Live a Thankful Life

Abundant research shows that an attitude of gratitude is the key to a happy life. Gratitude can lead to hope, life satisfaction, and healthy behaviors. Here's a beautiful quilt called Live a Thankful Life that celebrates autumn and Thanksgiving.

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

Live a Thankful Life by Rhonda Montgomery (Orem, Utah)

Winner of a Judge's Choice award at the Utah show*, Rhonda Montgomery says: "My friend and I fell in love with this quilt pattern. We challenged ourselves to each make one, and then [made] a third to donate to the Festival of Trees. I had never worked with wool on a quilt before, and I found it both challenging and rewarding." Here is a closeup photo of the turkey block:

The wool appliques are fused and then hand-appliqued using blanket stitches and embroidery floss.  We enjoyed Rhonda's beautiful embroidery and quilting!  Here is a autumn tree with pumpkins at the base.

Rhonda Montgomery says that she used flannel for the background and that it was a fun quilt to make!  The motifs include a gray squirrel, below, and flower vines with oak leaves, all of which are beautifully done.

 Live a Thankful Life is a pattern designed by Lisa Bongean for Primitive Gatherings.  

*Note: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2024 Springville (Utah) quilt show.

Free pattern day! Christmas quilts (3)

Here are FREE patterns for festive, red & green holiday quilts!  To go to a pattern: Scroll down the page until you see the quilt you like, then click on the words "CLICK for PDF download" (or the hyperlinked website name) in the title above the quilt.  For Part 1 of this free pattern series, CLICK HERE; for Part 2, CLICK HERE.

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

The Nutcracker quilt, 30 x 29", free pattern at Art Gallery Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Strictly Ornamental quilt, 54" x 69", free pattern by Jackie Robinson for Benartex (CLICK for PDF download)

'Tis the Season quilt, 80" square, free pattern at Art Gallery Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Jolly Noel quilt, 60 x 75", free pattern at Hoffman Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Snow Kissed Star quilt-jelly roll friendly, 56 x 56", free pattern by Konda Luckau for McCall's Quilting (CLICK for PDF download)

Christmas Village quilt, free pattern by Natalie Crabtree for Michael Miller Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Merrily quilt (pieced houses and trees with fussy-cut print), ~60 x 66", free pattern at Moda Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

 Holiday Greetings quilt, 74 x 95", free pattern by Wendy Sheppard for Hoffman California Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Bright Christmas quilt, 66 x 80", free pattern by Janet Houts for Andover Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Shooting Stars quilt, 65 x 85", free pattern at Robert Kaufman Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

From Our Family to Yours, 61 x 81", free pattern by Wendy Sheppard for Windham Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

A Beary Christmas quilt, ~72 x 80", free pattern by Wendy Sheppard for Michael Miller Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

A Gingerbread Christmas mini quilt,  22 x 26", free pattern at RJR Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

A Merry Little Christmas quilt, 16 x 16", free pattern at Bunny Hill Designs (CLICK for PDF download)

Ginger Spice quilt, 74" square, free pattern by Wendy Sheppard for Hoffman Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Songbird Christmas Star quilt, 51 x 73", free pattern by Debbie Beaves for Maywood Studio (CLICK for PDF download)

Christmas Sweater quilt, 70 x 80", free pattern by Wendy Sheppard for Michael Miller Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Poppy Fields quilt, 72" square, free pattern by Elise Lea for Robert Kaufman (CLICK for PDF download)

Sweet Tessellation quilt, 46 x 50", free pattern by Jackie Robinson for Maywood Studio (CLICK for PDF download)

Christmas Garlands quilt, 47 x 59", free pattern at Paintbrush Studios (CLICK for PDF download)

Let It Snow quilt, 82 x 92", free pattern at Free Spirit Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Homecoming quilt, 84 x 84", free pattern by Wendy Sheppard for Windham Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Peppermint quilt, 36 x 44”, free pattern by Grace Wilson for Maywood Studio (CLICK for PDF download)

Evergreen, 54" x 72“, free pattern by Audrey Page for Benartex (CLICK for PDF download)

Scarlet Poinsettias quilt, 40 x 54", free pattern by Marinda Stewart for Michael Miller Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Bits and Bobbles quilt, 63 x 78", free pattern by Stephanie Sheridan for Windham Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Woodland Winter quilt, 59 x 71", free pattern by Heidi Pridemore for Michael Miller Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Christmas Candy quilt, 64 x 80", free pattern at Hoffman Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

North Star quilt, 66 x 66", free pattern at Andover Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Norwegian Holiday quilt, 85 x 85", free pattern by Wendy Sheppard for Hoffman California Fabrics
(CLICK for PDF download)

Snowball Dash quilt, 39 x 39”, free pattern by Stacey Day for Windham Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Treeline Drive quilt, 59 x 71”, free pattern by Wendy Sheppard at Ivory Spring (CLICK for PDF download)

Seasonal Stars quilt, 62 x 80", free pattern by Kristy Daum for Windham Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Solstice quilt, 68 x 68", by Kate Spain for Moda Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Woodsy Winter quilt 2019, 47 x 70", free pattern by Cyndi Hershey for Hoffman Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Woodsy Winter quilt, 49 x 72", by Linda Fitch for Hoffman Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download) 

A Winter’s Dance, 50 x 50", free pattern with appliqued reindeer by Robyn Pandolph for RJR Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Joy quilt, 72 x 80”, free pattern by Kate Spain for Moda Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Blitzen quilt, 67 x 67”, free quilt pattern by Basic Grey for Moda Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Nature’s Gift quilt, 65 x 77”, free pattern by Deb Strain for Moda Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Holiday Shimmer quilt, 72 x 96", free pattern by Janet Houts for Andover Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Snowville quilt, ~56 x 68", free pattern by George and Linda Wheeler for Windham Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download) + (CLICK for Place Mat and Table Runner PDF)

Image credits: This post was updated on November 17, 2024. 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 include downloadable (.pdf) patterns; we have tried to note which is which in the titles.  We update our links every 6 months as needed; however, websites may change their pages in between updates. If any links are broken we'd love to know; please email us at quiltinspiration {at} gmail {dot} com.

Welcome to the Sun

Each fall and winter, millions of North Americans head South, seeking the sun.  The snowbirds often land in Arizona, Florida, and other warm climates.  Here are some wonderful wall quilts and sampler quilts that celebrate the warmth of Arizona and the Southwest.

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

My Christmas Cactus, made and quilted by Palma Davis

Palma Davis says, "This wall hanging shows our magnificent Saguaro in the morning, midnight, and sunset."  We love the fabric choices for the backgrounds, Saguaros, and even the stony base of the quilt. Pattern source: Sonoran Saguaro by Copper Thimble Makery.

Sun Kachina, made and quilted by Karen Neuendorf

The Sun Kachina is one of the most famous of the Hopi Kachina figures, and is a symbol of life and growth. This wonderful art quilt is appliqued, and the feathers are 36-gauge copper, tooled and stained with alcohol inks. The border batik fabric has southwest patterns as well. (Note: Karen Neuendorf is a member of the NW Tucson Art Quilters group.)

Welcome to Arizona, made and quilted by Wendy Anderson.

Wendy Anderson says, "When I first moved to Tucson, Arizona, I was drawn to all the wonderful, colorful southwest fabrics. This pattern was a perfect opportunity to use and show off those fabrics." We spy cowboy boots, the Arizona symbol, Saguaro cacti, Pueblo, Kokopelli and petroglyphs in this design. Wendy says that this great quilt was based on a 'Happy Trails, Cactus Quilt pattern' (we're still searching for the pattern source.) We enjoyed all the blocks, including the sun over the mountain (or 'moon over mountain') row shown below.

Beautiful Desert by Karen Chrisman, quilted by Brenda Taminga. 

This was a block-of-the-month project started in June 2019.  Karen Chrisman says, "During the shutdown in March 2020, the last 3 blocks were mailed to me.  I added my own designs to set the blocks, creating a beautiful southwest theme." Pattern source: Blockbuster "Desert Beauty" BOM, Quilters' Market. The half-square triangle blocks shown below give the appearance of mountains, while the quarter Dresden plate depicts the sun.

 Arizona Adventure, made and quilted by Barbara Lambrecht. 

Barbara Lambrecht says, "This is my first quilt, a BOM challenge from Saddlebrooke Ranch Piecemakers. I started it 5 months late but finished on time.  We were encouraged to add our own touches to the simple block pattern we were given along with two fat quarters required to use for each block.  I love the way it turned out."  Fussy-cut circles serve as medallions in the corners of some blocks, shown below.

Note: If you enjoyed this post you might be interested in our Free Pattern Day for Southwestern quilts (CLICK HERE):

Image credits: Original quilt photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2023 and 2024 Tucson Quilters Guild show.