Free pattern day ! Snowflake quilts

Snowflake quilts are a perfect way to celebrate winter! Note: This post has been UPDATED. Please visit our Free Pattern Day for Snowflake Quilts (CLICK HERE!)

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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.  Some of these are tutorials while others have downloadable patterns; we have tried to note which is which in the title above each photo.  If any links are broken, we'd love to know; email us at quiltinspiration {at} gmail {dot} com.  Note: Scientifically, all snowflakes are crystals with exactly 6 points. However, some designers have taken artistic license in portraying these winter motifs.

Imagine World Peace: Symbolism in Cloth

An ancient Japanese legend promises that anyone who folds a thousand origami cranes will be granted a wish.  Origami cranes became a symbol of world peace through the story of Sadako Sasaki, a young girl who was living in Hiroshima when the atomic bomb was dropped; Sadako attempted to make 1000 paper cranes before her death in 1955.  In 2011 we featured an origami crane quilt designed by Margaret Rolfe; here are five origami cranes in a lovely wall hanging.

Five Origami Cranes by Carol Smith at the 2012 River City Quilters' Guild show

Here we see four smaller pieced cranes surrounding a large center medallion; we love the color scheme, and the way in which Carol Smith connected the blocks with flying geese.  She writes: "A paper piecing class with Jerry Fujimoto at the Flying Needles Quilt Guild (Woodland, California) provided the opportunity for me to finally learn this technique." The detail of the crane block is shown below.

Close-up, Five Origami Cranes by Carol Smith

The quilt was machine pieced and machine quilted on an Innova longarm machine. To complement the theme, Carol quilted large and small cranes in the open areas between the blocks.

Close-up, Five Origami Cranes by Carol Smith

Peoples of all cultures continue to hope and pray for peace.  Creating symbols of peace in fabric, such as cranes, is a creative way to express this universal wish. 

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration.

Christmas 2012

Merry Christmas to all ! On the eve of Christmas, we thought you might enjoy this beautiful design by Dilys Fronks.  You may know Dilys as the author of Enchanted Views: Quilts Inspired by Wrought-Iron Designs. Many of her quilt designs have been translated into kits, including this depiction of the story of Christmas.

Christmas Banner, 13 x 44".  Design by Dilys Fronks (North Wales, UK); kit by the Creative Iron

This Christmas Banner combines the three most popular Christmas appliqué designs from Dilys Fronks: Nativity, Shepherds and We Three Kings. The kit includes a Kona Cotton laser cut silhouette (a single piece, ready for fusible applique) and instructions for assembly. Also, you can see many more intriguing silhouette designs at Dilys Fronks' website; kits are available for seven different garden gate designs.

Peace on Earth

 Here is a beautiful quilt by fiber artist Jean Baardsen.  The message, "Peace on Earth", has special meaning at Christmas.  As described in the story of the Nativity,  the heavenly angels appear to shepherds in their fields.  The angels praise God with these words:   "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."

Peace on Earth, 27 x 21", by Jean Baardsen

We are drawn to Jean Baardsen's quilt because of its elegant design and timeless appeal. Jean says: "This was my 2000 raffle quilt. The idea for the dove and streamers came from a Christmas card. I used green magic marker on blue fabric to make the earth. The dark blue background fabric already had the white hounds tooth and pink dots on it. "Peace" was added with couched gold trim. I wanted to call the quilt "Peace on Earth" and if you look at the detail, you can see the word "on" written in one of the pink dots!" (shown below).

Close-up, Peace on Earth by Jean Baardsen

Jean Baardsen has been making art quilts since 1995; she also paints and creates works of art with mixed media. She says: "The principal source of inspiration for my art work is nature. Birds, fish, trees and flowers make frequent appearances. And then there’s the fabric. Thrift shops exist to provide me with fascinating fabrics for my art quilts. Whatever clothing is colorful, strange, unique, or weird makes its way home with me. Old blouses are the bread and butter of my fabric stash."

 Image credits:  The image is shown with the generous permission of Jean Baardsen. We previously featured Jean's "Red Sky at Night" quilt in Quilt Inspiration Classics: Nautical Quilts.

Winner of the December Giveaway: Color Play for Quilters

Thank you to all who entered the December Giveaway; we enjoyed reading your comments!  We picked a name at random from those who entered, and the lucky winner is:  Inge Lise from Denmark.   She has won a free pass to Joen Wolfrom's Color Play for Quilters at Craftsy.   If you've ever wondered how prize-winning quilters come up with their color combinations, and create movement, depth and luminosity through fabric, Joen Wolfrom's class is for you (see our review here).  Here are some quilts from the class.

 

Above, L-R: "Northern Lights" and "Memories of Monet" by Joen Wolfrom; "Northern Lights" by Meredith Annett as seen at JWD Publishing; "Tsunami" by Margarete Steinhauer as seen at JWD Publishing; "Reflections on the Pond" and "Pizzazz" by Joen Wolfrom.

Color Play by Joen Wolfrom: Class review and giveaway !

~The Giveaway is closed... read on for our class review ! ~
We're here with a review of Joen Wolfrom's new online class,  Color Play for Quilters, and we are thrilled to be able to offer a free class to the lucky winner of this Giveaway.  As you may know, Joen Wolfrom is one of the most respected teachers on the subject of color and design.  She is a quilter, author, designer and photographer, and the owner of JWD Publishing.   We have admired Joen's work for a long time (in addition to her books, we love her Ultimate 3-in-1 Color Tool).  We also have been intrigued by Craftsy, which is a wildly popular new craft learning site.  We discovered that taking the class is like taking a 2-day quilting retreat, except that you can do it on your own schedule, from the comfort of your own home ! 

Northern Lights by Meredith Annett (Nova Scotia, Canada)

One of the things we like about Color Play for Quilters is that it does involve "play". There are 13 different lessons, and each lesson involves some aspect of playing with color and/or fabric. For example, Lessons 2 and 3 are devoted to creating your own color wheel and exploring the four color scales in the world of color: the pure color scale, tint scale, shade scale, and tone scale (you'll learn what these are, why they are important, and how to create them in paint and with fabric). Meredith Annett’s quilt "Northern Lights", shown above, provides an example of how shades enhance a design with their deep, dark beauty (a shade is created when black is added to a pure color).

Coriolis by Judy B. Dales (Vermont)

"Coriolis" by Judy Dales, shown above, is one of the quilts which Joen Wolfrom discusses in Lesson 4 (Value/Gradation).  Joen says that "Coriolis" is one of her favorite examples of the use of value gradation (moving the value of a color very gradually from light to darker or from dark to lighter). Joen shows how Judy has moved a wide range of values throughout her quilt, from light to dark to light across the surface of the quilt. This keeps the eye moving across the quilt, creating an exciting design !

Blue Ginkgoes by Norma Schlager (Connecticut)

In Lesson 5, Joen discusses color plans that work, and how to use them.  For example, in "Blue Ginkgoes", Norma Schlager has used a lovely complementary color scheme of aqua blue with orange-red.  In the class, Joen explains that what we learned in school may need some adjustment ! Do you remember learning that orange/blue and red/green were complementary pairs ?  Thanks to Joen's classes and books, we now know that orange is complementary to turquoise, red is complementary to aqua green, and orange-red is complementary to aqua blue.  These subtleties can make all the difference between a quilt that is simply OK and one that is truly stunning. 

Memories of Monet by Joen Wolfrom

In addition to color and value, Joen explains how to create certain illusions in your quilts, including Depth (Lesson 7). For us, one of the 'aha' moments in this class is that you can create an illusion of depth - such as you would see in a landscape - in a pieced quilt. Fabrics that are lighter and grayer ("toned") will recede, while fabrics that are darker and purer in color will advance. "Memories of Monet", above, is a deceptively simple design which Joen created by combining two historic nine-patch blocks, Summer Winds and Storm at Sea. The marriage of these two blocks, and the careful application of color and value, creates four-pointed stars and softly-colored diagonal lattices set inside illusionary circles. Joen explains the illusion; she also has created several different sample quilt blocks so you can test the principles with your own fabric stash.

Reflections on the Pond by Joen Wolfrom

This beautiful quilt uses harmonious (analogous) colors of garden and water, moving from soft yellows to alluring violet. This is also an example of a visual illusion which Joen covers in Lesson 9: Luster. In "Reflections on the Pond", Joen uses value - a gradual shift from light to dark - to create luster. In the class, you will learn the difference between Luster and Luminosity and how to create these effects in your own quilts  !

In sum, we think that Color Play for Quilters has something for everyone.  For those who are left-brained, as we are, there is enough color theory to explain why different color schemes work, and to explain how to analyze fabrics that will produce a desired effect. For the right-brained among us, the class is filled with beautiful photographs of flowers and landscapes, as well as quilts, which Joen uses to illustrate the take-home points; another section of the class covers Visual Coloring, which is an intuitive approach to color in design.  In terms of the Craftsy platform, we loved the interactive nature of the class. For people who would rather learn "hands on" than by reading a book, Craftsy is the way to go. You can skip around if you want, fast forward or repeat sections, and ask questions as you go. For the serious quilter who wants to make more beautiful quilts, this class is a great value (only $39.99). We learned a lot, and we highly recommend this class!

~This Giveaway is now closed.  Thank you to everyone who entered!  The lucky winner of Color Play for Quilters will be announced tomorrow,  December 20, 2012. ~
How to enter this Giveaway: Under this post is the Comments section (click to expand if necessary). Leave us a brief comment there, explaining why you would like to learn more about color in quilting, and we'll add your name to the list of contestants ! Please make sure that we are able to contact you, either by your blog, website, or e-mail address. The Giveaway closes at noon EST on Wednesday, December 19. One winner will be drawn at random and will be announced on Thursday, Dec. 20. The lucky winner will receive a free class registration to Color Play for Quilters by Joen Wolfrom.

Image credits:   Images are shown with the generous permission of Joen Wolfrom.

River City Quilt Show Day 6

Day 6 of the River City Quilt Show concludes our regular coverage of this Sacramento, California talented guild's show.  We had a great time seeing all these wonderful quilts, as it's always such fun to visit hometown guilds around the nation.

Ginkgos In Green, 28 x 40, by Helen Powell

Split complementary colors of spruce, aqua, deep chartreuse, and bright orange plus yellow orange characterize Helen's contemporary and uniquely designed quilt.  It  is constructed using reverse applique, in which the vibrantly striped warm hues peek through the cool hues of the ombre fabric.

Close-up of Gingkos In Green

Gingko trees go back to the time when the earth was young, and this quilt reminds of us new life forms emerging from a rich, primeval luminous green. Helen has done an excellent job of careful and accurately spaced hand-quilting in an echo motif which plays up her intriguing foreground design.

Honor to Mackintosh,  12 x 12 by Sandra Torguson

Sandra says,  " [This quilt is a ] tribute to Charles Rennie Mackintosh, who was an architect, designer, and artist. This quilt used hand-dyed fabrics, fusible bias tape, and colored pencil." The strong curves of the pattern are set off by the minimalist diamond quilting pattern, which provides a finished and balanced effect to this very creative art-nouveau style piece.

Good and Plenty, 52 x 52, by Jan Soules, quilted by Debbie Lopez
 

Jan notes, "I began this quilt in an applique class with Dawn Licker  (a noted teacher in the Sacramento area). I decided to make only four blocks because I didn't like the patterns. I put then into an original setting." Jan's precise applique work in this lovely Baltimore album pattern helped her to win First Place in the Two Person Quilt - Any Size award category.

Jan adds, " [This pattern is]  The D.A.R. Mary Simon quilt top"  from a renowned 19th century creator of Baltimore album style quilts.  In this close-up, the theme of abundance is brought out by this very eye-catching and sprightly fruit basket, replete with a pineapple, grapes, a little bird, and even a butterfly.

Rainbow Connection, 58 x 58, by Jan Soules, quilted by Jan Soules and Lorraine Matthews

Jan writes,  "Rainbow Connection" is based on a traditional block. It was fun and challenging to get the colors to blend, forming a unique color wheel.  I spent a lot of time auditioning the fabrics to get it 'just right.'.  We think that Jan has done a superb job of color selection and arrangement with this very eye-catching quilt.  (Note :  We first saw this pattern in Janet Mednick's "Quilting With the Stars" ) .

Alpine Wonder, 32 x 41, by Paulette Trafecanty

Paulette tells us,  "Our October retreat group challenged us to make a 'Winter Wonderland' quilt.  This is my entry." We enjoyed seeing Pat's fine work, complete with sparkling crystals, on this festive pattern.   Note: Quilt Inspiration reviewed this glowing, gradated design in one of our previous posts titled  Alpine Wonder : Ode to a Tree.

Photo Credits:  Photos are by Quilt Inspiration.

River City Quilt Show Day 5

We have more pretty quilts to show you  from the River City Quilt Guild show in Sacramento, California, on November 16-18, 2012.  Are you ready for some "eye candy"?  Let's go!  

Carnivale, 39 x 39, by Jan Soules
 

First place winner for Best Pieced Small Quilt, Jan notes, "Making Carnivale was a real energy booster. Every step of the process was thrilling. Choosing the fabrics, mixing and blending batiks and prints, and seeing the reds add life to the quilt gave me a real high."  We can't help but smile at this irrepressibly eye-catching quilt which could brighten up even the darkest winter day.

Close-up of Carnivale by Jan Soules

Here, you can see some Jan's wonderful machine quilting and very accurate piecing. We recognize this pattern as "Cosmati Stars", designed by Jacqueline de Jonge at Be Colourful.

Cotton Candy, 87 x 87, by Linda Bergmann.  Quilted by Debbie Lopez

"Cotton Candy" won second price for a two-person quilt (pieced). Linda notes, "This [quilt] is entirely paper-pieced, a Judy Niemeyer design. I loved the way the pinks complemented each other, so 'Cotton Candy' evolved." We really liked this lively, dynamic quilt with such an upbeat sense of energy and movement.

Close-up of  Cotton Candy  by Linda Bergmann

These spiky "New York Beauty" blocks are always a crowd-pleaser.  Here you can see the vibrant shades of magenta, bubble-gum pink, tangerine, and coral, accented by a tiny circular quilting pattern.

In the Abstract, 67 x 67, by Cathy Borby. Quilted by Cheryl Thompson

Kathy says,  "I've always admired quilts that progress from one color to another."  This intruiguing contemporary geometric quilt displays a variety of blocks. from earth tones of pine green and spruce green to sienna brown and on to sunrise sky colors of pinks and yellow-oranges.

Yosemite, 12 x12, by Kari Bauer

Kari writes  "Yosemite ( National Park in California) has always held a special place in my heart. [I used] machine applique, beads and embroidery, some hand-dyed fabrics."  In this small landscape quilt, Kari depicts the famous Half Dome rock, rising majestically from the floor of Yosemite Valley.  

Close-up of Yosemite by Kari Bauer

In this close-up, you can see some of Kari's lovely embroidery in the cheerful springtime wildflowers created with embroidery and little yellow beads. 

Presents Throughout the Year, 13 x 22, by Diana Muenzler
 

First place winner for Best Pieced and Appliqued Miniature Quilt, Diana  shows us twelve months of darling small packages with bright wrappings, accentuated by a ribbon border. She writes,  "This... quilt was a "challenge project" for my miniature quilt group,  "The Little Quiltmakers." The challenge for me was trying to come up with a true miniature quilt block."

Photo Credits:  Photos are by Quilt Inspiration.

Free pattern day! Christmas: Part 2

Note:  this post has been UPDATED!  See the current post at Free pattern day: Christmas (part 2).

Here we go with another Free Pattern Day for the holidays !  Today we're focused on free patterns and tutorials for quilted Christmas wreaths, Ornaments, and Gift Box quilts... these are so clever. 

'Tis the season: Silly Snowmen

In keeping with our holiday theme, here is one of our favorite snowman quilts.  This cheerful design by Karen Eckmeier features eight snowmen who are holding hands (er, sticks) to form a circle. "Silly Snowmen" is #8  in her “Circle of Friends” Series, which includes patterns that 'revolve' around a certain theme. Karen says: "My art is happy and upbeat, concentrating on the positive and whimsical side of life."

Silly Snowmen, 25 x 25", by Karen Eckmeier at The Quilted Lizard

As the description says, you could give your winter months a splash of color with this gathering of cardinals, blue jays, holly leaves and snowmen that form a giant snowflake. There are blue, green, red and lavender mittens that revolve around the snowflake/star in the center.

Fabulous Flamingos, 25 x 25", by Karen Eckmeier at The Quilted Lizard

If you live in Florida, snowmen might seem out of place... but these flamingos would be right at home. The "Fabulous Flamingos" pattern is #7 in the "Circle of Friends" series. The flamingos are accompanied by a collection of tropical flora and fauna including parrots, fish, reef coral and palm trees.

Image credits:  Images are shown with the generous permission of Karen Eckmeier.

'Tis the Season: Snow Globes

Are you as fascinated by snow globes as we are?  We still remember shaking the globe and watching the snow drift down on the scene within.  Deb Madir has captured the magic of the season in a delightful series of Snow Globe Quilts.  She says: "When starting a new design project, I try to envision something that's different; has not been seen over and over. I try for fresh, fun or whimsical; but most of all, a quilt I would enjoy having hang around my home!" 

Snow Globes at Deb Madir Designs (note added on 8/14/13: this website is currently inactive; at this time the patterns can be found at Create For Less)

Snow Globes at Deb Madir Designs:  Let it Snow, BFF (Best Friends Forever), Winter Layover and Snowed In

Here are four different Snow Globe designs by Deb Madir.  In the montage above we're showing just the globes so that you can see the detail; each finished quilt, which ranges from 18" to 21" square, has a unique border that complements the scene.  The finished quilts and more details can be seen at the following links. Let it Snow depicts a sparkling winter wonderland;  Best Friends Forever showcases an elegant reindeer;  Winter Layover features a snowman and winter visitors; and Snowed In depicts a cozy log cabin.  We love the wintry scene in "Let it Snow", shown below.

Let it Snow by Deb Madir at Deb Madir Designs

Here is a perfect winter scene with evergreen tree, a wooden fence, mailbox with bird and a little squirrel. The snow globe is decorated with Swarovski crystals, adding a sparkle that is perfect for the holidays. "Let it Snow" finishes at 18" square (see the finished quilt here).

Northwood's Duet, 21 x 21", by Deb Madir Designs

We love to see a brilliant red cardinal in the middle of winter!  "Northwoods Duet" is Deb Madir's latest design and the fifth in the popular Snow Globe series. Deb has created a lifelike red cardinal and yellow oriole, perched among the evergreen branches and embellished with thread painting and Swarovski crystals. The red border features a series of flying geese to complement the scene. 

Image credits: Images are shown with the generous permission of Deb Madir.  Her pattern range includes many more holiday quilts including Holiday Sparkler, Snowman Sparkler and Poinsettia de Noel.

'Tis the season: Nutcrackers

When we think of Christmas time we think of the Nutcracker Ballet. Nutcrackers come in such fun shapes and sizes that many people collect them.  If your house does not have room for collections, how about a nutcracker quilt ?  Here is a delightful pattern by Amy Bradley.

Nutcracker Quilt, 48 1/2" x 48 1/2", by Amy Bradley at Amy Bradley Designs

You can see Amy Bradley's distinctive and fun style in these cute characters.  There are three different nutcracker blocks that repeat in each row for nine blocks altogether, and each one is slightly different.

We've admired the blocks made by Karen Snyder of Anna Lena Land (you may know her as the designer of fabrics, especially 1930's reproductions, for Timeless Treasures). Karen chose some wonderful black-and-white fabrics for her nutcrackers; she even fussy-cut some of the pieces as shown below. 

Nutcrackers by Karen Snyder at Anna Lena Land, design by Amy Bradley

In this photo you can see that Karen Snyder hand stitched, with a blanket stitch, around each of the applique pieces.  The nutcracker's mouth is also stitched with embroidery thread, and buttons are used for the nutcrackers' eyes and the top of his hat. We also love the starry red fabric which Karen used for the background.

The nutcracker is just one of nine different figures in Amy Bradley's Merry Christmas Quilt pattern, shown below.

Merry Christmas Quilt Pattern, 48 1/2" x 62 1/2", by Amy Bradley at Amy Bradley Designs

This quilt has every figure we associate with the season!  Here you can see an adorable gingerbread man, Santa and Mrs. Claus, a penguin, snowman, reindeer, angel, nutcracker and polar bear.  The pattern has instructions to make the Nutcracker and Penguin versions - each of which is  48 1/2" square - and a felt pillow.  You can even choose between "merry christmas" or "happy holidays" for your greeting.   

Image credits: Images are shown with the generous permission of Amy Bradley Designs and Karen Snyder. Amy has a fine arts and graphic design background; she designs quilting patterns and gift items available in quilt shops.  You can read about the design of the Merry Christmas Quilt, and see more photos, at Amy Bradley's blog.  Karen Snyder owned a quilt shop called Anna Lena's in Long Beach, Washington for eleven years. In 2008, she closed the store to concentrate more on her quilting, designing fabric, pattern writing, and teaching nationwide. For more information, visit her website at www.annalena.com

'Tis the season: Snowman Soup

'Tis the season to share a few more of our favorite Christmas quilts.  This year we're focusing on figures of the season, including nutcrackers, gingerbread men and snowmen. When we came across "Snowman Soup" at MooseStash Quilting, we couldn't resist! As the description says:  Chase away the cold this winter with a steamy, hot cup of cocoa while you snuggle for warmth under this fun little quilt.

Snowman Soup, 56 x 65", by Joan at MooseStash Quilting, design by Angie Padilla

 "Snowman Soup" is Joan's entry in the Fall 2012 Blogger's Quilt Festival in the Favorite Applique Quilt category.  She says:  "I fell in love with this pattern when it was released at Angie's Bits and Pieces.  Hot Cocoa and cinnamon sticks... yummmy!"  We love the refreshing pink, blue, red and white color scheme. The ingredients in "Snowman Soup" are shown in the text block shown below.  Any chocolate lover would fall for this recipe!

Here are a few of the silly snowmen, below, with their beaded eyes and snowflake buttons. A row of chocolate kisses marches across the top of these blocks.  The blocks are created with fusible applique, which is Joan's favorite method; Joan did the quilting on a domestic machine.

Joan, who blogs at MooseStash Quilting, has been sewing for almost 50 years. After a 14 year career as a professional crafter, she was introduced to quilting and has been hooked ever since. The name, "MooseStash", came from Joan's love of Alaska and its wildlife, combined with her piles of stash.  She says: "By creating new projects, and using up my mounds of stash, I hope to inspire others to do the same." You can see many more of Joan's wonderful quilts at calicojoan's photostream at Flickr.

Angie Padilla's international business,  Angie's Quilt Pattern Shop, is based in Quito, Ecuador. Angie's highly original designs are rich in colorful applique work.  We previously featured Angie's fabulous Christmas Dove, Snowflake Delight and Matryoshka quilts.

Image credits: Images are shown with the generous permission of MooseStash Quilting and Angie Padilla. For more close-up photos of Snowman Soup, see this post at MooseStash Quilting.

River City Quilt Guild - Day 4 ('Tis the Season!)

We recently visited the River City Quilters Guild quilt show in Sacramento, California, where we saw some lovely quilts with a Christmas theme.

Holiday Lane, 63 x 73", made by Lori Hemmingsen-Souza, quilted by Brandy Rice

This cheerful quilt with its cozy houses and decorative holly leaf border won a third place ribbon in its category. We recognize this as a design by Arlene Stamper and Melissa Harris at The Quilt Company.

Close-up, Holiday Lane

This is the Holiday Inn block: The Holiday Inn is decorated for the holidays with a Christmas Tree in the Window. The three signs out front give directions to where the fun is at! There's "Miller's Pond" for ice skating, and skiing at the "Bunny Slope" with "Hot Cocoa" to warm you up afterward.

Over the River and Through the Woods, 48 x 54”, by Phyllis Day

Phyllis says: "Made for my son and daughter-in-law. First time to do redwork." The "Over the Hill and Through the Woods" pattern is by Meg Hawkey at Crabapple Hill Studio.  Meg says: "The little family travels in a horse drawn sleigh through the snowy woods & across the river to Grandmother's warm & welcoming farmhouse. You can practically smell the turkey roasting!"

Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, 86 x 97”, made by RCQG Members, quilted by Deborah Joyner

First place winner for "Best Group Quilt", this is the RCQG’s Opportunity Quilt for next year's 2013 show. It is adapted from Jennifer Chiaverini’s Caroline’s Wedding Quilt from her book Traditions from Elm Creek Quilts (A Double Wedding Ring embellished with floral appliqués, a cherished gift for a very special bride). The quilt was made by 25 applique artists and 4 piecers. This truly lovely quilt has subtle color gradations, which gives it an elegant luminous quality.

Close-up of Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

In this close-up, you can see the intriguing center floral applique motif.

Pretty Packages, 27 x 30" by Teri Moore

Teri notes, "I saw this block in a magazine. It is a wonderful block for the beautiful Christmas fabrics. I’ve had fun making many table runners and 3 quilts."

Winter Wonderland, 63 x 67”, by Mary Fish

Blue ribbon winner for best quilt utilizing all other techniques, Mary notes, " This is my creation for a Zephyr Point Quilt Camp challenge to produce a winter wonderland quilt. It is adapted from patterns from Crabapple Hill’s "Winter Wonderland" and "Over the River and Through the Woods"; The Stitch Connection's "Snowman Collector"; Winter Twitterings [by Pearl Louise Krush] and my own designs."

Close-up, Winter Wonderland

Close-up, Winter Wonderland

Christmas Bed Quilt, 84 x 103",  by Phyllis Day

Phyllis Day writes,  "I decided it would be nice to have a Christmas quilt for every bed in our home. This is a start."

Image credits:  Photos are by Quilt Inspiration.