Highlights of the 2026 Quilt Fiesta! (5)

In the beautiful Sonoran desert of Arizona, the Tucson Quilters Guild celebrated their 50th anniversary with a spectacular show. The Quilt Fiesta includes a fascinating mix of styles, techniques, and patterns. We hope you enjoy our photos! This is Part 5 of 5.

p.s. Please see our E-Bay shop for great bargains on jewelry, clothing, and collectibles. For more free patterns, please follow us on Twitter. 

Greek Garden Party, made and quilted by Tami Graeber.  

In this original design, the Greek keys were hand drawn.  Tami Graeber says that she needed a project on a cruise, so she packed fabric and a limited color palette of paint.  She machine appliqued the elements to the back and added the Greek key border for a fun thing to do. The giant rick rack completes this whimsical piece.

Firefly Dance by Shawna Wallis, quilted by Kris Neifeld.  

Winner of the Quilt Show Chair's Choice award, this panel "One Block Wonder" quilt was begun with a class by Susie Weaver. [The One Block Wonder technique is by Maxine Rosenfeld.]  Shawna Wallis says, "When I saw this panel I knew if would be perfect for a One Block Wonder.  It exceeded my expectations!"

My Childhood in Wyoming, made and quilted by Julie Hallquist

A variation of Alex Anderson's Sequoia Sampler, this quilt won 1st Place and a blue ribbon in the One Person Small Pieced category. Julie Hallquist says, "This is full of reflections of my childhood on a sheep ranch in Wyoming.  My mother's poppies, my grandmother's Swedish heritage, our log cabin, learning to sew, the ever-present wind, and millions of stars at night."

 

 Purple Pineapple, made and quilted by Ann Weber

Ann Weber says, "We have purple potatoes these days - why not purple pineapples? I had been wanting to make a purple quilt to combine lots of different purple fabrics that I had been collecting. Then for some reason, I was drawn to trying the pineapple block. I had so much fun making this and watching the pineapples appear." The quilt is based on the classic pineapple block.  

Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2026 Tucson Quilters Guild show. NOTE: Quilt Inspiration is an Amazon Associate, meaning we earn a small commission if an item is purchased from an Amazon link on this page. (There is no extra charge to you.)  Thank you for your support of Quilt Inspiration.

Free Pattern Day! Flower Quilts (1)

It's time for more free patterns, hand selected for our readers! Over the next few weeks we'll be featuring patterns for pieced and/or appliqued FLOWER quilts. Be sure to download your favorites 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" in the title above the quilt. For Part 2 of this series, CLICK HERE; for Part 3, CLICK HERE.

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

Rosalie quilt, free pattern at RJR Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download) 

Putting Down Roots Quilt & Pillow, free pattern at Tilda’s World (CLICK for pillow PDF) + (CLICK for quilt PDF)

The Happy Tree quilt, free pattern by Kim Schaefer for Andover Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Spring Collage Quilt, free wall quilt tutorial at We All Sew (CLICK for tutorial)

Siren Song Hibiscus quilt, free pattern by Marinda Stewart for Michael Miller Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download) 

Souvenir Quilt, free pattern at Hoffman California Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download) 

Mulberry quilt, free pattern by Rowan Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download) 

Of Gardens and Wreaths, free pattern at Michael Miller Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download) 

Poseys Aplenty quilt, free pattern at Michael Miller Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download) 

Paradise Blooms quilt, free pattern at Hoffman California Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download) 

Peppy Petals quilt, free pattern at Michael Miller Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download) 

Petal Pinwheels quilt, free pattern at Michael Miller Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download) 

Petal Sparks quilt, free pattern at Art Gallery Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download) 

Pink Petals quilt, free pattern at Windham Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download) 

Posey Patch quilt, free pattern by Carolyn Hughey & Alex Anderson for P&B Textiles (CLICK for PDF download) + (CLICK for template)

Primrose Garden quilt, free pattern at Riley Blake Designs (CLICK for PDF download) 

Rethink Pink quilt, free pattern at Marcus Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download) 

Rose Garden quilt, free pattern at Robert Kaufman Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download) 

Rosemary’s Heart quilt, free pattern at Art Gallery Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download) 

Scandi Dandy quilt, free pattern at Moda Fabrics  (CLICK for PDF download) 

 Spinning Blooms mini quilt, free pattern at Anna Maria Horner (CLICK for PDF download) 

Kashmir Blooms quilt, free pattern at Michael Miller Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Spoken Without a Word quilt, free pattern by Elly Sienkiewicz for Robert Kaufman Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download) 

Spring Sherbet quilt, free pattern at Hoffman California Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download) 

 Summer Trellis quilt, free pattern at RJR Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download) 

Tea Party Terrace quilt, warm & cool versions, free pattern at Robert Kaufman Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download) 

  Wrens & Friends quilt, free pattern at Moda Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download) 

NOTE:   If you love floral quilts, you may also be interested in our Free Pattern Days for Big Print Quilts: CLICK: part 1, part 2, part 3

Image credits: This post was UPDATED on April 7, 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 within the patterns provided in the links. The photo montages 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.

Back to School

This time of year, the school bells ring again for so many of us and our children.  A house on a quilt is a symbol of our community and our lives together in society. It's no wonder that house quilts remind us of comfort and the togetherness of family, friends, and neighbors. They really appeal to us, maybe because "home is where the heart is."

Welcome Home, 64 x 64", by Alex Anderson 

Here's a delightful neighborhood of cheerful houses done in russet and gold. Internationally-famous designer Alex Anderson has brightened the traditional fall quilt by adding contemporary colors of aqua blue and rose pink, which make the maple leaves and houses sparkle against the dark background.

Little Houses, 48 x 60", by Ruth Powers

Ruth writes, "Much of my work is inspired by nature;  my daily walks fill my senses with color and design possibilities." Ruth has done an excellent job of selecting different blues and greens for the sky and earth, which complement the bright orange and orange-red of the homes. Ruth notes that this is a great pattern for using up fat quarters and scraps.

Little Old One Room Schoolhouse,  23 x 27", by Ruth Powers

The traditional schoolhouse of the frontier, complete with a bell tower, beckons us back to learning, as leaves swirl in the early autumn breeze.  Ruth Powers offers this charming scene as a pattern, along with many other creative designs.

Firelight and Chimney Smoke, 62 x 50, by Martha Milne at MachineQuilter (UK)

Martha Milne constructed this beautiful Amish-style schoolhouse quilt out of jewel-tone remnants. The light and bright windows in this quilt give the inviting illusion of a warm, glowing hearth within, which beckons us inside. A free pattern can be downloaded at Popular Patchwork and Quilting. Martha is renowned for her machine quilting; for her DVDs and tutorials, please visit the machinequilter website.

Little Amsterdam by Marilyn Wood

Marilyn Wood notes, "This pattern is from the [ North Sea Quilters of ] the Netherlands. The flowered fabrics in the houses and border are antique Dutch reproduction fabrics from Amsterdam, my husband's favorite city."  Marilyn's striped border adds to the lively, upbeat personality of this quilt, which was shown at the 2013 Arizona Quilters' Guild show.

Pedestrian Friendly, 60 x 60", by Pat Dicker

Pat Dicker used high-energy colors to create a lively town adapted from Sue Garman's block-of-the-month quilt,  All Around the Town.  Pat tells us, "I named the quilt 'Pedestrian Friendly' because the original design has cars on it, and I chose to leave them out, so that the 'residents' would just walk from house to house." 

Schoolhouse Block, 19 x 22, from "There's No Place Like Home" by Sonya Chinn at Sonya's Snippets

Quilter and teacher Sonya Chinn, creator of the Sonya's Snippets blog, sewed this charming scene for a block-of-the-month quilt which she calls 'There's No Place Like Home'. Sonya has added an individualized touch by placing the initials of her children's school on the quaint schoolhouse.  Sonya's complete quilt was based on the "Home Is Where the Heart Is"  pattern, shown below, by The Stitch Connection.

Home is Where the Heart Is by The Stitch Connection

Image credits:  Little Amsterdam was photographed by Quilt Inspiration. The quilts by Pat Dicker, Sonya Chinn, Ruth Powers, Alex Anderson and Martha Milne are shown with permission of the artists and were originally featured in 2010 at Quilt Inspiration.