Quilt Inspiration

Jane Sassaman's Hearts

2012-01-26T07:08:00.000-08:00

~Stay tuned for the February giveaway - starting Monday, January 30! ~

"Just when everything seems gray, St. Valentine's Day comes to save the day with a radical splash of RED! It is a color that I could not do without. It is the color of energy; the pulse of life. The heart, too, is a symbol of life, love and regeneration, plus a wonderful graphic reminder of our mortality." So says today's featured artist and designer, Jane Sassaman. Those who know and love her designs will recognize her distinctive style in these glorious hearts.

Valentine's Greeting, 18 x 18", by Jane Sassaman at Jane Sassaman's Idea Book

This exotic Valentine, with its appliqued heart, is based on Jane Sassaman's Bleeding Heart (available at Jane Sassaman's online shop). The bleeding heart is one of four different Simple Silhouette patterns inspired by Mexican folk art designs. Each 18” quilt looks quite sophisticated but is actually very fast and easy to make using only 3 pieces of fabric! Shown below in Jane's 2009 Prairie Gothic collection (blogged here) the Simple Silhouettes include a Sugar Skull, Paradise Garden, Iron Cross and Bleeding Heart.

Another thing we love about Jane's fabrics is that they are perfect for broderie perse, a technique in which motifs are cut from the fabrics and used directly in applique. Here is one cool valentine that illustrates the approach.

Valentine's Quilt, 2010, by Jane Sassaman at Jane Sassaman's Idea book

The purple fronds that surround the heart are from Jane's Sunshine and Shadow line, which were fussy-cut and then appliqued around the heart; the cicadas in the upper corners were cut from another line. We love the red, pink and purple color scheme, the "subversive" tattoo-like stitching, and the spiky branches that emanate from the heart.

In addition to the wall-hanging-sized hearts shown above, here are two examples of bed quilts made from Jane's former Hothouse Garden and Paradise Garden lines. These quilts show just how effective her prints can be on a large scale (these free quilt patterns are still available at Jane's Idea Book).

All of which brings us to Jane's newest fabric collection, Early Birds, which was released this fall by Free Spirit Fabrics (it's in stores now). Early Birds is an enchanted garden filled with Jane's familiar friends: dandelions, bleeding hearts, primroses and, of course, a clever critter or two. In the Early Birds quilt project, shown below, giant hearts are used to showcase the lime and plum-colored prints, which have a wonderful quilted appearance from afar.

Early Birds Quilt, 46 x 46", *free pattern* by Jane Sassaman for Free Spirit Fabric

You can also see the Early Birds quilt in real life in this shot of Jane Sassaman's booth at the 2011 Fall Market in Houston (read the story here, and see a photo of Jane introducing the quilt at McCall's Quilting.)

Last but not least, Jane Sassaman has a new book that is coming out this spring (published by Dragon Threads). It is called "Patchwork Sassaman Style" and it is all about using big, bold and beautiful prints in quilts. The book will feature pieces made with her FreeSpirit fabrics, and one of her designs will also be available as a silk scarf (you can preview the images at Dragon Threads).

Image credits: Images are shown with the generous permission of Jane Sassaman. For more information please visit her website at Jane Sassaman.com.

Free Pattern Day and Olympic Inspiration: 1000 pyramids

2012-01-23T07:29:00.000-08:00

~ Stay tuned for the February Giveaway ! ~

The next Winter Games will be held in Sochi, Russia in 2014. Since we love the Olympics and we love quilting, we are excited about the theme, which is based on the patchwork quilt! The quilt includes 16 designs representing the most famous traditional Russian arts and crafts: Uftyuzhskaya painting, Vologda lace, Gzhel and Zhostovo painting, Kubachi patterns, Pavlov Posad shawls, Mezenskaya painting and Khokhloma, Yakutsk patterns and Ivanovo chintz*.

The quilts will provide a stunning backdrop for the events. In the announcement, the Organizing Committee said: "Such patchworks were an indispensable part of Russian peasants’ homes. Over time, this technique became a widely acknowledged branch of traditional arts and culture. An interesting fact from Russian history is that Catherine, the wife of Peter I, personally sewed a patchwork for her husband as a gift."

These Sochi designs resemble Thousand Pyramids and Diamond quilts, which are among our favorite one-block patterns. In fact, the orange Olympics banner looks remarkably like Jan Krentz's "Indian Summer", shown below.

Indian Summer thousand pyramids quilt and workshop by Jan Krentz from the book Quick Diamond Quilts and Beyond

Isoceles triangles (pyramids) create a beautiful, impressionistic look when made with patterned fabrics in coordinating colors. Also, two triangles can be used to make a diamond shape. Here are some free quilt patterns and tutorials for 1000 pyramids and diamonds.... use them to design your own "pyramid scheme"!

Alfresco, 80 x 96", *free pattern* by Jean Ann Wright for Marcus Brothers Fabrics

Dazzling Diamonds, *free pattern* by Jason Yenter at In The Beginning Fabrics

Gaughin's Garden, *free pattern* by Heidi Pridemore for Robert Kaufman Fabrics

60-degree Quilt Tutorial by Kim Brackett at Magnolia Bay Quilts

Pyramid Quilt Tutorial, inspired by Anthropologie, by Molly Flanders

Concentric Diamonds Quilt, *free pattern* by Accuquilt seen at FaveQuilts

Jubilee, *free pattern* with diamond border by Pamela Goecke Dinndorf for Quilters Home Magazine

Thousand pyramids, a review of triangle designs by Kathy K. Wylie

Image credits and links: Image credits: All 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. If any links are broken, we'd love to know; email us at Quilt Inspiration.
*To read about the Russian designs, see Sochi2014. The 2014 Winter Games will be celebrated from 7 to 23 February 2014. It will be truly exciting to see the Sochi patchwork designs on TV.... two years from now!

Winter Quilts: snow, ice and starry nights

2012-01-20T04:37:00.000-08:00

We're wrapping up our Winter Quilts Series! Thanks to these remarkable artists, we've had a blast learning about all the different techniques that can be used to create snowflakes: reverse shadow trapunto, quick strip paper piecing, kaleidoscopes, Notan, sun printing and more. Here are all the quilts we've shown over the last two weeks, along with links to the original websites where you can find books, patterns, prints and other products. And now, it's time for us to move on to our next Free Pattern Day and a special featured artist. See you on Monday!

Row 1: Snow Flurries by Peggy Martin at Peggy Martin Quilts; Flurries by Cheryl Wittmayer at Sew Be It; Snowflake Delight by Angie Padilla at Angie's Quilt Pattern Shop. Row 2: Winter Wonderland by Leah Day at Day Style Designs; Notan Snowflake by Nancy Schlegel at NRS Quilter as seen at the Fast Friday Fabric Challenge; Glistening Frost by Susan Varanka at Susan's Quilt Creations. Row 3: Kaleidoscopic XXII: Ice Crystals, c. 2000, Paula Nadelstern; Floating Mariner, block and quilt, by Jennifer Ofenstein at Sew Hooked. Row 4: Kaleidoscopic XXII: Ice Crystals, detail, c. 2000, Paula Nadelstern; Frosty Window by Sue Andrus at Andrus Gardens Quilts; Dancing Twilight by Cheryl Malkowski at Cheryl Rose Creations.

Frosty Window

2012-01-19T06:24:00.000-08:00

It's Day 10 of our Winter Quilts Series! Most of our focus has been on pieced or appliqued snowflakes, but today's feature is about art quilting. Sue Andrus is a fabric artist whose works are inspired by flowers, gardens and nature. She creates pieces ranging from tiny quilted and beaded pins, to postcards, small quilts for framing, and larger wall hangings. She explains: "My quilts are like any piece of fine art, I just use a different medium. Instead of watercolors or oils, I use fabrics, fibers, and other things along with paints to create my pieces." We are fascinated by her Frosty Window.

Frosty Window, 16 x 20", by Sue Andrus at Andrus Gardens Quilts

Sue Andrus explains this wonderful piece, which includes many elements of surface design: "I wanted this to represent a very cold snowstorm as seen through a frosty window. I used a fabric painted deep shimmery blue with sunprints of tiny star confetti and sea salt patterning that I thought looked like snow falling at night when I painted it. I had 2 pieces of a commercial print in white and pale blue with silver metallic enhanced leaves. I cut out the fabric to form the edges of frost on a window. I also added some shredded Mylar that I had for more shimmery frost. Snowflakes were cut out from Organza backed with Wonder Under, then fused to the quilt. Quilting in silver metallic thread, and beading in the snowflakes and between the flakes and quilting were also added."

Here is a detail photo showing the beading on one of the snowflakes, and scattered between the quilting lines. It also shows the fabric used to give the look of the frost around the edges of the window.

All of Sue Andrus' quilts are of her own designs. You can find her beautiful art quilts, gift items, hand printed fabrics and more at Andrus Gardens Designs at Artfire.

Image credit: Images are shown with the generous permission of Sue Andrus. For more information, please visit the Andrus Gardens Quilts website, and for works in progress and inspiration see Sue's blog, My Quilted Gardens.

Ice Crystals

2012-01-18T06:55:00.000-08:00

It's Day 9 of our Winter Quilts Series! Have you ever looked through a kaleidoscope? When viewed through one end, a kaleidoscope displays a variety of beautiful colors and symmetric patterns as a result of mirrors that reflect the objects within the tube (the word "kaleidoscope" is derived from the Greek words meaning "beautiful form to see".) Paula Nadelstern has achieved international recognition for her innovative and complex designs inspired by the bilateral symmetry of kaleidoscopic images, including the American Folk Art Museum's first one person exhibition highlighting the work of a contemporary quilt artist (2009*). Her astonishing works of art include her precisely rendered Ice Crystals.

Kaleidoscopic XXII: Ice Crystals, 41" x 54", copyright 2000, Paula Nadelstern

Each of Paula's snowflakes is actually 6 identical 60 degree triangles, that are each composed of hundreds of tiny slivers of fabric. She says: "Every snow crystal that gently floats to earth is equally compelling. Our curiosity is aroused by this pure gem of nature, with its common hexagonal pattern and endless variety of structural details. The pieced snowflakes in this quilt are my attempt to translate into fabric a few of the over 6000 photomicrographs made by W. A. Bentley of Jericho, Vermont in the late 1800's and published by the American Meteorological Society in 1931."*

Kaleidoscopic XXII: Ice Crystals, detail, copyright 2000, Paula Nadelstern

The symmetry of a kaleidoscope image is a measure of how accurately the original interior image is reflected around the kaleidoscope interior; in a well-made system, there is a seamless continuity of the image sections, with the images matching up perfectly along the edge of each pie-shaped piece. Paula Nadelstern has experimented with different ways to piece the triangular wedges so that the patterns come together perfectly. She is the author of several books published by C&T Publishing that explain her process of pattern drafting, fabric selection, and piecing, including "Snowflakes & Quilts" (available as an e-book).

Last but not least, Paula designs sumptuous fabrics for Benartex - including printed panels - that can be used to create dazzling quilts with simple quilt patterns. Check out her gorgeous Patternista fabric line at Benartex.

*Image credits and links: Images are shown with the generous permission of Paula Nadelstern. For a story about Paula Nadelstern and her snowflakes, see "A special gift--the legacy of Snowflake Bentley" by Barbara Eaglesham, The Evening Standard (London, England), December 1, 2002. A fantastic free, downloadable, full-color catalog of the exhibit, "Kaleidoscope Quilts: The Art of Paula Nadelstern", can be found at The American Folk Art Museum website. For information on Paula's upcoming exhibits and workshops, visit Paula Nadelstern's website.

Snow Flurries

2012-01-17T07:37:00.000-08:00

It's Day 8 of our Winter Quilts Series! Intricate and innovative, the snowflakes on this quilt are created by paper-piecing and the sun-printing method. Let's take a look at how quilt artist Peggy Martin achieved these fascinating effects.

Snow Flurries, 40 x 40, by Peggy Martin at Peggy Martin Quilts

Peggy Martin is a very popular and internationally known artist, author, and teacher who was selected as the 2010 Quilting Teacher of the Year by The Professional Quilters Association. In "Snow Flurries", Peggy has constructed the three larger snowflakes with a paper-piecing method. Each snowflake consists of six pie-shaped blocks which are pieced together to all meet in the middle, creating a hexagon shape.

The smaller snowflakes are created using a sun-printing technique. To make sun-printed snowflakes, take white fabric and paint it with Setacolor transparent fabric paint. While the paint is still wet, take a snowflake that you have cut out of freezer paper and finger-press it on top of the fabric. Allow the paint to dry in bright sunlight, then peel off the freezer paper, and there is your snowflake printed on the fabric!

Peggy Martin also offers workshops on the whole quilt and on the snowflake block:

In a recent interview on the C and T Publishing Blog, Peggy says," I began making quilts for my home, mainly in blues and burgundies. Now I enjoy exploring as many different color combinations as possible and playing with the interaction of colors in different ways in my newer quilts."

The bright navy background and icy chambray blue colors here make a lovely monochromatic combination, but there are many colorways options for these snowflakes. For example, this quilt would look very pretty done with a clear bright pink background, lime green inner border, and white snowflakes for a little girl's room.

*Snow Flurries" by Peggy Martin, free downloadable wallpaper image available at C and T Publishing

Peggy has used her artistic talent to develop forms and shapes which twinkle and sparkle so much that they almost jump off the computer screen. These snowflakes against the deep blue background also remind us of beautiful stars on a cold, clear, winter night.

The "Snow Flurries" pattern is in Paper Piece the Quick-Strip Way by Peggy Martin:

We own a copy of this book, and we cannot say enough good things about its content, organization, quilt ideas, and great writing ! We strongly recommend it, as it is full of useful instructions and dazzling projects. Also, you can learn Quick-Strip Paper Piecing from Peggy Martin in her new online workshop at Craftsy.

Image credits: Images are shown with the generous permission of Peggy Martin. We previously featured her award-winning Eye of the Storm quilt in our series on Storm at Sea.

Dancing Twilight: the Ice Quilt

2012-01-16T04:57:00.000-08:00

It's Day 7 of our Winter Quilts Series! We first came across this starry quilt two years ago. Based on the Dancing Twilight pattern by Cheryl Malkowski, the lap size version of this quilt was featured by Timeless Treasures in two colorways: "Fire" and "Ice". Cheryl describes the quilt as "one of the easiest quilts you'll ever make". Here is the icy version.

Dancing Twilight, 64" x 88" or 48" x 72", by Cheryl Malkowski at Cheryl Rose Creations

The quilts are constructed from an easy-to-piece block that repeats across the quilt as the colors progress from light to dark. The Ice Quilt kit features 18 Tonga Batiks in beautiful gradations of color, as seen at Quilted Threads:

The cool blues and whites of the Tonga batiks are perfect choices for Cheryl's design. Here are some of the stunning hand-dyed batiks in the ICE collection, which you can see at Red Rooster Quilts:

For more inspiration, you can see a beautiful purple version of the Dancing Twilight quilt by Capitola Quilter at Flickr.

Image credits: The image of Dancing Twilight is shown with the generous permission of Cheryl Malkowski. She is the author of several books published by C&T Publishing, including Fun With One Block Quilts. Her quilts are rich in texture and movement, but simple to make.

Snowflake Delight

2012-01-13T06:13:00.000-08:00

It's Day 6 of our Winter Quilts series! From high up in the Andes mountains, in the city of Quito, Ecuador, Angie Padilla runs her own international business: Angie's Quilt Pattern Shop. Her highly original designs are rich in applique work, such as her magnificent Christmas Dove, which we featured in Christmas Around the World. We are equally taken with the ornate snowflakes in "Snowflake Delight".

Snowflake Delight, 60 x 60", by Angie Padilla at Angie's Quilt Pattern Shop

In this beautiful lap quilt there are four different delicate snowflakes; you can use your favorite one for all four blocks or sew all four for a stunning quilt. The use of two colors really makes the snowflakes stand out against the peaceful blue background. Angie's delightful patterns can be found at Angie's Quilt Pattern Shop and you can read about Snowflake Delight on this page.

Image credits: Images are shown with the generous permission of Angie Padilla. She is an Electric Quilt (EQ) expert and the designer of My Dream House, an EQ CD that allows you to create your own dream house with over 450 different pieces. Would you like to create your own applique designs in EQ? You can learn how with Angie's Applique Drawing Book.

Notan Snowflake

2012-01-12T05:37:00.000-08:00

It's Day 5 of our Winter Quilts series! We're here to talk about the concept of dark/light harmony ("Notan") in art and quilting. Notan refers to a well organized arrangement of dark and light shapes which creates an impression of beauty, regardless of either the colors used or of the subject matter (see this article). In addition to experiments with negative space, Notan can be the starting point for quilt blocks, embroideries, or images to be printed. This lovely snowflake was created by fiber artist Nancy Schlegel as part of a 2011 Notan Challenge.

Notan Snowflake, 15 x 15", by Nancy Schlegel, NRS Quilter as seen at the Fast Friday Fabric Challenge

To create the snowflake, Nancy Schlegel started with a circle and cut out a design from the inside of the circle to look like a 6-pointed snowflake. The white cut-outs were then flipped to the outside; this concept is known as The Expansion of the Square (or circle, as in this case). We also admire this asymmetric Notan Leaf which was created by Veronica Von Zwehl at Fast Friday Quilts:

The 2011 Notan quilt challenge actually began with Cathy Miller, aka The Singing Quilter. Here is a Cathy Miller design (below). The block was placed on point as described at this post. You can see a whole gallery of Notan challenge blocks at The Singing Quilter's Facebook page.

Jean Cheszek has a great description and examples of Notan at Color On Cloth. And if you want to try your own Notan design, check out the step-by-step directions by Cynthia Ann Morgan at Fast Friday Quilts, the Expanded Square Tutorial by Jane Dunnewold, and/or this book about Notan - The Dark-Light Principle of Design:

Winter Wonderland

2012-01-11T06:46:00.000-08:00

It's Day 4 of our Winter Quilts Series! We're excited about today's stunning quilt by Leah Day of Free Motion Quilting Project fame. Let's explore a winter wonderland of gorgeous snowflakes along with a clever technique for snowflake construction. This quilt won Best Machine Workmanship at the AQS Quilt Show & Contest 2011 in Knoxville, TN. Leah says: "This wall hanging quilt looks intricate and advanced, when in actuality, any quilter could make it!"

Winter Wonderland 50 x 50" by Leah Day, pattern at Day Style Designs (North Carolina)

The key to the snowflakes lies in Leah's Reverse Shadow Trapunto Technique. This technique involves layering felt over fabric, stitching the motif, then clipping out the motif design. Using a quilt-as-you-go technique, each block is first created, fully quilted, then put together with the other blocks to complete the quilt; you can read about all the steps at the links at the bottom of this post. Here is a detail view of the quilting that won the award (this is not done on a long-arm machine):

In addition, here is an interesting and fun beginner sampler quilt that allows you to practice 30 different beginner level designs from the Free Motion Quilting Project:

At The Free Motion Quilting Project you can find 365 *free* FMQ designs. For more information on Leah Day and the Project see Frequently Asked Questions and Start Here. Leah's instructional DVDs and other supplies can be found at the Day Style Designs Quilt Shop.

Image credits and links: Images are shown with the generous permission of Day Style Designs. You can read the fascinating story of the snowflake quilt at Leah's blog: Winter Wonderland Part 1, Winter Wonderland Part 2, Winter Wonderland - Finished, and Whoo Hoo for Winter Wonderland.

Glistening Frost

2012-01-10T04:39:00.000-08:00

It's Day 3 of our Winter Quilts series! Here's a fun and creative way to construct a quilt with a snow and ice theme. You can use straight and bias strips to applique graceful, elegant snowflake designs.

Glistening Frost, 55 x 72", by Susan Varanka at Susan's Quilt Creations

Susan's Glistening Frost pattern features beautiful Celtic style symmetrical designs with a twist. Depict any season or theme that you wish. Included are directions for stamping to create your own fabric and enhance your theme as shown in the light border.

We really liked the versatility of this quilt design because it can be sewn in such a variety of colorways and fabrics for so many different rooms in your home. For example, think of decorating an infant's room, in soft, winter colors of icy sage green and lilac snowflakes, surrounded by a glittery yellow maize border, in Michael Miller's "Fairy Frost" fabrics.

Or, you could join three or four blocks in a straight row, with an emerald or aqua green background decorated with snowflakes in fuchsia or red Bali fabrics. These complementary colors would make a stunning holiday table runner. In addition, a beautiful wall hanging could be created for a contemporary family room or dining room by using midnight black background fabric, appliqued with metallic silver or metallic gold snowflakes.

What are some color combinations and fabric types for this snowflake quilt that you might create for your own home? Use your imagination and let us know in the comments below ! We'd love to hear your ideas and inspiration.

Winter Stars

2012-01-09T06:08:00.000-08:00

It's Day 2 of our snow, ice and winter stars series! We're sew excited to share this Sew Hooked design, which was created by paper-piecing wizard Jennifer Ofenstein of Sew Hooked fame. "Floating Mariner" is Jennifer's stunning version of a traditional Mariner’s Compass Star. This quilt reminds us of twinkling stars reflecting off a blanket of snow.

Floating Mariner, approx 62 x 62", by Jennifer Ofenstein at Sew Hooked

We love the way in which the smaller stars in the corners of the blocks come together to echo the center motif. The photo above shows a 4x4 block arrangement; a single block makes a stunning 15.5″ wall-hanging (below). The detail photo below also shows Jennifer's lovely echo quilting.

You can read about the Floating Mariner at this post and obtain the pattern for only $6 at the Sew Hooked Shop. Jennifer says: "The block is simple enough for an advanced beginner to tackle, but rewarding for quilters of all skill levels." Want to learn to paper piece? It's easier than you might think! Check out Jennifer's free paper piecing resources and text tutorial.

Image credits: Images are shown with the generous permission of Jennifer Ofenstein.

Snow, ice and starry nights in quilts

2012-01-06T04:59:00.000-08:00

Winter brings to mind snow, ice, and deep starry nights. Some parts of the world have already seen snow this year, while others will soon be watching snowy white flakes drift from the sky. You may have heard that no two snowflakes are alike, but did you know that snowflakes can have one of about 35 different shapes? And did you also know that there are many ways of depicting snowflakes in fabric? Join us as we take a look at some sparkling winter quilts and interesting techniques.

Flurries, 30 x 52", by Cheryl Wittmayer at Sew Be It (Montana)

This elegant wall hanging brings a wintry day to mind with a flurry of wind and a handful of snowflakes done in white and shades of gray. We love the cool colors. In her description of the "Flurries" pattern, Cheryl says: "Now you can treat yourself to a crisp, wintery blast without snow-blowing the driveway in a blizzard!" The simple elements are applied with fusible applique with cotton or wool felt. And if you're feeling nostalgic, embellish with Swarovski crystals.

Cheryl Wittmayer makes her home in beautiful Billings, Montana which has 205 sunny days per year... along with 57 inches of snow.

Image credits: The image is shown with the generous permission of Cheryl Wittmayer. Many of her quilting patterns have won awards at art, fiber, and quilt shows. Her extensive line of easy and artistic patterns can be found online at Sew Be It.

Free Pattern Day: Hearts and Valentines Part 2

2012-01-04T07:53:00.000-08:00

~ All of our free pattern days (including L-O-V-E) are archived in the FREE PATTERNS tab at the top of this page ~
Have a beautiful heart! Here is Part 2 of our free pattern collection including some projects by top designers. Within the collection you will find growing hearts, broken hearts and mended hearts, appliqued, paper-pieced and patchwork hearts, 3" and 12" hearts: in short, a heart for every occasion.

Keep the Heart Truth Growing free wall hanging and pillow pattern by Jane Spolar for Janome

Cross your Heart Mug Rug tutorial by Ryan Walsh at Ryan Walsh Quilts

Above, row 1: Make a Heart tutorial, using fabric scraps and yarn, by Nina Lise Moen at Mrs. Moen; Hummingbird applique tutorial and templates by Jessica Levitt at Juicy Bits. Row 2: Heart of my Heart free quilt pattern for Accuquilt (requires registration) at FaveQuilts; Linked Hearts mini quilt by Lyn Brown. Row 3: Paper pieced Simple Heart by Carol Doak (there are several free heart patterns at this link); Paper-pieced Broken Heart by Jennifer Ofenstein at Sew Hooked (there are several free patterns at this link); free Mended Hearts Block tutorial by Tamara Bostwick at Bella Online. Row 4: Gathered Heart Pillow by Vanessa Christenson at V and Co; Smothered in Kisses Pillow by Amy at Ameroonie Designs; Faux Chenille valentine pillow by Amy at Ameroonie Designs.

Above, Row 1: Mosaic Hearts free quilt pattern by Beth Lancaster at Moonlight Quilts; Heart Mini Quilt by Cindy Carter at Carter Quilter. Row 2: Be mine table runner by Sherri Falls at This and That Patterns. Row 3: Smitten by Barb Tourtillotte for Clothworks; My Heart free quilt pattern and banner by Nanette Merrill at Freda's Hive.

Above: Betsy Nyhan’s Valentine Delight free embroidery pattern seen at Cotton Arts

Free Pattern Day: Hearts and Valentines Part 1

2012-01-02T06:07:00.000-08:00

~ All of our free pattern days (including L-O-V-E) are archived in the FREE PATTERNS tab at the top of this page ~

There is something marvelous about Valentine's Day, and about hearts anytime. There are so many wonderful heart-themed quilts to enjoy that we wish we could cover them all. We've carefully curated our collection to show you these truly distinctive and fun designs (and they're free)! Here is Part One.

Above: Love Emblem Throw by Anna Maria Horner

Above: Vintage Heart Collage by Allison Aller at Allie in Stitches, free pattern at American Quilter

Above: Heart Tree by Liz Jones from her book Flowers, Hearts and Garlands, free applique pattern at American Quilter

Above: Have a Heart, free quilt pattern by Becky Goldsmith & Linda Jenkins at Piece o'Cake Designs

Above: Have a Heart, free quilt pattern by Nina Lise Moen at Mrs Moen Free Patterns

Above: Scrappy Heart Quilt by Cindy Carter at Carter Quilter (there are seven different free hearts patterns at this link)

Above, row 1: Hearts on a String table runner by Andrea from Knitty Bitties as seen at Joy’s Hope. Row 2: Be Still My Heart block tutorial by Jacquie Gering at Tallgrass Prairie Studio

Above, row 1: Felt applique hoop how-to by LimeRiot for Craftster; Appliqued felt heart ornaments at BHG. Row 2: Embroidered hearts pins at Maggie Makes; Be Mine redwork embroidery by Kaaren Johnston at The Painted Quilt.

Image credits: All 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. If any links are broken, we'd love to know; email us at Quilt Inspiration.

A HAPPY New Year

2011-12-31T11:00:00.000-08:00

Here's a sincere wish to all for a HAPPY New Year. And if you ever find yourself feeling blue, just click on the little video below the calendar. It's been viewed over 1,600,000 times on YouTube (you'll see why!) It'll put a spring in your step and make you happy throughout the year.

Retro Poster Calendar 2012 by yumalum

The Jive Aces present: Bring Me Sunshine

Hello 2012

2011-12-29T18:54:00.000-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR (almost!) We're celebrating the arrival of 2012 by selecting our favorite tea towel calendars, which are perfect for the kitchen. Thanks to Etsy and Spoonflower, there is a wonderful selection of artistic calendars to choose from. What do you think about these?

2012 Birds and Berries Tea Towel Calendar by Lisa Ekström (California) at Spoonflower (also see the giclee art print on Etsy)

2012 Tea Towel Wall Calendar by Michelle Engel Bencsko (New Jersey) at Cicada Studio

The Four Seasons of 2012 by Isabel Chun (Hong Kong) at Spoonflower

Winter Tree

2011-12-28T06:47:00.000-08:00

When all the leaves have fallen off the trees you can see the structure of the branches which stand out unadorned against the winter sky. Emma How has captured the elegance of the winter tree in her "Winter Harvest" quilt and pattern. In this original design the spare beauty of the tree has been extended to the roots, which reach down into the snowy ground.

Winter Harvest, 19 x 22", by Emma How at Sampaguita Quilts (Adelaide, SA, Australia)

Emma quilted Winter Harvest in her signature "Emming style" to give the appearance of snowflakes swirling in the wind as shown in the detail photo below.

At Sampaguita Quilts on Etsy you can purchase a beautiful Apple Falls art quilt or the quilt pattern to make your own tree. The pattern focuses on Winter Harvest but includes instructions for a Spring tree with delicate pink blossoms (shown below) along with an Autumn and Summer version.

Image credits: Images are shown with the generous permission of Emma How. She has been designing and making quilts for 15 years and has had many of her quilts published as projects in quilting magazines as well as feature profiles and articles. To read more about Emma's quilt designing and making, please visit her Sampaguita Quilts blog.

Free Pattern Day: PEACE and LOVE

2011-12-27T06:22:00.000-08:00

~All of our free pattern days are archived in the FREE PATTERNS tab at the top of this page.~

As we approach the New Year our thoughts turn to resolutions and global challenges. One year ago we showed Margaret Rolfe's award-winning origami cranes Peace Quilt in a post called Imagine World Peace. Since then we've come across some wonderful *free* patterns featuring "Peace" and "Love". These words and symbols could be used for any number of projects involving fabric (a little L-O-V-E would be great for Valentine's day). Also, stay tuned for free patterns for hearts and valentines!

Row 1, above: Peace Love and Happiness, free quilt pattern (left) by Marinda Stewart and fabric panel (right) at Michael Miller Fabrics. Row 2: Give Peace A Chance, free quilt pattern by Rosemarie Lavin and Jean Ann Wright for the Feelin' Groovy Fabric Collection at Windham Fabrics; Peace Wall Art, fabric on canvas, by Dana at House*Tweaking. Row 3: Peace wall art by Amy Butler at Amy Butler Design. Row 4: Peace sign applique block by Kimara at Wee Folk Art; Peace Dove Ornament at Bella Dia.

Above: Give Peace a Chance by Jacquie Gering of Tallgrass Prairie Studio, free pattern posted by Tammy Vasser at A Content Life.

Row 1, above: LOVE Cushion tutorial by Lesley Boost at Sew Happy Me; 'Love' Wall Art by Amy Butler at Amy Butler Design. Row 2: “You are Loved” from the book Small Quilts, Big Events by Tammy Silvers and Julia LaBauve, free pattern at American Quilter; 'Love' felted pillow at The DIY Dish (needle felting tutorial here). Row 3: Love Pillow tutorial with applique and embroidery by Rachel Hauser at Stitched In Color; 'Love' pillow tutorial at Creative Little Daisy. Row 4: A little V Day Love at A Family of Crums; DIY Love Letters at Lucky Locket Wedding Inspiration.

Image credits: All 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. If any links are broken, we'd love to know; email us at Quilt Inspiration.

Four Seasons

2011-12-26T06:35:00.000-08:00

We hope you have had a very happy holiday ! Depending on which hemisphere you live in - Northern or Southern - it is either winter or summer. Here is a versatile little quilt we've admired for some time, as it can be made to suit any season. Designed by Cheryl Wittmayer, the lone tree sports a leaf canopy of sheer fabric that can be placed under or over the branches. Five fabrics out of your stash and ultra simple piecing compose the background.

Seasons- Winter, 28 x 30", by Cheryl Wittmayer at Sew Be It (Montana)

Seasons- Summer, 28 x 30", by Cheryl Wittmayer at Sew Be It

Image credits: Cheryl Wittmayer's love of fabric, and the creativity possible with quilting, replaced her original artistic choice of weaving 30 years ago. She teaches quilt classes locally and nationally. Many of her quilting patterns have been published and have won awards at art, fiber, and quilt shows. For the complete line of patterns visit Cheryl's website at Sew Be It.

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T06:36:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to all!

Above: "Santa's Day Off" by Dolls, Dreams and Other Things as seen at Quilting Books

White Christmas

2011-12-24T07:30:00.000-08:00

WE couldn't resist posting a few beautiful trees in honor of Christmas Eve. Here is "White Christmas", 40 x 42", by Kellie Wulfsohn at Don't Look Now (Australia). Her elaborate trees, which include "Oh Christmas Tree", are among our favorite designs for Christmas.

Oh Christmas Tree 47.5” x 59" by Kellie Wulfsohn at Don't Look Now, pattern at Twiddletails

And a red-and-white "Oh Christmas Tree" by Kellie Wulfsohn at Don't Look Now

A Gathering of Angels

2011-12-23T06:15:00.000-08:00

Angels to watch over you, and angels to bring you messages of peace and love, at the holidays and throughout the New Year. Here are patterns by talented artists who we have featured in 2011. Happy holidays to all of our fellow quilt lovers and blogger friends around the world.

Row 1: Let It Snow Angel by Diane McGregor at Castilleja Cotton; Monterey Angel by Helene Knott as seen at Story Quilts; Angel of Light by Ravenwood Designs as seen at Quilters Treasure.
Row 2: Angel's Flight by Tracey Campbell at Top of the Range Designs; Flower Angel by Nina Lise Moen at Mrs. Moen Patterns; Winter Angel by Laurie Tigner at Laurie Tigner Designs
Row 3: Angel with Harp by Joan Bouwmeester and Debbie Bouwmeester-Fasek at Three Swans Studio; The Angel by Ursula Riegel at Designs to Share with You, wall hanging kit at Creative Quilt Kits

The elegance of angels

2011-12-22T05:30:00.000-08:00

We were amazed when we saw these elegant art quilts, which we discovered at Laurie Tigner Designs. Laurie has created a wonderful collection of patterns for seasonal angels. These angels will adorn your home with their beauty and gracious repose throughout the year.

Winter Angel, 16 x 40", by Laurie Tigner at Laurie Tigner Designs (South Dakota)

The Winter Angel is part of Laurie's "Seasonal Angels"series, using Hoffman 1895 Handpaints batiks. However, this lovely classic design lends itself to many different types of fabrics. There is a color template included so face and hands can be scanned and printed onto fabric on your inkjet computer. In addition, full size templates are provided. You can see the Spring, Summer and Autumn angels on Laurie's Angels Pattern Page.

Messenger Angel, 16 x 40", by Laurie Tigner at Laurie Tigner Designs

Here's a warm and welcoming angel with prominent wings and an intricate celtic knot border. This Messenger Angel is cradling a dove, the symbol of love, faith, and peace. She would make a striking decoration in a front entry hall. For a contemporary look, her robe could be done in royal purple, with a hot turquoise background and a silver celtic border.

Christmas Joy Angels, 17 x 45", by Laurie Tigner at Laurie Tigner Designs

The Christmas angels are delightful in restful monochromatic blue. They would also look terrific in bright red tone-on-tone or Moda marbles fabric robes, with gold halos and trumpets, complemented by a spruce green background.

Laurie Tigner is in the midst of a very accomplished life, having worked as an art teacher, Air Force nurse, and now a quilt designer, pattern maker, and long arm quilter extraordinaire. Laurie writes, ......."it became clear that the design and flow of freehand machine quilting had become my new brushstrokes, satisfying my need for creative expression. Since then, I have expanded into designing my own patterns, though I still continue to quilt for others, as time allows."

Image credits: Images are shown with the generous permission of Laurie Tigner. Fabric kits and instructions for some of Laurie's enchanting Seasonal Angels are available at Erica's Craft and Sewing.

Monterey angels

2011-12-21T06:16:00.000-08:00

With all the stillness and serenity of a deep Christmas night, here's an angel shining brightly against the starry sky. This Monterey Angel quilt, known as the "Celestial Angel", with its beautiful winter colors, uses Amish patchwork piecing to achieve a clean, geometric effect that looks stunning in all types of decor.

Monterey Angel, approx 60" x 60", by Helene Knott as seen at Story Quilts

Ten fabric colors, including three different shades of periwinkle blue, are used to create this luminous work. Surrounding the angel is the traditional trip-around-the-world piecing along with time-honored sawtooth stars using half-square triangles. The halo, face, and hands can be appliqued using a variety of techniques.

Taos Angel version of Monterey Angel, approx. 60 x 60", by Helene Knott as seen at Story Quilts

Here is another version of the Monterey Angel, done in rich, warm terracotta colors with a regal red and sage green gown. Because these colors are so often used in the folk art of the southwestern United States, Helene named this version the "Taos Angel", after the art town in New Mexico.

On Helene's website she writes, "I was born and raised on the Monterey Peninsula in central California, a beautiful area that served as an inspiration to set me onto a creative path for life." The town of Monterey was the capital of Alta California from 1777-1846, when California was under the control of Spain and Mexico. Helene was inspired to create the wall quilts shown here by the paintings of angels displayed each Christmas season, in Monterey, a reflections of the town's cultural and artistic Spanish heritage.

Image credits: A very well-known, prolific quilt teacher, designer, and workshop leader, Helene has received many awards for her quilt creations, which have been featured on the cover of Quilter's Newsletter. For more information about Helene Knott and for photos of her brilliant work, please visit her intriguing website, Kitty Stomp. Images are shown here with the generous permission of Story Quilts.

The music and light of angels

2011-12-20T06:33:00.000-08:00

Thomas Carlyle once said: "Music is well said to be the speech of angels." Jewish tradition says that angels constantly sing songs of praise to God, singing in shifts so that angelic songs go to God at all times of each day and night. Many famous Christmas carols have been written about the Bible’s account of a multitude of angels appearing in the sky over Bethlehem to celebrate Jesus Christ’s birth. Also, some of the most beautiful images of angels come from stained glass windows in churches around the world. In keeping with these traditions, here are some beautiful quilts that look exactly like stained glass windows.

Angel of Light, approx, 28 x 35", by Ravenwood Designs (Alberta, Canada) as seen at Quilters Treasure

New Dawn, 29 x 36", by Joan Bouwmeester and Debbie Bouwmeester-Fasek at Three Swans Studios

Angel with Harp, 30 x 41", by Joan Bouwmeester and Debbie Bouwmeester-Fasek at Three Swans Studio

The Angel 14.5 x 20.5" by Ursula Riegel at Designs to Share with You, wall hanging kit at Creative Quilt Kits

Image credits: Ravenwood Designs is based in Alberta, Canada and their patterns are sold exclusively through Quilter's Treasure.
Three Swans Studios is comprised of two sisters – Joan Bouwmeester and Debbie Bouwmeester-Fasek – who reside and work in different parts of Canada: Ottowa, Ontario and Edmonton, Alberta.
Designs to Share with You is Ursula Riegel's creative pattern line based in Victoria, B.C., Canada. We previously featured her Advent Calendar Angel in our series on Christmas Around the World.

Everyone needs an angel

2011-12-19T05:58:00.000-08:00

Angels are mythical beings often depicted as messengers of God in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles along with the Quran. The word "angel" actually comes from the Greek word aggelos, which means 'messenger'. Certain angels have the task of protecting and guiding human beings. Diane McGregor, the owner of Castilleja Cotton, believes that everyone needs an angel. Therefore she has created over a dozen charming patterns for angels that appear in human form.

Let It Snow Angel, 16.5 x 21", by Diane McGregor at Castilleja Cotton (Calgary, Alberta, Canada)

With Diane's easy patterns you could have an angel for every season. The collection includes an Autumn Garden Angel, Spring Garden Angel, Garden Angel and Star Flowers and Winter Angel.

Asian Angel quilt kit, 16.5" x 21", by Diane McGregor at Castilleja Cotton

The Asian Angel is one of the unusual angels you will find. There is also a Cowgirl Angel, completely decked out in Western attire and hat. Finally, here is Diane McGregor's original (2003) Angel Quilt Pattern, 18 x 15".

To find all of the angels simply type in "angel" in the search box at Castilleja Cotton.

Image credits: Images are shown with the generous permission of Diane McGregor. Castilleja (ka_steel_ya) is the Latin name for the Indian Paintbrush flower, which can be found in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. Castilleja Cotton has been in business since 1993 and has an eclectic selection of nearly 500 quilt patterns and themes. You can also find Diane's beautiful and original art quilts at her Castilleja Cotton Shop on Etsy.

Christmas and Hanukkah in Israel

2011-12-16T06:07:00.000-08:00

Christmas in Israel generally coincides with Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of light, which spreads a festive spirit across the land. The celebrations are about to begin. Hanukkah in Israel is widely celebrated and marked by many symbolic events and, of course, foods. The Festival of Light, Hanukkah is an eight day festival, a celebration of hope and freedom. Meanwhile, Christmas in Israel is is truly Christmas in the Holy Land. In the town of Bethlehem, magnificent services take place on Christmas Eve. Here are a few little quilts that remind us of the historical significance of Israel for both religions.

O Little Town of Bethlehem by Jenna Bruns at Cotton Patch Designs

How far is it to Bethlehem, detail, by Rachel W.N. Brown from the book Adoration Quilts - Appliqué Nativity Projects published by Martingale

Yonder Star by Ann Lauer at Grizzly Gulch Gallery (Montana)

Nativity Scene at Creations Sew Clever (Ohio)

This year Hanukkah begins on Tuesday, December 20, and ends at sunset on Wednesday, December 28. The festival of Hanukkah commemorates the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem during the Maccabean Revolt in the 2nd century BCE. Upon re-entering the Temple, it was found that there was only enough oil for the menorah to last for one day. The miracle of Hanukkah was that the oil burned for eight days, the time needed to prepare a fresh supply of oil. An eight day festival was declared by the Jewish sages to commemorate this miracle which is observed by the kindling of the lights of the Menorah. The festival is symbolized in these charming wall hangings.

Happy Hanukkah by Elizabeth Rosenberg, pattern at Dreidel

Home for Hanukkah, 32.5" x 57.5", by Cheryl Lynch at Cheryl Lynch Quilts. Featured in McCall's Quilting 2009

Christmas around the world: Japan

2011-12-15T05:52:00.000-08:00

Do you wonder what Christmas is like in Japan? Since less than 1% of Japan's population is Christian, there is no Japanese national holiday on December 25. Instead, Japanese people enjoy the pleasures of home and family as on any other day. Therefore we thought it appropriate to feature “My Home Town Tapestry” by designer Yoko Saito. This lovely quilt features the gentle taupe colors that have made her famous among quilters worldwide.

My Home Town Tapestry 108 x 98 cm by Yoko Saito at Quilt Party (Ichikawa City, Chiba Prefecture, Japan)

In 2008 Yoko Saito commemorated 30 years of creative activities with the Yoko Saito Quilt Exhibition in Ginza, Tokyo. In recent years, aside from her regular appearances on TV and in magazines in Japan, she has begun to expand her operations overseas, holding exhibitions and workshops in countries such as France, Italy and Taiwan. The pattern book and kit for "My Home Town Tapestry", and much of the website, are available in English. You can even purchase tickets for the Tokyo International Quilt Festival 2012. The amazing quilt on the show poster, below, is by none other than Yoko Saito.

The official website of the Tokyo Quilt Show is at the Tokyo Dome.

Finally, Yoko Saito has teamed with Lecien (pronounced Lew-shen), a fabric manufacturer based in Japan, to produce fabrics from her favorite collections. Her Fall 2011 line, Etoffe Imprevue, consists of natural textures such as wood grain, basket weave and cross hatch, and tiny flowers.

Christmas around the world: US (Ohio)

2011-12-14T05:28:00.000-08:00

Sue Spargo was born in Zambia and grew up in South Africa before moving to England and, in 1989, to the US. Her folk-art imagery reflects her multicultural background and her fascination with "primitive" arts and crafts from around the world. Inspiration comes from memories collected during her African childhood with its animals and grasslands, a sojourn in the green South of England and time spent in Connecticut, Tennessee, Utah and Ohio. Here is Sue's joyful "Crimson Tweed" for Christmas.

Crimson Tweed, 39 x 51", by Sue Spargo at Sue Spargo Folk-Art Quilts

This quilt was inspired by a few holiday cards which Sue bought in Italy. The backgrounds are wonderful tones of gray and taupe hand dyed wool interspersed by different textures using many Japanese cottons. The blocks are then appliquéd using a fun combination of wools, cottons and hand dyed velvet (a kit is available). A few stitches add dimension to many of the blocks.

About her fabrics, Sue says: "I love to use solids as they are restful and lend themselves to layering and endless creativity. Adding colors of hand dyed wools and velvets add subtle textures you will never find in cotton fabrics."

Crimson Tweed was featured in the December 2011 issue of American Patchwork & Quilting (see the announcement at Sue Spargo and Twee's Blog). The Crimson Tweed book also includes patterns for 4 holiday projects: a table rug, holiday birds and snowflake pillows.

Image credits: Images are shown with the generous permission of Sue Spargo.

Christmas around the world: The Netherlands

2011-12-13T05:46:00.000-08:00

Jacqueline de Jonge of Be Colourful has a full time job as secretary in the Cardiology department of a large hospital. At the same time she has achieved worldwide fame for her spectacular paper-pieced quilts. Jacqueline has loved fabrics, drawing, embroidery and sewing since she was a child. When she came across a quilt in a German magazine in 1978 she saw the way to utilize all of her accumulated skills. She taught herself to paper piece in 1998, and won her first award for best use of color in 2003. Several of her Be Colourful designs feature the colors of Christmas including Christmas Jewel, Joyful, and Surprisingly Red.

Surprisingly Red, 59" x 59", center medallion (below) by Jacqueline de Jonge at Be Colourful (Delft, The Netherlands)

Beautiful roses, soft pastels and warm reds are brought together in perfect harmony in this stunning quilt pattern. The center medallion, above, is a magnificent Mariner's Compass Star encircled by smaller stars done in 4 different designs. The medallion is surrounded by an undulating wave of skinny New York Beauty points (we counted nearly 500 points in the wave).

The quilt is called “Surprisingly Red” because "We were so incredibly surprised by the combination of warm red in this pastel colored fabric." She goes on to tell the story: "I had the fabric with the large roses in my house for a long time. The beautiful roses and soft pastels were screaming for beautiful pink fabrics and combinations... Unfortunately the pinks did not justify my beautiful rose fabrics. In fact, it became a pale combination. We started to seach for other colour groups and we came up with red." Here is the quilt displayed in a cozy living room in front of the fireplace - the perfect Christmas setting.

Jacqueline's Be Colourful website offers English and Dutch language options. Her brother, Harm Jan de Jonge, handles her website and communications with customers. For more information see a 2007 interview with Jacqueline de Jonge on the Press page, where you can also see the trailer for Jacqueline's recent appearance on The Quilt Show with Alex Anderson and Ricky Tims.

Christmas around the world: New Zealand

2011-12-12T04:38:00.000-08:00

Mary Metcalf, who owns Kiwiquilts, is passionate about patchwork and quilting. As a fourth generation Kiwi, Mary is extremely proud of her New Zealand heritage. Through her online shop she is able to bring a piece of New Zealand's unique scenery, design and flora to quilters throughout the world. Here you will find quilts featuring Pohutukawa, a native New Zealand coastal tree with spectacular dark crimson flowers that bloom just before Christmas, and the beloved Kiwi bird.

Kiwi Christmas Tree mini quilt, 15” x 15”, design by Jenny Hunter, pattern at Kiwiquilts (Auckland, New Zealand)

The kiwi is a national symbol of New Zealand, and the association is so strong that the term Kiwi is used all over the world as the colloquial name for New Zealanders. The Kiwi Christmas Tree mini quilt features flowers from the pohutukawa tree and, instead of the traditional angel, a gold kiwi presides over the tree. The first settlers used pohutukawa blossoms to decorate their homes at Christmas time, regarding it as a New Zealand substitute for holly. Here is a gorgeous Pohutukawa wall hanging that is one of the most popular patterns at Kiwiquilts:

Pohutukawa wall hanging, 80cm x 1.10m (31½” x 43½”), by Mary Metcalf at Kiwiquilts

The leaves are appliquéd either by hand or machine and the blossoms are very easy piecing; a fabric kit is available. We also love Mary Metcalf's green and red Hibiscus wall hanging and her many Kiwiana quilts and fabrics.

These designs mean so much to us after our own trip to New Zealand earlier this year; see our article on Quilting in New Zealand and Quilting in New Zealand - part 2.

Image credits: Images are shown with the generous permission of Mary Metcalf.

Christmas around the world: Ecuador

2011-12-09T05:32:00.000-08:00

From high up in the Andes mountains, in the city of Quito, Ecuador, Angie Padilla runs her own international business: Angie's Quilt Pattern Shop. Angie set up her shop in 2003 to pursue her passion for quilting. She speaks English and Spanish (and German, French and Portuguese) and she previously had a successful 16-year career as a translator and interpreter. A creative designer and EQ* expert, Angie describes herself as a self-learner: "I taught myself to sew and to quilt. And I taught myself how to draw." Her highly original designs are rich in colorful applique work, such as this magnificent Christmas Dove.

Christmas Dove, 34 x 43", design by Angie Padilla at Angie's Quilt Pattern Shop (Quito, Ecuador)

As the pattern description says, this lovely wall hanging is not for the faint of heart -- it has many, many pieces -- but it is definitely for the dedicated applique lover. We can't get enough of this highly stylized design. Here is another beautiful finished Dove:

At Angie's Bits 'n Pieces you can read more about the Christmas Dove here: dove progress, more sewing with friends, and one finished dove. At her blog, Angie talks about what is personal: her family, friends, life in Ecuador, and her own passion for quilting. We loved reading this recent post about how she and her family celebrate Christmas (scroll to the bottom of the post to read the story).

*Image credits: Images are shown with the generous permission of Angie Padilla. She is an Electric Quilt (EQ) expert and the designer of My Dream House, an EQ CD that allows you to create your own dream house with over 450 pieces. Also, you can learn how to draw applique designs in EQ with Angie's Applique Drawing Book. Her wonderful patterns can be found at Angie's Quilt Pattern Shop and you can see a gallery of quilts at Angie's Flickr photostream

Christmas around the world: Germany

2011-12-08T05:42:00.000-08:00

On the edge of the land between Dortmund and Muenster is the town of Werne (an der Lippe - on the river Lippe). In town you will find the cozy Quilt Shop "Kaleidoskop". We discovered the quilt shop, and owner/designer Gabi Tietz, when we were searching for interesting and unique embroidery designs (which we found here). To our delight we discovered that Gabi also designs glorious, original quilts. Here is her beautiful new "Winter Tales".

Winter Tales by Gabi Tietz at All About My Quiltshop

"Winter Tales" sets a romantic winter mood with its cool blue and white prints and warm brown accents. The quilt is embellished with sparkling rhinestones, making the scene downright frosty! Gabi's passion for embroidery comes through in her heartwarming 2011 BOM, Schnee-Herzen (snow hearts) which is one of our favorite redwork projects (click on the image to see the exquisite detail).

Gabi explains that the Schnee Herzen design symbolizes a universal wish of all people to thaw (icy) hearts (Tauzeit für (Eis)Herzen). At her blog, About My Quiltshop, you can download Block 12 for free (for a limited time). You can see all the Schneeherzen patterns in her online shop here.

Speaking of "cozy", here is the front window of the quilt shop, showing more cheerful projects including a beautiful Friends for Christmas quilt and a cute Advent mini-quilt.

"A smile between two people can be a wonderful beginning." ~ Gabi Tietz

Image credits: Images are shown with the generous permission of Gabi Tietz at All About My Quiltshop. On the left sidebar of the site you will find a Google Translate button and on the right sidebar you will find links to tutorials.

Christmas around the world: Australia

2011-12-07T05:10:00.000-08:00

Bronwyn Hayes is an Australian artist whose beautifully executed stitchery and applique designs have made her popular around the world. Here's an album quilt which showcases the merriment and delight of Christmas, and the joys of home and giving. What could be more fun than these appliqued and embroidered blocks which feature many of the season's symbols in joyous celebration?

Gift Quilt, 53" x 55", by Bronwyn Hayes at Red Brolly (Canberra, Australia)

In Gift Quilt, Bronwyn has used Moda's "French General" fabric in the Oo La La and Pom Pom de Paris lines to create a pattern that bursts with happiness. Look carefully, and you will see a Santa Claus, an angel, a busy shopper, a jolly snowman, a chorus line of gingerbread men, and so much more. The border of prairie points makes a very stylish (and stash-busting) border. We loved this cozy home with the red roof, surrounded by cheerful hearts, a bluebird of happiness, an an embroidered pine tree:

In an interview in Australian Homespun, Bronwyn Hayes talks about Christmas as a season to join family and friends and to use her favorite color, red, in designs which honor this holiday. She is renowned for her redwork embroidery, and she says: "I love the strength of line and the vibrancy that I can achieve when I stitch with red thread".

Image credits: Images are shown with the generous permission of Bronwyn Hayes. You can find all of her patterns, tutorials, and links to stockists at Red Brolly and the latest news on the Red Brolly Facebook page.

Christmas around the world: Norway

2011-12-06T05:41:00.000-08:00

Nina Lise Moen lives in Stavanger, Norway where she shares her life with her husband, their grown up daughter and grandson. Mrs. Moen comes from a long line of creative and highly skilled needle workers and seamstresses. She says, "I am first and foremost a quilter and have designed my own quilts since I started quilting a few hundreds of quilts ago*." Her "Urban Christmas" was inspired by her home town of Lillehammer, where all Christmases seemed to be white. The town is known for its beautiful old wooden houses.

Urban Christmas, by Nina Lise Moen at Mrs. Moen Patterns

We love the steam rising from the chimneys, and the stars twinkling in the night sky...

What is both wonderful and clever about this project is that the pattern package contains not just one, but 6 different applique designs and 5 projects: a wall hanging, a julepost (with a handy vinyl pocket for displaying Christmas cards), table runner, advent calendar, and pillow. You can mix & match the applique motifs and projects as you wish! Here is "Christmas at the Cabin"....

and a cheerful blue Santa with his snowy white beard....

The other mix-and-match motifs include a beautiful angel girl, Frosty the snowman (and his feathered friends) and Santa's cats. For more information about Mix and Match for Christmas, see Mrs. Moen's blog post and class samples and her pattern page.

*Image credits: Images are shown with the generous permission of Nina Lise Moen. You can read an interview with Mrs. Moen at Feathered Fibers. Also, we previously featured her adorable funky bird patterns in a post on Cute Quilts for Kids.

Christmas around the world: Italy

2011-12-05T05:55:00.000-08:00

In 2010, designer Lenna Green experienced a white Christmas in Italy (she says: "Seeing snow fall from the heavens was something very new"!) She and her family, who make their home in Tasmania, swapped houses with an Italian family and spent eight weeks exploring the snow-covered hills, farms, and villages of Northern Italy. The scenes from this memorable trip inspired Lenna's outstanding "Christmas in Italy" quilt.

Christmas in Italy, detail, by Lenna Green at Stitching Cow (Hobart, Tasmania, Australia)

Red and terracotta brick farmhouses, a bell tower, and a church with a rose window have been re-created in exquisite detail. The project included Moda Rouenneries fabrics, as seen in the snow laden hills, star, and border above. The full quilt, which measures 130cm x 145cm (52"x56") is shown below.

A hand-embroidered Santa, complete with sleigh and eight reindeer, flies over the villages...

You can see the original photos of Italy that inspired the quilt at Lenna's Little Green Cottage Designs blog. Here are the links: New Christmas in Italy Quilt, New Christmas in Italy Quilt 2, New Christmas in Italy Quilt 3, New Christmas in Italy Quilt 4 and Ready to Enjoy New Christmas in Italy Quilt. For a video presentation of the quilt - plus purchasing information - visit the Christmas in Italy Block-of-the-month page.

Image credits: Images are shown with the generous permission of Lenna Green. She is the founder and principal designer at Stitching Cow, where you can find original patterns for quilting, embroidery, and other textile crafts. If you are looking for a beautiful quilt for a child, check out Lenna Green's inspirational Nursery Rhyme Quilt.

Christmas around the world: Canada

2011-12-02T05:39:00.000-08:00

A love of quilting brings together people from around the world, and transcends all boundaries. Quilters of all nationalities, faiths and backgrounds can appreciate a beautiful quilt, and the work that goes into it. We also can share our love of quilting through blogs and websites that connect us with quilters in many countries. To celebrate the universal fellowship of quilters we'll be sharing Christmas quilts from 9 different countries, starting with Canada.

Advent Calendar Angel, 19.5 x 21.5", by Ursula Riegel at Designs to Share (Victoria, B.C., Canada)

This delightful wall hanging features a Christmas Angel in the center carrying two gifts surrounded by 22 more gift packages - each a little pocket just waiting to be filled with goodies for the child in your life. What a wonderful way to welcome the holidays! The pattern uses freezer paper appliqué for the angel and an assortment of fabrics, ribbons and trim for the gifts. For details see the Advent Calendar Angel pattern page.

Ursula Riegel lives and works on beautiful Vancouver Island. In 1991 she took her first formal quilting class because she wanted to learn the art of quilt making before the “fad” was over (since the fad wasn't over, she began teaching and designing!) You can see a video of Ursula from the Great Canadian Shop Hop. Her beautiful and unique patterns include patchwork and paper piecing, applique and reverse applique, and innovative techniques. Here are a few of our favorites: Flying High, In the Mist, Mai Bonsai, and Inner Quest.

Image credits: The image is shown with the generous permission of Ursula Riegel.

All wrapped up: simple, stylish holiday quilts

2011-11-30T05:12:00.000-08:00

~Stay tuned for Christmas around the World!~

This year we've featured a medley of holiday quilts, ranging from quick-pieced blocks to appliqued motifs. Now, as we're getting ready to share Christmas quilts from around the world, here's a wrapup!

Row 1: Shopping’s done! Gift’s wrapped! by Sandy Gervais at Pieces from my Heart; Argyle Christmas by Natalia Bonner at Piece N Quilt. Row 2: Royaltry by Kay M. Capps Cross at Cross Cuts Quilting; Christmas Tree by Paris Bottman at Bigfork Bay Cotton Co. Row 3: Gift Quilt by Brandon Mably at Brandon Mably Designs; Christmas reindeer by June Jaeger at Log Cabin Quiltworks. Row 4: Peace by Norma Whaley and Joyce Weeks at Geoff’s Mom Patterns; Yonder Star by Ann Lauer at Grizzly Gulch Gallery.

Yonder Star

2011-11-29T04:55:00.000-08:00

It's the 8th day of our "simple, stylish holiday quilts". Here's a fast and fun Nativity-themed wall hanging, done with fusible applique. In the midst of a busy holiday season, this brings a sense of peace and repose, as the Wise Men journey through the silent and wondrous night, following the Star of Bethlehem.

Yonder Star, 29 x 27 by Ann Lauer at Grizzly Gulch Gallery (Montana)

From Helena, Montana, Ann Lauer has been designing and creating quilts for over 20 years. Her online store, Grizzly Gulch Gallery, sells patterns, books, bed quilts, art quilts, fabric art, wall hangings, and custom made gifts. While perusing all the goodies for sale at Grizzly Gulch, this art quilt really caught our attention.

Like many quilters, we're enchanted by quilts which feature building and houses. The glowing village in the distance here creates such a balanced, graceful focal point and perfectly symbolizes the light of Christmas. The Yonder Star pattern features full size templates that are drawn in reverse, so they easily lend themselves to fusible applique and raw edge applique techniques. This traditional yet contemporary look goes with all decor and would look great in any room in your home.

The Gift Quilt

2011-11-28T04:26:00.000-08:00

It's Day 7 of our simple, stylish holiday quilts ! Here's a quilt which encompasses the spirit of the holiday season, which is giving to others. What could be better than a quilt sewn to look like a giant present, whether it is for friends, family, or even yourself?

The Gift, 27 x 33, by Brandon Mably at Brandon Mably Designs

Brandon Mably is the Studio Manager for the Kaffe Fasset Studio in London, and he shares Kaffe Fassett's interest in bold swirling fabric patterns with vibrant colorways. The background of this quilt is done in easy patchwork squares, while the ribbon bow is machine appliqued. You can make this quilt in pretty contrasting holiday colors, as quilter Laura West Kong has shown on her blog, with a bright red bow and sparkling green accents. "The Gift" pattern is available in a wonderful book, Kaffe Fassett's Country Garden Quilts, written by Kaffe Fassett, Brandon Mably, and others.

Christmas reindeer

2011-11-26T05:56:00.000-08:00

Happy Saturday! It's Day 6 of our "simple, stylish" holiday quilts and we wanted to share our favorite reindeer (quilt). He could be Dasher, Dancer, Prancer or Vixen. The image reminds us of the cover of the classic children's book, The Night Before Christmas, which depicts Santa's reindeer silhouetted by the moon.

Christmas Reindeer, 23-1/2 x 33", by June Jaeger at Log Cabin Quiltworks (Oregon)

This reindeer is silhouetted by a shiny green Christmas ornament; the graceful red ribbon that adorns the deer is echoed by the red ribbon on the ornament.

June Jaeger is a renowned designer, entrepreneur and teacher. We first featured her work in our series on Quilts of the Wild West. Many of her patterns have animal silhouettes, which we love; the silhouettes portray the animals in their simplest forms. At Log Cabin Quiltworks you can find June's artistic patterns for winter, wildlife and birds, including Gambel's quail. Last but not least, if you are a cat lover you will enjoy her cat quilts such as Here a kitty There a kitty.

Image credits: The image is shown with the generous permission of June Jaeger.

Shopping's done !

2011-11-25T06:06:00.000-08:00

Well, not really. It's Day 5 of our "simple, stylish holiday quilts" and that happens to be the name of Sandy Gervais' pattern. Since today is Black Friday we thought "Shopping's Done" was appropriate! We like the abstract geometric shapes of the gift boxes, which give this quilt a very modern look.

Shopping's done! Gift's wrapped! 48 x 70", by Sandy Gervais at Pieces From My Heart

Each block is created using a stack and slice technique--cutting more than one piece of a pattern at once by stacking up to four layers of fabric. (You copy the pattern onto freezer paper, iron it to a fat quarter of fabric, then place it on top of as many layers as you think you can slice with your rotary cutter.) This quick-cutting approach is also used for Sandy's iconic "Tree's up" quilt:

Tree's up! Light's on! 51 x 70", by Sandy Gervais at Pieces From My Heart

Sandy Gervais learned to sew at an early age. In 1992 she combined her love for art with her passion for sewing into a quilt pattern company, Pieces From My Heart. At her first international Quilt Market -– St. Louis in 1994 -– she was discovered by Moda Fabrics. Over fifteen years, and countless fabric lines later, she is still designing for Moda.

Argyle for Christmas

2011-11-24T05:20:00.000-08:00

It's day 4 of our simple, stylish holiday quilts. We've always loved quilt designs that mimic plaid and woven textiles. Today's holiday quilt re-creates a traditional argyle design in patchwork. Simple? Stylish? Yes and yes.

Argyle Christmas, 52 x 63", by Natalia Bonner at Piece N Quilt (Utah)

In weaving, the argyle pattern originated with the tartan of Clan Campbell, of Argyll in western Scotland, and from the patterned socks worn by Scottish Highlanders since at least the 17th century. Natalia Bonner has transformed the design from a pure geometric to a cheerful holiday quilt by adding appliqued evergreen branches and bright red berries.

Natalia Bonner is a professional machine quilter and pattern designer. You can find Natalia Bonner and Kathleen Whiting, co-owner, at the Piece N Quilt website and the Piece N Quilt blog.

A Christmas Tree

2011-11-23T04:51:00.000-08:00

It's day three of our "simple, stylish holiday quilts" series. This predominantly white quilt is a simple celebration of snow and holiday cheer. We like its uncomplicated design: just a bear, and a tree.

Christmas tree, 21 x 27" by Paris Bottman at Bottman Design as seen at Bigfork Bay Cotton Company (Montana)

Paris Bottman is an artist who has been entertaining us with her whimsical characters for over 25 years. Several of her works of art have been translated into quilt patterns by the talented group at Bigfork Bay Cotton Company. As with many of Paris Bottman's designs, this polar bear captivates us with his human-like gaze.

Image credits: The image is shown with the generous permission of Bigfork Bay Cotton Company. Bigfork Bay Cotton Company licenses the work of fine artists to create raw edge applique quilt patterns, and they produce fabric kits and thread kits for these designs. Bigfork Bay Cotton Company has its own quilt shop located in beautiful Bigfork, Montana.

A little peace for the holidays

2011-11-22T05:10:00.000-08:00

Today's post is number two in our "simple and stylish holiday" series. Recently we came across the most charming journal covers. The dove of peace is one of the prettiest we've seen, and this journal cover fits a standard composition notebook. We think that these would make fantastic gifts.

Peace, 8" x 10", by Norma Whaley and Joyce Weeks at Geoff's Mom Pattern Company (Utah)

In her description of the pattern, Norma Whaley writes: "If you are someone who keeps a journal of your life's journey, you could make a cover that would look lovely on your night stand." For more examples check out Rejoice, Wisdom, Bird Nesting, Don't count sheep, and Flower Power Journal (shades of the '60's). You can see all of the designs - there are ten so far - on the Quilt Patterns page.

Geoff's Mom is Joyce Weeks, and Norma Whaley is her co-designer and friend. Norma formerly created patterns under the name "Remember When", and the two have now merged their business. Their quilt patterns can be found at Geoff's Mom Patterns and their blog is at Geoff's Mom blog.

Image credits: The image is shown with the generous permission of Joyce Weeks.

Simple, stylish holiday quilts

2011-11-21T05:58:00.000-08:00

In the midst of the holiday hubbub it can be difficult to keep things simple. This year we decided to share 8 different quilts that embody beauty in simplicity. As Frank Lloyd Wright said: "Simplicity and repose are the qualities that measure the true value of any work of art."

Royaltry, 39 x 47", in Black & White and Pieced All Over, by Kay M. Capps Cross at Cross Cuts Quilting

Is there anything more elegant than black and white, or more simple than this edgy pine tree? This quilt would look beautiful in silk or in Kona cottons. One reviewer on Amazon sums it up: "I like the use of black and white, usually with one other accent color. There's something very appealing about the crisp contrast this provides."

Kay M. Capps Cross is an expert in black-and-white quilts, and we love her contemporary style. Her books and patterns are designed for stress-free foundation piecing... which is exactly what we need at this time of year.

Image credits: The image is shown with the generous permission of Kay M. Capps Cross. To browse and purchase individual patterns please visit her website, Cross Cuts Quilting. You also can find Kay at her Facebook page.

Easy pieced wreath: free pattern and tutorial

2011-11-17T05:52:00.000-08:00

We've been dying to use our fabric stash to make a festive wreath. We looked at many methods, including tying fabric strips to a wire frame, but we were put off by these words of wisdom: "You will tie and tie for days and days".... and: "I got blisters on my fingers from the fabric when I tied it" (see where beauty meets function). So we asked ourselves: why not stitch the strips together, then simply wrap them around the wreath? After some trial and error we came up with this easy pattern that produces a beautiful, full wreath. The bow is built in, and the wreath itself can be re-used (the fabric strips can be removed for storage !)

This wreath has fabric all the way around, so it can be admired from both sides of a glass door.

It also looks great on the front door:

This wreath is a great stash-buster. It can be as scrappy or as coordinated as you wish !

EASY PIECED WREATH TUTORIAL
You will need:
-One 12-inch floral styrofoam wreath such as from Michael's ($4 with coupon). One manufacturer is FloraCraft. Other brands and styles will work but may require more or less fabric depending on the thickness of the ring.
-Dark green fabric for backbone strips (approx. 1 fat quarter - FQ)
-Hot pink fabric for bow (we used a 10" x 21" piece from 1 FQ)
-Assorted fabrics for cross-strips: approx. 1-3/4 to 2 yards (7-8 FQ)
-Rotary cutter and 24" cutting mat; 6" x 24" quilting ruler
-T-pins to attach the strips to the wreath

Step 1. Backbone strips: Cut the dark green fat quarter into 1.5" wide strips (you will need 9-10 strips that are ~21" long):

Step 2. Cross-strips: Cut the assorted fabrics into 1.5" wide strips, then cross-cut so the strips are 3.5" long*. To save time, you can cut a stack of 3-4 fabrics as long as your rotary blade is sharp (*use caution*!) We first cut the 1.5" wide strips without separating them, then simply rotated the cutting mat and made a second set of cuts every 3.5 inches:

Here are the strips from the six fabrics we used. We selected dark, medium and light value fabrics to give the wreath some interest. We used two FQ of the dark green, turquoise and purple, and one FQ of the others. We included some spotty white fabrics that looked like snow:

Step 3. Stitch the cross strips to the backbones: Place one dark green backbone strip in the sewing machine and take a few stitches down the middle of the strip to hold it in place (see second photo below). Start adding cross strips as follows: fold one cross-strip in half lengthwise to make a 3/4" wide strip and pinch it in the middle. Then layer another cross-strip on top and fold it in half lengthwise. We found it easiest to fold and stack the strips flat on the table, then pinch them together as shown below. (Note: you can click on any of the pictures to expand them and see the detail).

Center the stacked cross strips on the backbone and take a few stitches down the middle. Continue folding and adding cross-strips to the backbone strip, one right after another, as shown in the photos below. You should not need to raise and lower the presser foot as long as you take only a few stitches before you add the next set of strips:

You can use chain piecing if you wish by starting on the next backbone without lifting the needle. Each backbone will hold about 26 stacked cross strips. It will take a little time to sew the strips - but not days ! It goes fairly quickly, and soon you will have a tantalizing collection of fluffy strips, at which point you will start to imagine all sorts of decor possibilities in addition to the wreath. Garlands, conical trees, jars filled with fabric, and wall hangings come to mind.

Step 4. Make the bow: Before you finish stitching all the strips, attach the bow "strings" and bow to one of the backbone strips, about 6" from the end. First, cut the hot pink fabric into one 8" x 21" strip and one 2" x 21" strip. Fold the 8" wide strip in fourths, lengthwise, making an accordion fold as shown below (first fold the strip in half lengthwise with right sides together; then fold back the raw edges.) This will become the "strings" for the bow:

Then fold the 2" wide strip to make a flat bow. We've provided a free bow template in a pdf file (download here). The bow looks like this:

Attach the bow "strings" and bow to one of the backbone strips, about 6" from the end. First, center the bow strings on the backbone, then layer the flat bow on top of the strings and stitch down the middle, stitching through all layers.

When you are done stitching the bow, continue stitching cross pieces onto the backbone.

Step 5. Assemble the wreath: Start with the strip that has the bow. Center the bow on the front of the wreath form and pin it in place temporarily with a t-pin:

Then start wrapping the strip around the wreath, pushing the bow and cross-strips to the left as you wrap the strip to the right:

When have finished wrapping this strip, secure the end with a t-pin (you can tuck the t-pin underneath a cross strip so that it does not show). Also wrap and pin the left end of the strip behind the bow (once both ends are secured, you can remove the pin from the bow.) Keep pinning and wrapping strips around the wreath, one after another, until the entire form is covered. Hint: If you wrap slowly, an inch or two at a time, it will be easy to push aside the cross strips so they do not get caught underneath the strip you are wrapping. When you have gone all the way around the wreath, cut off any extra strips. We used about 9.5 strips for our finished wreath. Fluff the wreath with your fingers, straightening out any crumpled strips.

Having completed this project, here's what we love about this method:

-The wreath looks very professional.
-It uses about the same amount of fabric as other methods. There is little or no wastage.
-It takes only a few hours, not days. No blisters !
-It is perfect not only for scraps and remnants, but also for pre-cuts such as honey buns - and, with minor modifications, jelly roll strips.
-After the holidays the fabric strips can be unpinned and stored in a box until next year. The wreath form can then be used to make another Easy Pieced Wreath.
-It was so much fun, and so easy, that we want to make another one ! We're thinking white, with a pink or red bow, for Valentine's Day.

~Enjoy your wreath and have a very happy holiday season ! ~

*Note: Through trial and error we discovered that 3.5" is the right length for cross strips for a 12" wreath. Strips that are 3" long are too short. Strips that are 5" long look too long on a 12" wreath, but would be great for a 14" wreath. Also: our 12" over-the-door wreath hanger was a little too short for this size wreath. We used a loop of wire to attach the wreath to the hanger.

Free pattern day: Christmas trees

2011-11-14T04:37:00.000-08:00

~All of our free patterns are archived in the Free Pattern Days tab at the top of this page ~

Last year we published 12 days of Christmas Trees, which revealed just how many variations of trees are possible in fabric. While those are still our all-time favorites, here are some free patterns to add to the repertoire. After all, quilted trees are "green" (reusable) and they take up far less space than a real tree!

Row 1 above: Christmas Tree pillow by Kati at From The Blue Chair; Sweet Sue Tops the Tree by Jennifer Ofenstein at Sew Hooked. Row 2: O Christmas Tree by Jennifer Bosworth at Shabby Fabrics. Row 3: Christmas Tree, a Keepsake Frame block project, by Carol Doak for C&T Publishing; Foundation Pieced Tree by Marion Boddy-Evans at Mad Cat Art Studio.

Above: Chalkboard fabric pillows, holiday edition, at Merriment Design (have you heard of chalkboard fabric, which you can draw on? When you use special Chalk Ink no-smudge, non-toxic markers your drawings stay put until you remove them with a wet cloth.)

Row 1 above: O Tannenbaum (log cabin tree) by Brenda Groelz for McCalls Quilting; Prairie Point Christmas by Cara Wilson for Moda Bakeshop. Row 2: Figgy Pudding Tree Quilt by Jessica at Projects by Jess; Little Forest Quilt by Lovely Design, tutorial by the Purl Bee.

Row 1 above: Oh Colorful Trees by Jina Barney for Riley Blake Designs as seen at Fab Shop Hop; Presents and Pines by Denise Russart for Hoffman Fabrics. Row 2: Figgy Pudding Quilt by Basic Grey for Moda; Old Fashioned Santa Claus, including log cabin tree blocks, by June Pease for Red Rooster Fabrics.

Row 1 above: Snow Line quilt by Diane Nagle for P&B Textiles; Christmas Tree Table Runner tutorial by Rachel at Janssen Designs. Row 2: Christmas Ornaments by Ellen Maxwell for Free Spirit Fabric; Hip Holidays by Barbara Jones at Quilt Soup

Row 1 above: Jovial Christmas Tree wall hanging by Karin Hellaby for Moda Bakeshop; Winter Trees by Mickey Depre for Fairfield World. Row 2: O Christmas Tree by Kimberly Crapsey at Quilt Pox; Oh Christmas Tree pillow by Carrie at Dittle Dattle.

Row 1 above: Pine trees quilt block based on flying geese at Fairfield World; Joy ornaments by Debbie Mumm for Leisure Arts. Row 2: Christmas Tree pillow softies at Fleece Fun. Row 3: Sweet Trimmings Quilt-as-you-go by Gudrun Gisladottir at Gudrun's World; Winter Pines wall hanging by Joy Hoffman and Darlene Zimmerman for Simplicity; Advent Tree by Kimara at Wee Folk Art.

Image credits: All 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. If any links are broken, we'd love to know; email us at Quilt Inspiration.

Houston International Quilt Festival Part 5

2011-11-11T08:18:00.000-08:00

~Coming up... free patterns for Christmas~
The International Quilt Festival in Houston, Texas, is the world's largest quilt show, with a seemingly endless array of beautiful quilts. Attended by 60,000 quilt lovers, it is truly a quilter's dream. This is Part 5 of 5, so join us as we take a final look at an assortment of fascinating work.

The Secret Life of Dancing Tulips by Jeanne Brenner, Tallahassee, Florida

This lovely paper-pieced, hand-appliqued, and free-motion quilted work was inspired by Elsie M. Campbell's Star Flower. Jeanne says, "Put together two friends who sharea love of bright colors and happy quilts and this is the result. The title refers to the dancing tulips subtly quilted into the border.

Buenos Aires. Villa 31. by Cecilia Koppmann at Patchwork y Cia (Argentina)

Of her intriguing machine pieced, machine appliqued, machine embroidered and machine quilted work, Cecilia writes, "Since 1930 in a central and fashionable area of the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina, a shantytown called Villa 31 has been growing. Every day, local and foreign migrant workers climb over fences and hastily put up fragile, new walls, or add a precarious additional floor level to constructions that are already shoddily built. One day as I was sewing, I realized that I was constructing something much in the same haphazard way in which people were building their houses in the Villa 31, by improvising and using leftovers.

Close-up of Buenos Aires. Villa 31

Cecilia has quilted the background of this quilt in patterns which remind one of the tall skyscrapers, with their long straight strands.

My Family Tree of Life, by Ita Ziv, Pardes Hanaa, Israel

Some of the techniques used by Ita are: freehand cut, fused, and free-motion quilted. Ita Ziv says about the original applique work, "The names of my family inspired me when making this quilt. My husband and my parents, children and grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren, are what makes up My Family Tree of Life.

Close-up of My Family Tree of Life

Through the use of soft, muted Bali batik colors, the artist makes it seem as if the members of her family are continually walking into or coming out of a surreal, misty, almost supernatural world of the eternities. Notice the elegant parallel quilting lines, which seem to point the way into another dimension.

Courthouse Raising by Kathleen Tillman and the members of the Quilter's Guild of Parker County, Texas

Kathleen notes that this hand-appliqued, machine pieced, and machine quilted work is a log cabin pattern in the beloved barn-raising setting......."inspired by Nadine Murphree of Weatherford, Texas. She wanted a Courthouse quilt. Members of our quilters guild were asked to make the 10" blocks depicting buildings from around Parker County. The seven small blocks were also made by members of the guild."

Close-up of Courthouse Raising

Kathleen herself hand-appliqued the 19 inch Courthouse block in the center of the quilt, then she designed the setting and put the quilt together. The quilt was quilted by Jo Lynn O'Neil.

Houston International Quilt Festival Part 4

2011-11-09T04:02:00.000-08:00

Here are some more photos of great quilts from the International Quilt Festival, held November 2-6, in Houston , Texas, U.S.A.

Out On a Limb by Joyce Paterson, with Ann Horton (Ann Horton Quilts) and Renee Gannon, Mendocino Quilt Artists, Ukiah, California

Second place winner for group quilts, this original design of very eye-catching panels shows the cats in the birdhouses, waiting hopefully for "dinner". We enjoyed the vibrant colors, thread embellishment, and crisp applique workmanship.

Close-up of Out on A Limb

Here's a clever fellow, draped over the roof, who advertises himself as just "house sitting." We thought this was the most creatively humorous quilt of this year's festival and enjoyed seeing the smiles on the faces of fellow viewers.

An Athlete On Ice by Yoshiko Miyamoto, Nishinomiya City, Hyogo Ken, Japan

Second place winner for Portrait Art Quilts, Yoshiko says," I was fascinated by an athlete's performance on ice in the figure skating competition during the Winter Olympics. I got completely jolted by his energy and spirit. It was so powerful, it jumped out of the television." This is a beautifully executed original design, using hand embroidery and applique, plus machine piecing and quilting.

New York Sunset by Marco Sarzi-Sartori and Daniela Arnoldi, Milano, Italy

The artists were inspired by a photo taken during their last trip to New York. They write, "This quilt reproduces the partial view of the city of New York, with the warm colors of the afternoon. The higher the heat of the day, the greater the deformation of buildings, of verticality, and of parallels. The sky lights up in color and is full of vibrations."

Close-up of New York Sunset

If you click on the photo to expand it you will be able to see some of the pretty strands of yarn, twine, and fiber that the artists used to create the "deconstructed" effect of the building shimmering in the sunlight. This work was truly unique, and we were impressed by the extremely innovative design and construction.

Houston International Quilt Festival - Part 3

2011-11-07T05:13:00.000-08:00

Calling all cowgirls (and cowboys)! Saddle up your pony and ride with us to the International Quilt Festival for Day 3 of more beautiful creations. Which ones are your favorites? We always love to read your comments.

Please note: We strictly followed all rules for quilt photography, and we took pictures only where they were permitted. We decided to post some of these photos in extra large size so you can see the detail.

Best of Show Award, Harmony Within, by Sue McCarty, Roy, Utah

The $10,000 prize for Best of Show 2011 goes to Sue McCarty, who writes, "As a gift for my husband, I created this quilt to reflect our life together. All the motifs are symbolic of the harmony two different sentient beings can find within marriage. The dragon on the upper right prefers to float about in a world of creativity, while the fisherman at the bottom left is more down to earth. The center area encompases a home together, with space for each individual."

This magnificent pieced and appliqued work took 900 hours to complete. To add extra sparkle and shimmer, Sue used 15,000 yards of metallic gold thread and 4,200 Swarovski crystals. Truly a show-stopper, this quilt was constantly surrounded by dozens of admirers. Unfortunately, we were able to get only this one photo, as the white glove volunteer man and the eager hordes agreed to step aside for only a few seconds. For close-ups and additional information, please see the website for the International Quilt Association. Also, you can read about Sue at the Gammill Professional Quilting Artist page.

World of Beauty Award, The Loading Dock by Mary Buvia, Greenwood, Indiana

The $7,500 World of Beauty Award goes to Mary Buvia, who used 78 different colors of Fairy Frost fabrics, reverse applique, couching, piping, embellishment, and iridescent film snowflakes to create a charming Santa's workshop filled with toys, as Santa prepares to depart from the North Pole on Christmas Eve.

Close-up of The Loading Dock by Mary Buvia

We loved the precise and crisp attention to detail which showcases Mary's flawless workmanship in this mostly hand-stitched work. She has dedicated this quilt to her late husband Bob, whom she cared for during his illness, and who saw this quilt almost finished.You can read about Mary Buvia at the Indiana Heritage Quilt Show 2011 Teachers Page.

Master Award for Contemporary Artistry, Windblown, by Maria Elkins, Maria Elkins Art Quilts, Beavercreek, Ohio

Winner of the $5,000 Master Award for Contemporary Artistry, Maria notes of her original design, "This quilt is inspired by a dear friend who has stood firm and remained joyful despite the various challenges she has had to face in her her young life. " Maria used machine quilting and hand painting with ink, paintsticks, fabric markers, and gel pens on top of the polyester and metallic threads. If you click on the image to expand it, you will be able to see some of the fabulous quilting patterns, which resemble swirls and gusts of wind.

A Memory of Old Friendship by Tomoko Tsunoda and 11 friends, Tokyo, Japan

Third place winner for Group Quilting, Tomoko says, "We made this quilt because one of our quilt friends is leaving the quilt class. We have been enjoying making quilts together for over 15 years. In honor of our friendship, I put in her favorite flowers and used cheerful colors. I will never forget our friendship."

Close-up of A Memory of Old Friends by Tomoko Tsunoda and 11 friends

This lovely quilt is all hand-appliqued, hand-embroidered, and hand-quilted. Tomoko and her group did an outstanding job to create the flawless echo quilting patterns around each block.

Friends of Baltimore by Susan Garman and colleagues, Friendswood, Texas

First place winner for Group Quilting, Sue notes, "Although inspired by many old Baltimore Album quilts, I designed this quilt to suit my own desire for a uniquely elegant quilt. Four dear friends each appliqued a block when a serious family illness diverted my attention away from the quilt's completion."

Close-up of Friends of Baltimore by Susan Garman and colleagues

The needleturn applique method and foundation piecing were used to create the blocks here. The entire piece was then hand-quilted. Notice the extremely accurate tiny sawtooth red and white sashing and borders, which gives this intricate heirloom quality work an especially cheerful and lively look. For more information see Sue Garman's blog.

Houston International Quilt Festival Part 2

2011-11-04T05:36:00.000-07:00

Let's take a trip to Houston, Texas, home of the biggest quilt show in the world. Hop in the patchwork car with us, and here we go !

Flowers for My Valentine, by Janet Henshaw, Boyertown, Pennsylvania

Janet writes, "I was inspired to make a quilt for Valentine's Day using beautiful flowers, lots of valentines, and my love of machine applique and machine quilting." This quilt uses all cotton fabric, with mostly solid shades of pink, red, and sage green. There are so many cute hearts and flowers on this Baltimore Album quilt, that Cupid himself must have inspired this design.

Notice Janet's perfectly balanced symmetry which is both circular and geometric at the same time. All of these blocks are the quilter's original patterns.

Empire Star app, 36 x 36, by Anna Faustino at New Tech Quilts, Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania

Third place winner for Wall Size Innovative Quilts, Anna says, "I use a weaving technique in most of my quilts. This is a new, innovative way of weaving that gives the impression of traditional pieced work." Many hours of work and many different materials went into this quilt, including fabric paint, paper-backed fabric for printing, cotton sateen, holographic fabrics, fusible web, metallic yarn, crystals, cotton batting, and monofilament thread. Click on the photo to increase the size, and you will be able to see how Anna wove the fabric strips, which adds depth and texture to this lovely work.

In Love With Dots and Dolls by Megumi Mizuno, Shiki City, Saitama Prefect, Japan

First place winner for Hand Applique, Innovative Quilts, Megumi says, "The inspiration for this cheerful polka-dot quilt is from a lovely Matryoshka dolls (Russian wooden nesting dolls) design on the cover of a hot water bottle, a present from my daughter. Each of the dolls is a representation of my friends, and their names are embroidered over the dolls. This quilt holds precious memories of my life."

Close-up of In Love With Dots and Dolls by Megumi Mizuno

Megumi has used hand-pieced cotton fabrics, beads, sequins, and embroidery thread to create this storybook village scene. If you click on this image to expand it you will see the beadwork. Notice the darling onion-dome buildings that line the border of the quilt; the circular shape of their roofs complement the circular shape of the flowers that dance in a row next to the dolls.

Spring Nouveau by Heidi Lund at Sewfiber Inspirations, Bremerton, Washington

This vividly colored, raw-edge appliqued, free-motion quilted work is Heidi's original design. She writes, "When winter sets in to the northwest U.S.A., right about Christmastime, I start dreaming of spring. I can't wait for my bulbs to start popping their heads out of my garden soil, especially when I can't remember what colors I planted last fall or what type of flower will emerge."

Natsilane by Peggy Ann Bass, Ft. Scott, Kansas

Peggy started her quilt at Ricky Tims' retreat in 2009, where she took her vibrant designs from Ricky's totem pole photos from Alaska. She used batiks, hand-dyed fabrics, and Quilter's Dream batting. Peggy has done a wonderful job of re-creating the dynamic and powerful art of the indigenous peoples of the northwest U.S.A and Canada.

Close-up of Natsilane by Peggy Ann Bass

Look at all the different sets of eyes, noses, and mouths in this fascinating arrangement of faces in the center of the quilt. This circular pattern of this vivid design is both enthralling and energizing.

We're attending the show again this afternoon (Friday) then flying home on Saturday. We will sort through dozens of photos en route. So....stay tuned for more amazing quilts on Monday !

Opening Night at the Houston International Quilt Festival

2011-11-03T04:52:00.000-07:00

It's Preview Night at the Houston International Quilt Festival, the biggest quilt show in the world! What a paradise for quilt lovers. Come with us while we look at some dazzlers.

Three Friends, app. 48 x48, by Sheril Drummond at Shedrum, Lexington, Kentucky

This gorgeous work looks pieced, but it is actually a stained-glass-look applique, made from all-cotton fabrics. Sheril writes, "This quilt is the final one in a series of four horse quilts made to show during the 2010 Equestrian Games held in Lexington, Kentucky." Notice how Sheril has designed all the pieces in curved rather than straight shapes to match the curves of the horses' faces and bodies.

Flower Raft, app. 65 x 48 by Takako Ishinami, Yamaguchi, Japan

Takako writes, "The wind blows, and cherry blossom petals are floating in the river. I am pleased to depict the magnificent Japanese spring." Here is a close-up photo of "Flower Raft":

We love quilts made from recycled clothing, so we were fascinated to learn that all the fabric in this quilt was from old Japanese kimonos. This work is all hand-pieced and hand-quilted with beautiful sashiko embroidery, as you can see in this close-up.

Yo-Yo's In Bloom, app. 48 x48, by Helen Remick at helenremick, Seattle, Washington

Yo-Yo quilts are always so fun and cheerful, this one particularly caught our eyes. Helen was inspired by the design on an Islamic tile to create these modified yo-yo flowers, with four to eight petals in each, which all nestle together. Here is a closeup photo of Yo-Yos in Bloom:

We purposely took this photo off-center, so that you can see the three-dimensional effect created by the use of eyelash yarn and pearls in the center of the flowers. If there was a category for "Most Happy Quilt in Houston", this delightful creation would surely win the blue ribbon.

It's now 1 a.m. as we write this from Houston... stay tuned for more images from the International Quilt Show!

Free pattern day ! Thanksgiving

2011-11-02T05:32:00.000-07:00

~All of our free pattern posts are archived in the Free Pattern Days tab at the top of this page! ~
Did you know that 46 million turkeys are consumed on Thanksgiving? (see turkey trivia). Therefore this post contains a few turkeys*, along with reminders to give thanks for blessings.

Above: Stenciled burlap pillows by Trish and Bonnie at Uncommon Designs (added 11-19-11)

Above, Row 1, L-R: Village table runner by Nina Lise Moen at Mrs. Moen (we like it for Christmas or Thanksgiving); Reverse applique table runner tutorial by Erin at In Between Laundry; Reversible bias tape table runner at Prudent Baby; Dresden turkey by Lyn Brown. Row 2:Turkey Tracks block pattern by Marcia Hohn at Quilter’s Cache (you also can download a Turkey Tracks block in three sizes at Jinny Beyer’s website); Thanksgiving turkey applique block by Kimara at Wee Folk Art; Turkey Placemat with pockets at U-Create-Crafts. Row 3: Spice Train quilt pattern by Cathy Hargrove for the Cinnamon and Spice collection by Jo Morton for Andover Fabrics; Thanksgiving Subway Art Wallhanging by Alisha Jane at AJ’s Bowtique, based on the free subway art graphic by Michelle Van Allen at Bunch of Craft; Pumpkin Spice Crazy Quilt pattern at Olfa.

'Hand Print' Turkeys

The Thankful Turkey by Lyn Brown at LynBrown.com

Above, Row 1: Thanksgiving turkey placemats by CC Page at Little Page Turners. Row 2 Raw edge 'hand turkey' applique placemats by Nancy Geaney at Dark Horse Farm Designs. Row 3: Handprint turkey applique placemats by Dora at Show Tell Share (check out the creative embroidery); and Thanksgiving turkey applique at The Ribbon Retreat, inspired by the tutorial at Treasures for Tots. ~ As Nancy Geaney from Dark Horse Farm Designs says: "I was going through the kids' old artwork and was thinking about how the 'hand turkey' has really become an icon for the Thanksgiving holiday and how it is really very folk-art-esque." It's true!

Above, Row 1: "Giving Thanks" banner tutorial at Creative Homemakers. Heather says: “I love that all month long you can display the words "Giving Thanks" but on turkey day you could display the word ‘Thanksgiving’. Row 2: Give Thanks banner for machine embroidery, tutorial by Sara Martinez at Totally Stitchin’ (the Baby Lock blog).

Free patterns for hand embroidery

Above, Row 1: Vintage turkey pattern for embroidery by Pam Kellogg at Kitty and Me Designs; Hand embroidery turkey pattern by Mary Corbet at Needle N Thread; Turkey embroidery pattern by Andrea Zuill at Badbird's. Row 2: Gratitude journal by Kelly Lee-Creel at Ever Kelly; Verse 6, Give thanks for Autumn, from the Give Thanks BOM by Jenny of Elefantz. This is a free BOM for 2011. There are ten embroidered verses and you can download them from the sidebar at Elefantz.

*Note: We've been waiting for a chance to say "This post contains a few turkeys." Because, in the English language, turkey has a dual meaning: a. A large North American bird that is widely domesticated for food; b. A stupid or foolish person, as in "Only a turkey would complain about having Thanksgiving right after Halloween."

Free pattern day ! Redwork - Part 2

2011-11-01T08:52:00.000-07:00

Here's a chance for us to show a few more examples of extraordinary embroidery, along with some free patterns. Today we are featuring artists from Australia, Spain, Norway, Germany, New England, Utah and California. These are some of the artists whose sites we are following. Their websites are filled with ideas and inspiration for quilting and embroidery, and some free projects, which they have generously provided to readers.

Christmas Heart and Stitcher's Angel, by May Britt at Abyquilt (Norway)

May Britt's blog, Abyquilt, is full of beautiful quilts, embroidery and visual inspiration. The Christmas heart design can be found at May Britt's Merry Christmas post (2008) and the Stitcher's Angel can be found at her Stitcher's Angel Sewing Bag post.

Christmas in Italy block by Lenna Green at Stitching Cow (Australia) for the Celebrate Christmas Quilt Along at Quilting Gallery

This free 12" block pattern was designed by Lenna Green to accompany her 2011 Christmas in Italy BOM. You can read about her beautiful quilt, and sign up for the BOM, at the Christmas in Italy page.
Lenna has also created free video tutorials on Embroidery Basics and Embroidery Stitches.

Sweet and Spotty needle wallet by Natalie Lymer at Cinderberry Stitches (Australia)

Natalie Lymer also designs for Lecien Fabrics. Check out her free Woodland Fairies stitchery pattern.

Snow Hearts Embroidery block 10 (free download on the sidebar) by Gabi Tietz at All About My Quiltshop (Germany)

Snow Hearts/Schnee Herzen was a BOM program; the remainder of the blocks can be purchased online at Gabi's Kaleidoskop quilt shop

Free Redwork Christmas Stitchery, by Catherine Baynes at Willow Valley Store (Australia)

Free embroidery designs by Robin Kingsley at Bird Brain Designs (California) (shown are the holiday dove tea towel and flower filled heart)

And Robin Kingsley's *NEW* (as of October 2011) "Live, Laugh, Love" embroidery, shown below, can now be downloaded for free at Lecien.

Free Angel pattern, from an antique source, by Patricia Cummings at the Quilters Muse blog (New England)

If you want to learn about redwork and vintage designs, this is a great place to start. Patricia and James Cummings have a Quilter's Muse website with article and publications on the history and traditions of embroidery and quilting. Also there is an interesting tutorial by James Cummings on how to turn a photograph of a person into a redwork embroidered portrait.

Sew Happy Christmas 2011 Sew Along by Lesley Boost at Sew Happy.Me (Spain, via England)

A fabulous Sew Along for this redwork banner started in September 2011. A new block has been released each week so you can still get blocks 6 and 7 plus finishing instructions for free. Block 6, Angel Blessings, can be downloaded until Friday November 4th at the Block 6 blog post and Block 7 can be downloaded starting November 11th. Later this month the patterns will be available in the Sew Happy Pattern Shop.

How to turn your home into a stitchery by Becky at Patchwork Posse (Utah)

This is such a handy tutorial ! Patchwork Posse is an online sewing group that offers patterns, a forum, live chat, and show & tell photos.

And a few more goodies: Alex Anderson has free patterns for little Redwork Holiday Squares at Alex Anderson Quilts. Gail Pan (Australia) sometimes posts free embroidery patterns at her blog, Gail Pan Designs; you can see her 2010 Christmas project here. Jennie Baer has freebies at her website, Homeberries, including embroidery designs for Winter/Christmas. Stay tuned for free quilting patterns for Thanksgiving (tomorrow!)

Image credits: All 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. If any links are broken, we'd love to know; email us at Quilt Inspiration.

Free pattern day ! Redwork (part 1)

2011-10-31T06:02:00.000-07:00

~All of our free pattern posts are archived in the Free Pattern Days tab at the top of this page! ~

What do you think about the resurgence of hand embroidery in recent years? Are you doing embroidery already, or thinking about doing it? Embroidery seems to be red hot, and we've seen many artists and designers who are combining embroidery with quilting. Here are some inspiring free designs for Redwork (embroidery with red thread on a white or off-white background). If you aren't already a redwork aficionado, perhaps these patterns will change your mind.

Added November 7 2011: Bee it ever so humble by Kaaren Johnston at The Painted Quilt (Nova Scotia)

Shortly after publishing this Redwork Series we discovered Kaaren Johnston's creative, original redwork patterns and First Friday Freebies. "Bee it ever so humble" is one of our favorites, among many. Check out her blog at The Painted Quilt !

Quilter's Watch by Noelia at más telitas (Barcelona) (For a translation to another language, click on this link: Quilter's Watch blog post)

A whimsical alarm clock in redwork... this 14-hour clock is longer than most! Noelia says: "Now with this watch you will have more time to sew in the day." The link to the Quilter's Watch template is at the very bottom of the post. Thank you, Noelia.

Alice in Wonderland free patterns by Ruthann Zaroff at Mirkwood Designs

We've always loved Alice in Wonderland and we've admired Ruthann Zaroff's work for ages, so we were excited to find her free redwork patterns - including many Alice characters - on her projects page. At Mirkwood Designs you can find Ruthann's Adventures in Creativity podcasts, recipes and so much more; also see the Mirkwood Designs blog.

Away We Go, 2011 free redwork series, by Paula Shareski at Bobby Socks Quilt Company

We love Paula Shareski's stylish designs, including the scenes in her Away We Go series (shown above is "Afternoon in Italy"). Her 2010 free patterns for Fairy Tales are equally delightful - here is Little Red Riding Hood (January 2010):

For the complete line of Paula Shareski's whimsical redwork patterns please visit the Bobby Socks Quilt Company website.

Catalicious BOM, free redwork patterns by Bronwyn Hayes at Red Brolly (Australia)

Shown above is a Catalicious block made by Cathy at les Broderies de Cathy. Twelve adorable blocks are available at Red Brolly as of this writing. And as of October 11 2011 you can download a free Christmas embroidery sampler by designer Bronwyn Hayes (the download is under free red brolly patterns. If the file does not open automatically, tell your computer to open it with Adobe Reader).

Dog embroidery, free patterns by Wendy Vosters (Netherlands)

Wendy Vosters is a teacher, paper-piecing expert and author of Paper-Pieced Mini Quilts. These cute redwork patterns are portraits of her own dogs.

Sleepytime girl, hand embroidery tutorial by Juby Sarah Roxy at Rocksea

At her website, Rocksea, you can find articles and lessons explaining many different embroidery stitches - it's a wonderful resource.

Redwork alphabet A-Z ('A is for Apple' is shown) and Redwork Chicken Weathervane (Chanticleer) by Cheryl C. Fall for About.com

Cheryl Fall has created an entire alphabet of free patterns for redwork. Each block is 5" x 5". Part 1 (general directions and letters A through G) can be found starting here; Part 2 (H through N) can be found here; and Part 3 (O through U) can be found here. The patterns for letters V through Z as well as a filler block will be added soon.The free pattern for the chanticleer weathervane can be found here.

Nasturtiums pillow, free redwork pattern by Alex Anderson at Alex Anderson Quilts

The design shown above is from Alex Anderson's book called Shadow Redwork. This creative style features messages of inspiration stitched in ecru thread behind the redwork. She is offering the pattern for free at her website, Alex Anderson Quilts.

For Alex's Redwork Rendezvous collection for P&B Textiles there is a free quilt pattern and redwork embroidery template. The quilt features a lovely 7.5" embroidered flower that complements the red toile print; the quilt pattern can be downloaded at The Quilt Show.

And there's more..... see Part 2 including free holiday redwork projects !

Image credits: All 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. If any links are broken, we'd love to know; email us at Quilt Inspiration.

Free pattern day! Red and white quilts (part two)

2011-10-30T06:27:00.000-07:00

~All of our free pattern posts are archived in the Free Pattern Days tab at the top of this page ! ~
Here is more of our free Q.I. (Quilt Inspiration) archive. (For Part 1, click here).

American Red Cross Quilt by Ann Marie at Run and Sew Quilts

This quilt is simply stunning. Click on the link to visit Run and Sew Quilts and see the details, including the pieced back of the quilt and the greek key quilting design (you'll be glad you did). Ann Marie's quilt was inspired by the Red Cross Quilt by Judy Anne Breneman (the free pattern is available at Womenfolk) .

2011 Celebrate Christmas Quilt-Along at Quilting Gallery

The industrious Michele Foster is running a fabulous 2011 Celebrate Christmas Quilt Along at the Quilting Gallery, and many of the designers' blocks have been done in red and white. You can see the photos on the Flickr Group. Shown above (L-R) are Block 9 from Tiny1949, Block 1 from Cherry's Material Obsession and Block 8 from Tiny1949. For Michele's blog posts see Block 9 (Christmas Romance by Bev Remillard), Block 1 (Pat's Red and White by Pat Sloan) and Block 8 (Old Snowflake by Melissa Dunworth). The Quilt Along continues, so you can still jump in!

Sexy Hexy Red by Kelly Cole at Blue Bird Sews, based on the Sexy Hexy Love pattern by Amy Butler

Red is the color of love.... we love Sexy Hexy in red.

Maple Leaf free block pattern at Berrima Patchwork (Australia)

In honor of Thanksgiving in Canada, Berrima Patchwork posted the red-and-white maple leaf block pattern, above. Or you might be interested in the free Canadian Flag pattern by Christine Thresh at Winnowing. The maple leaf is foundation pieced! It's a beautiful flag.

Paper Pieced Maple Leaf, free paper piecing pattern by Berene Campbell at Happy Sew Lucky

Album Patch Quilt for the Warriors in Transition Project; free pattern seen at C&T Publishing (halfway down the page). The quilt was originally published in the book Quilts, Quilts and More Quilts! by Laura Nownes and Diana McClun

The pattern is also called a Pioneer Friendship Album or Chimney Sweep. Judy Anne Breneman at Patterns From History explains that each quilt block was signed by its maker as a gesture of friendship. Judy Anne has provided a free pattern for a Chimney Sweep quilt that can be downloaded at Patterns From History.

Butterfly Quilt, free pattern by Alex Anderson (including a butterfly template !) for the Always & Forever collection at P&B Textiles

Also see the free "Diamonds and Stars", a pinwheel/kaleidoscope quilt pattern, by Nancy Mahoney for the Always & Forever fabric collection at P&B Textiles

Antique Circles table runner by Julia LaBauve and Tammy Silvers for the Gallery in Red fabric collection by Faye Burgos for Marcus Fabrics. The pattern can be downloaded at McCall's Quilting

Image credits: All 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. If any links are broken, we'd love to know; email us at Quilt Inspiration.

Free pattern day! Red and white quilts (part 1)

2011-10-28T04:33:00.000-07:00

~All of our free pattern posts are archived in the Free Pattern Days tab at the top of this page! ~

In the spring of 2011 our spotlight was on outstanding red-and-white quilts in honor of the exhibit called Infinite Variety: Three Centuries of Red and White Quilts. Since then we've been busy archiving some free patterns for beautiful red-and-white quilts. Let us know what you think about these!

True Lover's Knot block and Wedding Knot Quilt, 60 x 60", free pattern by Mimi Shimp for The Learning Channel

This block looks great in red and white. The true lover's knot block is also part of the red-and-white Carpenter's Square quilt seen at the Quilts Inc corporate collection and the red-and-white Gordion Knot quilt seen at Quilt Inspiration. Also see a quilt by Genevieve, based on Mimi Shimp's pattern, at Quilter's Club of America.

Modern two-color quilt, 42 x 45", free pattern by Shana Nicole at Needyl

We love the "archipelago quilt" by designer Shana Nicole, who says: "I wanted to make something that was easy enough for a beginner, but still modern and creative." At her site, Needyl, you will find many wonderful knitting and quilting patterns.

Ocean Waves by Cindy Carter at Carter Quilter

Here is just one of the many free patterns generously provided by Cindy Carter.

Red-and-white vortex quilt, 84 x 84", free templates and tutorial by Paula Yates at Quilt Rascal (this link is for Part 1; also see Part 2 and Part 3)

One of the highlights of the red-and-white quilt show was an art deco Vortex Quilt dated 1910 (we featured it here). To our amazement, quilter Paula Yates not only re-created the original, but shared her instructions and templates in a three-part tutorial. We are impressed by her fortitude and mathematical skills and her generosity. She also provides a template for the art deco butterflies in the corners of the quilt. Visit her blog, Quilt Rascal, to see Part One, Part Two and Part Three.

Red and white house quilt, 31 x 29", free pattern by Paula Yates at Quilt Rascal

This is yet another red-and-white beauty by Paula Yates.

Two by Two Stripe, free pattern by Marinda Stewart for Michael Miller Fabrics

This is a clever idea for a two-color quilt. Red-and-white striped fabric is used for the entire quilt, including the checkerboard border, making this pattern incredibly simple.

Special requested quilt blocks, free patterns by Rebecca Kuck at The Golden Thimble

Shown above are Hearts and Gizzards, Glorified Nine Patch and Oklahoma Twister blocks. There are several more pretty red-and-white block patterns at Rebecca's block of the week page.

Gallery in Red and Gallery in Red II quilt patterns by Jean Ann Wright for the Gallery in Red fabric collections by Faye Burgos for Marcus Fabrics

There are two free "Gallery in Red" patterns by Jean Ann Wright and they are perfect for floral prints.

Image credits: All 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. If any links are broken, we'd love to know; email us at Quilt Inspiration.

Free pattern day ! Denim quilts

2011-10-25T06:40:00.000-07:00

~All of our free pattern posts are archived in the Free Pattern Days tab at the top of this page!~
We just finished five posts on quilts made from recycled blue jeans (part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4 and part 5). While doing our research for that series, we came across dozens of free patterns for denim quilts... and selected some that are truly unique and beautiful. Sincere thanks to these creative quilters!

Above, Row 1, L-R: Easiest Denim Quilt Tutorial by Joyful Mom of Many (this link is for part 1; part 2 can be found here). Raw Edge Circle Jean Quilt at Thrifty Ideas Today. Row 2, L-R: Denim/stained glass quilt by Alicia Wells at Lucy’s Quilts* (we blogged about her quilts here). Simply Denim Quilt by Ashlee, based on the popular Simply Denim Quilt tutorial by Natalia Bonner and Kathleen Whiting, at Piece N Quilt. Row 3, L-R: Make your Old Jeans Into a Quilt! Tutorial at Instructables. Denim Picnic Blanket quilt-along at Little Birdie Secrets (we like the Gee's Bend-like appearance of these two "work quilts"!) Row 4: Denim picnic blanket from 9 pairs of jeans, by Chris Grodzki; Tutorial at Ready Made.

Above: Levi Quilt by Ilene at the Tuesday Quilt Club based on the 10-Minute Blocks video tutorial by Suzanne McNeill

Above, top: Denim quilt at Kwiltnkats. In Kwiltinkat's denim quilt, note the shading of the setting triangles in the bottom row; this gives the blocks a dimensional, tumbling-blocks-like appearance. Bottom: Block layout for the "Introduction to Denim Quilting" tutorial by Janet Wickell at About.com. The Kwiltinkats post is not a tutorial, but her block arrangement is the same as in the instructions by Janet Wickell.

Above: Denim rag quilt by Laura from Housewife in Town, guest blogger at This Crazy Blessed Life. There are other denim rag quilt tutorials but Laura's directions and photos are top notch.

Above: Blue Jeans Quilt, free pattern by Leah Anderson at All People Quilt ("Recycle your old blue jeans into an easy, pieced throw"). You can print the 5-page pattern without registering (alternatively, register your email to download the .pdf). Leah started with nine pairs of jeans. To finish the quilt she hand-quilted wavy lines, using a long, 3/4" running stitch and backstitch, with three colors and two weights of yarn for variety and texture. We love the giant stitches!

Above: Denim Basket Weave Quilt by Sandra J. Loosemore at Frogs On Ice. She explains: "The main problem is that typical block-based quilt designs would result in seams that are too bulky at the points where the blocks meet. If you look closely at this design, you'll see that there is no block. The square pieces are connected with the longer strips in a continuous basket-weave pattern."

Above, Left: Denim circle pillow tutorial by Heather at A Passionate Quilter. Right: Circle Jeans Quilt by Jessica Levitt at Juicy Bits, based on the tutorial by Doreen Baros at equilters. Doreen Baros' post can be found at Sew Artfully Minded. Note: we blogged about denim circle quilts (aka faux cathedral windows), including more links, in a post called Faux cathedral windows from denim jeans. This is one of the most popular methods for constructing quilts from old blue jeans. Jessica Levitt, who made the quilt shown on the right, has a book called Modern Mix published by Stash Books. For more information visit Juicy Bits.

Above: Holes in your Clothes Block by Kate Perri, free pattern at Craftside, from the book Quilt Blocks and Quilts from your Favorite Fabrics: Recycling Fabrics as you Learn to Quilt. This is a very clever block and it is perfect for recycling denim jeans with shirts. We love the fact that seams of the jeans are included.

Above: *Just Added" Denim Jeans Christmas Stockings Tutorial by Lynn at Nebraska Views (this is so clever we couldn't resist adding it to this post!)

Image credits: All images are copyrighted by their owners. Please respect their generosity in sharing their original designs. Complete information including restrictions on use can be found at the websites provided in the links. If any links are broken, we'd love to know about it; email us at Quilt Inspiration.
*Anyone who would like the pattern for Alicia Wells' denim/stained glass quilts should contact her; she has offered to provide it to interested quilters. Her blog is http://lucysquilts.blogspot.com and her email is on her blogger profile: http://www.blogger.com/profile/01450458967223521985

Faux cathedral windows from denim jeans

2011-10-24T05:42:00.000-07:00

Three weeks ago we wrote our first post about Jeans Therapy (quilts from recycled denim). Today we are finishing the series with a wonderful circle/square quilt by Lori Poyer. This is a clever quilt-as-you-go technique that is perfect for turning old jeans into quilts! The circle/square design is also called circular patchwork, folded cottage windows, mock cathedral windows and cheater cathedral windows*. The fun lies in the selection and arrangement of fabrics for the 'windows'.

Denim circle/square quilt by Lori Poyer at Poyer's Page

Lori Poyer achieved just the right balance of light and dark fabrics, and we love the bright red accents which include bandannas, plaids and stripes (click on the photos to see the detail). Lori says: "This was a quilt that I created from a woman’s old jeans (and believe me it took a whole lotta jeans!) and pieces of shirts from her, her husband and her baby daughter. It fit a queen/king size bed. It was a lot of work, but I had fun doing it." She incorporated jeans pockets, embroidered bits and other embellishments in the quilt:

To make a faux cathedral windows quilt you first cut circles out of the denim and mark out a square within each circle. When you stitch two pieces together on the marked lines, the rounded edges of the circles become flaps. Insert a scrap of fabric in the 'window' (batting is optional), fold the flaps over the scraps, and stitch down the raw edges of the flaps, stitching through all the layers. In a post by Doreen Baros at equilters you can see a circle jeans quilt in progress (below). See the squares that are marked within the circles, and the way the pieces are sewn right sides together ?

To mark out the circles you can use a coffee can lid as Doreen Baros has done or a circle template as in the tutorial at Puppets and Props or an Olfa cutter as in the tutorial at A Passionate Quilter. To see two more denim quilts made with faux windows, check out the denim-and-fleece quilt at Burdastyle and the Care Bears denim quilt at Heritage Scraps. Finally, here is a how-to video by Penny Halgren (9 min) who uses a quarter-circle template:

Image credits: The images of Lori Poyer's quilt are shown with her generous permission. In addition to quilting, Lori provides web design services; for more information visit Poyer's page.
*In mock cathedral windows and cheater cathedral windows, two fabric circles are sewn right sides together and then turned right-side-out in order to avoid raw edges. In denim cathedral windows the edges are left raw, then stitched down with a zig zag stitch or straight stitch.

Pacific International Quilt Festival Part 3

2011-10-21T06:47:00.000-07:00

Time for Part 3 of the Pacific International Quilt Festival ! All the quilts we saw were absolutely gorgeous. Let us know which ones are your favorites. We really enjoy reading your comments !

Croton Chorus, 36 x36 by Dee Goodrich, Fort Bragg, California

Dee describes her lovely creation by saying, " I have a 2005 calendar from Hawaii with the most beautiful quilts. "Croton Chorus" is my favorite, designed by Dianna Grundhauser. I made my own paper piecing patterns and used embroidery floss in the bobbin to create veins, so I had to work off the backside of each leaf." The careful selection of vivid bali fabrics in vibrant jewel tones, along with superb piecing and quilting is most impressive in this stunning work.

Super Star, 77 x 77, by Marilyn Badger, St. George, Utah

Blue ribbon winner for Best Machine Workmanship, Marilyn states, "This is an original design based on a paper-pieced Mariner's Star block from Claudia Myers' book "A Passion For Piecing." Stars were interlocked and appliqued onto a pieced background. Smaller stars are pieced and appliqued at the corners. There are a total of 84 stars, including the quilted ones. It is pieced using cottons and silks and quilted with 100 weight silk, silk sparkle, and polyester thread. The couching was done with Razzle-Dazzle. "

Close-Up of Super Star, by Marilyn Badger

Click on the photo above to "blow it up", and you will see the exquisite machine quilting in the background points of each star and in the circular border of each star. This quilting work displays a flawless focus on accuracy and artistry; the entire quilt is truly a show-stopper.

Travels, 57 x 70", by Marlene King, Australia, at The Fabric Palette

Purple ribbon Viewers' Choice winner and Red Ribbon 2nd Place winner in the Innovative Quilts category, Marlene writes, "I decided to make a quilt using photos of my world travels. It took me a long while to come up with a format that wasn't boring. Finally, the idea of a film strip seemed the way to go." Marlene's quilt is hand and machine appliqued, with precise, finely detailed landscape art scenes.

Towards Infinity, 80.7 x 48.8", by Sally Scott, South Africa

Blue ribbon winner for Best Use of Color in an Innovative Quilt, the artist Sally Scott writes, "This work is about love, wholeness, unity, and peace. It refers to the infinite depths that lie within us and the infinite possibilities that lie without. " It is made of hand-dyed string and cotton cloth, plus commercially dyed denim, corduroy, and beads. In each of the tiny squares in the center of the quilt, there is a beaded circle. Dozens of different colors and shapes of beads were used to decorate this work.

Fine Striped Tunics, 52 x 49.5", by Miriam Aronowitch, Israel

Machine pieced and machine quilted with sparkling gold quilting thread, this quilt has both a rustic, homespun and a glittering, elegant touch. Miriam says, "This work describes the Spring appearance in Nature, as it was described by the 12th century famous Jewish Spanish poet, Rabbi Moshe Iben Ezra. He describes the fields as fine striped tunics.... Indeed, the fields are part of my work in the tunic and around the stripes. The blooming is a collage made partly from flowers drawn by me on cloth...and paper.

Kona Color Waves ,60 x 58, by Angela Obeso, Santa Clara, California

Here is a striking contemporary design that juxtaposes both pure, clear brights and toned, muted neutrals. Angela says, "This quilt is the result of the Modern Quilt Guild's Robert Kaufman Kona Solids Challenge. This is my first design and my first solid [colors] only quilt. It is so different from the first traditional quilt that I made ten years ago."

Quilt Show Road Trip Part 2

2011-10-19T05:54:00.000-07:00

Here's some more very lovely work from the Pacific International Quilt Festival, held October 13-16 in Santa Clara, California. Throughout this series, please feel free to leave us a comment and let us know which quilts are your favorites !

Celtic Cranes, 90 x 80, by Lesley Davies, United Kingdom

First place winner for "Best Use of Color in the Category of Traditional Quilts", Celtic Cranes was so popular with the quilt fans that we couldn't get near enough to get a close-up. It's a luxuriant, richly colored depiction of elegant cranes, bending towards the ground, their long necks curved around their legs. Quilter Lesley Davies used cyan blue and its true complementary color, yellow-orange, to create a show-stopper. It is machine appliqued and machine quilted.

Lesley notes, " I have always loved Celtic design and have studied ancient illustrated books to search for inspiration for my quilts. The colours I have used are a favorite combination, and I wanted to use silks and gauzes to introduce different texture qualities with the cotton fabric."

Fruit and Feathers, 84 x 84", by Marie O'Kelley, Seattle, Washington

Blue ribbon winner for "Best Hand Workmanship", Marie writes, "Over time, I have stumbled into working in a series, one quilt's leftovers inspiring the next creation. An accumulation of green and purple scraps was just the size for appliqued leaves. .......Also on the table were the leftovers from a diamond-pieced background, perfect for a dogtooth border. Time has given me scraps, and they have been my inspiration."

Close-up of Fruit and Flowers by Marie O'Kelley

Marie adds, "The vines and banquets of berries attracted a few birds, (included in this center medallion as well as the inside border), their plumage likewise shaded in purples and greens."

We love all things purple, and this charming quilt, with its immaculate hand applique, really caught our eyes !

Desert Life, 36 x 48" by Hilda Koning-Bastiaan, Danville, California

Speaking of birds, here is another beautiful quilt with a roadrunner as the focal point. Hilda notes, "In the winter, I spend time in the desert. On my daily walks, I see....roadrunners, cactis, and succulents, my favorites. I used a pattern by Susan Cranshaw to put them in this quilt."

Close-up of Desert Life, by Hilda Koning-Bastiaan

Hilda's landscape quilt is constructed of horizontal strips of fabric, with a different quilting pattern on each strip, which makes for very distinctive contrasts. On top of that are appliqued the roadrunner succulents, and cacti whose flowers are attached, but not sewn down, which gives a great three-dimensional look to this work.

Grass Trees, 50 x 75, by Gloria Loughman , Victoria, Australia

Gloria Loughman is the author of Luminous Landscapes : Quilted Visions in Paint and Threads. She curated an exhibit within the quilt show titled "A Slice of Oz", in which she showcases this quilt of hers above and several of her students' quilts. Gloria notes that the quilts made by her and her students "reflect the colors, of the landscape and vegetation on this vast continent......a land of great contrasts." The glowing gold and orange grass growing out of the trees is all done by machine quilting, or "thread painting" in which the quilting thread is used to construct actual objects that are part of the landscape. "Grass Trees" is a beautiful and very lifelike tribute to the scenic wonders of Gloria's home country.