Calavera de Azucar (Sugar Skull)

Dia de los Muertos (the Day of the Dead) is celebrated on October 31st, November 1st and 2nd. The tradition honors those who have passed, whose souls are thought to come back to eat, drink and be merry with their loved ones. Today we are featuring a wonderful sugar skull quilt which received a blue ribbon at the 2016 Springville (Utah) quilt show.

Please note: We're selling beautiful quilting and crafting books and fabrics at low introductory prices on e-Bay! Check out all our new listings! Also, we're continuously posting free patterns on Twitter !

Calavera de Azucar by Penelope Harris

Penelope Harris says,  "I made this quilt for the 2014 Hoffman Fabric Challenge.  It was accepted into the traveling show and it was sent to different quilt shows throughout the country for about a year.  The fabric reminded me of Mexico with its bright sunny colors.  At the time, my Mexican niece was pinning sugar skulls onto Pinterest and that is where the inspiration came for designing my own Calavera de Azucar."

We enjoyed the colors, design and execution of this quilt!  In the photo above you can see the precise blanket stitching of the applique pieces on the skull.

NOTE: For free patterns for sugar skulls, see our Free Patterns for Dia de los Muertos!

Image credits:  Photos of Calavera de Azucar were taken by Quilt Inspiration. 

Highlights of the Pacific International Quilt Festival ! Day 4

The Pacific International Quilt Festival (PIQF) is the biggest quilt show on the West Coast of the US. We had a great time at the 25th annual show in Santa Clara, California. There were nearly 1000 quilts on display from around the globe. Here is Part 4 of our highlights of the show!

Please note: We're selling beautiful quilting and crafting books and fabrics at low introductory prices on e-Bay! Check out all our new listings!
Also, we're continuously posting free patterns on Twitter !

Beginning True, 36 x 36", by Sue de Vanny (Australia)

Sue notes, " In the harsh Australian outback, driving cattle under the sweltering sun....., they can't do it without man's best friend...a dog. It's official name is Australian Cattle Dog, commonly known as Australian Heeler, or Blue Heeler. This dog has been working Australian farms for generations. The breed developed in the 1840's from a Blue Smooth High Collie crossed with a native dingo."

Detail, Beginning True by Sue de Vanny

Sue continues about her original design, "As a dog lover, [I find] this is a perfect subject in its link with true Australian beginnings." We love the intricate way that Sue has constructed the sweet face of this dog, with its large, soulful eyes. Sue's fascinating work is machine pieced, machine appliqued, and sewing machine quilted.

The King of the Barnyard Meets The Big Apple, 72 x 72", by Joanne MacNevin (Massachusetts, U.S.A.)

Honorable Mention winner in the Traditional Quilts category, Joanne says, "The male peacock - such a beautiful and amazing bird ! And doesn't it seem that he himself is completely and totally convinced of his own magnificence - willing, almost compelled to display it to anyone, anything, anywhere? ..Surely New York City has never seen his like. Let's see how the "Big Apple" (New York) receives the "King of the Barnyard!"

Detail, The King of the Barnyard

Joanne's lovely original design is machine pieced and sewing machine quilted.  We really admire all the many hours of work that obviously went into the piecing and quilting of this dazzling work.

Le Chat de Mondrian, 59 x 64", by Connie Kincius Griner (North Carolina, U.S.A.)

Connie explains, "This quilt is a fantasy in the form of a cartoon. In it, I imagine the artist, Piet Mondrian, living in an attic room in Paris. His signature palette of primary colors brings life to his drab surroundings. Even his cat and mouse are transformed by his artistic genius. "

Detail, Le Chat de Mondrian

Connie's beautiful workmanship creates these very clean, geometric lines and edges which are so necessary to the depiction of this contemporary kitty. Her original design is machine pieced, machine appliqued, and sewing machine quilted.

Effervescent Textiles, 67 x 66", by Kathryn Sandner (California, U.S.A.)

Circles in a variety of patterns cover the surface of this Effervescent quilt. Kathryn says, "The premiere edition of Simply Moderne showcased a quilt by RachaelDaisy on the cover. Her [Bubbles] quilt inspired this piece."

Each circle was turned under and machine appliqued (giving an appearance of depth to the layers of circles), and longarm machine quilted.

Necktie Century Archeology, 99 x 80", by Cathy Perlmutter

Cathyl Perlmutter says, "This quilt incorporates 68 neckties, from 1950 to today. I arranged them chronologically, as if an archaeologist were digging them up. The earliest, a tie along the bottom, features a bathing-suit clad pinup girl. Above come the 1960s (paisley galore), the yuppy 70s, and so on. In the lower left are neckties related to love, sex, and childbirth – including a Viagra tie. This quilt encapsulates fashion trends and ideas of masculine interests and sexuality!" The ties shown below feature neon Volkswagens, a golf course, a Monopoly game, and young Elvis clutching a hound dog.

You can see more details of the ties and construction at Cathy Perlmutter's blog. Necktie Century Archeology was hand appliqued, hand quilted, and embellished with 100+ vintage buttons.

Not Forgotten, 80 x 78", by Janet Fogg (Oregon, USA)

Winner of a Judge's Choice award, Janet Fogg says, "Exactly twenty-five years ago I attended my first quilt show and was astounded by the beautiful work. Inspired to create quilts of my own, I couldn’t decide whether to focus on traditional or innovative designs. So, from the very beginning, I combined the two genres in my designs. Today, I present you with Not Forgotten, a well loved character juxtaposed somewhat transparently against a cliff of traditional baby blocks." beside the sea."

Not Forgotten was machine pieced, hand appliqued, and longarm quilted. The beautiful hand dyes are by Jeanette Viviano.

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration.

Highlights of the Pacific International Quilt Festival ! Day 3

The Pacific International Quilt Festival (PIQF) is the biggest quilt show on the West Coast of the US. We had a great time at the 25th annual show, held last week in Santa Clara, California. There were nearly 1000 quilts on display from around the globe. Here is Part 3 of our highlights of this year's show!

Please note: We're selling beautiful quilting and crafting books and fabrics at low introductory prices on e-Bay! Check out all our new listings!
Also, we're continuously posting free patterns on Twitter !

Dottie’s Lament, 45 x 44”, by Sue Bower,  Pennsylvania, U.S.A.

Sue explains about her original design:  "This piece was inspired by [pop artist] Roy Lichtenstein's work. I created Dottie using multiple layers of fabric and raw edge machine applique. Her foundation pieced stash, custom digitized and machine embroidered dialogue balloon, and tone-on-tone longarm quilting preserve the 2D comic book look."

Dottie continues, " The original scene appeared in the romance comic book series 'First Kiss', published in 1961. Did Brad really leave her?  Stay tuned. The answer will be revealed in 2017."
Who among hasn't felt a little twinge of guilt about adding more fabric to her already over-flowing stash? We find this quilt to be not only beautifully made, but also hilariously funny.

For the Watchers and Dreamers, 41 x 41”, by Kristin Shields, Oregon, U.S.A.

Kristin notes about her original design,  "This quilt was inpsired by the graphic illustrations from Mid Century Modern children's picture books. It is hand appliqued."

Kristin's work is sewing machine quilted, and these contemporary patterns look great against the softer neutrals highlighted by bold black lines.

The Sunrise in the Bougainvilleas, 59 x 71”, by Mihoko Tanaka, Japan

Mihoko notes, "Southwestern Japan's back country provides much serenity for everyone. When the sun rises through the bouganvilleas, you can especially appreciate this time of year. It almost seems to be the origin of our energy. Does it also give the motivation to begin something new? "

Close-up, Sunrise in the Bouganvilleas

Mihoko's original design is machine pieced, machine appliqued, and sewing machine quilted. This beautiful juxtaposition of warm and cool hues does indeed seem to radiate a dynamic sense of energy.

My Favorite Home in Each Season, 69 x 52”, by Bonnie Thomas, California

Bonnie writes, "Yo-yo's (fabric that is gathered into small, round, shapes) are the perfect project for the long drive to visit our son every Sunday. The three dimensionality of these homes really attracted me. I wish I could own all these homes in real life."

Winter

Bonnie's charming work shows yo-yo's in all four panels, one for each season. The seasonal patterns are by Marcia Layton; this one is called Lollipop Lane. Notice how yo-yo's decorate the gingerbread house and form a fence line of lollipops.

Spring

In the block for spring (Cottontail Trail), the yo-yo's are used to depict the sun, the clouds, the bunny at the gate, as well as the gate itself, and the plants emerging from the earth.

Autumn

In the Harvest Road pattern, the yo-yo's are used as pumpkins in the wheelbarrow and as leaves ready to fall from the tree.

Summer

This summer-themed pattern is Raccoon Ridge by Marcia Layton. Look closely, and you'll see that the yo-yo's are used to construct the animals and even the walls of the summer cabin at the side of the lake.

Cactus Fish, 60 x 57”, by Alethea Ballard and Freddy Moran, California

An original design, Cactus Fish is the fifth in a series of collaborative collages made by Althea and Freddy. They explain, "We chose a theme quickly. In this case, it went like this. Althea: 'I have this fish panel that I've always wanted to use in a quilt.' Freddy: 'I love fish !'. Then, we pulled out all the brightest fabrics we could find, cut them up, and made a collage. Then, Alethea quilt it. TOO MUCH FUN !"

Close-up, Cactus Fish

Althea and Freddy's vibrant, wild and crazy creation is machine pieced, machine appliqued, and long arm quilted.

The Deep Blue Glitter, 87 x 87”, by Taeko Kasai, Japan

Taeko says, “I made this work, which is somewhat like a huge, glittering blue jewel, to present to myself in memory of my sixtieth birthday. I pieced Dresden plate patterns to express this brilliant cut jewel and quilted around to give an elegant look." Thin strips give the appearance of stained glass, as shown below.

The Deep Blue Glitter was machine pieced, machine appliqued, and sewing machine quilted.

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration.

Highlights of the Pacific International Quilt Festival: Day 2!

The Pacific International Quilt Festival (PIQF) is the biggest quilt show on the West Coast of the US. We had a great time at the 25th annual show, held last week in Santa Clara, California. There were nearly 1000 quilts on display from around the globe. Here is Part 2 of selected highlights of this year's show!

Please note: We're selling beautiful quilting and crafting books and fabrics at low introductory prices on e-Bay! Check out all our new listings!
Also, we're continuously posting free patterns on Twitter !

Carnavaal, 74 x 52", by Thom Atkins, Santa Cruz, California

Thom Atkins notes, "I started with a kaleidoscope pattern from 2004; I had the pieces cut but not assembled. I also had lots of purple tear drop crystals I wanted to use. I was inspired by some pictures of Venetian Carnival masks, and my kaleidoscope morphed into a headdress. Then I created the lady to wear it and a window frame for her to look out."

Closeup,  Carnavaal by Thom Atkins

"Carnavaal" is an original design which is machine appliqued and long arm quilted. The elaborate embellishment with crystals gives this work a very glamorous, sophisticated look.

Street Tunes, 48 x 40", by Deborah Ann (Yakima, Washington, USA)

Deborah Ann says, "The passion that Ray has as he entertains people in The Loop of St. Louis, (an historic neighborhood in St. Louis, Missouri), inspired me to share with others."

Close up, Street Tunes

Deborah's original design is machine pieced, machine appliqued, and sewing machine quilted. Even though these fabric shades are mostly neutrals, there is still a lot of contrast and energy to this piece.

Draft Horse Classic, 74 x 57", by Linda Lasich (Grass Valley, California, USA)

Linda notes,"The Nevada Country Fairgrounds produces annually in September, the Draft Horse Classic, bringing all breeds of draft horses together. It's a fabulous event that I commemorate with this quilt. "
Draft Horse Classic was inspired by the Material Matrix technique by Sandra Bruce
which involves interpreting a gridded photograph with fabric.

Detail, Draft Horse Classic

Linda's original design is machine pieced and long arm quilted. This artist has done an excellent job of selecting both light and dark fabrics to depict both the draft horse and the background.

No L, 71 x 70",  by Janet Stone (Overland Park, Kansas, USA)

Winner of the Yuko Watanabe "Best of Show" award, Janet Stone writes, "Inspired by quilt collector Bill Volckening's antique New York Beauty quilts, I thought the large sashing interection blocks would be a great place to put the letters. Except letter "L", that is. Being fearful of curved piecing, [I made sure that] all the curvy pieces are appliqued."

Detail, No L

Janet's original design is machine pieced, machine appliqued, and sewing machine quilted.  This meticulous workmanship is certainly deserving of the Best of Show award.

Apis Mellifera, 44 x 49", by Barbara Lange (Germany)

"Apis Mellifera" is the Latin name for the Western honey bee, the most common of the 40 species of honey bees world wide. Barbara notes, "Bees have been a major topic in my work for the past few years. Insects in general are the most successful species on earth - without them, our life would not be what it is."

Detail, Apis Mellifera

This lovely embroidery work in clear tones of orange-yellow provides a stunning contrast with these pure shades of cyan blue.

Reinventing the Wheel, 60 x 65", by Erin Davis, S. Napier, S. Cureton, C. Calvert, J. Ramsey, M. Capron, and J. Passell (Morton Grove, Illinois, USA)

This is a 100% English Paper Pieced color wheel quilt and has 11 blocks by Erin Davis and fellow members of the Get Your Hex On bee. The original design is hand pieced and machine appliqued.  Every color, except one, was a Kona cotton fabric. It was longarm quilted by Melissa at Sew Shabby Quilting.

Detail, Reinventing the Wheel

Erin Davis explains, " As a relatively newer quilter, I've been very much drawn to the modern quilting movement, but as I work within that realm, I've been increasingly influenced by past styles and traditional techniques. I like to call myself a 'modern traditionalist'. Rather than seek to work with a particular quilt pattern, i chose to design a more unique approach by playing with geometrics  and palette. This......quilt has served as larger inspiration in other projects I've completed."

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration.

Highlights of the Pacific International Quilt Festival: Day 1 !

The Pacific International Quilt Festival (PIQF) is the biggest quilt show on the West Coast of the US. We had a great time at the 25th annual show, held last week in Santa Clara, California. There were nearly 1000 quilts on display from around the globe. Here are selected highlights of this year's show!

Please note: We're selling beautiful quilting and crafting books and fabrics at low introductory prices on e-Bay! Check out all our new listings!
Also, we're continuously posting free patterns on Twitter !
 
David, 76 x 78”, by Gilli Theokritoff (UK)

This quilt is an original design, made from approximately 14,000 small mosaic squares of printed fabric appliqued to a background grid to create the image of Michelangelo’s famous statue David.

Gilli Theokritoff says, "I have always wondered about David’s ambivalent expression and the quilting is my text that explains the history of David and his fall from grace with God." David is hand appliqued and sewing machine quilted. 

Korowai Ma, 57 x 33”, by Annie White (New Zealand)

Annie White says, "Korowai Ma (White Cloak) is a modern interpretation of a Maori cloak, which is traditionally made from finely woven muka (twisted flax fiber). In this modern take, fabric “kete” style weaving anchors a spray of fabric ‘feathers.’ "

Each ‘feather’ is individually made and some are hand-embroidered before being placed on the cloak backing.

Gathered Consciousness, 36 x 36”, by Cindy Watkins (Australia)

Gathered Consciousness was awarded a ribbon of merit from the National Association of Certified Quilt Judges (NACQJ). This original design was machine appliqued and sewing machine quilted using fabrics created by Australian aboriginal artists.

Cindy Watkins says, “The young girl in my quilt was photographed by Robyn Adams at the first revival of the Bunya Dreaming gathering in 2007. This is a celebration to maintain the tradition of the gathering of the Bunya nut. For me she represents the collective consciousness and the future of Australia. My thanks to the aboriginal artists that created the fabric that I have used in my quilt and my respect to the first people for our nation.”

Pink Bird, 50 x 40”, by Judy Coates Perez (California, USA)

Pink Bird won a blue ribbon for Best Sewing Machine Workmanship – Innovative. Judy Coates Perez says, “25 years ago I was making my first art quilts, by appliqueing and piecing commercial fabrics, now I prefer to paint all my fabric. Painting images often inspired by nature, sometimes using photos of real birds and plants as reference for a pose or shape, then altering them graphically. I simplify details, create new patterns and choose different colors to create unique stylized flora and fauna.”

Adorned Elephant, 46 x 64”, by Jane Hopkins (UK).

Jane Hopkins says that the inspiration for Adorned Elephant came from a child’s drawing book. Most of it is machine appliqued, but the hexagons are hand pieced. The fabrics used are hand dyed cottons, silks and parts of saris. The cords and tassels are machine made. The elephant is embellished with beads, sequins and crystals.

Barcelona Sunset, 80 x 80”, by Lisa Walton (Australia)

We loved the gorgeous colors in this quilt, which was inspired by the Modernista tile designs of Barcelona. Lisa Walton's hand dyed fabrics were pieced to make the quilt top. The tile patterns were quilted over the top and then painted. The tile designs were used with permission of The Pepin Press.

Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2016 Pacific International Quilt Festival in Santa Clara, California.