As Diane Merrithew crafted her wall hanging for last year’s Cherrywood Fabrics Storytime Challenge, she had no idea she might see it in person in Canada. The Minnesota-based company has presented an annual contest since 2014, exhibiting the top entries at major shows all over the world.
Next year, you can see the 2026 Storytime entries and the 2027 Jane Goodall exhibit at Quilt Canada in Calgary. Even better, you still have time to submit an entry for the second one by Feb. 1.
For Storytime, Diane was the only Canadian to win a ribbon this year. Her Cherrywood Hollow drew inspiration from Dr. Seuss but has a made-up village name you won’t find in any book.
“While exploring a memory box filled with keepsakes from my children’s early years, I discovered that the books we chose to save were almost entirely Dr. Seuss stories,” the Queensville, Ont. resident wrote in her artist statement.
“These well-worn volumes were read aloud, reread and deeply treasured, becoming portals to imaginary places both strange and familiar. Cherrywood Hollow is my tribute to those crooked streets and fanciful villages, where imagination bends reality and childhood wonder still lives.”
The Storytime Challenge
The collection has three themes: fable (with 90 quilts), fantasy (another 90) and fairytale (45). It celebrates classic children’s books, such as Alice in Wonderland, Mother Goose and Charlotte’s Web.
“The Storytime Challenge collection showcases the incredible talent of these artists and the deep, nostalgic connection people have with their favourite childhood stories,” said Cherrywood Fabrics owner and CEO, Karla Overland.
Her interaction with her Canadian distributor, Gail Heller, led to the Quilt Canada connection. As she toured the Storytime and Abyss exhibits at the H+H Americas show in Rosemont, Illinois in early May, Gail mentioned how much she would love to have even one of them come to Calgary.
To her delight, Karla said yes.
“It’s an amazing exhibition and an inspiration for Canadian quilters,” Gail said. “It’s a wonderful display of artfulness and has a large following.”
Previously, three exhibits have visited two Ontario venues. The Cotton Harvest quilt shop brought the Van Gogh collection to Seaforth in November 2017, followed by the one dedicated to the musician Prince in 2018 and painter Bob Ross in 2019. The Prince artwork also appeared at Black Creek Pioneer Village in Toronto in July 2019.
The Goodall Challenge
The second exhibit focuses on the work of primatologist Jane Goodall. In case you don’t know her work, the late activist was world-renowned for her groundbreaking, long-term study of wild chimpanzees in Tanzania. She also developed a stellar reputation as an influential voice for animal welfare.
As a UN Messenger of Peace, Jane campaigned for endangered species and environmental protection. The 2027 challenge memorializes her inspirational message of hope after her death on Oct. 1, 2025 at the age of 91. A portion of the proceeds will go to the institute created in her name.
Artists can choose any aspect of Jane’s complex life as the theme for an original work measuring 20 by 20 inches.
“The reach for this exhibit goes far beyond quilters,” Gail said. “It’s a really feel-good thing with deep meaning, especially for the science community. This will inspire a new generation since the world doesn’t fully know the extent of quilting as an art.”
How to Enter
Each Cherrywood kit contains a fabric bundle, batting, Aurifil thread, a collector backpack and patch for $249 (all amounts in Canadian dollars). You can also enter by buying eight half yards for $112 or eight fat quarters for $56. The other items are optional add-ons. The entry fee costs $35.
See the full rules. A panel of jurors selects 225 quilts per challenge and creates traveling exhibits of 45 or 90 quilts each.
As for Diane, she plans to attend Quilt Canada and take in the full Cherrywood Challenge. “Having my quilt there is the icing on the cake!” she added. “Maybe we will see more Canadian entries in the next challenge.”
