"A Howling View" designed by Cheryl Glandon and quilted by Tisha Cavanaugh of Quilt Icing, is NMQA's 2024 Balloon Raffle Quilt.

Quilt Designer's Statement:

The NMQA 2024 Balloon Fiesta Quilt was inspired by the Sandia Mountains hikes I take with my dog Demi. On these hikes I often see coyotes, deer, bull snakes and even tarantulas. The 32 machine-pieced hot air balloons range in size from 11” x 14” to 5” x 7”  --  that includes five special shape balloons and one gas balloon. For the special shape balloons, I wanted to include Oggy the Friendly dragon as it’s the year of the dragon. Super Bike is on the balloon as I am an avid motorcycle rider. Elvis is on the balloon as I was always told by my Aunt Flossie that we are related to him through his mother. IVO always makes me smile when I see him in the air and it’s a nod to my sister as she lives in Indiana. Balloonaful is just an awesome 3D balloon design.

The design includes several balloons that I made and that have special meaning to me:

• Tamo, the pink camouflage balloon, gives a nod to all the hunters out there as I love elk hunting.  
  
• Champayne Cowboy is from Broken Arrow, OK and I’m an Okie from Lawton, OK.  The flags on this balloon are orange and black. A nod to all the Oklahoma State University (OSU) Alumni’s. My husband graduated from OSU.
  
• I had to include Big Top as I’ve always loved going to the circus as a little girl and adult.
  
• The Colorado balloon is on the quilt as my daughter Kayleigh graduated from Veterinary school at CSU and is practicing in ABQ. My husband and I enjoyed our many trips to CO to see her and visit our neighbor state.

I created the NMQA 50th Anniversary balloon as our quilt guild is celebrating its 50th anniversary. It is the only balloon on the quilt that is not a real balloon.  A special thanks to all the talented guild members who made balloons and who have become friends and mentors.

The 15" X 24" coyote in the foreground of the quilt took 5 days to machine embroider (8 hours each day). I made him 2 times before embroidering him on the quilt. It took 2 days to embroider the baskets on the quilt (8 hours each day).

Techniques used in the quilt include machine and hand piecing, hand applique, machine and raw edge applique, machine embroidery and custom long arm quilting.

Machines used: Brother Luminaire, Brother Dream Machine II, Pfaff sewing machine.

Next Year's Quilt

Because of the complexity of creating, constructing, and marketing NMQA's annual Balloon Quilt, future quilts are already in various stages of design and construction.  Interested designers for future years can see our timeline and design guidelines here.

Balloon Pilots: Interested in seeing your balloon on the Quilt?

Have you flown your balloon at an Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta? Would you like your balloon to appear on an upcoming Balloon Fiesta Quilt?  We need your permission first!  Find details here.