Jean Shute from Otis Orchards, Washington created this piece. She says, “Armadillo’s Song is a Bolivian fairy tale about an armadillo that dearly wanted to sing. He would listen to the frogs, crickets, and other creatures around the pond simg each night and they in turn would make fun of him knowing he could not […]

Carol’s title “Peeping Goldilocks” should be the tip-off to the fairy tale she accepted as her challenge piece, “Goldilocks and the Three Bears.” However, Carol’s research shows there is a lot more to the story than most of us know and frankly, it’s fascinating. She writes, “My research about this well-known story revealed that the […]

Amy Vetter, the designer and maker of this fairy tale quilt does a wonderful job detailing her creative process step by step through photos and text on her blog. http://amysetcetera.blogspot.com/2015/09/international-fairy-tale-challenge.html I love her title and urge you to read her post and learn how she came up with the name “Social Climbing.” There are a […]

I’m certain when everyone sees the words “Cat Woman,” they immediately think of her arch enemy Batman and Marvel Comics. Surprisingly, there is a fairy tale featuring another Cat Woman. The reference I found shows the tale originating in Greece, but as I’ve discovered with fairy tales there are variations in cultures and countries worldwide. […]

Diana Cleland-Boyle created a quilt based on this well-known fairy tale. She titled it, “Who is Fairest of Them All?” Diana writes, “It is obvious in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs the vanity of the queen and the innocent beauty of Snow White are in conflict. The mirror plays the pivotal role in the […]

Janet Hiller of Eugene, Oregon created this piece for the International Fairy Tale Challenge, one of the few that is not representational or pictorial. Here is what she says about her work. “In Japanese mythology Amano Iwato is the story of Amaterasu, the sun goddess, who was driven by the bad behavior of her brother […]

Sally Zehrung created the quilt based on this fairy tale well known to Americans. She writes, “The title is Aladdin and the Magic Lamp. Since I don’t do well with representing people I chose to use the moment that Aladdin first held the lamp in the Cave of Wonders, with the beginning of the genie […]

Marlene Singer of Eugene, Oregon created this piece about a well-loved site in Oregon’s Columbia River Gorge. She explains, “Multnomah Falls has been an inspiration of mine for many years. As I was growing up. my family traveled through the Columbia Gorge on vacation and would stop at Multnomah Falls. On one of those trips, […]

Artist Deb Sorem created the quilt based on this folk tale. She tells an interesting story behind her reason for choosing “Talkative Turtle” and how she designed it. “Since I enjoy reading stories with my grandchildren, I thought it would be interesting to become familiar with a new fairy tale and to illustrate it in […]

Robin Lancaster created a stunning piece for the International Fairy Tale Challenge. She beautifully describes her experience, the details of the tale, the inspiration she took from it, and her techniques. “For years I have wanted to participate in a challenge but never had the confidence to do so. When the fairy tale challenge came […]

Br’er Rabbit is a figure from both the southern US and African folklore. He is a trickster who uses his wits to extricate himself from difficult situations. In the tale that I know, Br’er Fox forms a doll out of a piece of tar and dresses it with clothing. When Br’er Rabbit passes by he […]

The “Town Musicians of Bremen” is a well-known tale in the US. It was one of my favorites from childhood. I’ve always loved animals and was the tale I asked to create if my first choice was taken. While there is more than one version, here’s the one I know recall. Four older animals–a donkey, […]

Artist Diane English created a scene from the Japanese tale “Momotaro.” She says, “I wanted to work with a story I was not familiar with so chose Momotaro. It was fascinating to read that it was used to rally the Japanese troops during World War II. The river carrying the peach is just the beginning […]

Writer-director Michel Ocelot spent his childhood in the African nation of Guinea, where he became enamored of tales in neighboring Senegal. He drew on a collection of folk tales from West Africa and wrote Kirikou et la Sorcière, an award-winning animated feature film. In the film, Kirikou, a newborn who comes into the world already […]