The Works of Tara Faughnan (4)

Tara Faughnan is a quilter, teacher and pattern designer who began quilting in 2001. For many years she worked for companies such as Michael Miller Fabrics and Riley Blake, creating textile designs. Tara was the featured artist at this year's QuiltCon show, presented by the Modern Quilt Guild. It was fascinating to see her work in person! We hope you enjoy these photos.

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

Railyard (2022-24), 60" square, by Tara Faughnan

Different angles of the regular and irregular triangles create so much movement in this design! Tara says that she wanted to work with triangles that were non-uniform, but still had points.  "After a few attempts at free form piecing, I realized it was more work than fun, so I created foundations to piece this quilt." Railyard is machine pieced and hand quilted.

  Pineburr (2015), 52 x 54", by Tara Faughnan

Pine Burr quilts are constructed of folded triangles (prairie points) sewn side-by-side onto a foundation.  Tara says, "I have long been enamored with Pine Burr quilts (it's the official quilt of Alabama), and this is my second attempt at making one. This is such a heavy quilt, that I had to make it in pieces and attach them to a backing fabric as I went, not being able to plan or foresee the pattern beforehand, but designing it row by row." 

Beautiful solid colors were chosen for this quilt.  Each row was quilted down and the next row added on top, hiding the quilting on the front.  Made from cottons and poly blends, machine pieced and quilted.

Diamonds (2015), 59 x 69", by Tara Faughnan 

Tara says that Diamonds was started as a quick color study.  "Working intuitively, this was one of my early investigations into how shape informs color and value interaction." "I cut and arranged all the pieces over the course of a couple of days, and didn't make too many changes to the layout when I pieced it together.  If you look in the top center, you will see a "hole" where the values are close together. I purposely kept this in the quilt, as a beautiful reminder to respect the intuitive process of design, that there are no "mistakes" and that "balance" is overrated.  Machine pieced, hand and machine quilted.

Quilts made of triangles arranged in rows are also known as Thousand Pyramids.  Scroll down for a link to our Free Pattern Day!*

Hourglass #2 (2025), 60" square, by Tara Faughnan 

 

This quilt is infused with rich, dark hues.  Tara says, "I run a membership for 1/2 the year, and we play with curated (but limited) palettes each month. And every year when the membership closes for the season, I have a visceral desire to use all the colors, and use them with abandon.  I chose the Hourglass block to work with, as I love the structure of a simple repeated block, giving me room to play with color and value."  Hourglass was machine pieced and hand quilted.

*For two dozen FREE patterns for Thousand Pyramid quilts, CLICK HERE!

 

 Image credits: Photos of Tara Faughnan's quilts were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2025 QuiltCon show in Phoenix, Arizona.

The Works of Tara Faughnan (3)

Tara Faughnan is a quilter, teacher and pattern designer who began quilting in 2001. For many years she worked for Michael Miller Fabrics, Pottery Barn Kids and Riley Blake creating textile designs. Tara was the featured artist at this year's QuiltCon show, presented by the Modern Quilt Guild. It was fascinating to see her work in person! We hope you enjoy these photos.

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

Half Square Triangles #1 (2014), 55" x 63", by Tara Faughnan

Here's a wonderful quilt made solely with half-square triangles set "on point" with high contrasts. Tara Faughnan says, "This quilt represents a big moment for me in my design journey - this was my first step into disrupted patterning.  a long time admirer of Rosie Lee Tompkins work, a master of disrupting the pattern, I carried that influence into this piece.  Using color and value to create and then blur the lines of patterning has been the focus of my work since this quilt.  The quilt was machine pieced and quilted.

Mod  Log Cabin (2013), 55" x 66", by Tara Faughnan

We love the optical illusion created in this modern log cabin quilt.  Tara says, "This quilt is one of my earliest dives into color, using different values and hues to study how colors interact. Limiting each block to a few colors allowed me to really see the effect that contrast, value and saturation had on color interaction."  It was machine pieced and quilted.

 Give and Take (2020), 59" square, by Tara Faughnan

Tara Faughnan says that the name of this quilt comes from the method of adding sashing and cutting away the background color - thus there was a give and take to each block as I created them. I attempted to create this quilt (or a version thereof) for several years before finally figuring out the piecing needed for the design.  I enjoyed the freedom of this design, and the way the shapes and colors slightly drifted as I sewed the top."

Tara says, "To finish the quilt, I chose a very set [hand] quilting design to compliment and contrast with the organic nature of the piecing."

Jubilation (2021), 62" square, by Tara Faughnan

Inspired by the colors of Mexico, Tara Faughnan says: "I created this quilt as a celebration, an expression of the joy I was feeling during the spring of 2021.  We were coming out of the long pandemic winter.  I was heading off to a coastal town in Mexico, and thinking of its bright gorgeous colors. 

Jubilation was machine pieced and hand quilted, as shown above. Tara says, "As I pieced this quilt, I put these colors together thinking of hugs and warm nights and tacos and tequila, laughter and the sound of music somewhere nearby."  

Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2025 QuiltCon show in Phoenix, Arizona.

The Works of Tara Faughnan (2)

Tara Faughnan is a quilter, teacher and pattern designer who began quilting in 2001. For many years she worked for Michael Miller Fabrics, Pottery Barn Kids and Riley Blake creating textile designs. Tara was the featured artist at this year's QuiltCon show, presented by the Modern Quilt Guild. It was fascinating to see her work in person! We hope you enjoy these photos.

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

Ramble, 85" x 88", by Tara Faughnan

This quilt would be so much fun to make! Tara Faughnan says, "An ode to embroidered ribbons, Ramble is my interpretation of a medallion quilt. I absolutely adore the colors and shapes, and the detail of this quilt. This is going to be the 2026 block of the month with Windham fabrics, and I am so excited to share this pattern with all of you."

Big Ocean (2023), 68" square, by Tara Faughnan 

This quilt is a take on a classic Amish quilt design: Ocean Waves. By working with a repeated shape, the interaction of color and value takes center stage. Tara says, "As I designed the quilt, I was thinking about the viewer's experience, inviting them to explore the close up moments of color, while allowing the interplay of values to create movement in the design.  As with everything I create, I strive to walk the line between harmony and discord."  Big Ocean was hand quilted.

Strips (2018), 60" square, by Tara Faughnan  

Tara Faughnan says that Strips started with a group of art quilters and a 4-day intensive class with Rosalie Dace.  "I have the privilege and joy to be part of a weekly quilt group comprised mostly of art quilters, who have introduced me to glue sticks and fusible web... This piece was born out of a desire to continue exploring line and form, and the subtle spaces in between." Strips was machine quilted.

 

Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2025 QuiltCon show in Phoenix, Arizona.

 

The Works of Tara Faughnan (1)

Tara Faughnan was the featured artist at the 2025 QuiltCon show, presented by the Modern Quilt Guild. Tara is a quilter, teacher and pattern designer who began quilting in 2001. For many years she worked for Michael Miller Fabrics, Pottery Barn Kids and Riley Blake creating textile designs. It was fascinating to see her work in person! We hope you enjoy these photos.

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

Double Wedding Ring (2014-15), 78" square, by Tara Faughnan

This quilt was made entirely from scraps including cottons, linen blends, poly blends. It was pieced and quilted by hand. Tara Faughnan says, "I was inspired by a pair of amazing double wedding ring quilts by an unknown maker, in the collections of Bill Volckening and Roderick Kiracofe.  I wanted to hand piece this quilt as an homage to this woman, and in the process I fell in love with hand sewing, and the life that all the little imperfections bring to this quilt."  

Tara continues, "To say the making of this quilt transformed my practice is an understatement - I learned new ways to look at colors, and began my hand sewing and quilting journey here."

Bars (2015), 63" x 70", by Tara Faughnan

Simple in principle, but it's the choices and arrangment of colors and values that make this quilt so interesting.  Tara says, "My focus with this quilt was to play with the interaction of colors within a structured grid.  I was curious how shape and proportion informs color interaction."  Bars was machine pieced, hand and machine quilted. The hand quilting stitches add subtle interest to the composition.

Big Log Cabin 2 (2024), 66" square, by Tara Faughnan

 

Tara says, "This quilt is a dive into imbalance and color relationships.  I love to create quilts that keep the eye roving, trying and failing to find a pattern to follow.  The wonderful thing about log cabin quilts is there is a never-ending number of variations to play with!  Big Log Cabin 2 was machine pieced and hand quilted.

Here's the full description of the exhibit at the show.

Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2025 QuiltCon show in Phoenix, Arizona.

Free pattern day: St. Patrick's Day!

St. Patrick's Day is often celebrated with parades, decorations, and shamrocks. Here are FREE patterns for quilts, table runners and pillows! To go to a pattern: Scroll down the page until you see the quilt you like, then click on the words "CLICK for PDF download" (or the hyperlinked website name) in the title above the quilt.

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

 

 

 Irish Chain wall quilt or table topper, 36" square, free tutorial by Quilt Inspiration (CLICK for tutorial)

 

 

St. Patrick's Day wall hanging, free tutorial by Pat Bravo for We All Sew (CLICK for tutorial)+(CLICK for template)

 

 

Four Leaf Clover table topper, free pattern and tutorial at We All Sew (CLICK for tutorial)

Scrappy Shamrock block, free pattern by Janome (CLICK for PDF download)

Lucky Charms quilt, 46" square, free pattern by Janet Houts for Andover Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Interlocked quilt, 76" square, free pattern by Elise Lea for Robert Kaufman Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Hello Lucky table topper, free pattern at Henry Glass Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Luck of the Irish quilt in multiple sizes, free pattern at Pellon (CLICK for PDF download)

 

Shamrock table runner tutorial at We All Sew (CLICK for tutorial)

 

Fox Trails quilt, 60", free pattern by Heidi Pridemore for Windham Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Irish Folk Quilt, free pattern by Denise Russell for Henry Glass Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Clover Field quilt, 57 x 76", free pattern by Elise Lea for Robert Kaufman Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Irish Garden Quilt, 72 x 89", free pattern at Robert Kaufman Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

 St. Patrick's Day table runner, free pattern at Make It Coats (CLICK for PDF download)

Forest Frolic quilt, 74 x 74", free pattern at Windham Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Modern Celtic wall quilt, ~31" square, free pattern at Quilters World (CLICK for PDF download) (shown in green)

March Candle Mat, approx 9 x 12", free pattern by Mari Martin at Connecting Threads (CLICK for tutorial)

Celtic Twist quilt by Susan Purney Mark, free pattern at McCall's Quilting (CLICK for PDF download)

original Celtic Ballad Quilt by Susan Purney Mark

Clover mini quilt, 15" square, tutorial by Natalia Bonner at Piece and Quilt (CLICK for tutorial) 

Clover quilt block tutorial, 12" or 18" or 24" sizes, by Natalia Bonner at Piece and Quilt (CLICK for tutorial)

Greenery quilt, 64 x 84", jelly roll friendly, free pattern by Rachel Shelburne for Maywood Studio (CLICK for PDF download)

Baby Nine Patch Quilt, free pattern at Connecting Threads (CLICK for tutorial)

Zenith quilt, 64" square, free pattern by Gail Kessler for Andover Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Lucky Table Runner tutorial by Lindsey Weight at Fort Worth Fabric Studio (CLICK for tutorial)

Cross Table runner, free pattern by Fabric Freedom (CLICK for PDF download)

Subtly Shamrock pillow, free pattern at Make It Coats (CLICK for PDF download)

Lucky Shamrock pillow, tutorial and free shamrock pattern by Lindsey Weight at Fort Worth Fabric Studio (CLICK for tutorial)

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

Ireland Quilt, free block patterns by Laura Roberts for McCalls Quilting (see the links under the individual blocks, below)

Fairies and Flower Petals, 12" block at McCall's Quilting

Celtic Twist, 12" block at McCall's Quilting

Celtic Knot, 12" block at McCall's Quilting

Fairy Ring, 12" block at McCall's Quilting

I Left My Heart in Ireland, 12" block at McCall's Quilting

Irish Cross, 12" block at McCall's Quilting

Seven Lucky Shamrocks, 12" block at McCall's Quilting

Lucky Clover, 12" block at McCall's Quilting

Connemara Flower, 12"block at McCall's Quilting

Forty Shades of Green, 12" block at McCall's Quilting

 

Treasures from Ireland, 12" block at McCall's Quilting

Folktale Circle, 12"block at McCall's Quilting

Bowler hat, 5" block, free paper piecing pattern at Fandom in Stitches (CLICK for free pattern)

If you enjoyed this post, you might also be interested in our Free Pattern Day for Irish Chain quilts (CLICK HERE):

 Image credits: This post was updated on March 2, 2025. 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 montages shown on this page are derivative works that are copyrighted by Quilt Inspiration; please do not copy images without permission.   If any links are broken, we'd love to know; email us at quiltinspiration {at} gmail {dot} com.