Lynn Rinehart has a passion for valuing artists’ work, so it’s not a surprise that she is a certified quilt appraiser. She loves all quilts and is eager to appraise them, regardless of age, but contemporary quilts really speak to her. The energy and effort put into each one stands out to Lynn, and she uses that knowledge to help today’s quilters understand the value of their work. Lynn’s introduction to quilting was the opening of the National Quilt Museum in Paducah, Kentucky, which was hardly “beginner friendly” but it was inspirational. A few years later, in 1998, after moving

Fran Fister learned to knit when she was 6 and crochet when she was 7, but quilting came along later. Her very first quilt was a kit from Woolworth’s, with blocks of stamped embroidery and fabric for the sashing and borders. Fran started the quilt for her hope chest (remember those?) but was married and pregnant with her first child when an Amish woman offered to hand quilt it for her.  As her children were born, Fran made each of them a crazy quilt, with all the embroidery stitches she had learned as a little girl. Then, when the Fisters

What’s it like to win a Blue Ribbon at the International Quilt Festival in Houston? Well, Cindy Richards knows because it happened to her! In 2007. Her quilt, Dancing Ribbons, was awarded the top prize in the Art Miniature category. This famous little quilt measures 12” square and is hand stitched from Thai silk. The warp and weft of the silk are different hues, giving the quilt a glow that makes it really stand out. Dancing Ribbons Dancing Ribbons got its start when Cindy needed a handwork project for a trip with her husband who would be busy with work