2005 Batik Sunflower/Wheat Challenge Quilts

This exclusive batik, featuring both sunflowers and wheat, was designed just for the 2005 Central Kansas Quilt Shop Hop and is still available from some participating shops.  If interested in this fabric, please contact any of the shops on the list for details.

With Kansas' influences, Hoffman California Fabrics produced this exclusive batik fabric half-way around the world in Bali.  When it arrived, Hoffman was so excited by this beautiful fabric, that they "challenged" quilters to make small quilts using "a recognizable" piece of this fabric in any one of the 3 colorways available. 

Hoffman awarded the makers of the top three quilts (selected by a panel of impartial shop owners) stashes of Hoffman batik fabrics!  What a reward!

A variety of techniques were used and we found all of the quilts to be quite awesome!  We were only sorry that there were just 3 awards to be made!

Enjoy photos of the 10 entries below, and the variety of techniques used.

Photo above shows the wonderful detail produced by the wax artists and dyers in Bali.  Created by hand in small villages in Bali, each yard is unique.  Different "batches" of fabric may vary slightly in color from each other.

These 3 images were not shot at the same scale.  While the flowers look larger in the top image at right, the batiks are all identical in size and shape. Only the colors are different.

Our Hoffman Challenge asked each entry to "use a recognizable amount of the exclusive sunflower/wheat batik designed for the Central Kansas 2005 Quilt Shop Hop, and any other fabrics to make a quilt with all sides totalling not less than 72 or more than 160 inches."

To get a feeling of "scale" in the photos below, notice the fingers in the upper corners of most photos, holding the quilts to be photographed. 

Donna J. Mease, Wichita, KS

1st Place Winner

Hand applique with buttonhole stitch.  Prairie points embellish the inner border.

Mary Eilerts, Newton, KS

Second place winner.  Used templates and curved piecing.

Virginia Ebert, Oklahoma City, OK

Third place winner.  Various styles of applique, wheat heads are embellished with wire.

Lynn Enis, Firecrest, WA

Strip pieced background with 3-dimensional sunflowers.

Sandra Heymen, Burns, KS

Pieced double wedding rings on pieced background with applique.

Connie Leavitt, Wichita, KS

9-Patch with applique.

Nancy Lowe, Wichita, KS

Pieced quilt.

Wilma Schmidt, Walton, KS

Fussy-cut applique with tulle overlay.  Hand quilted.

Nancy Staton, Clearwater, KS

Pieced illusions.

Lois Stewart, Wichita, KS

Paper piecing and applique.

May you be inspired by these wonderful quilts!