Awards & Achievements

Pat Ferguson
Award Winning & Published Quilter/Teacher
North Grosvenordale, CT
860-208-3086
AUTHOR OF “ZEN QUILTING WORKBOOK”

When you think of quilting you usually imagine white haired ladies sitting around a frame leisurely hand stitching.

Now, imagine Pat Ferguson, standing at a 12 foot long 500 pound longarm quilting machine, hand guiding it to create the most elaborate quilting designs in a fraction of the time it would have taken our ancestors.

Pat completes customers quilt tops by adding batting and backing, then she custom designs the stitching pattern that holds these three layers together. Her long arm quilting machine named “Gloria” is then put into action to make every quilt a unique work of art for its owner.

Pat also rescues vintage quilt tops by washing, repairing and adding whatever is needed to make them into usable quilts. Trying to remain authentic to the era that the quilt top made, it is sometimes helpful to imagine what the original quilter might have had in mind for the unfinished quilt top.

I spend so much joyful time on customer’s quilts that I do not make many of my own professional pieces but here are a few:

VIEW LARGER IMAGES ABOVE

Purple Ribbons

After discovering “Zentangle” (creating beautiful images from repetitive patterns), I wanted to incorporate this art form with the beloved old fashioned Dahlia pattern.  This double sided whole cloth quilt is the final result.

Viewer’s Choice 4-2010
Narragansett Bay Quilters Assoc., N. Kingstown, RI

Teachers Award 4-2010
MQX East

Director’s Award 11-2010
A Quilters’ Gathering, Nashua, New Hampshire

Machine Quilting Excellence Award  2010
A Quilters’ Gathering, Nashua New Hampshire

4-2008 “ROSE GARDEN”
PURPLE RIBBON

4-2008 SALSA BOWL KALEIDOSCOPE
Purple Ribbon

[divider]Blue Ribbons

4-2004 “FANDANGO”
Narragansett Bay Quilters Assoc
N. Kingstown, RI

5-1993 “Jiffy Jacket”
Sayles Memorial Church
Lincoln, RI

4-2004 “RINGS-A-FIRE”
NBQA, RI

[divider]Red Ribbons

4/2004  “Twilight Star”
Wall Hanging
Sayles Memorial Church, Lincoln RI

4/2006  “Raspberry, Chocolate & Caramel”
Quilt
Narragansett Bay Quilters Assoc, N. Kingstown, RI

4/2006  “Sunflower”
Wall Hanging
Narragansett Bay Quilters Assoc, N. Kingstown, RI

4/2006  “Iris & Ferns”
Wall Hanging
Narragansett Bay Quilters Assoc, N. Kingstown, RI

[divider]Yellow Ribbons

6/2004  “Fandango” Quilt
Vermont Quilt Festival

4/2006  “Coin Flowers” Quilt
Narragansett Bay Quilters Assoc, N. Kingstown, RI

[divider]Special Recognition

2001 VIEWER”S CHOICE
“Sunset on Lake Nicatous”

4/2002 FOR COLOR
“Fall in My Neighborhood” Wall Hanging
Narragansett Bay Quilters Assoc,
N. Kingstown, RI

4/2002 FOR COLOR
“Giant Dahlia” Wall Hanging
Narragansett Bay Quilters Assoc,
N. Kingstown, RI

8-2013   BEST OF SHOW
“Zen Nosegay”
Greater Hartford Quilt Guild

4-2014  EXEMPLARY MACHINE QUILTING
“Zen Dresden” sample
NBQA, RI

4-2014  JUDGES RECOGNITION
“May Ferns”
NBQA, RI

7-2019  VIEWER”S CHOICE                                          

“Floating Circles” 

 Greater Hartford Quilt Guild Show

[divider]Participation in Special Exhibits

2008   Celebration Quilts at the Windham Textile Museum
“ROSE GARDEN”

2013-2014    Local Color, SAQA Regional CT
“COLORS OF CT- THE LAST GREEN VALLEY”

2014    Inspiration Quilts, Then & Now at the Windham Textile Museum
“ZEN DRESDEN” SAMPLE

[divider]Awards for Machine Quilting on Other Peoples Quilts
(these are the ones that I know of)

4-2004 “CELESTIAL GALAXY”
Table Runner by Maria Knight
Narragansett Bay Quilters Assoc, N. Kingstown, RI  

4-2004  “SPRING HAS SPRUNG”
Wall Hanging by Maria Knight
Narragansett Bay Quilters Assoc, N. Kingstown, RI

4/2006 “LADIES OF THE YARD”
Wall Hanging by Maria Knight
Narragansett Bay Quilters Assoc, N. Kingstown, RI

4/2006 “GUITARS” 
Quilt by Norma Owens
Narragansett Bay Quilters Assoc, N. Kingstown, RI

6-2009 “FANTASY GARDEN”
by Caroline Murphy
Vermont Quilt Festival

10-2009 “SAMPLER”
by Maureen Cepelak
Berlin Fair

10-2009   “SPRING FEVER”
by Maureen Cepelak
Berlin Fair

6/2010  “STAR BRIGHT”
by Caroline Murphy
This quilt won a red ribbon at the June, 2010  Vermont Quilt Festival.
This quilt has a phenomenal pieced border that looks braided.

4/2010 “Drunkard’s Blazing Fandango”
Quilt design & construction by Pat Bruno, with piecing assistance from NBQA members.
NBQA 2010. This was the NBQA 2010 Rafffle Quilt

6/2008 “NATURE IS NOT PERFECT”
Dahlia quilt by Dionn Tron
Vermont Quilt Festival

4-2102 “HAPPINESS IS”
by Kaye Johnson
NBQA, RI

[divider]

6/2008 “Sunflowers”   
Quilt by Donna Sarmiento
Vermont Quilt Festival

6/2005 “Feathered Frenzy”  
Quilt by Larisa Key
Vermont Quilt Festival

6/2000 “Fly Away Brown Bird”
Quilt by Ruth Reichel
Vermont Quilt Festival

[divider]Special Recognition

2009  “Honorable Mention” at MQX
“FANTASY GARDEN”  by Caroline Murphy
Another beautifully paper pieced quilt by Caroline Murphy with thousands of tiny pieces. The black background with many jewel toned flowers was a longarm quilter’s playground for Pat.

2008  “A Quilter’s Gathering” – Nashua, NH.  Awarded “Directors Choice”  Ribbon
“Mini Big Quilt” by Caroline Murphy
2007 Issue 4 $100,000 Quilting Challenge Magazine: One of 40 featured quilts chosen to travel the country in 2008 national quilt shows.

$100,000 QUILTING CHALLENGE Magazine issue #4 2006.
“Feathered Frenzy”  Quilt by Larisa Key of Quilter’s Dream, Willimantic CT

5/2001 Dallas Quilt Show
Special Recognition for Machine Quilting- also Red Ribbon for professional category
“In A Pickle”  by Larisa Key of Quilter’s Dream, Willimantic CT

 [divider]Publications Containing Pat’s Quilts or Machine Quilting

“Quick Quilts”
Oxmoor House  1991
Flower Basket Star  Quilt
pgs. 36,37, 42-45 acknowledgement pg.160

“Associations of College Unions International”  1997
Student Union Sunset Hanging
Inside front cover

“Quilt Sampler”
Magazine Better Homes & Gardens
Aug. 2000
In A Pickle Quilt
pgs.106, 108-112

“The Stitching Times-  Quilting Treasures by Cranston” Spring 2001
Snowdrops Hanging
Inside page

“Quilter’s Newsletter Magazine ”
Nov.2001 #337
The Goose Has Left the Pond
pgs. 70-72

“The Quilter” Magazine March 2002
Giant Dahlia
pg. 12-14  wrong quilter named- retraction with corrected name in May 2002 issue  pg.84

$100,000 Quilting
Challenge Magazine 2006 Issue 4
Feathered Frenzy Quilt
Pgs. 40-43

$100,000 Quilting
Challenge Magazine
2007 Issue 4
Mini Big Quilt
Pgs. 44-46

“On Track” magazine by IMQA
Fall 2008 – 2010
Wrote several guest articles

“Inspired by Zentangle” by Design Originals
2010— pgs. 36-36 as a guest artist

“The Quilter”magazine
Feb/March  2011
pgs. 92-95  As a guest- Zen Quilting

“On Track” magazine by IMQA
Spring 2011- pgs. 36-37
Packing for Class guest article

“Zensational Stitches for Quilting” by Design Originals
2011- pgs 14-15  as a guest artist

2013- SAQA  Journal Online
“Zen Quilting” online article

Pat is a proud member of the following organizations:

International Machine Quilters Association (IMQA)
www.imqa.org

A world wide machine quilting organization to further professional development.

Member since May 2008

Pat was also a contributor to the magazine from 2008 to 2011. Read her many articles covering a range of quilting topics

Narragansett Bay Quilters Association (NBQA)
www.nbqa.org

300 member quilt guild in RI

Secretary from  Sept 2006- 2010

Member since 1990

Greater Hartford Quilt Guild (GHQG)
www.ghqg.org

Member since 2002 –encompasses several chapters throughout the Greater Hartford.

Worked on Quilt show committee, taking in applications, quilt placement in show & take down from 2007 to present.

Heart ‘n Hand Quilt Club

A local Ashford, CT quilt group that meets to make quilts and items for local school and town functions. Member since 2005

Artists Open Studios Of Northeast Connecticut (AOS)
www.aosct.org

100 member artists cooperative

Has been on the steering committee working publicity and sinage from fall 2006- current

Member since Spring 2005

Studio Art Quilt Associates (SAQA) www.saqa.com

National art quilters group committed to promoting the art quilt through education, exhibits, professional development and documentation

Member since Jan 2008

Quiet Corner Art Quilt Group (QCAQG)

A small local art quilt group that meets monthly to share art quilting ideas and encourage each other.

Other Achievements

Certified Zentangle Teacher 2010

Windham Textile Museum 
on planning committee for 2014 Quilt Show

Ashford Friends of the Babcock Library Quilt Show committee– April 2008
Participated in quilt show planning committee and as advisor to committee

A Quilter’s bouTEAque – Tea and quilt display , Storrs. Ct. Oct. 2007
Worked on items to sell, helped plan event, & set up  running of sales room

Greater Hartford Quilt Guild
2007, 2009, 2011, 2013- take in quilts, plan quilt placement in show, quilt show set up/take down

Narragansett Bay Quilters Association
Help in show set up for many years
2006- curator of the Founders Exhibit recognizing our founding mothers on our 30th anniversary

The Tie That Binds , quilt show co-chair. Storrs, CT   2002
Church fundraiser, Guest quilter Janet B. Elwin, vendors, raffle baskets

Vermont Quilt Festival
Volunteer- Show take down, white glove, ticket booth, etc.  1996- 2001
Scribe for judges 2000
Vendor & Teacher 2012,2013

MQX Providence, NH
Vendor & Teacher 2011, 2012  Vendor 2013

Maine Quilts, Augusta ME
Vendor & Teacher 2013

ABC Quilts Area Coordinator, Warwick, RI    1988-91
Organized the making of and collected over 1200 at risk baby quilts

Since 2013, Pat has been designing pantographs for WillowLeaf Studio under the name of “The Zen Quilter”.  See her Zen Inspired pantographs at www.willowleafstudio.com

[quote]My proudest achievement has been teaching and sharing my knowledge of quilting with thousands of students since 1985. I have been professionally machine quilting since 1985 and have completed more quilts than I can count for many individuals. It brings me great satisfaction to complete a quilt for someone to enjoy or to give as a gift of themselves.[/quote]