The Best of the Vermont Quilt Festival 2015

In its 39th year, the Vermont Quilt Festival is New England's largest and oldest annual quilt event.

Here are the Best Of Show quilts from this year's VQF experience.

Hexagon Quilt "La Passion" by Grit Kovacs from Ebstorf, Germany won Best of Show from Outside the USA and also Best Piecing. Grit writes, "My hexagon quilt is an original design, sewn by hand, and took two and one half years to complete. The inspiration developed on a holiday in France. I used 7,240 pieced. Long-arm quilted by Birgit Schuller."

Best in Show and the Governor's Award for Best Vermont Quilt comes "Celestial Sedona" by Norma Ippolito of Chester, VT. Norma writes, "This quilt features a variety of construction techniques. Building from the center out, it became a three- year journey resulting in the most challenging quilt I have made, and also the most rewarding. Pattern Sedona Star by Sarah Vedeler Designs. Quilted on a home sewing machine."

Sharing blue ribbon winner Micheline Caron's "Sous Une Bonne Etoile" because it is the same quilt design as the Best of Show above. From Canada, Micheline also quitled this beauty on her home sewing machine.

Heidi Merrill's "Curves Bliss" earned Best Long-Arm Machine Quilting. Heidi is local to us here in upstate NY. From Clifton Park, she writes, "I made my own design and used EQ to design my own pattern. I used Suzanne McNeil's 10 Minute Block method, but modified it by cutting out the backing to reduce bulk. I used alternating chain blocks to create the overall design."

Best Applique Award goes to"Le Jardin Joyeau" by Christine Wickert of Penfield, NY. She writes, "Two chunks of silk- one brick red and the other a stripe- begged to be used for Beautiful Botanicals design by Deborah Kemball. The stripe became the backing. Hand quilted."

The Best Miniature goes to "6522", George Siciliano's masterpiece.  He writes, "This quilt has 6522 pieces of dupioni silk....It's not fused, embroidered or painted. Just good old fashioned piecing. Quilted on a home sewing machine." George and his wife Ginny are master quilters and teachers and live in Lebanon, PA.

"Creme Caramel" by Joanne Mac Nevin of Pembroke, MA earned the Best Machine Quilting Award on a Home Machine. She writes, "My sweet tooth is very pronounced and, from the beginning, this quilt has evoked visions of caramel, vanilla ice cream, custard, marshmallow fluff, butterscotch, whipped cream and a little mocha. Yum! The pattern is White Chocolate by McCall's Quilting and the border is Ice Blueberries by Pat Delaney."

Finally, "October" by Susie Wimer of Ranson, WV earned a blue ribbon and the Founder's Award for this show. She writes, "I love leaves and cannot resist picking them up in the fall. I used real, actual sized leaves for the pattern. My then six-year old grandson then helped gather them, learning the trees as we went. By the time I finished he was fourteen years old. Hand quilted."

Friends, 

These are the Best Of Show which I was able to capture quickly on my camera and remember to share with you. I was also a participant and vendor this time around.  My apologies if your quilt is missing. Please feel free to comment below and share a photo or to do the same at This Quilting Mama on Facebook. Thank you and stay tuned for more quilts from the Vermont Quilt Festival 2015 over the next few weeks.

Peace and Happy VQF inspired quilting ahead,

Lynn