Wednesday, April 25, 2018

Just for fun : Humorous quilts

Did you know that humor boosts health in six different ways ? Humor reduces stress and can help us to put situations (including the daily news!) into perspective. Laughter can even help lower the risk of heart disease.*  We hope these whimsical quilts will make you smile. :-)

Upcycle Cat by Ann Horton


Ann notes,  " [I was] inspired to use recycled shirts, buttons, trims, and pieces from my stash. This fun cat shows how an art quilter's mind works ! His belly is made from a blouse belonging to my 93 year old mother."  The cat is even carrying a book titled "Art Quilts" (see closeup below!)

Upcycle Cat won the Most Humorous Quilt award at the 2018 Road to California show.


In the sewing world, "upcycle" means to take previously used materials or fabrics and re-use them in a new project. By showing this cute kitty pedaling a bicycle, Ann makes a humorous pun by relating "upcycle" to "bicycle".  Ann's original design is very well done and most deserving of the "Most Humorous Quilt" award.

Wonky Houses by Martha Baltram


Third place winner for Best Scrap Quilt at the 2018 Quilt Arizona Show, Martha states, "This original house design was inspired by hairdos, curls, and colors. Buds and flowers were created to give it life and humor. "

Close-up, Wonky Houses


It's really  fun to stand and observe Martha's quilt for awhile, as there are all sorts of zany, very imaginative details !   Here's an owl perched in the air between the house that looks as if it's wearing a wig for a roof, and the house with valentine heart windows.

Sewing Bee by Diane Robinson, quilted by Irene Talmadge


Diane explains, "This was a block-of-the-month from an online vendor. I used the laser-cut bee [appliques] that were supplied, and I used my own fabrics for the blocks."
This adorable quilt is based on the Sew Busy Bee block-of-the-month quilt at Stitches of Love.


The center block shows a queen bee with heart-topped antennas sprouting from her crown. The expressions on the bee's faces really made us smile !

Wrinkly-Irony by Connie Griner


Connie writes about her original design, " [This quilt was] Inspired by an internet posting that defined the word 'irony' as the opposite of 'wrinkly.' My hope is to bring a smile to the viewer !"  We like the way that she very creatively divided the quilt into two distinct parts to emphasize the difference between the "wrinkly" side and the "irony" side.

Detail, Wrinkly-Irony


Connie's techniques include machine piecing, hand and machine applique, fusing, hand embroidery, improvisational piecing, fabric texturizing, and piping.

Octopus by Gay Young


Gay says, "A red octopus seemed like a fun idea ! She floats peacefully in her garden."


For her original design, Gay used hand-dyed cottons and silk broadcloth. Her techniques include machine applique, fused applique, hand-dyeing, painting, and Thermofax printing. This cheery octopus looks as if she is dancing along with the starfish in an under-the-sea party ! 

Pickles All in a Row by Nancy Walter


Nancy remarks, "Several members of the Betweens Chapter ( of the Arizona Quilters' Guild) decided to do a row challenge ! We each provided basic fabric, made a row, and pass it on with the group."
These Pickles quilting and sewing cartoons on fabric are guaranteed to bring a smile!



These cartoons are hilarious -- and very relatable to any quilter who's ever shared a space with a non-quilting but supportive friend or relative.

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2018 Road to California (Upcycle cat), the 2018 Quilt Arizona show (Pickles in a Row, Sewing Bee) and the 2017 Houston International Quilt Festival.

*Hayashi et al. 2016. Laughter is the Best Medicine? A Cross-Sectional Study of Cardiovascular Disease Among Older Japanese Adults. See: J. Epidemiology 2016.
* Yim J. 2016. Therapeutic Benefits of Laughter in Mental Health: A Theoretical Review. Tohoku J Exp Med.

Wednesday, April 18, 2018

Free pattern day! Stained Glass quilts

Here are free patterns for Stained Glass quilts!  They can be made by piecing a thin sashing strip between blocks, or by appliqueing fabric on a background, or or by placing bias tape over the edges of applique (as with fusible bias tape). To retrieve a pattern: Scroll down the page until you see the quilt you like, then click on the words "CLICK for PDF download" in the title above the quilt.

Also check out our E-Bay shop for great bargains on quilt patterns, fabric, and vintage collectibles!
For more free quilt patterns, please visit us on Twitter.


The Way We Were quilt, 64 x 75", free pattern by Marjorie Rhine for Hoffman Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Anne Pillow, free pattern at Art Gallery Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Stained Glass Flowers table mat, free pattern at Quilters World (CLICK for PDF download)


Serengeti baby quilt, 45 x 50", free pattern by Jinny Beyer (CLICK for PDF download)


Cosmo Oxygen lap quilt, 66 x 77", free pattern at Northcott Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)


Leaded Glass quilt, 72 x 72", free pattern by Tracey Jacobsen for AQS (CLICK for PDF download)


Dashing quilt, ~54 x 54", free pattern by Ink and Arrow for Quilting Treasures (CLICK for PDF download)


True Nature quilt, free pattern by Cathey Marie Designs (CLICK for PDF download)


Stained Glass Rooster, free pattern by Fiona Schiffl (CLICK for tutorial)


Tiffany Bluebird, free pattern by Lauri C. Martin for AQS (CLICK for PDF download)


Stained Glass Quilt video tutorial by Rob Appell (CLICK for tutorial)


Deco Delight quilt, free pattern by Sally Ablett for Fabric Freedom (CLICK for PDF download)


Prairie Glass Squared quilt, 57 x 57”, free pattern by Jessica Levitt for Windham Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)


Chromazone quilt, 61 x 61”, free pattern at eQuilter (CLICK for PDF download)


Pop Art Palette quilt, 52 x 65”, free pattern at Benartex (CLICK for PDF download)


Rocket 88 quilt, 72 x 90”, free pattern by Latifah Saafir for Robert Kaufman (CLICK for PDF download)


Batik stained glass quilt, 40 x 40”, tutorial by Ludlow Quilt and Sew (CLICK for PDF download)


Midnight quilt, 47x 57”, free pattern by Sally Ablett for Fabric Freedom (CLICK for PDF download)


Diamond Pendant quilt, ~60 x 69”, free pattern at Hoffman Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)


Skyline Sensation, 58 x 70”, free pattern by Larene Smith for Hoffman Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)


Lumina quilt, 105 x 117”, free pattern at Robert Kaufman Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download) (see the Lap size quilt variation here; CLICK for PDF download)


Sound of the Woods, 69 x 81”, free pattern at eQuilter (CLICK for PDF download)


Illuminate quilt, 73 x 90”, free pattern by Gina Gempesaw (CLICK for PDF download)


Painting the Town, 67 x 73”, free pattern by Heidi Pridemore for Benartex (CLICK for PDF download)


De Novo quilt, free pattern by Stephanie Sheridan for Benartex (CLICK for PDF download)


Ambrosia quilt, 61 x 71”, free pattern by Janet Houts for Blank Quilting (CLICK for PDF download)

 

Viva la Vida quilt, 63” square, free pattern by Sandy Irish for Benartex (CLICK for PDF download)


Dahlia Garden Gate quilt, 44 x 59”, free pattern at eQuilter (CLICK for PDF download)


Celtic Squares quilt, 47 x 47”, free pattern by Fabric Freedom (CLICK for PDF download)


Sparkling Hexies quilt, 73 x 88”, free pattern by Larene Smith for eQuilter (CLICK for PDF download)


Twelve Moons quilt, free pattern at Robert Kaufman (CLICK for PDF download)


Glass Rail Fence quilt, ~82” square, free pattern at Benartex (CLICK for PDF download)


Midnight Garden Gate quilt, free pattern at eQuilter (CLICK for PDF download)




Image credits: This post was updated on October 3, 2023. Individual images are copyrighted by their owners. Please respect their generosity in sharing their free patterns, and the restrictions they have placed on the use of these designs; complete information can be found at the designers' websites provided in the links. The photo montage shown on this page is a derivative work that is the property of Quilt Inspiration. If any links are broken, we'd love to know so we can fix it. Please email us at QuiltInspiration {at} gmail {dot} com.

Tuesday, April 10, 2018

The Best of Quilt Arizona - day 3

The Quilt Arizona exhibit draws quilters from around the country and features an exciting array of talent from snowbirds and residents.  Here is a sample of the beautiful and award-winning quilts from the recent show.

p.s. Check out our E-Bay shop for great bargains ! For continuous free patterns, please visit us on Twitter !

Magic Carpet 2 by Georgia Heller


It looks like a rug, but it is a quilt!  Trompe-l'œil (French for "deceive the eye") is an art technique that uses realistic imagery to create the optical illusion that the depicted objects exist in three dimensions. Georgia Heller says, "I was inspired by the Trompe l'œil wool rugs we saw at market in the Sacred Valley surrounding Cusco, Peru."


Magic Carpet 2 was created by painting with inks on Evolon. It was awarded 2nd place in the Art/Painted or Digital Quilt category.

Ruby Red Nesting Night Owl by Barbara Spitalny and the Night Owls


The Night Owl Chapter of the Arizona Quilters Guild wanted to create a quilt celebrating the 40 years of AQG [the Ruby Jubilee]. The challenge was to use a piece of ruby red fabric to create a nesting owl shape. These owls have sparkling personalities!



Color in My Kaffee by Constance Clark


This jewel box-like quilt was based on a design by Kim Diehl.  Constance Clark says, "Kim Diehl’s pattern for a traditional quilt was transformed into a riot of colors using Kaffe Fassett’s fabulous fabrics."  The central applique medallion is surrounded by three brilliant rows of snowball blocks.


The colorful snowballs were set against a charcoal-colored background, providing a vivid contrast.  This quilt was awarded the Third Place prize for hand quilting.


All Around Town by Nancy McFall, quilted by Janet Grant


This is Nancy McFall's beautiful version of Sue Garman’s All Around the Town design. She  received a set of the patterns on Christmas 2014. The majority of the fabrics were from Nancy's stash.  The red ribbon is the 2nd place award in the Applique - Medium/Large quilt category.  In the closeup photo below you can see that Janet Grant quilted a clamshell design on the roofs of the houses.


A Slice of Norway: Along the Fjord, entered by Margot McDonnell  (group quilt)

 

Winner of 1sst place in the Group Quilt category, this original design quilt was based on a photo taken by Margot McDonnell. We didn't realize this was a "slice" quilt until we saw it close up!  In the photo below you can see where two slices come together (in the middle of the boats).

 

The landscape and houses were fused, painted and hand embroidered. Each of five quilters (Margot McDonnell, Karen Adams, Patricia Bliss, Evelyn Link and Anne King) worked independently on her slice and quilted it.


Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2018 Arizona Quilters' Guild show.
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