Enter Your Quilt for Display at Our Shows!
2023 FESTIVAL JUDGED SHOW
More than $52,000 in cash, non-purchase prizes in several categories. Registration is open NOW and the deadline to enter is May 25 at 1 pm CST.
Click the button to the left for all the info, rules, and entry form!
Note: All quilts pictures are from the 2022 exhibits.
Calls for Entry
These are the currently open calls for entry for exhibits at the 2025 Houston International Quilt Festival. More will be added later.
International Quilt Festival/
LONG BEACH 2023
International Quilt Festival/
Houston 2023
Harland’s Space Quilt (81” x 90”) by Pam Plotner. Design Source: Space Travel Quilt Pattern by Rye Bread Quilt Co.E2E pattern - Deco Arch by Longarm League. From a previous year’s exhibit.
CELEBRATE LIFE
Art is an excellent way to express emotions. For this exhibit, artists depict how they, a family member, or a friend celebrated a loved one’s wedding, birth, birthday, or memorial. Colors, patterns, traditional blocks, or abstract drawings can be combined or used alone to convey a range of emotions from happy to sad.
How to Enter Your Quilt:
• Limit of two (2) entries per person
• There is an entry fee of $20 (USD) per quilt
• Registration closes on April 16, 2025
• Size: a minimum of 24”, maximum of 90” on any side
• There is no “made-by” date requirement
CLICK HERE FOR ENTRY PAGE »
Feathered Stars with Redwork (88” x 90”), artist unknown.
FINE FEATHERED QUILTS
This exhibit will showcase Princess Feather and Feathered Star quilts. Quilters have long associated feathers with the 19th and 20th Centuries. Modern sewing methods and machines make quick work of these two cherished designs. You may enter antique, modern, recently made, inherited, or purchased quilts in these two styles.
How to Enter Your Quilt:
• Limit of two (2) entries per person
• There is an entry fee of $20 (USD) per quilt
• Registration closes on April 24, 2025
• Size: a minimum of 50 “, maximum of 108” on any side
• There is no “made-by” date requirement
CLICK HERE FOR ENTRY PAGE »
JOAN (61” x 62”) by Sister Nancy Gunderson with Ashley DelaBarre. Design Source: Paper Pattern Joan of Arc a Foundation Paper Piecing pattern by Veruschka Zarate of Pride & Joy Quilting. From a previous year’s exhibit.
HANDS ALL AROUND
Artists from around the world incorporate influences from their own cultures into the design and technique of their quilts. This prestigious, long-running international showcase includes recent quilts by some of these international artists.
How to Enter Your Quilt:
• Limit of two (2) entries per person.
• There is an entry fee of $20 (USD) per quilt
• Registration closes on April 3, 2025
• Size: a minimum of 24”, maximum of 90” on any side
• The piece must be completed between 2022 and 2025
CLICK HERE FOR ENTRY PAGE »
Magic Flowers (40” x 34”) by Susan Smith. Original Design. From a previous year’s exhibit.
IN FULL BLOOM
Just as quilters create beautiful art with fabric, florists and gardeners cultivate works of beauty from the soil. This exhibit showcases floral-inspired quilts from across the spectrum in lush color and splendor.
How to Enter Your Quilt:
• Limit of two (2) entries per person
• There is an entry fee of $20 (USD) per quilt
• Registration closes on April 24, 2025
• Size: a minimum of 24”, maximum of 90” on any side
• The piece must be completed between 2022 and 2025
CLICK HERE FOR ENTRY PAGE »
Blue Stars (61” x 62”) by Jann Nohe with Pat Alderman. Design Source: Center feathered star was made using the Radiant Star pattern from Quilt Blocks 1 by Marsha McCloskey. Wasatch Digital Quilting design used in triangles, ruler work and free-motion. From a previous year’s exhibit.
IN THE AMERICAN TRADITION
Contemporary quiltmakers often look to the art form’s rich tradition and history for inspiration in their own work. This exhibit features recently made quilts incorporating traditional blocks, styles, and/or techniques.
How to Enter Your Quilt:
• Limit of two (2) entries per person
• There is an entry fee of $20 (USD) per quilt
• Registration closes on April 3, 2025
• Size: a minimum of 36”, maximum of 108” on any side
• There is no “made-by” date requirement
CLICK HERE FOR ENTRY PAGE »
Florida Flora (84” x 69”) by Debi Webb. Original Design. From a previous year’s exhibit.
LANDSCAPE QUILTS
From valleys and volcanoes to mountains and monuments, landscapes often inspire artists, including many in the quilt world. This exhibit showcases many stunning geographical wonders.
How to Enter Your Quilt:
• Limit of two (2) entries per person
• There is an entry fee of $20 (USD) per quilt
• Registration closes on April 16, 2025
• Size: a minimum of 24”, maximum of 90” on any side
• The piece must be completed between 2022 and 2025
CLICK HERE FOR ENTRY PAGE »
Spinning Song (47” x 46”) by Nancy Messuri. Original Design. Inspiration - Diamond in a Square Spinners Quilting is Overlapping Crop Circles by Jessica Schick. From a previous year’s exhibit.
MODERN QUILTS—A TWIST IN TRADITION
Modern quilts often take traditional blocks and reinterpret them by using solid-colored fabrics or give them a new twist by using negative space, minimal repeats, improvisational piecing, and gridding for quilting. A modern quilt can be pieced or appliquéd.
How to Enter Your Quilt:
• Limit of two (2) entries per person
• There is an entry fee of $20 (USD) per quilt
• Registration closes on April 3, 2025
• Size: a minimum of 36”, maximum of 90” on any side
• There is no “made-by” date requirement
CLICK HERE FOR ENTRY PAGE »
A Celebration of Reading by Susan DeScioli
READING AND REMEMBRANCE: A TRIBUTE TO BARBARA BUSH
For over a decade, the Barbara Bush Literacy Foundation has made a difference in the lives of children and adults by giving them the tools they need to become proficient readers. Use your creativity to make a quilt that illustrates a favorite book, tells a story of its own, or encourages someone to read. You can even depict Barbara Bush herself!
For official photos of Mrs. Bush from the Barbara Bush Foundation, download here »
How to Enter Your Quilt:
• Limit of two (2) entries per person
• There is an entry fee of $20 (USD) per quilt
• Registration closes on April 24, 2025
• Size: a minimum of 40”, maximum of 60” on any side
• The piece must be completed between 2021 and 2025
• The quilt may illustrate a children’s story or an aspect of Mrs. Bush’s life
CLICK HERE FOR ENTRY PAGE »
From Log Cabin to Skyscrapers (67” x 56”) by Judy Beskow. Original Design. From a previous year’s exhibit.
TACTILE ARCHITECTURE™
Buildings have a long history of inspiring the creative designs of quiltmakers. In the 19th century, American quilters developed classic architectural blocks and patterns such as Log Cabin, Schoolhouse, and Brick Wall. This annual juried exhibit challenges quiltmakers to create works based on architectural themes and inspirations. The quilt style may be traditional, modern, or art.
How to Enter Your Quilt:
• Limit of two (2) entries per person
• There is an entry fee of $20 (USD) per quilt
• The call closes on April 16, 2025
• Size: a minimum of 24”, maximum of 90” on any side.
• The piece must be completed between 2022 and 2025
CLICK HERE FOR ENTRY PAGE »
PROPOSE AN EXHIBIT
Special Exhibits welcomes queries from artists and curators about proposing exhibits for future shows throughout the year.
- We welcome proposals for 2025 and beyond.
- Once the proposal is complete, it will be submitted to a selection committee to be reviewed.
For further information, please email the Special Exhibits Manager, Christa Parker, at christap@quilts.com.
