The 37th Annual Hoffman Challenge fabric will be delivered to stores this month. Quilters, textile artists, accessory artists, artists of any kind, start your creative engines! Online entries are due by September 15, 2026. And while you may think that’s eons away, I can guarantee you it will be here in a flash!
It’s fitting (pun intended for the Clothing Category) that this week I had the immense pleasure of catching up with Jean Impey, the Curator (her title) and Woman in Charge (my title) of the Hoffman Challenge. And she fits it all in on top of her busy teaching, lecturing, and private commissions schedule. She is one very creative, inspiring lady!
For most of our conversation, I focused on her role in the Hoffman Challenge. I learned that if you name it, she does it. And IT is a huge job, with entries coming in from all over the globe. She starts with curating entries from digital submissions, and gets busier from there, from notifying contestants they’ve been accepted (pop the champagne!) to organizing accepted physical entries arriving daily for judging. Then there’s the actual judging, notifying, awarding…the list goes on. And that’s just for the latest Challenge. Past challenge entries need to be managed as well, from being packed up for various shows to being returned to their owners. It’s a massive task that requires a tremendous amount of organization and attention to detail. I immediately informed Jean I would never be interested in taking on her job.
DANCE OF THE ‘WILD’ FLOWERS!
by Sharon L. Schlotzhauer, Aurora, CO
Last year’s first place winner in the Appliquéd Quilts Category
I asked Jean if she had a favorite category. “That’s hard to say. Clothing is such an interesting category since entries range from wearable clothing to Shakespearean costumes, integrating theatrical textiles and multiple layers. But for my favorite category, I guess I’d say Mixed Techniques or Appliqué Quilts because that’s where I typically see the most creativity.”
She went on to add that the Mixed Techniques category gets the most entries, “But I sometimes think there’s a misunderstanding about which category the piece actually fits into. Sometimes I will change the classification of an entry, especially if I think it’s really good and would have a better chance of winning in a different category.”
By the way, Jean also said “The Modern Quilts category gets the fewest number of entries.” Now if that’s not a hint for the strategic entrant, I don’t know what is!
This year’s Challenge is titled “Coffee Shop”, and the delectable fabric and color palette definitely supports the theme. However, Jean explained that while she and the panel of judges would love to see the use of only Hoffman fabrics, entries can contain fabric from any manufacturer in addition to the challenge fabrics. She dropped another subtle hint, “Don’t be afraid to add color!”
On that note, I asked Jean what is her best advice to someone who wants to enter the Challenge. “Have fun and be as creative as you can. You don’t have to be the best quilter or sewist; sometimes the best pieces win on creativity versus perfect techniques.”
For more information on how you can enter the Challenge, please visit https://www.thehoffmanchallenge.com. If you’d like to know a bit more about Jean Impey, visit https://sewjean.com. You’ll be glad you did! Until next time — Karen
