The Featured Quilters are nominated by guild members and chosen from the nominees by the Quilt Fiesta committee for their contributions to the guild, for setting an example of excellence with their quilting, for sharing their knowledge of quilting techniques with other quilters, and for any other reasons that make them stand out. We honor our Featured Quilters by asking each one to spend a day at the show displaying their quilts and talking with attendees about quilting. We invite attendees to visit each of our Featured Quilters to talk with them and ask questions!  You might learn something that could be a real breakthrough for your own quilting.

Friday’s Featured Quilter – Linda Coté

Linda started quilting almost 30 years ago when she hand-quilted a baby quilt for a nephew.  She moved to pieced quilts after reading various books, while living in Minnesota, working as a textile chemist. Linda went from one science to another in her professional career. She practiced as an RN before her retirement. As with many quilters… with retirement there was more time for quilting!

Over the years, Linda has developed a love for all things quilt-related, including classes from A-list teachers, applique, Australian quilt patterns, quilt Bees, longarming, making art quilts, Kaffe Collective fabrics, quilt vacations, and her Bernina 570QE.  She now lays claim to an extensive collection of cotton, wool, silk, and linen that will outlive her!

Saturday’s Featured Quilter – Opal Bemis

Opal has been a guild member since its inception. Her guild membership number is 6! The guild is honored to have her continued involvement.

Like many of our members, Opal started sewing at her grandmother and mothers’ sides. Her mother loved sewing and made all of her children’s clothes. The joy of sewing rubbed off. Opal started out making clothes for her dolls with scraps. When she had kids she moved on to children’s clothing. Her first quilt project was from a kit that made a theme quilt of Noah’s Ark. Her quilting expanded from there.

She focused on applique in the 70’s and enjoyed making butterflies in the 80’s. After retiring from Hughes/Raytheon more quilting time was available!

Sunday’s Featured Quilter – Athena Taylor

Athena Taylor is a retired software professional and project manager who has found endless joy in the world of quilting.  She brings a unique perspective to the art of quilting.  With meticulous attention to detail and an eye for innovation, she has seamlessly blended her technical expertise with the rich traditions of quilting.  The result?  A Captivating tapestry that harmoniously weaves together tradition and modernity. With multiple awards under her belt, she takes immense pride in her quilting.

Her passion doesn’t stop there, she believes in paying it forward and sharing her knowledge with others.  As an instructor and mentor, she has helped countless aspiring quilters unleash their potential in crafting stunning works, all beautiful and unique.

She is the proud owner of Athena Lynn Quilts, a business dedicated to providing exceptional Longarm services doing everything from edge to edge digital patterns all the way to intricate custom quilting. She is committed to transforming visions into tangible works of art that will be loved and cherished for generations.

Past Featured Quilters:
2023: Ana Martinez, Melanie Harris
2022: Philo Bell, Ruth Sharp
2020: Marie Ann Morris, Char Gasker, Manya Powell
2019: Kate Clark, Sheryl Verts, Karen Fisher
2018: Sue Franklin, Cathy Dargel, Paulette Worman
2017: Carol Carpenter, Tami Graeber, Kathie Miller
2016: Sue Waite, Chris Nelson, Swan Sheridan
2015: Mary Vaneecke, Kathy Zimmer, Patty Goodsell
2014: Keith Dommer, Helen Frost, George & Gloria Magee
2013: Nancy Landon, Nubin Jensen, Jean Biddick
2012: Nancy Arseneault, Susie Weaver, Amy Bright