Modern Quilt Month: Improvisation! (1)

In modern quilting, improvisation refers to a freeform, intuitive approach to quilt design where quilters create without strictly following traditional patterns, precise measurements, or pre-planned templates. It has its own category for modern quilt shows! We hope you enjoy our photos of improvisational quilts.

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A ZigZag Journey, The Quilted Life by Frieda Anderson (Florida, USA) @FrieStyle

We love the freeform zigzags and subtle color changes in this quilt! Frieda Anderson used zigzags to represent the non-linear pathways that life often takes.  "The continuous and sharp turns of a zigzag reflect the unexpected twists, turns and obstacles we encounter on our life's journey.  It serves as a reminder that progress is not always straightforward and growth often comes from facing the challenges, detours, and unexpected changes."

Swimming the Salish Sea by Krista Hennebury (British Columbia, Canada) @Poppyprint

With this beautiful piece, Krista Hennebury reflects on her experience of swimming the Salish Sea (near British Columbia). She says, "This quilt is my swimming story. Each breath takes my view from depth to surface in a rhythm of dark to light as I swim in the beautiful and sparkling Salish Sea." Free cutting and improvisational piecing were used to create these effects.

String Theory by Sue Erdreich (@quiltcrochetcolor) / New Jersey Modern Quilt Guild (group members: Margy Schilling, Mary Kirchoff, Miguel Huidor, Kathy Morganroth)

String Theory is bursting with color and energy! Sue Erdreich says, "This quilt was created as part of my guild Improv Bee.  I wanted to show how warm and cool colors can play against each other for graphic impact.  Bee members sewed the scrap strips together, which I then cut into the curved forms that make up the quilt." (p.s.  This is a wonderful way to use up fabric scraps!) 

Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2025 QuiltCon show in Phoenix, Arizona.
 

 

Modern Quilt Month: Minimalist Design! (2)

Minimalism refers to a design approach that emphasizes simplicity, clean lines, and a restrained aesthetic. Within the Modern Quilt Guild, it has its own category for shows! We're honoring modern quilts for the month of July, starting with minimalist designs.

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Klee for a Day, 37" square, by Karen Duling (Michigan) @karenbduling

Paul Klee's inspiring work "Fire in the Evening" influenced the use of color and line in this quilt.  Karen Duling explains, "My version started by sewing together a long-held collection of medium and dark value strips.  Strips were arranged using lessons learned by studying Klee's work.  Textile artist Rosalie Dace opened my eyes to Klee's work in her virtual class "The Thinking Eye." Klee for a Day is machine quilted in a grid using silk thread, adding subtle texture to the minimalist design.

Off Kilter by Margo Yang (California) @Quiltmagic

  

This quilt with its creative use of reclaimed materials and its minimalist design conveys a heartfelt message: "Distractions in life happen, They can throw your world into chaos. That's when you hold on to things that anchor you, be it faith in God, family, and friends. These distractions will be but a short while and then life goes on and everything will be okay at the end. This quilt is made of old denim, garment top and painter's drop cloth as background. It reminds me that life is not perfect but beautiful." For more about Off Kilter see this post by Margo Yang.

 

Extreme Dopamine by Jenn Burt (North Carolina) @jenngeorgeburt  

Dopamine is a chemical messenger that works in the brain and is associated with pleasurable reward and motivation. This quilt is titled "Extreme Dopamine" because of the way the artist felt about creating this piece: "It was joy-inducing from the design process to the color scheme selection, to the embracing of a newly-found love of piecing inset organic shapes, to the time devoted to hand quilting." 

We found our eyes moving from the subtle curves and contrasts in the background, to the intense colors and quilting within the circles, shown below.

Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2025 QuiltCon show in Phoenix, Arizona.

Modern Quilt Month: Minimalist Design! (1)

Minimalism refers to a design approach that emphasizes simplicity, clean lines, and a restrained aesthetic. Within the Modern Quilt Guild, it has its own category for shows! We're honoring modern quilts for the month of July, starting with minimalist designs.

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

Imaginary Places V: Dreaming in Calm by Carolina Oneto @carolina_oneto (Brazil), quilted by Veronica Dacal 

This quilt serves as a peaceful shelter, reflecting the subtle harmony of nature. Each stitch invites calmness and contemplation, providing a momentary escape from our fast-paced complex world, thus allowing us to reconnect with the serenity that resides within. 

Carolina Oneto explains, "In Imaginary Places V: Dreaming in Calm, I explore the tranquility of imaginary landscapes.  With a muted color palette, soft greens depict a serene lake, while gray gradations over the mountains create a soothing atmosphere. 

 Park Modern by Robert Lowe @rbtlowedesigns (New Mexico), quilted by Tisha Cavanaugh

Beautiful smooth lines and strong contrasts distinguish this architecture-inspired quilt. Robert Lowe explains, "Although the architecture this piece was influenced by is reminiscent of the Guggenheim Museum, a landmark work of 20th-century design by Frank Lloyd Wright, it is instead from just after that time period, and by different architects.  The building was designed for Macy's Queens Plaza department store in Queens, New York by Skidmore Owings & Merrill and this is only its parking structure."

Vacation Rental by AnnMarie Cowley (Oregon) @runandsew 

This fascinating quilt exhibits the clean lines and precision that characterize minimalist designs.  The piece was inspired by modern architecture, but not by any specific building! As AnnMarie Cowley explains, "Using AI to generate a mid-century modern summertime theme, I used an inset circle for the sun and created a paper piecing template on giant paper.  It's quilted with my signature seer-sucker quilting (on a longarm machine)." 

 Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2025 QuiltCon show in Phoenix, Arizona.

Transparency Quilt Challenge: Sunshine Amidst Rain

Transparency is a hot trend in quilting! The challenge is to choose opaque fabrics to create the illusion of transparency. The American Patchwork and Quilting Transparency Challenge produced some incredible quilts by artists around the world. We hope you enjoy our photos!

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For continuous free quilt patterns, please visit us on Twitter.   

Sunshine Amidst Rain by Sarah Wigden (Pennsylvania) @misswigglymakes

There are so many things to love about this quilt, including Sarah Wigden's expert use of color and value along with her hand quilting.  Sarah says that the design for this quilt had been on her mind for a couple of years and she decided it was time to make it.  While making it, she recognized rain/umbrellas in the design but also sunshine motifs in the quilting. 

Combining the elements of umbrellas/rain along with sunshine made Sarah think of trying to find the sunshine moments amids the rainstorms of life. "Quilting is one of those spots of sunshine for me." We love the hand quilting which adds a soft texture and shadows to the surface of the quilt.

Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2025 QuiltCon show in Phoenix, Arizona. 

Main Street on Independence Day

Does your home town celebrate the 4th of July? Also known as Independence Day, this US holiday commemorates the passage of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.  We always enjoy the fireworks and the red, white and blue decorations - including quilts!  Today's featured quilt really sparkles with red, white and blue fabrics and pinwheels.

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For continuous free quilt patterns, please visit us on Twitter.    

Main Street on Independence Day, made and quilted by Carol Pavey McConahy (Icy Swan Creations)

Carol Pavey McConahy based this wonderful quilt on the Main Street quilt pattern by Sassafras Lane Design.  The flying geese borders were her original design to make the quilt wide enough for a queen-size bed. She used 20 different red fabrics and 14 blue fabrics for the top. The pure red and blue colors are the perfect combination. We love the "confetti" fabric in the background!

 (Happy 4th of July to all!) 

Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2025 Tucson Quilters Guild show.

Transparency Quilt Challenge: Continuity of Radiance

Transparency is a hot trend in quilting! The challenge is to choose opaque fabrics to create the illusion of transparency. The American Patchwork and Quilting Transparency Challenge produced some incredible quilts by artists around the world. We hope you enjoy our photos!

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

Continuity of Radiance by Svetlana Silver (Omsk, Omskaya oblast, Russian Federation)  @svetoch.silver 

This quilt invites us to consider how just a few fabrics were used to convey transparency! Continuity of Radiance is "an attempt to convey the impact of an object that includes hypnotic glow, rotation, transparency and the endless cycle of ending and beginning of everything."  

The quilt was machine pieced and machine quilted on a frame (longarm).  Straight line "matchstick" quilting in green thread creates a subtle texture in the background.

You can see more of Svetlana's beautiful quilting @svetoch.silver on Instagram. 

 Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2025 QuiltCon show in Phoenix, Arizona.

Transparency Quilt Challenge: Mod Layers

Transparency is a hot trend in quilting! The challenge is to choose opaque fabrics to create the illusion of transparency. The American Patchwork and Quilting Transparency Challenge produced some incredible quilts. Here is a very convincing transparency quilt made with solid fabrics... We hope you enjoy our photos!

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For continuous free quilt patterns, please visit us on Twitter.   

Mod Layers by Anthea Naylor (Nanton, Alberta, Canada) 

Those cool shapes and that color palette! How groovy is this?  Mod Layers was machine pieced and machine quilted without a frame (domestic machine).  We love the freeform quilting which adds to the energy of this piece!

  Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2025 QuiltCon show in Phoenix, Arizona.

Transparency Quilt Challenge: Light Me Up!

Transparency is a hot trend in quilting! The challenge is to choose opaque fabrics to create the illusion of transparency. The American Patchwork and Quilting Transparency Challenge produced some incredible quilts... We hope you enjoy our photos from this year's QuiltCon show!

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

Light Me Up, made and quilted by Lindsey Berres (Woodinville, Washington) @peaceandpatchwork.  

Light Me Up won 1st Place in the American Patchwork and Quilting Transparency Challenge.

Lindsey Berres says that this quilt explores the concept of additive light through the interplay of color and transparency.  "I designed this quilt using varying values of overlapping red, green, and blue (the primary colors of light) to create the spectrum of colors that converge to form the white center. I wanted to create the effect of additive light with fabric, which is a medium that gets its color through pigment, not light."

Note: For a fun and FREE transparency quilt pattern, check out the Color Wash quilt pattern by Modern Quilt Studio for Benartex (CLICK for PDF download!)

 

 

Image credits: Photos of Light Me Up were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2025 QuiltCon show in Phoenix, Arizona.

 

Storm at Sea

Storm at Sea uses small changes in straight angles to create an optical illusion of rounded shapes. It's a classic pattern, and one of our favorites! Here is an award-winning quilt made with paper piecing and gorgeous custom quilting.

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For continuous free quilt patterns, please visit us on Twitter.  

Surviving the Storm of 2020, made and quilted by Linda Matteotti

Winner of a President's Choice award, this quilt is a fascinating take on the traditional Storm-at-Sea design because of its reverse colorization scheme.  Can you pick out the individual blocks?

 

Surviving the Storm of 2020 by Linda Matteotti was inspired by one of the Quick Quilt patterns in the Electric Quilt software.  The quilt is 100% paper pieced (beautiful!)  The computerized quilting was custom designed and executed by the maker.  Two layers of batting were used to give the quilting dimension.  Linda says that the project was "a great way to survive the Storm of 2020!" 

For more Quilt Inspiration along with free patterns and coloring diagrams, please visit our Free Pattern Day for Storm-at-Sea Quilts (CLICK HERE!)

 

 Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2025 Quilt Arizona show.

 

A Peek Through the Window

A sampler quilt in an attic windows setting... what a clever idea! "Attic Windows" is a classic optical illusion in quilting. We love this fun setting, which really makes the blocks stand out! Linear quilting in the window "frames" helps heighten the illusion.

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A Peek Through the Window by Barbara Polston, quilted by Maria Melendez

 

 

Barbara Polston says this is "My first Attic Windows [quilt]... why did I wait so long?" A Peek Through the Window was based on a block-of-the-month program designed to celebrate the 30th birthday of the Quilt Alliance.  However, Barbara Polston customized her project by selecting these fabrics and setting. This project was professionally quilted by Maria Melendez.  

For more Quilt Inspiration, please see our Free Pattern Day for Attic Windows Quilts (CLICK HERE) and our Free Pattern Day for Sampler Quilts (CLICK HERE)!

 

 

Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2025 Quilt Arizona show. 

Free pattern day! Attic Windows quilts

"Attic Windows" is a classic optical illusion in quilting! The blocks are constructed either with mitered corners, or the easy way with half-square triangles at the corners. Download your favorite patterns today! 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.

Also check out our E-Bay shop for great bargains on beaded jewelry, patterns, and collectibles!
For news, and free quilt patterns, please followu us on Twitter.

Up, Up and Away quilt, free pattern by Sue Penn for Free Spirit Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Curio Cabinet quilt, 64 x 72", free pattern at Maywood Studio (CLICK for PDF download)

Canyon View quilt, 64 x 71", free pattern at eQuilter (CLICK for PDF download)

Imperial Garden Windowpanes quilt, 62" square, free pattern by Lisa Swenson Ruble for Paintbrush Studios (CLICK for PDF download)

Fish Fest quilt, 65 x 78", free pattern by Cyndi Hershey for P&B Textiles (CLICK for PDF download)

Tranquil Views quilt, ~56 x 62", free pattern by Elise Lea for Robert Kaufman Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Flora Fantasia quilt, 48 x 54", free pattern by Cyndi Hershey for P&B Textiles (CLICK for PDF download)

Positano quilt, 48 x 56", free pattern at Hoffman Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Window Display quilt, 36 x 41", free pattern at Robert Kaufman (CLICK for PDF download)

Overlooking the Rose Arbor, 42 x 54", free pattern by Marinda Stewart for Michael Miller Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Star Blossoms quilt, 53 x 65”, free pattern by Kate Colleran for P&B Textiles (CLICK for PDF download)

Wicked Eve quilt, 70 x 89", free pattern by Osie Lebowitz for Timeless Treasures (CLICK for PDF download)

Gulf Breeze quilt, ~42 x 52", free pattern by Nan Baker for Timeless Treasures Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Spa Therapy quilt, 66 x 66", free pattern by Ellen Maxwell for Michael Miller (CLICK for PDF download)

Shadow Box quilt, 50 x 66", free pattern by Stitched Together Studios for Benartex (CLICK for PDF download)

Verity, free quilt pattern by Marinda Stewart at Michael Miller Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Lovey Buggy quilt, 48 x 57”, free pattern by Wendy Sheppard at Ivory Spring (CLICK for PDF download)

Snowman in the window quilt, 50 x 50", free pattern by Marinda Stewart for Michael Miller (CLICK for PDF download) 

Olive Rose, free quilt pattern by Valori Wells for Free Spirit Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Christmas Windows, 61 x 61”, free pattern by Diane Nagle for Benartex (CLICK for PDF download) 

Nature’s Windows quilt, 40" square, free pattern at Benartex (CLICK for PDF download)

Earth's Windows quilt, 60 x 60", free pattern by Diane Nagle for P&B Textiles (CLICK for PDF download)

Shadows quilt, 56 x 64", free pattern by Anne Sommerlad for Leutenegger (CLICK for PDF download)

Attic Windows quilt, free pattern in 6 sizes (crib to king) at Pellon Projects (CLICK for PDF download)

Playful Pistachio quilt, 45" square, free pattern by Nan Baker for Timeless Treasures Fabric (CLICK for PDF download)

For MORE optical illusions, please check out our Free Pattern Day for Optical Illusion Quilts (CLICK HERE) and our Free Pattern Day for Tumbling Blocks Quilts (CLICK HERE).

Image credits:  This post was updated on June 8, 2025. Individual 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. The photo montage shown on this page is a derivative work that is the property of Quilt Inspiration. If any links are broken, we'd love to know so we can fix it. Please email us at QuiltInspiration {at} gmail {dot} com.