Wedding Ring Quilt Inspiration and Free Patterns!

The Double Wedding Ring is the most popular pattern in the history of quilting. Here are some inspiring quilts !  NOTE:  This post has been UPDATED.  For the latest patterns, please go to our Free Pattern Day for Wedding Ring quilts (CLICK HERE!)

Note: Please check out our eBay shop for great bargains on quilt patterns, fabric, and unique vintage jewelry ! 

Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, 2013 Raffle Quilt by the River City Quilters Guild (California);  photo by Quilt Inspiration

First place winner for "Best Group Quilt" in their 2012 quilt show, this is the RCQG’s Opportunity Quilt for 2013. It is adapted from Jennifer Chiaverini’s Caroline’s Wedding Quilt  (a Double Wedding Ring quilt embellished with floral appliqués, a cherished gift for a very special bride). The quilt was made by 25 applique artists and 4 piecers. This quilt has four gradations of red and green fabrics, creating an elegant luminous quality.  You can see the detail of the blocks in the close-up photo:

Bachelor's Wedding Ring by Eric Gunson of Pieceful Expressions

Shown above is Eric Gunson's "Bachelor's Wedding Ring". We first featured this stunning quilt in a 2011 Blue Quilt series called The Blues. Eric Gunson is the lead designer at Pieceful Expressions, which is his family's business in Sisters, Oregon.  To our knowledge they are no longer producing patterns, but you can sometimes find individual patterns on eBay or Etsy.

Double Wedding Ring design

The diagram below shows the pieces which form the rings in a basic Double Wedding Ring quilt:

In this diagram there are 6 fabric wedges in each arc, but there may be as many as twelve or more. The wedges can be cut from templates and pieced traditionally, or they can be foundation paper pieced. Once the arcs are constructed, they are attached to the melons (B) and center shapes (A) with curved piecing; alternatively, the finished arcs can be appliqued on a background block. In addition, the arcs can be made from a single fabric, without any piecing, as in the auction quilt shown below:

The Double Wedding Ring design - first published in 1928 - is believed to be a variation of an even older pattern called Pickle Dish (see the article by historian Barbara Brackman).  Barbara explains that a wedding ring quilt has four-sided patches in the arcs, whereas a pickle dish quilt has triangular pieces as shown below.

Pickle Dish Quilt, c. 1930, seen at Ebay

  Kaffe Fassett's Pickle Dish Quilt

Just when you thought the naming was straightforward, on the cover of Kaffe Fassett's Quilt Romance there is a hot pink quilt which looks like a cross between a fat wedding ring and a Dresden fan.  This is Kaffe Fassett's Pickle Dish Quilt. Whether you call it a Pickle Dish or a Double Wedding Ring, we love Kaffe's brilliant, vintage-inspired design !

Golden Wedding Ring, 1940's, seen at Ebay 

This beautiful and unusual vintage quilt from the 1940's features a design known as a Golden Wedding Ring.  We love the sunny orange and yellow stars:

We can hardly wait to show you some more fabulous variations. Use the search bar in the upper left corner of this blog to see more Wedding Ring quilts!

Image credits: Note: this post was updated on February 17, 2025.  Photos are copyright of the owners.

Exuberant Color

One of the blogs we love to read is Exuberant Color by Wanda S. Hanson.  The name sums it up:  "exuberant" means "joyously unrestrained and enthusiastic".  Regarding color, Wanda says:  "I love color and am driven to create with it."  There are plenty of eye-popping quilts at Exuberant Color, and more: the blog is like a romp through the design and quilting process, sprinkled with tips gleaned from Wanda's 55 years of experience (she has been quilting since 1957).  It's no wonder that her site has racked up more than one million page views, and over 630,000 visitors from 179 countries!

Sparkling Stars, 2012, by Wanda S. Hanson at Exuberant Color

Sparkling Stars, above, is an example of Wanda Hanson's expert use of color and value, which makes the stars really sparkle. This stunning quilt was exhibited in a 2012 solo show at Ciel Gallery in Charlotte, North Carolina, and it was purchased by Lynne Tyler. We also just learned that more of Wanda's quilts will be exhibited at Ciel Gallery in February and March, 2013. Wanda selected part batik and part bright tone-on-tone prints in warm and cool hues for Sparkling Stars. Her favorite fabrics include Kaffe Fassett florals, and you'll even see African fabrics in some of her quilts.  Regarding her black-and-white stash, Wanda says:  "Of all of the black and white prints available I like the zebra stripes the best. Those who have been to my house know I have a "little zebra" in every room."

 Crazy Patch Quilt, 1998, by Wanda S. Hanson (in the collection of Wanda Hanson)

Wanda's interest in art quilting began in 1985, when she took a 3-day workshop with Nancy Crow (you can read the story here). Wanda's quilts exhibit an improvisational style that was quite uncommon in those days.  For example, the stunning quilt shown above is an example of crazy piecing with colorful, contemporary fabrics.  Wanda explains: "Crazy piecing [is] something I have been doing since the early 1970’s. It didn’t get any respect made with cotton fabrics until it got renamed ‘wonky’ and ‘liberated’. I would try to share my passion for it with others in the 1970's and 1980's but the reaction was that… well… I was crazy, just like my crazy piecing... During the early 1990’s when it seemed the art quilt movement was gaining speed, it was accepted more as a free way of working and was adopted by the newly inspired, previously non-sewers as more fun than traditional blocks." For more examples check out Wanda's crazy pieced quilt gallery.

Crooked Cobblestones 2, 36.5" x 34", by Wanda S. Hanson at Exuberant Color

The quilt shown above was included in Wanda Hanson's 2012 solo show  (as of this writing, this quilt is available for purchase at the Ciel Gallery website). She chose the name Cobblestones to refer to her original block design, which she has explored in a series of quilts; this is #2 in the series. The black-and-white print borders allow the colorful blocks to "pop", and the use of an inner border of the same fabric as some of the blocks makes it seem as if you are looking through windows in the middle of the quilt.  

Mini Colorwash Quilt by Wanda S Hanson at Exuberant Color

Wanda has been making colorwash quilts since 1990; you can see examples, and how her style has evolved, at her colorwash quilt gallery. Her first colorwash pieces were made with calico type fabrics, and from there she went to multicolor busy floral prints of a larger size.  The mini quilt shown above is made with tiny scraps of batiks; most pieces are less than 1" across as described in this post.  This piece was sold and is now in a private collection.

Skewed, approx. 39 x 44", by Wanda S. Hanson at Exuberant Color

"Skewed" is one of Wanda's recent finishes (January 2013).  An intriguing combination of textures, colors, values and lines can be seen in this quilt, which is pieced with uneven width strips. This represents one of Wanda's signature styles, and a series of work, which can be seen at her gallery of quilts pieced with uneven width strips.  About working in a series - which also is the subject of one of Wanda's classes - she says:  "Working in series is a quest for the best one I can make." Here are more of Wanda's inspiring words of wisdom:

~The lines are not "perfect" because I am not a perfect person. I like things with their subtle imperfections that look they have been made by a human being. Actually I like wonky even better than that. ~Wanda S. Hanson, in : A Quilting Day

~I don't let the quilting police into my home and I will accept my abilities, such as they are. I have been doing free motion work for 48 years. I don't have to prove anything to anyone else. ~Wanda S. Hanson, in: Practicing your Free Motion Quilting

~For those of us that believe the fabrics and the piecing design are the most important part of our quilts, it is paralyzing to try to dive into the quilting of the layers that may 'ruin' our quilt.  I know there are others out there that share my feelings; I read it on your blogs.  All over quilting designs sometimes mush the piecing design and beautiful custom quilting takes over and that is all you see.  I want my patchwork to be the star. I want the quilting to compliment but not take over.  I like simple quilting the best. ~ Wanda S. Hanson, in: Binding and Quilting

~ I believe in saving time, since we can't buy any more of it. ~Wanda S. Hanson, in: What makes me tick?

Image credits:  Images are shown with the generous permission of Wanda S. Hanson.  In addition to her quilts that are represented by the Ciel Gallery, check out items for sale at her online shop:  Wandaful Quilts. Last but not least, on the sidebar at Exuberant Color you can check out a video, "My Film Debut",  in which Wanda presents her quilts (you'll be glad you did !)

International Quilts From P.I.Q.F. 2012

Today we're featuring some wonderful quilts from different countries that were displayed at the Pacific International Quilt Festival in October, 2012.  We think you'll really enjoy these intriguing works from New Zealand, Germany and Japan!

Ride With Me, 35.5 x 37.5, by Joanne Mitchell, New Zealand

This enchanting merry-go-round pony is actually very high tech. There's a motion sensor sewn into the quilt which causes lights to flash and music to play whenever a viewer walks near it.  Joanne writes, "An original design based on the early carousel horse of my childhood. The original music from the old steam driven organ and the flashing lights are all part of the memory. Thanks for the technical assistance from my husband Paul and Carl of LED Dunedin."

Close-up of  Ride With Me

In this close-up, you can see some of the sparkling embellishments on the carousel itself, as well as the beautiful quilting on the horse's head and mane. Featured on the cover of  New Zealand Quilter,  "Ride With Me", won not only First Place but the Viewer's Choice Award in the Hoffman Challenge.

Mandala Magic, 69 x 69, by Judith Ross, New Zealand

Judith notes : " [The circular designs] of mandalas have always fascinated me. I enjoy the contrast between their restful symmetry and joyous colour. This original design is based on ceiling mandalas I saw in Sikkim temples. Techniques include printing on silk, machine piecing, applique, and quilting. The centre is a piece of the antique Indian zardozi embroidery." For more information,about Judith's creative \and original quilts, please visit Judith Ross' website.

Pineapple Blue, 61 x 84, by Brigitte Morgenroth, Germany

Blue ribbon winner for "Best Use of Color" in the World Quilt category, Brigitte says, "Pineapple is a variation of a log cabin pattern; the pattern is very clear and severe, but so interesting and modern thanks to the choice of colours and materials. Dupioni silk gives wonderful light and shadow reflections because it was sewn in different directions. This work is paper pieced, and the white circles are magnified through hand quilting."   For more information on this talented quilter, please visit Brigitte Morgenroth's website.

Zen by Yoshiko Katagiri,  Japan

P.I.Q.F. 2012 featured a special exhibit titled "Life", by very skilled Japanese quilter Yoshiko Katagiri. She created the "Life" exhibit in gratitude for the contributions of quilters and others around the world to the relief work after the 2011 large scale earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Yoshiko notes that this natural disaster and the help sent to Japan caused her to consider the role of nature in our lives and the importance of the lives of each animate being, no matter how small.Yoshiko's "Zen" quilt displays a giant red peony flower, sitting placidly amidst a contingent of energetic dragonflies.  

Close-up of Zen
 

Yoshiko notes,  "The peony is called the 'queen of flowers' in China.... but the Japanese people [often liken it to] the image of  a beautiful sitting woman." In this close-up, you can see some of the intricate piecing involved in the construction of the flower.  

Uneri by Yoshiko Katagiri

The word "Uneri" in Japanese can be loosely translated to mean "Undulation, or like a wave that rises and falls."  Yoshiko writes, ...."Life has many ups and downs. Sometimes it pulls by a strong power; the other times it tangles by various happenings, like a rope."  Yoshiko has characterized the "peaks and valleys" of life by depicting them them as these colorful fabric ropes which twist, turn, and wind around each other. 

Ushio by Yoshiko Katagiri

A very approximate translation of  "Ushio" is "the tide."  Yoshiko says, "The regions where the earthquake and tsunami hit had the luxuriant forests and the rich sea. ......The destroyed forests and sea are going to [recover]  by the efforts of numerous people."  We love these vibrant, eye-catching fish with their strong fins, which swim in all directions, both with the current of the water and against it. Look carefully, and you'll see several outlines of fish quilted into the black background.  

Corona by Yoshiko Katagiri

Brilliant warm colors denote the flames of gas which surround the sun's surface like a crown ; hence the name "corona." Yoshiko notes,  "Without the sun, I imagine that life would never have existed on earth. I think that the entity of the sun itself is natural, but close to wondrous. "

Free pattern day: Hearts and Valentines part 3

There is something marvelous about Valentine's Day, and about hearts anytime.   This post has been updated; please check out the latest collection of 50+ free patterns at Free Pattern Day:  Hearts and Valentines.

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. 

Vintage and Modern Valentines: Part 2

Did we mention that we love Valentine's Day? Vintage and modern hearts are so beautiful in quilts.  Also, quilts are an expression of love; the love that goes into making a quilt can be expressed in tangible form on Valentine's Day.  Here are some wonderful quilts which caught our eye.

Broken Heart, 56 x 76" by Laura Jansen at Butterfly Quilting (Vacaville, California)

Laura Jansen is a professional longarm quilter who is based in Northern California. Her beautiful "Broken Heart" quilt won First Place at the 2011 Dixon California May Fair.  The three-dimensional appearance of the hearts is due to the use of two different red fabrics; the fabric on the right hand side of the heart is slightly darker. The hearts are based on the "Love the Log Cabin" pattern from the book 25 Years and Still Stripping by Eleanor Burns.  A friend of Laura's, who taught a class on the pattern, called it the Broken Heart quilt.

Close-up, Broken Heart by Laura Jansen at Butterfly Quilting

In this close-up photo you can see the details of Laura Jansen's lovely quilting (can you also see the log cabin?)  The setting blocks are filled with hearts and feathers, which are echoed by feathers inside the red hearts.  Laura has enhanced the 3D appearance of the hearts by quilting parallel lines in the darker strips. You might not be able to tell how large the hearts are from this photo; for perspective, see a photo of Laura with the quilt at Butterfly Quilting. Also, at Laura's Flickr photostream, you can see her gallery of Broken Heart quilts.

Heart and Feather Wholecloth Quilt by Leah Day at The Free Motion Quilting Project

As you may know, Leah Day is the free-motion-quilting guru who started The Free Motion Quilting Project. Now, with over 365 designs created, the project is a resource for thousands of quilters around the world !   The stunning Heart and Feather quilt shown above was the subject of her 10th Quilt-Along, and the pattern and instructions are free at this link.  You can find all kinds of FMQ tools and supplies, along with instructional books and DVD's at the associated online shop, Day Style Designs.  Last but not least, Leah offers a Craftsy class called Free Motion Quilting a Sampler (there is currently a 50% discount if you follow the link at Day Style Designs !) 

i heart you, 57 x 57" or 108 x 108", by Vanessa Christenson

Vanessa Christenson is one of the modern quilt designers we admire, and this luscious heart is her first quilt and pattern for 2013.  The "i heart you" quilt can be made in either a baby quilt size or a large throw; the easy pattern features half-square triangles as shown below. 

The "i heart you" quilt, and the faux-pleated pillow shown in the first photo are made with Vanessa's own Simply Color ombre pink fabric for Moda. Just think: a quilt like this can be made with only a single fabric, plus a white background !  We love ombres, which are so useful for adding dimensionality; Vanessa's collection has 6 different hues including a gorgeous graphite gray.  For more information see Vanessa Christenson's post at V and Co (you can find the 'i heart you' pattern here).

Heart and Home Village, 63 x 72" by Jan Millner, 2012 River City Quilters' Guild; photo by Quilt Inspiration

This charming "Heart and Home Village" by Jan Millner has eight heart-themed houses along with tree and bunny applique blocks, surrounded by a heart-and-ribbon border. Jan says: "[This quilt was] made in a precision-piecing workshop in 2010. The next year we bought and downsized into a red townhouse in a village – coincidence?"  The quilt design and kit are by Arlene Stamper and Melissa Harris at The Quilt Company.  The close-up photo of  Jan Millner's quilt shows "The Purr-fect Heart House" block; you can even see tiny cats in the front windows.  Jan won a third-place ribbon for this quilt; in this photo you can see her expert quilting, including the scalloped roof on the house.

Theresa’s Heart Strings, 62 x 48", by Theresa Caselman (Hemet, California) as seen at PIQF 2012.  Photo by Quilt Inspiration.

We spotted this cheerful heart quilt at the 2012 Pacific International Quilt Show; this scrappy quilt was made with 219 different fabrics. Theresa Caselman says: "As an artist new to quilting, I love creating with the endless palette of colorful fabrics. This is my first quilt using hand applique and hand quilting; it took me 2 years to complete."  Theresa embellished many of the hearts with trinkets and jewels. The "strings" are made with bias strips that are curved into different shapes. We recognize this whimsical design as "Heart Strings" by Cindy Cooksey (a pattern is available at Jukebox Quilts).

Image Credits: Images of Broken Heart, Heart and Feather Wholecloth and 'i heart you' are shown with the generous permission of the artists.  The other photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration.

Vintage and Modern Valentines: Part 1

Valentine's Day is one of our favorite holidays, complete with the imagery of hearts and flowers.  However, the emotions conjured by Valentine's Day go beyond the exchange of valentines, and even beyond romance.  Here is a quote that speaks to the occasion: "Love is a symbol of eternity. It wipes out all sense of time, destroying all memory of a beginning and all fear of an end." To that end, we've assembled some special Valentine quilts, both vintage and modern, that caught our eye.

Vintage Valentine by Dar Farmer and Sally Copeland (Dorris, CA), 2012 Pacific International Quilt Festival

In "Vintage Valentine" by Dar Farmer and Sally Copeland, the center medallion is framed by 12 beautiful blocks. The delicate appliqued shapes inspired by vintage valentines create a romantic style in this heirloom quilt. The quilters chose a variety of toned pinks and reds for the hearts and flowers; the little birds, which appear in many of the blocks, were done in a black floral print which complements the motifs.

Center Medallion, Vintage Valentine by Dar Farmer and Sally Copeland

In the center medallion, above, you can see the expert hand applique and hand quilting done by Dar Farmer and Sally Copeland.  The Vintage Valentine pattern is by Verna Mosquera at The Vintage Spool.

 L'Amour est Trouve (Love is Found), 58 x 58", by Marian Howard Gallian at Pink Hippo Quilts

Marian Howard Gallian, the founder of Pink Hippo Quilts, says: "I have a passion for quilting which sustains me through all life’s joys and trials. My mom and my aunt both made beautiful quilts and they were my inspiration."  Marian's "L'Amour est Trouve" is both romantic and nostalgic, with a modern twist which we love. This quilt uses Dresden fan blocks with an interesting 3-D effect in the center of the flower. In the version shown above, Marian has set the pretty pink Dresden flowers against a black-and-white text print with expressions of love.

L'Amour est Trouve (Love is Found), 58 x 58", by Marian Howard Gallian at Pink Hippo Quilts

Here is the latest version of L'Amour est Trouve; the clever scalloped edge, which you can see clearly in this quilt, adds a delectable finish.  There are many more pretty quilts at Pink Hippo Quilts; for Valentine's Day, be sure to check out Sweet Whimsey , Forever in my Heart and Summer of Love.

International Love, 39 x 74" by Julia Avrahami (Israel)

Here is a charming quilt which caught our eye at the 2012 Pacific International Quilt Show. In this large wall hanging, Julia Avrahami has created eighteen different hearts in shades of pink and re-violet that remind us of the candy hearts we exchanged as children. Notice that she has arranged the letters in a curve, which makes the hearts appear to be rounded. Julia explains her inspiration for "International Love":  "The word Love is written differently in various languages, but it expresses a common meaning: Love between lovers, family members or friends."   This quilt was beautifully machine pieced, machine appliqued and machine quilted.

Image Credits:  Photos of Vintage Valentine and Candy Hearts were taken by Quilt Inspiration.  Photos of L'Amour est Trouve are shown with the generous permission of Marian Howard Gallian.

Quiltations for the New Year - Part 2

To welcome in the New Year, here are more lovely and thought-provoking "Quiltation" art quilts from the River City Quilters' Guild  in Sacramento, California.

Let There Be Light by Kathy Orsburn
 

Kathy's contemporary  vertical pieces arranged in a circular pattern capture the brilliance of exploding stars or the universe coming into creation. Tulle netting embellishes the center of this piece in which cool hues predominate.

Home by Jan Soules
 

The quote "There's no place like home" is characterized by cozy earth tones in a comfortable and serene backyard setting, surrounded by nature.

Close-up of Home by Jan Soules
 

In this close-up, you can see  Jan's  precise applique work and pretty embroidery stitches used for very effective embellishment.

The Journey by Kari Bauer
 

Kari uses a quote by Steve Jobs, founder of Apple Computer, "The Journey is the Destination" to create an ethereal effect of a  night sky, surrounded by a lighter clamshell motif.

Close-up of The Journey
 

Kari's work seems to be a tribute to a hand quilter, who carefully and painstakingly pursues her craft with thimble and needle.

Sticks and Stones by Sunni Hamilton at 13 Dandelions

 

Elegant calligraphy is juxtaposed against a background of woodsy batiks to display the old saying, "Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words can never hurt me."  The extensive embroidery that lines the tree trunk gives a fresh, three-dimensional work to this landscape-inspired quilt, which is embellished with real sticks and stones!

It Is None of Your Business What Others Think of You by Susan Sprague
 

Set against the starry sky of the universe and an abstract background,  modern dance choreographer Martha Graham's words seem to be very apt and worthy of philosphical reflection.

Image credits: All photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration.

Quiltations for the New Year 2013 - Part I

A very Happy New Year to all of our readers. Best wishes for love, peace, and prosperity in 2013 ! From the River City Quilter's Guild quilt show in November, 2012, we bring you "Quiltations", a combination of the word "quilt" and "quotations."  Quiltations are art quilts, with memorable sayings, or words of wisdom displayed on the quilt.  We're displaying some quiltations that we think are especially notable.

Art,  18 x 24", by Sandra Torguson

Sandra Torguson has achieved a sophisticated, minimalist look here with complementary colors. The circular mandala design is offset by geometric double cross-hatched background quilting. The challenging kaleidoscopic block was inspired by Paula Nadelstern's work.   At her website, Sandra's Mixed Bag, Sandra explains: "My art quilt group gave themselves a challenge to create an 18x24 quilt that has lettering. Well, that was pretty easy for me, the one in the group who was a calligrapher." Her calligraphy is shown below.

 Close-up of Art by Sandra Torguson

This definition of "Art" by Constance Howard says :  "The expression of a personality in a particular way, through individual creative work, the development of an idea that opens the eyes of others to a different outlook on a subject."

Life is a Miracle, 18 x 24, by Lori Wisheropp
 

Honorable Mention winner in the category of  All Other Techniques,  Lori's radiant sunflower stands out very well against a weathered, rustic background of brown with beige streaks. 

Really, 18 x 24, by Helen Burke

Helen won a Judge's Choice Award for her whimsical depiction of  expensive, high fashion shoe styles and the possible agony involved in wearing them. Her quote of  twentieth century American humor writer Dorothy Parker's wry comment,  "What Fresh Hell is This" seems very apt on this quilt.

In this close-up, you can see Helen's applique work, attractively embellished with feathers, beads, and  machine quilting.

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration.