SANDPOINT — As a retired family practice physician, Judy Bell is all about following science.

When she began quilting a decade ago, however, she realized that she could use that scientific side, using math and logic, in conjunction with creating works of art.

"I liked it because, for once, I got to be creative," said Bell, this year's featured quilter for the upcoming Panhandle Piecemakers Quilt Guild’s Festival of Quilts.

Bell said she was a family practice physician in California for 20 years before moving to Sandpoint in 2001, where she worked for four years at a local family practice. She retired in 2006. It was when her niece was born in 2008 that Bell decided she would try her hand a quilting.

"One thing led to another and I just really fell in love with color and fabric and texture," she said.

Quilts come in many different sizes and patterns, all depending on what the quiltmaker desires. Quilts are made in three parts, Bell said, including the patterned side, the fabric on the back and the batting in between. Bell said a lot of quilters will piece together the top, and then send the creation out to have someone add the batting and the back layers to the quilt. There is nothing wrong with that, Bell said, as those who specialize in it are "very good at what they do." Bell, however, said she feels that for the quilt to fully be her own, she prefers to complete the layers herself — and she enjoys doing it.

Different sewing techniques create different textures, and as Bell showed off an example of a "random" pattern of stitching that included little squares and outlined sections, she said that, to her, is what makes a quilt.

"It's that interplay between the piecing, the patchwork the color and then the background texture," Bell said.

Bell uses a smaller Bernina sewing machine for piecing, but when she is quilting the three sections together, she uses a Tin Lizzie 18-inch longarm machine. The arm can be moved in any direction, and while they do make computerized versions, that is yet another aspect of quilting Bell said she prefers to do herself. Rather than punching in a design into the computer and walking away, she maneuvers the machine by hand, using rulers and other marking tools on occasion.

Several of Bell's quilts adorn the walls of her home, some with pictures such as birds or butterflies, others with splashes of different colors and shapes. On one quilt in particular, Bell said she basically followed the color wheel, beginning with shades of magenta and red in the top left corner, for example, and fading into orange, yellow, green, and blue. It then reverses and by the time the colors reach the bottom right corner, it is back to magenta. The background is made of hexagons, which Bell said are not easy to sew together. She could not have done it when she first started quilting.

"You challenge yourself," Bell said. "Each quilt, you are learning to do this, or do that, as far as the quilting is concerned, picking patterns that will highlight it — it's just fun."

Bell has been a member of the Panhandle Piecemakers Quilt Guild for about 10 years. She also belongs to three quilt guilds in Spokane, and has served on the board of the Spokane Modern Quilt Guild since its inception three years ago.

The Panhandle Piecemakers Quilt Guild is 29 years old this year, and hosts a show every other year as a fundraiser. It is also a way for the members to display some of the quilts they have been working on, Bell said. The funds are used to bring a teacher in a couple times a year to the group's monthly meeting.

Besides Bell's display as the featured quilter, the Festival of Quilts will include displays of quilts created by other guild members. Quilts will be judged the evening before the show starts, and ribbons will be awarded for first, second and third place in various categories.

Each year, Bell said, they also do a member challenge with small quilts, and this years theme was letters of the alphabet. With a letter chosen at random, members were instructed to take that letter and use it as an inspiration for whatever they wanted to make, Bell said. The challenge pieces will be on display at the Festival of Quilts.

There will be a vendor section, which Bell said typically consists of four of five vendors selling various quilting items, such as fabric and rulers. A merchandise section will be set up with projects made by local guild members throughout the year, such as bags, potholders, placemats, quilts and more. The event will also feature demonstrations and a bake sale.

The Festival of Quilts is from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Aug. 11, and 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 12, at Sandpoint Community Hall, 204 First Ave. Cost is $5, and husbands and children get in free.

Mary Malone can be reached by email at mmalone@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow her on Twitter @MaryDailyBee.