For the Sunbonnet Sue Quilt Club’s annual raffle quilt, local quilters turned to inspiration from a biologist and ornithologist.

Organizers of the quilt club’s 31st annual show, say former scientist and prolific artist Muriel “Kitty” Niles sat for hours sketching the flora and fauna she observed at Carrie Blake Park. She designed quilts and led classes until her death in 2012 and her work even was included in the Smithsonian Institute’s collection of American handicrafts.

Sequim quilter Lydia Nelson purchased several partially sewn items at Niles’ estate sale where she learned Niles began to interpret her nature sketches into 25 quilt squares. Each of these used a unique combination of fabrics and trims and included machine appliqué and bobbin work.

Nelson sewed Batik blocks in green and beige to enlarge the finished design and with help from Ilse Osier they completed the entire piecing process with machine quilting by Mary Anne Clayton.

The quilt will be raffled off on July 23 at the end of the Sunbonnet Sue’s show in Sequim Middle School, 301 W. Hendrickson Road.

Tickets are $1 each and are available at the quilt show, the Sequim Farmers Market on July 8 and 15, the First Friday Art Walk on July 7, and Doodlebugs on July 10 with proceeds benefiting the club’s community service projects and activities.

This year’s show’s theme “Don’t Bug Me, I’m Quilting!” was inspired by Niles’ art and spirit, organizers say.

The show runs 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. Friday-Saturday, July 21-22, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday, July 23, in Sequim Middle School. For more information, visit www.sunbonnetsuequiltclub.org.