The Hoffman Challenge

Jill from Jillions of Buttons recently posted some photos on her Facebook page that she took while at the 2011 Denver National Quilt Festival VI. Some of the quilts look spectacular in their workmanship, but the one I fell in love with, is this particular entry which is part of the The Hoffman Challenge 2010.

This year The Hoffman Challenge is celebrating its 24th anniversary. The Challenge originally started with 94 enthusiastic quilters, and in some years, the number of entries grew to more than 700. Every year, a new fabric is specifically designed and released for the Challenge and all entrants should use and interpret that particular fabric as the primary fabric in their quilt. 

In addition to the three quilt categories (pieced, appliqué and mixed technique), categories include clothing (wearable art), accessories, and dolls. While the majority of the entries come from the United States, a wide variety of international entries are also received. Each year, the top entries are grouped into traveling collections and visit quilt & fiber shows, seminars, quilt shops and quilt & doll-makers guilds throughout the USA and Canada.  

While I normally tend to prefer abstract quilts designs as opposed to pictorial, this one really struck a cord with me - having grown up near the sea, I have always loved sea anenome's and I love everything about this quilt - the colours, texture & buttons make is really sing and I feel like I could almost pick it up!