Halloween 2014

Happy Halloween! While you're carving your Jack O' Lantern and getting your costume ready, take a look at some of the very fun and fanciful Halloween quilts we've seen recently.  We hope these inspire you to create a little Halloween magic of your own.

Spooky !  by Bonita McFadden, California

This original design by our good friend and expert quilt artist Bonita McFadden shows two frisky kittens joyfully frolicking in the pumpkin patch. Bonita's work is machine pieced, hand appliqued and machine appliqued, embellished with rhinestones and glitter for some Halloween bling.  The pumpkin patch leaves are three-dimensional and outlined with satin stitch.  The lively energy displayed here is enhanced by the split complementary color scheme.
Note to our readers:  "Spooky!" has been selected for display at the prestigious 2014 Pacific International Quilt Show, the largest show on the west coast of the U.S. If you're attending the show, keep a look out for Bonita's work in the "Wall Quilts" category.  As always, Quilt Inspiration will be at P.I.Q.F. on Thursday, October 16,   to bring you first-on-the-scene Opening Day coverage ! 

Close up, Spooky! by Bonita McFadden

Bonita tells us that she really enjoys designing animal's faces displaying human feelings. Here you can see the excitement and playfulness on this darling kitty as he peeks over the top of the pumpkin. His scarf and eye patch are three-dimensional, in order to give more depth to the piece. Look very closely, and you'll see that Bonita has even added whiskers made out of nylon fishing line to his face.

Casper's Friends by Sara L. Rumbaugh

Sara notes that the pattern source  for these embroidered blocks is  Ghost Life: More the Merrier Designs from Sylvia's Quilt Collection.  Sara writes, "...I embroidered my blocks during car trips and TV watching times. It is machine pieced, hand, and machine quilted."  We saw Sara's quilt at the 2014 Quilt Fiesta in Tucson, Arizona and thought it was the perfect work to get us into the spirit of  Halloween.

Close up, Casper's Friends by Sara L. Rumbaugh

This cheery scene takes us back to the Saturday morning cartoons of our youth where we enjoyed Casper the Friendly Ghost and all of his escapades.

Close-up, Casper's Friends, by Sara L. Rumbaugh

Here's a cute image of what we imagine to be "ghostly grandparents' sitting by the fireplace in happy retirement.  These blocks look as if they were truly  enjoyable to embroider !

Happy Hauntings by Debra Elenbaas, quilted by Diane Beauchamp

Happy Hauntings was displayed at the 2014 Road to California quilt show, where its lighthearted motifs really caught our eye. Quilt artist Debra Elenbaas writes, "I love Halloween, and this pattern by Verna Mosquera of The Vintage Spool has always made me smile. I decided to attempt it, even though I am inexperienced at applique. Diane Beauchamp's quilting brought it to life!"

Close-up, Happy Hauntings by Debra Elenbaas

Debra's quilt has lots of  "attitude" and  spunk, from the jaunty skeleton with the polka-dot hat, to the bats in the corner, to the owl and the pussycat, to the scalloped inner border. There are so many fun details here.

The Usual Suspects, 48 x 36", by Swan Sheridan at Swan Amity Studios

The Usual Suspects won Second Place winner in the category of  Appliqued and Machine Quilted works at the 2014 Tucson, Arizona, Quilt Fiesta. Artist Swan Sheridan notes, of her original design,  "This quilt was created with hand applique and machine quilting. I enjoyed playing with the texture in the background and variegated threads throughout."
Swan Sheridan has created a pattern for this adorable wall hanging.  The pattern is called Branch Diversity and it is available at Swan Amity Studios.

Close up, The Usual Suspects by Swan Sheridan

Swan adds, "The owls all have their own personalities, making this one of my favorite creations to date." We couldn't help but smile at the sense of humor that went into designing the faces and features of these eccentric and memorable birds.

And the Cow says 'Boo' by Peggy Baldwin-Clayton,  Texas, quilted by Anne Lett-Brown

Peggy's pattern source is the "Purple Cow" pattern in Out of the Box With Easy Blocks by Mary Lou Weidman and Melanie B. McFarland. Peggy notes..... "I'd been thinking about making a cow after seeing all the "bovine mania" in Mary Lou's followers, and 'What did the cow say? BOO!' flashed into my mind. With that thought, I surged ahead."  

And the Cow Says "Boo" by Peggy Baldwin-Clayton   

We saw this hilarious quilt at the 2013 Houston International Quilt Festival and just had to laugh out loud ! The Mardi Gras mask and the polka dot ears make this one wacky and very adorable cow. A midnight blue background really helps the complementary orange foreground pop right out in a riotous display of energy. 

Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration.