Special Displays 2020 - Quilt Show Reno

2020 FEATURE: Bob Ross Cherrywood Challenge 2019

“The Joy of Painting” aired on Public Television for eleven years with its iconic host, Bob Ross. His soft-spoken, encouraging words and unique brand have infiltrated modern pop culture and he continues to teach oil-painting to a new generation of admirers.

Cherrywood Fabrics challenged artists to use just eight colors to create an original 20-inch art quilt inspired by Bob. The juried exhibit includes an abundance of techniques, themes, and creativity, all using hand-dyed fabric from Cherrywood. Because of the cohesive nature of the quilts, the exhibit makes a huge visual impact.

Every Quilt is a Story

As a prelude to the Carson Valley Quilt Guild's biennial quilt show, being held June 6 and 7, 2020 at the Douglas County Community Center, guild members were challenged with designing a small quilt depicting the 2020 show theme "Every Quilt is a Story." The process began a year before the quilt show with challenge quilt participants receiving 2 pieces of unrelated material that had to be used in a recognizable manner on the front of the quilt. No quilt could be larger the 30 x 30 inches or a total circumference of 120 inches. A number of guild members accepted the challenge.

With a show theme of "Every Quit is a Story" the design field is wide open. Before the 2020 quilt show, the challenge quilts will be displayed in numerous venues, including the Douglas County Libraries, Carson City Library, WNC Art Hall, and Dayton and Markleeville Libraries. The Carson Valley Quilt Guild is honored to have the Reno Quilt Show be the final venue in 2020 to display their challenge quilts.

by Carson Valley Quilt Guild Challenge 

Inspired by Elvis

Elvis is in the house!

This collection consists of 95 original 36" x 36" art quilts, created by artists from places like Singapore, Australia, Slovakia, Canada and California who were all inspired by the musical genius of Elvis Presley.

These quilts each depict an aspect of Elvis's life, or a particular song or movie.

The artists range from first-time to well-known fiber artists. Elvis fans will have fun matching an Elvis song to the quilt it inspired.

The show was created and curated by Donna Marcinkowski DeSoto.  

Fine Art Quilts by Caryl Bryer Fallert-Gentry

Caryl Bryer Fallert-Gentry is internationally recognized for her award-winning fine art quilts. She is best known for her organic, curved seam designs, her scintillating use of color, and her multilevel illusions of light and motion. Her attention to detail has earned her a reputation for fine craftsmanship as well as stunning designs.

Caryl’s formal training was primarily in design, drawing, and studio painting. After many years of painting, sewing, and experimenting with other media, Caryl discovered that fabric, as used as a fine art medium, best expressed her personal vision. Since 1982, Caryl has been a quilt maker, i.e., her work is constructed from layers of fabric, stitched together with batting or other filler between the layers. Caryl loves the tactile qualities of cloth, and the unlimited color range made possible by hand dyeing and other surface design techniques. Her quilts begin with white, 100% cotton fabric. The fabric is dyed, painted and printed to create the palette of colors and visual texture used in piecing and appliquéing her images.

Since 1983, Caryl's work has been exhibited extensively throughout North America, Europe, Japan, and the Pacific Rim. She has had twenty-three solo exhibitions, including a 1992 exhibition in Tokyo, Japan, and a 2000 exhibition in Burlington, Ontario, Canada.

Caryl has won Best of Show at the International Quilt Festival and the American Quilters Society Show three times and also won Best of Show in more than a dozen other national and international exhibitions.

Caryl was a lifelong resident of Northern Illinois, until 2005, when she moved to Paducah, Kentucky, where she built and operated the Bryerpatch Studio Gallery, and workshop center in the historic Lower Town Arts District until 2014. In 2013, Caryl married Dr. Ron Gentry, and in 2014, she and Ron relocated to Port Townsend, Washington, where she continues working as a full-time artist in her new studio overlooking Puget Sound.

Amazing Quilts by Grace Errea

Grace is a Fiber artist, designer, quilter and author. Her style of work is to design with VALUE and execute her designs with a technique that she developed and calls “Heat-Set”.

Her designs center around flora and fauna. Butterflies, Birds, Flowers, and Animals are always consistently used as an inspiration and showcased in her work. Even though landscapes are not Grace’s forte, the area that she lives in has inspired some of her textiles as well.

Under The Sea!

The Mason Dixon Quilt Professional Network (MDQPN) announces its 2018 MDQPN Exhibit:

“Under The Sea!”

The Exhibit consists of 15 quilts each measuring 18” x 24” with the theme of “Under The Sea!” Each member quilt depicts their artistic interpretation of underwater fun, fish, skeletons, pollution, underwater vents, and mythical creatures!

About the Artists: The quilt professionals who contributed to this Exhibit include five quilt book authors with eleven quilt books among them, two quilt shop/quilt business owners, 6 professional quilt teachers and three professional quilt judges.

Several of our members have held various offices in national quilt organizations. Roughly a third of our members have partnerships with fabric manufacturers, thread companies and notion companies.

"'Come Swim With Me"
by Carolyn Perry-Goins

Old Glory Quilt Exhibit

Old Glory was born when red white and blue vintage quilt tops were finished by long arm quilters who share a military connection. The quilters received the top, backing, and the instructions, “quilt as desired”. They donated their time and talent.

We chose to work with “forgotten” tops - the ones that were damaged, unfinished, ill-made or unremarkable. These tops were not destined to be completed, enjoyed or treasured. What we now share is pure magic!

The exhibit was created to promote the Quilts of Valor program. We choose to focus on our patriotic heritage and further serve the military family that we have been fortunate to be a part of.

These quilts debuted at the 2017 Quilts of Valor show and now are traveling as a collection for 24-36 months. When they are done traveling the quilts will be auctioned to raise funds for Quilts of Valor. 

curated by Mary Kerr 

From Ensign's Bar’s to Colonel's Stars

From Ensign’s Bars to Colonel’s Stars blends patriotism and quilting.

The author, Renelda Peldunas-Harter, served over 25 years in the military, shares her experiences as she progressed through the ranks of the US Army in both text and quilts.

Her 6 quilts are all original designs and adapted to honor all the branches of the military: US Army, US Navy, US Marines, US Air Force, and US Coast Guard.



"Colonel’s Star" by Renelda Peldunas-Harter

Winchester Modern Quilters Present "Art Interpretations"

Winchester Modern Quilters Present “Art Interpretations”.

This challenging exhibit presents the quilters interpretation of a piece of art, a piece of art taken and interpreted into a quilted piece of art.


presented by Winchester Modern Quilter's 



"Hearts" by Renelda Peldunas-Harter

Inspired by "the Masters"

The exhibition, Inspired by the Masters, features fourteen pieces; each a complex combination of rescued vintage needlework pieces, including needlepoint, quilt blocks, Crewel embroidery, and punch needlework.

The vintage pieces are collaged with hand-dyed and printed fabrics, many of which were created to match or mimic the patterns of the original needlework. Each is backed with industrial Eco-felt and machine-stitched/quilted.

Inspirations ranged from Matisse still life paintings, to the work of Frieda Kahlo and Mary Cassatt; each intertwined with my experiences of vibrant color and pattern discovered on teaching travels around the world.


by Jane Dunnewold 

The 2020 Color Wheel Challenge

The Color Wheel Challenge quilts began with the idea to help educate guild members on the color wheel and color combinations that help make the quilts interesting.

The guidelines for the quilts were, each member uses the provided color card and color scheme to design the challenge quilt. Use tones, tints and/or shades of their color. The original color was a color family guide: members did not have to exactly match the paint chip but must use a fabric within its color family.

Quilts are applique, piecing or both.

Quilt Maker Anne Delano, Analogous Red Violet Yellow-Green

by the Columbus Star Quilters Guild

New Works from SAQA Northern California & Nevada

The art quilt is a special amalgam of other materials, new techniques, and magical ideas. Studio Art Quilt Associates (SAQA), the international professional artists' organization, will showcase examples from their regional members: Northern California/ Nevada.

Fabric-Chicks Quilts for Wounded Warriors and Veterans

A display of quilts made for the Wounded Warriors & Veterans sponsored by Fabric-Chicks and host the Patchwork from Nevada Quilters- which is an amazing group of women who have volunteered for over 12 years. Over 100 quilts were donated in 2019!!

The mission of the Quilts for Soldiers is to cover ALL war wounded and injured service members and veterans touched by War with comforting and healing Quilts. Whether injuries are physical or psychological Quilts for Soldiers offers comfort and support.

* If you are interested in participating in this program, please contact Fabric-Chicks at beth@fabric-chicks.com  and we will provide you with a kit, or you can create and donate your quilt.

Many more to come.....