In the Spotlight

This page is dedicated to the accomplishments of BVQ members. Our members make great quilts and do great things. We are so proud of them!

Contact the Webmaster to nominate a Guild member who has been in the news, or who should be!

Red highlighting indicates recently updated news of our award-winning quilters “In the Spotlight”...

Jody Beitzel
Barbara Blanchard
Judy Filipkowski
Lee Hickman
Louise Ludecke
Ellen McLaughlin
Jane Shea
BJ Titus
Kendra Beitzel (Jody's daughter)
Former BVQ Members in the news: Jane Hamilton Terry Kramzar Doris Wells
Previously Featured

Spotlight on...Jody Beitzel

BVQ member Jody Beitzel is also a member of Empire Quilters in New York City.

She entered her quilt, “K. Fassett in Bloom”, in their 2009 show and was thrilled to be awarded 1st Place in the Bed size, Machine Pieced, Professionally Quilted category. But wait, there's more! Jody's quilt was the Judge's Choice of Sandra Dorrbecker.

Congratulations, Jody - we are so proud of you!

Visit Empire Quilters' website to see pictures of all of the quilts displayed in their show. They are all awesome!

Spotlight on...Barbara Blanchard

We congratulate Barbara on winning a Judge’s Choice ribbon for her latest creation, “Polar Prism” at the 2010 Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival. Judge Bobbie Bergquist selected Barbara's quilt from among many other wonderful entries. See Polar Prism and the other show winners at http://www.quiltfest.com/activities_detail.asp?id=79.

Barbara was thrilled to be awarded Best Hand Workmanship at the 2009 Pennsylvania National Quilt Extravaganza for her colorful hand-pieced and hand-quilted quilt, “Starstruck” (pictured at left). This quilt was also displayed in the spring of 2009 at Quilter's Heritage Celebration (Lancaster) and the Quilt Fest of New Jersey V.

Barbara has launched a pattern business, “Quiltnut Designs”. Her first pattern, “Skewered”, is available at Hayes Sewing of Delaware, and at Roundabout Quilting in Unionville, Pennsylvania.

Barbara's “Wheel of Fortune” (pictured above right) was awarded Best Use of Color in the 5th annual (2008) Quilters Treasure Fabric Challenge. This is the second year in a row that Barbara has received this honor (see below)! The quilt was displayed at the Lancaster and Quilt Fest of New Jersey shows as part of the Quilters Treasure Challenge exhibit.

“Flowers for Diane”, by Barbara Blanchard and Esther Newell Radebaugh, received the Best Hand Workmanship award at the Tri-State Quilt Competition of The Quilt Fest of New Jersey IV, held February, 2008, in Somerset, NJ. Click here to read the story behind this special quilt, and click the show link, above, to see pictures of Barbara's quilt among the show winners.

Detail of Barbara Blanchard's 'Radiant Reef'

Barbara's stunning “Radiant Reef” quilt received the award for Best Use of Color in the Quilters Treasure 2007 fabric challenge. Although not entered in the Quilt Fest competition, it was on display there because Quilters Treasure was a vendor at the show, and is a sponsor at a number of the Mancuso shows. See this terrific quilt at www.quilterstreasure.com/2007Winners.html.

Spotlight on...Judy Filipkowski

Judy Filipkowski was the featured quilt artist for May, 2008, at the North Wilmington Library. Judy hosted a reception and exhibit opening at the library on Friday, May 2nd, where refreshments and Judy's fiber art were enjoyed by those who attended. Kudos to Judy for this opportunity to have her art recognized and for introducting art quilts to the Wilmington public!

Spotlight on...Lee Hickman

BVQ's unsung heroine of charity quilts is Lee Hickman, who is constantly quilting up a storm. She comes to Guild every month with an armload of quilts! Lee Hickman was especially busy in the winter of 2009 - she took a bag of pink scraps home from the January 2009 meeting and whipped up 7 nursery quilts, 3 juvenile quilts and 2 adult quilts! This really was a labor of love, since Lee is partial to bright colors and pink is her least favorite color! BVQ thanks Lee and her sewing machine for their tireless efforts on behalf of the grateful recipients of her quilts.

Spotlight on...Louise Ludecke

Louise has been busy for several years dyeing fabric, designing folk art applique patterns and vending at quilt shows. Her website, www.louisefabricarts.com has examples of her work. (Note that her event schedule is a tad out of date, but we celebrate her as an artist, not a computer technician!)

Louise's patterns are available locally at Hayes Sewing of Delaware on Concord Pike in Wilmington, Delaware.

We are excited to report that Louise was a first-time faculty member for the Pennsylvania National Quilt Extravaganza XV, held in Harrisburg, PA, in September, 2008. Louise presented the following two workshops:

Surface Design, Full Day Workshop using dye, fabric paints, stamping, resist and other techniques to give a unique look to raw fabric.

Contemporary vs. Traditional Hawaiian Appliqué, Half Day Workshop on traditional Hawaiian-style needle turn appliqué, including pattern cutting and a simplified approach to pattern transfer.

Congratulations, Louise!

Spotlight on...Ellen McLaughlin

BVQ congratulates Ellen, whose quilt, “My Own Small World”, was awarded Honorable Mention by popular vote in the 2008 AQS Online Quilt Contest. All of the winning quilts from this contest will be on display in April at the 25th Annual 2009 AQS Quilt Show & Contest in Paducah, Kentucky. Ellen is excited to be able to say that she showed a quilt at Paducah!!!!

Spotlight on...Jane Shea

If you visited Longwood Gardens' Visitor Center during the 2009 holiday season, you may have seen the latest creation of Longwood's Volunteer Quilt Team. Their second seasonal quilt, which measures 96" x 96", featured a wreath on a pieced background, interpreting the spring theme of “pollination.” Pictured below is the Team with the quilt as featured on the pack page of December's Longwood Chimes, the magazine for their volunteers. Familiar faces include BVQ members Jane Shea and Kathy Silvon, and former members Mary Crampsey, Carole Forsythe, Joan Scone, Mimi Smith and Ann Marie Werner.

2009 Longwood Quilt with Volunteer Team

In addition to lecturing at several area guilds in 2009, BVQ Past President Jane Shea has conducted beginning quilting classes at Knob Hill Farm in Honeybrook, PA, where she resides. To hear her talk about her teaching experiences, it's hard to tell whether she or her students are more excited about these classes!

Jane was the guest speaker at the March 2009 meeting of Penn Oaks Quilters. Jane's lecture was “Quilting Tips with an Emphasis on Bindings and Borders”.

If you attended the Lancaster show in April, 2009, you had the opportunity to see the Longwood Christmas Quilt, a wonderful appliqué bed-sized quilt that was created by Jane and a group of other talented quilters. Read all about this project and see a picture of the quilt on our Scraps 'n Snippets page.

Spotlight on...BJ Titus

Nocturnal Iridescence by BJ Titus, Best Machine Workmanship at PNQE 2009

BVQ is proud to include among its talented members award-winning quilter BJ Titus. When she's not working at her full-time job or devoting herself to her family and sewing, BJ has been out on the lecture circuit, with speaking engagements at several area guilds, including Undercover Quilters' 2009 quilt show and, most recently, as the speaker at BVQ's March 2010 guild meeting. She has also been teaching workshops at area guilds, with one scheduled in West Chester on National Quilting Day, 2010.

Her latest quilt, “Simply Strawberries”, was recognized as Judge Lois Smith's choice at The Quilt Fest of New Jersey VI: 2010 Tri-State Quilt Competition. Congratulations, BJ!

BJ was awarded Best Machine Workmanship for “Nocturnal Iridescence” at the 2009 Pennsylvania National Quilt Extravaganza in Oaks, Pennsylvania, in September, 2009. This is another stunning BJ creation, and the picture (above left) does not do it justice!

If you love BJ's quilts, perhaps you've wondered where you can purchase a BJ Titus original. Visit The Quilt Sampler, a lovely quilting consignment shop in Kennett Square, PA, where you can find wallhangings by BJ and other wonderful quilted items made by quilters in the tri-state area.

BJ's website, www.bjtitus.com, has been updated and enhanced by web designer and art quilter extraordinaire David Walker! Take a peek at what he's done for her, then visit http://davidwalker.us/index.html to view his web designs for such well-known quilters as Melody Johnson, Roberta Horton, Mary Mashuta, Faye Labanaris, and even former BVQ member Pam Lowe! David's basic web design package is priced at $475, so if you're looking for a web designer, perhaps David is the one for you.

Read on for more details and pictures of BJ's award-winning quilts, then visit BJ's website, www.bjtitus.com, to see more of her wonderful quilts and to read her blog.

“Colossal Caladiums” (pictured below) won a 1st place prize in the Wall Quilts, Innovative category at the AQS Quilt Expo held in Des Moines, Iowa, in October, 2008. (Click here to view the complete winners list.) They called BJ to do an interview for their “American Quilter” magazine! The quilt, along with BJ's picture, appeared on page 67 of the January 2009 issue of American Quilter.

“Susan” was pictured on the cover of the Fall 2008 issue of “The Professional Quilter”. That issue also featured a 2-page spread on BJ's studio.

“Susan” was awarded first place in the Art/Pictorial category at the Machine Quilters Exposition 2008, held in mid-April, 2008, in Manchester, New Hampshire. BJ received a cash prize of $500 and a subscription to Quilting Arts Magazine!

“Susan” was awarded Best of Show at the “Tri-State Quilt Competition” of The Quilt Fest of New Jersey IV, held February 28 - March 2, 2008, in Somerset, NJ.

At the 2008 Road to California Quilt Show, “Colossal Caladiums” was the 3rd Place winner in the Art, Naturescape category.

Page 14 of the March 2008 issue of Quilter's Newsletter Magazine. “Caladium Study #2” (pictured below) was pictured with an article about the Quilt Fest of New Jersey IV.

...prior to 2008...

BJ is continuing to accumulate awards for her work! Her “Caladium Study #2” (pictured below) has been recognized yet again, this time as the Best Wall Quilt at the Pennsylvania National Quilt Extravaganza XIV in September, 2007, in Harrisburg, PA. This comes on the heels of a second place award in the art/innovative category for her wonderful “Colossal Caladiums” at the National Quilting Association's 38th Annual Quilt Show which was held in Columbus, Ohio, on June 7-9, 2007.

Click on the above quilt for a larger picture.		Our congratulations to BJ, whose “Caladium Study #2” was Robbi Joy Eklow's selection for a Judge's Choice Ribbon at the Tri-State Quilt Competition of the Quilt Fest of New Jersey III, held in Somerset, NJ in March, 2007.
Click on the above quilt for a larger picture.		BJ's “Colossal Caladiums”, was awarded 2nd place in the innovative (large) quilt category at the Pennsylvania National Quilt Extravaganza XIII, held September 7 - 10, 2006, in Harrisburg, PA.
		We were so excited when BJ's eye-popping “Toucan at Twilight” was selected as the first-round winner in the Thread Embellished category of the 2006 $100,000 Quilting Challenge! We were very disappointed that she didn't win the grand prize but are so proud of her nonetheless. (The grand prize winner was Linda McCuean for her whole-cloth quilt, “Bella”). “Toucan” made another appearance at the 38th annual NQA show in Columbus, Ohio, where it was displayed along with the other finalist quilts and the $100,000 Quilting Challenge contest winner. <---- Click on the quilt for a larger picture.

And if that isn't enough recognition, BJ's award-winning quilt, “Nocturnal Spontaniety” was featured in the Readers' Quilt Show section of the September, 2006, issue (#385) of Quilter's Newsletter Magazine! She was also listed in the Extra Credit section of that issue, promoting her original art quilt pattern series Tropical Elements, kits and hand-dyed fabric.

Spotlight on...Kendra Beitzel

Last fall, Kendra Beitzel, a sophomore at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, won a trip to China, where she represented her school and her country at the Tiandu City Cup Competition. Kendra won her all-expense-paid trip to Hangzouk, China, over 30 other entries from her school for her fabric design "Psychedelic Paisley." Her accomplishment was detailed in an article which appeared in the County Press on October 30, 2007, while Kendra was in China.

Kendra is a 2006 graduate of Garnet Valley High School and the daughter of BVQ member and proud mom Jody Beitzel.

Kendra reproduced her design as a surprise Mother's Day present for her mom, who used the fabric as a backing for a quilt she made. The quilt is on display in the Quilter's Corner in the Olde Ridge Village Shoppes on Route 202 where Jody works, with the backing pinned back for all to see!

BVQ congratulates Kendra and wishes her continued success and enjoyment in her artistic pursuits!

Spotlight on...Former BVQ Members

We are excited to report on the successes of these former BVQ members... Jane Hamilton Terry Kramzar Doris Wells

Spotlight on...Jane Hamilton

Long-time BVQ (now former) member Jane Hamilton is the President of the Quilt Professionals Network and has been a quilt instructor for more than 20 years. She was excited to have exhibited her “I DO” Double Wedding Ring quilt at The Quilt Fest of New Jersey IV in early 2008. This lovely quilt was also displayed on the Skybridge during Winterthur's “Quilts in a Material World” exhibit in 2007.

Jane was the guest speaker at the March, 2008 meeting of Undercover Quilters. Jane's presentation was entitled “Scrap Attack” and explored how our ancestors dealt with scraps. A large collection of her quilts, both old and new, was used. She also revealed techniques that made vintage scrap quilts “work.”

In the summer of 2008, Jane was a teacher at Mid-Appalachian Quilters, Inc. at Mt. St. Mary's College in Emmittsburg, Maryland. This was her second year teaching at that venue. Jane's class was based on her new pattern, “Josie's Posies.”

Visit her website, www.janesquilts.com to see “I DO” and more of her beautiful works!

Terry Kramzar

Former BVQ member Terry Kramzar did it again! Her quilt “Leaves” won Best Use of Color at The Quilt Fest of New Jersey VI: 2010 Tri-State Quilt Competition. Congratulations, Terry!

“Summer Solstice”, was one of the top three Viewer's Choice vote-getters at The Quilt Sampler's 2009 Outdoor Quilt Show, held at the shop in Kennett Square, PA, at the end of September, 2009.

“Promises to Keep”, won 2nd place in the Innovative Wall Quilt category at Penn Oaks Quilters' 2009 Quilt Show.

“Ravens Return”, won 2nd place in the Pictorial category at Quilters Heritage Celebration in Lancaster (April 2009), and was selected for Best Use of Color at the Pennsylvania National Quilt Extravaganza XV in Harrisburg in September, 2008. Ravens Return was also one of the three Viewers' Choice winners at The Quilt Sampler's 2008 Outdoor Quilt Show.

“After the Ice Storm” was awarded a Judge's Choice ribbon by judge Jackie Robinson at the The Quilt Fest of New Jersey IV, held in 2008 in Somerset, NJ.

“Save Me From the Trilliums” took second place in the Innovative Wall Mixed Quilt category at the 2007 Road to California quilt show, held in January, 2007. It went on to take Second Place and Viewer's Choice awards at the Tri-State Quilt Competition of the Quilt Fest of New Jersey III, held in March, 2007. “Trilliums” was pictured in the July/August, 2007, issue (#394) of Quilter's Newsletter in their “What's New in Quilting” feature, at the bottom of page 12.

View these and other stunning quilts by Terry, including another prize-winner, “Ravens Sieze the Day”, at her website, www.terrykramzar.com. Terry's wallhangings and fabric postcards are available for purchase at The Quilt Sampler, a quilting consignment shop in Kennett Square, PA, which features wonderful quilted items made by quilters in the tri-state area.

Doris Wells

Hummingbird Stitchers Quilt Guild of Sierra Vista, Arizona, recognized former BVQ President Doris Wells as the Hall of Fame Award Winner for her RAINBOWS ALL AROUND at their recent show, “Quilts Galore”. The quilt was made from a Jacqueline de Jonge pattern. Doris calls this quilt the most “technically challenging” she has ever attempted. The quilt is machine pieced and hand appliquéd and both machine and hand quilted. It is embellished with approximately 800 Swarovski crystals in rainbow colors across the surface. View this colorful quilt and other honorees at www.arizonaquiltershalloffame.org. (Doris's quilt is pictured about two-thirds of the way down the page.)

At the Tucson Quilters’ Guild's 2008 Quilt Fiesta, Doris was awarded 2nd place in the Hand Quilted-Appliqué category for her quilt, “Celestial Dreams”, and also 2nd place in the Miniature category for her quilt, “Not Your Average Grandmother’s Flower Garden”.

Doris’s quilt, Cosmic Odyssey, was featured on pages 56-57 of the April, 2007, issue of Quilter's Newsletter Magazine. Doris resides in Bisbee, Arizona, where she teaches and quilts. BVQ congratulates Doris on her quilting accomplishments!

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Previously In the Spotlight:

Undercovers’ Quilters 2005 Show Winners from BVQ

2005 Diamond State Quilt and Doll Show Winners from BVQ

BJ Titus

Previously In the Spotlight:

	Undercovers’ Quilters 2005 Show Winners from BVQ
	2005 Diamond State Quilt and Doll Show Winners from BVQ
	BJ Titus