In Full Bloom: Floral Album Quilts

Album quilts, which show a variety of blocks, are on almost everyone's list of favorite quilt patterns.  They provide great visual interest and are often a valuable source of inspiration for your next project. Here are some album quilts which really caught our eye at the recent 2013 Arizona Quilters' Guild Show. 

Heart of Gold - mini Baltimore Album, 22 x 26", by Linda Puttmann

Second place winner in the Miniature Quilts category, Linda writes, "I mad this needle-turn applique quilt for my mom to comfort her during her fight with cancer. She said it made her so happy."  We really like the cheerful color combination of the sunny yellow, gold, and coral orange hues combined with the soft sage green tones of the foliage.

Close up, Heart of Gold - mini Baltimore Album by Linda Puttmann

Here's a wonderful example of  Linda's excellent applique skills on a block that is only 4" wide. We imagine that this quilt must have been really fun to make. For more information, please check out Linda's blog, Sew Many Joyous Things.

More Flowers for my Quilts by Susan Norris

Susan notes, "I love floral appliqued quilts, so I keep making them. Hand needle turned applique and hand quilted with an assortment of Sulky variegate 12 weight thread. "

Close-up, More Flowers for my Quilts by Susan Norris

 

Susan's evenly spaced echo quilting pattern is the perfect choice to make these ombre-hued flowers really pop right off the block. We recognize this quilt pattern as "Flowers From My Garden" by Lori Smith at From my heart to your hands.

Cherry Tweet by Patty McKinney, quilted by Kathy Hunt

Honorable Mention winner for Best Applique, Large Quilts, Patty notes "My good friend gave this [pattern] to me as a Christmas gift, and I just finished. What a great gift. I so loved working on this project."

Close up, Cherry Tweet by Patty McKinney

The blocks of playful bluebirds add so much zest and personality here! For more information on this Cherry Tweet pattern, please visit Chitter Chatter Designs.

My Aunt Millies' Garden by Marcia Petroni

Marcia says, "This quilt is in memory of my Aunt Millie who lived her whole life on the east coast. I never met her, but we e-mailed a lot."

Close up, My Aunt Millie's Garden by Marcia Petroni

These aqua blue petals are really set off by the vibrant orange-red background fabric, giving a spicy southwestern look to this quilt. For more information about purchasing the instruction book for "Aunt Millie's Garden", please visit Piece O' Cake Designs.

Flowers for Dorothy by Alyce J. Leach

Alyce notes, "I received the border print when my friend dorothy passed away, and I decided to make a quilt with her fabric in memory of her."  We think that the regal-looking yet sprightly border fabric provides a pretty frame for the basket arrangements of coral, violet, and blue-gray appliqued blossoms.

Untitled, floral album by Iris Lacey

Iris says,  [This is a ] commercial pattern using needle turn applique and hand embroidery. " The clear, bright hues of the flowers and the dark stems and dark outline fabric give a vibrant, stained-glass effect to this quilt.

Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration