Started in 1988, the Hoffman Challenge has grown to be a premiere traveling quilt, clothing, and doll collection. The quality of entries and a growing number of exhibit requests have led us to establish additional traveling collections. Currently, twelve collections travel coast-to-coast within the USA and to several Canadian locations.

This year the Hoffman Challenge is celebrating its 18th Anniversary. In 1987 the Challenge started with 94 enthusiastic quilters, and some years the number of entries has grown to more than 700. In addition to the three quilt categories (pieced, appliqué and mixed technique), new categories include clothing (wearable art), accessories, and dolls. While the majority of the entries come from the United States a wide variety of international entries are received. Each year, the top entries are grouped into traveling collections and visit quilt and fiber shows, seminars, quilt shops and quilt- and doll-makers guilds nationwide and in Canada. For more information about the schedule of these events please visit our Exhibit Schedule.

For the last two years, the challenge has been curated by Kelly Gallagher-Abbott. Kelly follows Margrit Hall, who had managed the Challenge since 1998.  Prior to Margrit, the curators and founders of the challenge were Betty Boyink and Holice Turnbow.  Visit the Curator Page to learn more about Kelly.

Many talented fiber artists have taken part in the Hoffman Challenge. Click on one of the fabrics below to see more about that year’s challenge, or click on Past Challenges to see all of the fabrics selected in our 18 years of presenting these collections.

2004 #2752 Multi Gold

2003 4381 #196 Black Cherry

2002 9175 #130 Multi

2001 6091 - Antique Black/Gold

Selecting the fabrics for the annual Hoffman Challenge is a challenge in itself! Although all of the Hoffman Fabrics are famously inspirational, we must narrow the selection.

Some of the criteria used are: