(Santa at the Mall, 54” square quilt by Mattie Rhoades )

Cascade A&E Magazine invited artists to submit Santa-themed works for its December edition — a heartfelt nod to founder Pamela Hulse Andrews and her enduring love of the season. The call welcomed all mediums, encouraging creatives to honor her legacy with imaginative interpretations of the iconic figure.

Santa at the Mall, 54” square quilt by Mattie Rhoades

Santa at the Mall is based on a photograph I took more than 25 years ago of the Santa my children visited each Christmas season. The piece merges modern quilting and digital techniques with our family tradition — the annual visit to the mall to see Santa. I enhanced Santa’s beard and added the hat he never wore, capturing both the myth and the man.

From a distance, the quilt reveals a classic, cheerful Santa — our sweet Santa — and reads like a portrait. Up close, its 5,184 fabric pieces dissolve into ¾-inch finished squares, a complex mix of color, time, and patience. Despite its intricacy, I enjoyed the process as I stitched the 81 sections, each made up of 64 fabric squares. Using the modern technique of a printed 1.25” grid made it accurate, easy, and relaxing!

This piece is a tribute to all the Santas who don warm suits and scratchy faux beards, yet still smile their way through children tugging on those beards and climbing onto their laps — their big hearts making childhood magic feel real again.

Mattie Rhoades is a business owner in Bend, and founder of Quiltsmart, Inc., a screen-printing company where traditional craft meets modern technique. When not sewing, she enjoys biking, hiking, and camping.