“Sweet Sixteen,” a display of fabric creations incorporating 16 techniques will be on display at the Alaska Arts Confluence Main Street office during this week’s First Friday art event starting 5 p.m. March 3.

Delayna Doleshal of the Ripinsky Rippers quilting group said the exhibit started as a challenge that germinated at the group’s annual quilting retreat. Doleshal suggested the challenge and local quilters got on board.

The 16 techniques required by the challenge included ones such as use of needle-turn applique, an original border, paper piecing, incorporating a curve, and couching. The creations were to be no smaller than 18 inches by 18 inches.

“Some of the challenges were easy. Others were more difficult and included a challenge to use a technique (the creator) had never used before,” Doleshal said.

The challenge was open to Haines and Juneau quilters. The challenge was a bit daunting in its first iteration, Doleshal said. “After people saw the entries, there was more interest in participating in a new challenge.”

Donna Hess, a 27-year quilter, said the hard part of the challenge was incorporating all the techniques. “It was difficult to make it all tie into a theme, and not just a conglomeration of all the (required) techniques.”

She chose “color wash” as a technique she’d never previously used. Color wash describes a way an artist makes a scene go from dark to light. She cut triangles of fabric to create the effect. “We don’t have a fabric store any more so I had to rely on my stash. I had just enough blue to do the background.”

Quilter Leslee Downer said she was inspired by last summer’s warm weather to create a scene that included sunflowers she grew.

“It’s not a standard landscape quilt. It’s a close-up of the flowers and bees, so you don’t get the background effect. It’s like you’re standing nose-to-nose with a sunflower.”

Downer used Peltex, a thick interfacing, on her bees to add 3-D effect. “It was fun. Halfway through, we were pulling our hair out, but when we got done, I think we were all happy with it.”

The fabric creations will be displayed at the Main Street office for a month.

Author