Happy 4th of July!

We're celebrating America's Independence Day with a concert and a tribute to red, white and blue quilts!  Here are beautiful flag quilts that caught our eye. The Old Glory design, below, is made with 11 different 6" quilt blocks.

Old Glory, 36 x 57",  by Connie Fittro, quilted by Donna Goldberg

The blue field is made with six different Ohio Star blocks in traditional prints, while the red and white blocks include Dutchman's puzzle, sawtooth star, bow tie, spool, four patch and and nine patch blocks.  This patriotic quilt is based on the Old Glory pattern by Yellow Creek Quilt Designs.  Donna Goldberg used feather, swirl, and loop quilting to highlight the white areas. 

Long May You Wave by Judy Pedersen (Arizona) 

Keep Our Flag Waving Forever by Elaine Mason

Proud American by Cheri McGunagle, quilted by Jeannie Rogers

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2018, 2017 and 2016 Quilt Arizona shows (Old Glory, Proud American, Long May You Wave) and the 2012 River City Quilters' Guild show (Keep Our Flag Waving Forever) .

O Canada! Canadian quilts

Since Canada Day is coming up (July 1), we wanted to share some of these wonderful quilts.  They were made by Canadians to honor the country's 150th anniversary in 2017.  Each of these outstanding quilts incorporates a nine patch design, either overtly or in a subtle way.  The quilts represent Canada’s history, geography, and culture as expressed by each artist.

p.s. For bargains on quilt books, magazines, and jewelry, visit us on E-Bay - we're Top Rated Sellers ! For continuous listings of free quilt patterns, please check us out on Twitter !

I Must Go Down to the Sea Again by Leah Gravells (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada)

Leah Gravells says she was inspired by Canada’s smallest province, Prince Edward Island’s potato fields, the Westpoint Lighthouse, and the sea. "My maternal grandfather and my father were lobster fishermen. The Westpoint Lighthouse (now iconic) guided them home to a safe harbor. I spent my early years at the shore and the lighthouse. I make a pilgrimage annually, as I must go down to the sea again."

This beautiful landscape quilt was created with machine piecing, hand applique, hand embroidery, and quilt-as-you-go techniques using cotton batik, wool, velvet, rayon, toile, silk, and ribbon.

Paint The Town Jelly Bean by Shelley DeHay-Turner (Oakville, Ontario, Canada)

Paint The Town was inspired by the brightly colored, whimsical Jelly Bean houses of Newfoundland. Shelley DeHay-Turner says, "My quilt pays homage to the people of Newfoundland who showed tremendous compassion, kindness, and generosity in their support of the many passengers re-routed to Gander, Newfoundland following the tragedy of 9/11."

Spinnaker Sails by Leslie and Ronald Prokop, quilted by Shelley DeHay-Turner (Stoney Creek, Ontario, Canada)

Canada can boast the longest coastline in the world with over 200,000 km of shoreline (over 152,000 miles)!  It is no surprise that Canada has a proud nautical history.   In this quilt, competitive sailors at the regatta, with colorful spinnaker sails full of wind, make a patchwork of color across the horizon.  This colorful quilt was hand appliqued, machine pieced and quilted.

Winds of Change by Kathy Mundy (Oakville, Ontario, Canada)

Winds of Change is a tribute to the First Nations of Canada. It is based on a dreamcatcher pattern from No Hats in the House, a dreamcatcher pattern. It is the belief of the Ojibwa, that the dreamcatcher allows only good thoughts to pass through and provides a positive lens for the hopes, dreams, and ambitions of future generations. Kathy Mundy incorporated blue jay feathers as she loves catching a glimpse of the vibrant blue color throughout the four Canadian seasons.

Late Skate by Janet Waurechen (Hamilton, Ontario, Canada)

Late Skate was hand pieced, appliqued, embroidered, and embellished, machine pieced. Janice Waurechen says, "I wanted to create a quilt to portray an iconic Canadian image. My Canadian nine Patch quilt pictures a lone figure skater on a frozen pond at night. She is illuminated by the Northern Lights, the moon and the stars. I called my quilt Late Skate, ice dancing under the stars."

Fall in Canada by Helen Monighan and the Stoney Creek Quilters’ Guild, quilted by Ginny Hoages (Stoney Creek, Ontario, Canada)

The Stoney Creek Quilters Guild members were each asked to create a Maple Leaf square. The 56 maple leaves were brought together by the design of member Helen Monighan. Each Maple Leaf square is unique, as each guild member comes from a different cultural background. Fall in Canada was hand appliqued and embroidered, machine pieced, appliqued, and quilted.

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2017 Houston International Quilt Festival.

O Canada ! Canadian Nine Patch quilts

What are Canadian Nine Patch quilts?  They are quilts made by Canadians to honor the country's 150th anniversary in 2017.  Each of these outstanding quilts incorporates a nine patch design, either overtly or in a subtle way.  The quilts represent Canada’s history, geography, and culture as expressed by each artist. Since Canada Day is coming up (July 1), we wanted to share some of these wonderful quilts.

p.s. For bargains on quilt books, magazines, and jewelry, visit us on E-Bay - we're Top Rated Sellers ! For continuous listings of free quilt patterns, please check us out on Twitter ! 

Maple Leaf by Susan Therrien (Winona, Ontario, Canada)

Maple Leaf was hand appliqued, machine pieced and quilted, and paper pieced. Susan Therrien says, "I am proud to be Canadian! Finding a variety of symbols representing life in Canada became the inspiration for my Canadian Nine Patch." The nine-patch center of the quilt, inspired by clip art from the web, reflects the many aspects of Canadian heritage and cultural activities.

The red Maple Leaf and small quilted leaves are internationally recognized as symbols of Canada.

Canadian Tartan by Rebecca McAlpine (Oakville, Ontario, Canada)

This map quilt was inspired by the Canadian Nine Patch theme, the map of Canada, and Scottish heritage. All of Canada’s provinces and territories have official tartans. The Canadian Tartan quilt is a map of Canada with each province and territory depicted by its tartan as registered in The Scottish Register of Tartans.

The Tartan map of Canada is on a background of the Maple Leaf Nine Patch. The quilt is bound in the national tartan, The Maple Leaf. The Canadian Maple Leaf tartan was designed by David Weiser, for Canada in honor of the country’s centenary in 1967. If you look closely you can see the maple leaf block in the white-on-white background, shown below:

Modern Hudson Bay by Joanne and Jenna Prokop, quilted by Leslie Prokop

Machine pieced and quilted, Modern Hudson Bay is a modern interpretation of the iconic Hudson Bay Blanket. This quilt uses a variation of the traditional Nine Patch to illustrate Canada’s patchwork history.

Founded in 1670, the Hudson Bay Company was at the center of Europe’s exploration of what would become the second largest country in the world, Canada. Driven by the fur trade, HBC was the driving force in developing the trade routes across Canada, connecting Newfoundland and the Atlantic Ocean to Vancouver Island and the Pacific.

True North by Karen Brown (North York, Ontario, Canada)

Machine pieced and quilted,  Karen Brown's Canadian Nine Patch quilt takes a modern approach to traditional blocks. You can see traditional blocks, such as the Maple Leaf, viewed from a perspective.  She says, "Learning from the past and building toward a future brings Canada together as a country at the top of the world."

O Canada in Morse Code by Susan Richard (Oakville, Ontario, Canada)

Susan Richard says, "I have always been intrigued by Morse Code, a special alphabet represented by a series of dots and dashes... In this strip pieced quilt, I used the combination of dots (replaced with Canadian maple leaves) and dashes to spell out Canada’s National Anthem, “O Canada”. Within the quilt, there are two places where the dots and dashes line up and appear as three mini Canada flags sitting one on top of the other. Each flag, composed of three pieces of fabric, creates a Canadian Nine Patch out of Canadian flags."

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2017 Houston International Quilt Festival.  The Canadian Nine Patch exhibit was organized by Leslie Prokop and Shelley DeHay-Turner in honor of Canada's sesquicentennial.

Daddy, Hold My Hand

Here's a lovely quilt in tribute to Father's Day on June 17.  Any male who has been like a father to you can be honored on Father's Day. Fathers impart wisdom, nurturing, maturity, good advice, and often, lots of support and patience. Think of someone with these qualities and wish him a Happy Father's Day, as that may mean everything to him !

For low-cost quilt books, magazines, and jewelry, visit us on E-Bay - we're Top Rated Sellers ! For continuous listings of free quilt patterns, please check us out on Twitter !

Daddy, Hold My Hand, 44 x 57", by Heidi Proffetty (Massachusetts, U.S.A.)

At the Houston International Quilt Festival of 2017,  Heidi's quilt won Third Place in the category of Art Quilts: People, Portraits, and Figures.  Heidi explains, "This quilt is based on a photograph I took while on a stroll of Newport, Rhode Island. I think it captures the loving bond between a little girl and her daddy."

Close-up, Daddy, Hold My Hand

Heidi continues, "It is an original technique I developed that starts with a hand-drawn mosaic design, which is then traced and cut with a digital cutter. There are over 2,700 small applique pieces that have been fused and free-motion stitched." This intricate and sophisticated technique reminds us of assembling a complex jigsaw puzzle out of fabric. For more information on Heidi's mosaic art quilt techniques see the article at Superior Threads.

Close-up of Quilting,  Daddy Hold My Hand

In this close up, you can see some of the many different hues of batik fabric used by Heidi. Her mosaic technique is especially useful for depicting the dappled light and shadows of the stone walkway and the surrounding garden scenery.

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2017 Houston International Quilt Festival.

Patience to Raise the Sun: Quilters of Haiti

A Haitian proverb says, “You must have patience to raise the sun.” This truth is well understood by the Haitian women who made the quilts we’re sharing today. All of these quilts were machine pieced on a treadle machine, then hand appliqued, embroidered, and quilted. The exhibit* was organized by PeaceQuilts, a nonprofit organization that provides sewing machines, equipment, and training to help women establish their own small artisan businesses so they can earn a living wage.

p.s. For low-cost quilt books, magazines, and jewelry, check us out on E-Bay - we're Top Rated Sellers ! For continuous listings of free quilt patterns, please check us out on Twitter !

Tout Moun Ap Kontample Environman Haiti (Everyone Contemplates Haiti) by Nadege Florian

This charming quilt was inspired by the life and environment that all Haitians know and love. Nadege Florian says, "In the center is the tree of life, important because Haiti has been largely deforested. Around the tree are colorful tap-tap buses; each one represents a different state in Haiti. The outside band of the quilt represents the sea."

This beautiful work was pieced on a treadle sewing machine, then hand-appliqued, echo quilted, embroidered and embellished.

Kay Koule Twonpe Soley Men Li Pa Ka Twonpe Lapli (A Leaky Roof Fools the Sun but Cannot Fool the Rain) by Sr. Angela Belizire

 "A leaky roof fools the sun but cannot fool the rain" is a Haitian proverb. Sister Angela Belizire says, "These are sayings that all Haitians know, and which are used to instruct children and provide wisdom and life lessons." This quilt depicts a typical Haitian home and yard.  You can see Sister Angela's expert hand embroidery in the closeup photo below.

Machann Twal Yo (Our Fabric Market) by Imma Hyppolite

The artist, Imma Hyppolite says,  "This [depicts] the market where I sometimes buy fabric. I love to see all the different colors and designs, but most of it is synthetic. Cotton is very hard to find."  Brightly colored cloth is displayed in the closeup photo below.

Kenèp Mwen An Ap Donnen (My Kenèp Tree Will Bear Fruit) by Rose Marie Agnant

Kenep trees grow up to 30m high and bear green fruit related to the lychee.  Rose Marie Agnant says this quilt was inspired by the Kenèp tree in her yard and by the tree of life: "I love to sit under the Kenèp tree in my yard. We are always happy when we can harvest the fruit." You can see a wonderful article on Rose Marie at the PeaceQuilts website.

Vini Danse Avek Mewn (Come Dance with Me) by Sr. Angela Belizaire
 

Sister Angela Belizaire says, "Haitians love to dance, and even though I am a Catholic nun, I also dance on many occasions. I sew my own costumes, select the music, and follow the movements of traditional Haitian dances. In this quilt, I am inviting everyone to dance with me. I decorated the border with cow horn buttons because Haitians make beautiful things out of almost anything, including the horns of a cow."

Bann RaRa an Ayiti (Hairian RaRa Bank) by Veronique Mathurin
 

Veronique explains, "RaRa bands are everywhere during Carnival but this is the one in my village of Lilavois. This is the most exciting and fun festival of the year and starts the season of Lent. This quilt shows all the different costumes, people dancing, playing horns and drums."

The online store at PeaceQuilts offers folk art quilts, pillows, bags, jewelry, and other handmade items. Each purchase helps support member-owned sewing cooperatives where women create beautiful, artisan-made products, inspired by Haiti's rich artistic and cultural heritage.

*Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2017 Houston International Quilt Festival. The special exhibit was called Haiti PeaceQuilts:  Patience to Raise the Sun.