New Quilts/Old Favorites

The National Quilt Museum is pleased to announce the 18 winning quilts of the 2013 Jacob's Ladder themed New Quilts from an Old Favorite annual contest.

Quilters from 10 U.S. states and three countries modified Jacob's Ladder block designs in imaginative ways, providing a wonderful look at the skills, techniques and creativity of today's quiltmakers. Support for the contest is provided by MODA Fabrics and Janome America, Incorporated.

First place was awarded to Margaret Fetterhoff of Spring, TX for her quilt Green With Envy, A Tribute To Women In Fabric. Incorporating shades of green and cotton prints of all kinds of women, this quilt has a lot of movement in it and a lot of zing. The feminine themes include a diversity of ethnic groups, pin- ups, angels, and mermaids.

The second place quilt, Peace, Love, & Rock 'n Roll by Karen Watts of Mayhill, NM, is a nod to songs of the 1960s and early 1970s; it features an image of her husband playing his guitar. Timna Tarr of South Hadley, MA, the third place winner, used appliqued circles and color to move the viewer's eye around her quilt; it is titled Upstairs Downstairs. Blizzard by Ann Feitelson of Montague, MA includes black and white stripes, checks and plaids to express snowiness for the fourth place win. The fifth place winner was Sing Praise by Ann Horton of Redwood Valley, CA; her design quilt explores the beauty of the natural world through the technique of machine embroidery.

Sponsored by MODA Fabrics, and Janome America, Inc., this international contest challenges quiltmakers to create original quilts based on a specific quilt pattern.

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Finalists' quilts that will be featured in the exhibit include:

• The Taipei City by Tsui-Hua Chen of Taipei, Taiwan
• Star Light by Deb Crine of Marco Island, FL
• Climbing Higher by Julia Graber of Brooksville, MS
• Pathways by Mary Ann Herndon of Houston, TX
• Capra hircus by Patricia A. Hobbs of Macomb, IL
• JL by Robin Gausebeck and Karen Grover of Rockford, IL
• Substance of Things Hoped For by Amy Krasnansky of Baltimore, MD
• JL Tribute by Nancy Lambert of Pittsburgh, PA
• Jacob's Ladder Infinity by Hui-Fen Lin of Tainan, Taiwan
• Lady Bug Ascent by Tina McHenry of Jamestown, PA
• Jacob's Winding Ladders by Birgit Schueller of Riegelsberg, Germany
• Almost Modern Jacob's Ladder by Maggie Ball and Wanda Rains of Bainbridge Island, WA
• Jacob's Star by Susan E. Ziel of Ocala, FL

A book featuring full-color photos of the 18 finalists and their award winning quilts, biographical information about each quilter in addition to tips, techniques and patterns will be published by the American Quilter’s Society and available for purchase at the museum in March 2013.