My Favorite Quilts
At the San Francisco Quilters Guild 2025 Show Plus One….
Believe it or not, there are some quilts, and non quilts, I liked at our San Francisco Quilters Guild show that were NOT made by my beloved Dorcas Hand Quilters. I know, your jaw probably dropped open in disbelief but I am a multifaceted lover of quilts. It is a shame that I didn’t have more time at the show to stand in front of all the quilts and absorb them as I tend to do at quilt shows. I am one of those people who pause in front of each piece in an exhibit and ponder it in an extraordinary length of time. First I have to gaze at it, then read the description card, then look up close, and finally step back and look some more while I try to put myself in the artist’s shoes to appreciate (or dislike) the object. If I’m in a museum exhibit of antiquities, I also have to spend some time marveling how the object was viewed by the population of the time. I imagine what it would have been like if I turned a corner on a street in Ancient Greece and came upon the statue I was currently staring at. Would I have stopped in my tracks in awe? Or would I have treated it as so normal that I would just pass it by so I could get to the bakers before they closed? These are just a few of the thoughts that run through my head.
There was a very nice collection of quilts by Hillary Goodwin who was our featured artist. These are two of the ones I like the most.
The geometry of this quilt caught my eye immediately. You know I love a good geometric pattern. The dark navy blocks of color shifting to the narrower pieces and the way the white became the more predominate color made me say “oh yeah”. On top of it the framing sashing really set the whole top off. And when I looked up close, the quilting pattern with a combination of off set matchstick machine quilting and the squiggly trapunto just added the je ne sais quoi to the whole thing. This is a confession of someone who is very tired of seeing matchstick quilting.
This quilt was the first one hanging in the exhibit and it was a real stunner. Everyone turning the corner to the line of quilts stopped in front of it for second, third, and fourth looks. Again the geometric design was great with the tears appliquéd on in a haphazard fashion. The quilting pattern took my breath away. You had to look close to see the words interspersed among the repeating 2020. If this had been machine quilted, the words and numbers would have been too predominate and clashed with the strong geometry. After reading the artist’s statement I had to step back again for one last look and my imagination put me right in her shoes as she created it. I’m so happy it won Best in Show at QuiltCon. By the way, Hillary Goodwin is the featured artist at QuiltCon 2026. See how the San Francisco Bay Area is such a hot bed for quilting? We were the first to snag her as a featured artist.
This is the first place winner of the Hand Quilting award. Mariko Duenwald always wins this category both at our show and at the past PIQF shows. She is a master at the craft and I don’t mind coming in second to her. I admire her even though it seems she has succumbed to the close quilting trend on her quilts. I would have gone blind quilting this thing but it is wonderfully designed.
This quilt is kind of a dark horse that I think was overlooked by the judges (along with a certain someone’s Red and offWhite quilt). I first saw this on the design wall when Daphne was working on it at our guild’s retreat. I liked it from the very beginning. The colors of the blue/grey print kind of mimicked the surface of the moon and the yellow was definitely the color that was caste by the sun during the eclipse. The little gray piece of pie chopped off the upper right corner of the central medallion made me think that it was the hand of the maker showing itself. And I have always wanted to make a quilt with a pattern of the phases of the moon.
This is my pick for best in show.
I knew it had no chance since it was a garment and not a quilt, but it was a stunner. The jacket, dress and handbag were decorated with pearl buttons. Of course it won over my geometry loving heart at first glance, but when I saw the back, I just about fainted away. What a combination of conservative tailoring and 1950’s western wear design. To bump those two together just made me shiver. Then of course when I read the artist’s statement, I was back in Victorian London wondering what other costermongers wore.
Just a few bits and pieces. Give an encouraging thought to me on Tuesday as I’m going to the Northern California Quilt Council’s Meet the Teachers gathering. This is the place where something always happens to me and not in a positive way. See my Substack entitled “A Streak of Bad Luck.” Link
My beloved Dorcas Hand Quilters finished quilt number two and took it off the frame. These photos are of the quilt and the owner, my friend Kristy, who designed the quilting pattern. New quilts will be going on the frames soon.
Saturday I’m headed to the Tokay Quilt n Stitch guild to teach my class Learn to Make a Crazy Quilt. I have never been to Lodi before so this is an adventure for me. If you are local, I hope to see you there. Link
Pattie - Thank you for your kind words about my quilt! I appreciate the encouragement!!