Critter and creature quilts

As animal lovers, we enjoyed seeing some of the fun "creatures and critters" quilts shown below. They were displayed at the April 2016 show of the Guild of Quilters of Contra Costa County, California.

Please note: We're continuously posting free patterns on Twitter !

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Le Chat, 9 x 10", by Phyllis Nishimori

Phyllis created "Le Chat Noir" in response to a quilt challenge in which the theme was Paris, France. When she thought of Paris, she thought of Art Nouveau painter Theophile Alexandre Steinlen and his "Le Chat Noir" ( the black cat) poster on her kitchen wall, which advertised a famous cabaret in Paris of the 1890's. Phyllis displays her beautiful hand quilting and embroidery on this sophisticated mini-quilt.

A Purrfect Day, 32 x 36", by Cindy Greco

Cindy explains, "This is a kit of 5 patterns called "Purrfectly Pieced". The kit included all the flannel fabric and buttons. I added the embroidery with my own floss and change he name of the finished quilt. I made this for my sister ( a cat lover) for Christmas 2015. It was fun to make and hardly took any time at all compared to my other two entries !"
Cats seem to love quilts and balls of yarn; and these playful kitties are no exception. The Purrfectly Pieced quilt pattern is by Bonnie Sullivan at All Through the Night.

Flowers, 42 x 58", by Leslie Finta

Leslie states, "This giraffe pattern is from Laura Heine of Fiberworks, Inc. I used Kaffe Fassett fabrics. It was a Christmas gift for my granddaughter, Ava."

In this close-up, you can see that even the eye of the giraffe is a flower. We admire Leslie's very creative use of this fabric.

Garden Critters, 57 x 57", by Jo Mathies

Jo writes, "Garden Critters" is an original design resulting from Marilyn Doheney's class in 2008 at Thimble Creek Quilt Shop in Concord, California. Lots of strip sets were made, cut, and sewed together to make flowers, animals, insects, etc."

Here's a close-up of the very cheerful bumblebee and  ladybugs that add whimsy to these vibrant flowers.

Garden Party, 62 x 32", by Cindy Greco

Cindy says, "Maggie Walker designed this quilt, and I chose to hand applique and hand quilt it. I originally saw this quilt at the "Quilting in the Garden" show at Alden Lane Nursery  (Livermore, California) about 5 years ago. I found the pattern online, started collecting batik fabrics for the chickens, and began work on my quilt a year ago. I used the starch method with freezer paper templates and had to make a vinyl overlay for each block to tell where to put the pieces. I enjoyed making the background quilting look kind of like chicken wire, but the quilting of the chickens was very difficult because of the applique layers. The chicken eyes were a challenge, but i am pleased with the result. "  We think Cindy did a lovely job with this creation, which involves a great deal of applique pieces.

Bugs, 48 x 74", by Jo Mathies

Jo notes, "Bugs" evolved from Amy Bradley's pattern Snugly Bugly. My son is "Bugs", so most blocks were changed to showcase his favorite activities: Baseball Bugs, Grad Bugs, Hockey Bugs, Roller Blade Bugs, Sports Bugs, Paraglider Bugs, and Ski Bugs."

We can't help but smile at this colorful bug on polka dot roller blades, with his silly face. Jo's quilt is a real day-brightener ! 


Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2016 Contra Costa County Quilters Guild show.