Have you started your Red & White quilt for our 2022 Red & White Quilt Challenge yet? If not, don’t worry, you still have time! There are so many cool designs and ideas to pull inspiration from, even I have a little trouble deciding on what to make next sometimes. For me, the problem isn’t so much finding a design I like. It’s more about narrowing it down to just one or two choices out of everything that I DO like. LOL!

As you know, the red and white color combination has been one of the most sought-after color combinations for quilts throughout history. In earlier times, the art of making red fabric pigments was costly and difficult to master. The production process of creating red dyes was a carefully guarded trade secret that only a select few were privy to. This made the value of red and white quilts extremely high, and only the rich and upper class were able to afford them. For this reason, red and white quilts have been tied with luxury and classic style for hundreds of years. Red and white quilts are still super popular today, and of course just as captivating and beautiful as ever!

I love red and white quilts so much that I wanted to celebrate them in a way that would really show their stylish designs off properly. That’s why I decided to start the 2022 Red & White Quilt Challenge here at Primitive Gatherings!

My dream is to have the retreat house filled with red and white quilts by mid-November this year, just in time for the Christmas season. Imagine the sea of reds and whites such a large collection hanging all together will create! I want it to be something like when the American Folk Art Museum in New York installed 650 red and white American quilts into the historic Wade Thompson Drill Hall back in 2011. Picture that! 650 red and white quilts, all hanging in one 55,000 square foot room… Crazy! What’s even crazier is that all 650 of them were on loan from the collection of one single person by the name of Joanna S. Rose. It was the largest exhibition of quilts ever held in New York City. If you’re not familiar with this exhibit, check out these spectacular photos from the event (photo credit: American Folk Art Museum – Gavin Ashworth)!

Though not quite as large as the Wade Thompson Drill Hall, The Gathering is also a fabulous place to show off your work. Our 10,000 square foot retreat house features lots of wall space, a super tall ceiling, and spectacular lighting. I literally designed the entire space to hang and display quilts – no matter the size. I can’t wait to see our own exhibit once everything is hung… It’s going to be so cool! If you missed the details on joining the Challenge when I announced it back in December, that’s ok. Let me explain how it works!

THERE ARE FOUR CATEGORIES: Original Design – 24″ and Under, Original Design – 24″ and Over, Commercial Design – 24″ and Under, and Commercial Design – 24″ and Over. It doesn’t matter if your quilt is appliqué, pieced, or a combo. Anything goes as long as it’s red and white, or close shades of those two colors (cream and dark reds are acceptable for example, purple is not). Prints, solids, and wool can all be used as well. The possibilities are endless as long as they are done in red and white!

WHAT DOES THE REGISTRATION FEE INCLUDE? The registration fee includes a complimentary “Red & White 2022” sticker, a free red fat quarter, a free white fat quarter, and entry into the 2022 Primitive Gatherings Red & White Quilt Show. Note: you are not required to use your free fat quarters in your show entry, but you are certainly welcome to!

WHAT CAN YOU WIN? Cash and prizes of course!!! What the prizes will be exaclty, is still pending at this time. I’m working hard to get some sponsorship from the big companies I work with, like Moda, Bernina, Juki, Martingale, Riley Blake, Free Spirit, and Checker to name a few. I’m doing my best to get the best prizes that I can for this event!

WHAT ARE THE RULES? Now for all the fun stuff…

• The show is open to all who have a confirmed show registration with Primitive Gatherings by October 1st, 2022.
• All entrants must sign and include the insurance waiver form with their entry forms. One waiver is required per entrant (one waiver can cover multiple quilts).
• Completed submission including photos and signed documents must be received by midnight October 31st, 2022.
• It is the responsibility of the entrant to insure and ship their quilt to  Primitive Gatherings by October 31st, 2022 using the provided mailing label. Please do not ship your quilt sooner than October 1st, 2022 – we do not have the storage space before then.
• Primitive Gatherings will be responsible for shipping back your quilt entry to you. Insurance on the package will be determined by the size of the quilt, up to $500. If you would like to add additional insurance on your quilt, you are responsible for any additional shipping or insurance costs.
• A photograph of your quilt is required to enter for identification purposes. Please include this in the package with your quilt – regular copy paper is fine. Entry into the Challenge automatically grants permission for any and all images of the quilts and/or all parts of the artist’s statement regarding the quilt, to be used by Primitive Gatherings in any and all media productions for this exhibit.
• The quilt artist retains all copyrights to the quilt and will be credited for any usage of its likeness by Primitive Gatherings. No compensation will be granted to the entrant/copyright holder for the use of the quilt, or images of the quilt in any promotional materials.
• Quilts will be hung and displayed at The Gathering from November, 2022 through December, 2022. They will also be displayed online via our social media platforms.
• Commercial patterns will be accepted as long as you give credit to the designer by including their name, and the name of the pattern you used.
• If any part of your quilt was from another quilter’s design, or was inspired by another quilter’s design, please include the designer’s name, name of the pattern, and what part you sampled from the piece.
• Each entry must have a 4″ finished sleeve on the top back of the quilt, securely stitched on both the bottom and top edges.
• Each entry must also include a permanent identification label attached to the bottom, left-hand corner with entrant’s name, the name of the quilt, and the entrant’s address or email address.
• Due to limited space, there is a limit of TWO entries per person.
• Quilts of all sizes are eligible for this Challenge.
• Primitive Gatherings reserves the right to disqualify entries if they do not meet the Challenge criteria including but not limited to size, specific category, or colors of fabrics used.
• Please remember to complete our, “Red and White Quilt Challenge Entry Checklist” before sending your quilt to us! A printable PDF of all forms needed for the Challenge including the checklist is available by clicking the button below!

Alright! I think that about covers it! I know that was a lot of information, but I have been getting a lot of requests for details on the Challenge and I wanted to make sure everyone is on the same page! If you have questions or are still contemplating joining the 2022 Red & White Quilt Challenge make sure to watch, “Stitch with Lisa Bongean“ LIVE on YouTube tomorrow (Thursday) at 1PM CST. I’ll be discussing my quilt, “Wildflower“ with my good friend and special guest Linda Hrcka from The Quilted Pineapple in MI. We’ll also be talking more about the Red & White Quilt Challenge, along with any other new shop announcements, so don’t miss it! See you then! ~Lisa