years. Complex and challenging, she enjoys making them as a means to keep her brain active. This was her summer project, affectionately called her “monster quilt.” She greatly appreciated Athena Taylor’s exquisite quilting, which brought out the intricacies in her quilt!
Paula Fulton won second place in Medium Pieced for “Mardi Gras Concerto.” Her quilt is an original design inspired by the leafy printed pattern.
Also in the Medium Pieced category, Lynne Saul received Honorable Mention for “3D Color Play,” an exploration of color in 3D illusion blocks. It is paper-pieced using a technique developed and taught by Mary Flynn, a Tucson Quilt Guild instructor.
Pat Morris received an Honorable Mention for her entry “Kaffe Butterflies.” She used scrappy fabric from her Kaffe fabric collection to make her stunning quilt. All the florals dance and bloom as butterflies make their way around the quilt.
Tami Graeber won second place for “Greek Garden Party” in the Other category. Her quilt is a textile painted bouquet of bright flowers, all original design, bordered by a paper-pieced Greek key border and bright, scrappy binding. When she wasn’t working on her quilt, she also applied her skills on the first-place raffle quilt.
Congratulations to all the winners, and best of luck to Paula Fulton and Tami Graeber who are entering their quilts in the Wisconsin and Minnesota shows, respectively.
You can see these quilts and over 100 more at the SaddleBrooke Quilters Show referenced above. Come and vote for your favorite quilts. We hope to see you there!