Exquisite Quilting

With superlative stitches, fabulous fabrics and consummate creativity, 10th Annual BAC Quilt Show presents exceptional quilt art

CLIFTON – It’s probably a widespread misconception that quilts and quilters are a bit dull and old-fashioned; and that is probably because of the image from the good old days ladies seated around a table, painstakingly and tediously hand stitching a quilt from scraps with a traditional pattern for newlyweds or newborn.

On visiting the Bosque Arts Center’s 10th Annual Quilt Show, June 7-8, that misconception was definitely laid to rest. Displayed in Frazier Performance Hall on the third floor and in the second floor galleries, breathtaking, creative, innovative quilts left the visitors in amazement. The diversity of the quilts was simply spectacular and wonderful.

There were almost 90 quilts on display, with the “white-gloves” volunteers happy to explain the different aspects and intricacies of each quilt and to show the often surprising and wonderful backs of the quilts.

“This is the most quilts we’ve had in the 10 years the BAC has held this event,” Cheryll Lundberg, one of the original quilt show organizers, said. Besides making this year’s raffle quilt “Glimmer and Gleam,” which won a first prize in its category, Lundberg always has several quilts in show, often collaborating with other quilters. Her “Pretty Dresses” quilt won first prize in its category.

At the awards ceremony June 6, besides naming the first, second and honorary mention quilts, a total amount of $2,500 in prize money was awarded to winning quilters; many names which are household names in the quilters world. Having monetary prizes helps draw quilters to a show.

The National Association of Certified Quilt Judges juried show features 15 competitive categories which include everything from hand-pieced and quilted to machine-pieced and in sizes from small to large. Having a certified judge with a broad and very deep knowledge of quilting techniques, color, design, and history increases fairness, objectivity and a positive approach to the judging adds to the appeal of the show for the participating quilters.

These qualities allow all quilt makers to receive a consistent, meaningful critique as well as recognition of skill and achievement for the ribbon winners. The judges look at general appearance, unity, design elements, workmanship in general construction, stitches, finishing and special techniques.

No stranger to the BAC Quilt Show, NACQJ member Sandra Gard – one of the nation’s 48 certified judges – is always impressed with the quality, creativity and diversity in the show. She loves coming down from Oklahoma to Clifton.

“The show is so well run,” Gard said. “They are so well organized, it makes my job so easy. I get an excellent scribe to write down my comments for the entrants’ critiques, and I get plenty of time to judge and enjoy the quilts. This is my happy place, and I will surely be coming back next year.”

Gard recognized Pam Herring’s “Spools” an altered Laundry Basket design as meeting the standards of quilt-making excellence for the quality, workmanship, precision and amazing quilting, and awarded it with the special NACQJ Award of Merit of $150.

Herring’s “A Country Journal” with beautiful roosters enchanted visitors and won the Best Hand Work category and the $300 People’s Choice award. Her “Hot Bunny” decorated iron carrier won first prize in Category S – techniques which cannot be placed in another category.

Well-known to the BAC Quilt Show, Molly Culp topped the list of award winners, winning three awards: $500 for Best of Show, $150 for the Nancy Pugh Memorial Award and $100 for the Best Long Arm Quilting Hand Guided.

Inspired by the unusual vintage-feel fabric suggested for the quilt pattern for her Best in Show quilt “Tarnished Mariner’s Compass.” The quilt features a fussy cut center medallion nested inside eight-point intricately colored star of the navigational directions, surrounded by pieced diamonds and appliquéd ribbons. While the color palette was not her favorite, the complex design, the degree of difficulty and the precision of the quilt swayed her decision. Because of the precision, the quilt hung “as if it was starched,” Gard said.

The other quilt in contention for Best in Show was the intricately embellished “Beardsley & DeLaVergne Ink” by Peggy DeLaVergne. DeLaVergne’s quilt was a favorite with many of the white gloved volunteers and other quilters. It garnered a lot of admiration from fellow quilters, for the skill, and time invested to create the masterpiece. The original print was in black and off white and DeLaVergne brought color to the quilt with beads, hand painted accents and embroidery embellishments.

“There is so much to see in this quilt, and there’s no telling how many hours went into making it,” White Glove volunteer Jo Anne Grelle said. “It is so exquisite; just overwhelmingly beautiful.”

Fellow volunteer and quilter and former Tarleton State University Music Professor Steve Chambers concurred, citing the intricacy and the amount of work the quilt took. Not surprisingly, it is a very valuable quilt, being appraised at $13,000 by renowned certified quilt appraiser Gerald Ray in Paducah, KY.

The Nancy Pugh Memorial Award quilt called “Snowflakes at Dawn” was, as usual in hues of Nancy’s favorite color purple; and it usually is a more traditional pattern. It was in the machine pieced, long arm quilted, hand guided category. Its creator Culp described it as “it is a ray of sunshine at dawn through the snowflakes;” and “It brightens my day when I see it.” Culp enjoyed piecing the stars more than anything else.

Culp’s “Stars on the Horizon” was a great challenge for the experienced quilter and she had to start over once because the quilt was just not coming together. But the end result went on to win the Best Long Arm Quilting Hand Guided award.

There were over 20 so-called art quilts in show, featuring original designs, which is exceptional. The Bosque Arts Center likes to award these original designs. Over the years the show has been lucky to have the talents of artists Mary Ellen Boren, Tony Eubanks, Kathy Tate, George Boutwell, Betty Graham, Nancy Boren, Lloyd Voges, Martin Grelle, Jo Beck, Robert Fobear choose the Special Artist Recognition Award. This year, Judy Parton and Samuel Shelton had the honor to judge the quilts on their artistic quality.

The $300 SAR Award went to Elaine Smith’s “Native Texans in Slow Stitch,” featuring Texas plants, except for the maple leaf that is. Making the quilt was a way to cover up a patched hole left by a bathroom renovation. It was made after viewing a program on the slow stitch technique mixing embroidery, applique, quilting and junk journaling, with little to no rules.

Gard was honored to award the $500 Jones Best Art Quilt went to Madeline Bell’s “Rita Came Calling,” with broken tree limbs about a hurricane’s devastation, using Cherrywood fabric with custom overdye background.

“Houses can be rebuilt, but it takes years to regrow a tree destroyed by hurricanes,” Bell said of her inspiration for the original design. It also won second place in the best original design category.

Judges are expected to choose ribbon winners for their quality, not what they like. But for Judges Choice, Gard was able to choose a quilt that speaks to her personal aesthetic and emotions. It went to Carilyn Alarid’s “Serenity.” The fact that it was an oval; that it was in a stained-glass technique with dark borders giving it a crisp and clean look; the beautiful contrasting colors and the Texas bluebonnets all played into her choice. The quilt depicts water trickling from pitchers in a Bluebonnet field with Indian red Paint Brush contrasting the blue, under a large opalesque full moon.

“Once in a blue moon, I dream of peace and serenity, lying next to a field of flowers, looking at a perfect starry sky, listening to the trickle of sparkling water,” Alarid said of her inspiration for the quilt. “If you are very quiet, perhaps you can hear it too.”

The Best Domestic Machine Quilted went to Judy Steward’s Irish Chain pattern “Friendship Hearts.” The Best Long Arm Quilting Computerized went to Janet Bennett’s “Lakeside,” a block of the month featuring batiks in coordinating colors. The Best Hand Quilting award went to Kathrine Dossman’s Hiss – a play on the rock band Kiss, complete with glitter and glitz to embellish each character.

Local quilter Debbie Stubbs is well known for her compassing work cloaking veterans in her patriotic Red, White and Blue Quilts of Valor. On Saturday afternoon, she honored Bobby Waddle, Mark Wilcox, Marion Haynes, Jennifer Denney and Rebecca Crawson with a quilt.

But she also had a couple of quilts in show, with her own “The Birthday Party” being her choice for best quilt, just because it was so colorful and it just makes her smile.

For those working up an appetite taking their time to view all 90 exquisite quilts, and get their Passport to Prizes stamped, Cindy Upton and her crew offered a delicious concession lunch – taco basket on Friday and baked potato Saturday – was available in the Atrium Café.

Beginning quilter Julie and her husband drove in from Waco to see the show, as they have done for a couple of years.

“Just as you think you’ve seen it all, every show I see new techniques and ideas,” Julie said. “And again, this year’s how is nothing like last year’s show. It is so fun to see all the different quilts.”

As for choosing their favorite for People’s Choice, it was going to be hard. They had five very different quilts shortlisted, and comparing them to come to a final choice was going to be hard. The couple certainly expect to come again. But make a note of a date change: to avoid conflicts with other June quilt shows, the show moves to Aug. 15-16 in 2025.