Critter and creature quilts

As animal lovers, we enjoyed seeing some of the fun "creatures and critters" quilts shown below. They were displayed at the April 2016 show of the Guild of Quilters of Contra Costa County, California.

Please note: We're continuously posting free patterns on Twitter !

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Le Chat, 9 x 10", by Phyllis Nishimori

Phyllis created "Le Chat Noir" in response to a quilt challenge in which the theme was Paris, France. When she thought of Paris, she thought of Art Nouveau painter Theophile Alexandre Steinlen and his "Le Chat Noir" ( the black cat) poster on her kitchen wall, which advertised a famous cabaret in Paris of the 1890's. Phyllis displays her beautiful hand quilting and embroidery on this sophisticated mini-quilt.

A Purrfect Day, 32 x 36", by Cindy Greco

Cindy explains, "This is a kit of 5 patterns called "Purrfectly Pieced". The kit included all the flannel fabric and buttons. I added the embroidery with my own floss and change he name of the finished quilt. I made this for my sister ( a cat lover) for Christmas 2015. It was fun to make and hardly took any time at all compared to my other two entries !"
Cats seem to love quilts and balls of yarn; and these playful kitties are no exception. The Purrfectly Pieced quilt pattern is by Bonnie Sullivan at All Through the Night.

Flowers, 42 x 58", by Leslie Finta

Leslie states, "This giraffe pattern is from Laura Heine of Fiberworks, Inc. I used Kaffe Fassett fabrics. It was a Christmas gift for my granddaughter, Ava."

In this close-up, you can see that even the eye of the giraffe is a flower. We admire Leslie's very creative use of this fabric.

Garden Critters, 57 x 57", by Jo Mathies

Jo writes, "Garden Critters" is an original design resulting from Marilyn Doheney's class in 2008 at Thimble Creek Quilt Shop in Concord, California. Lots of strip sets were made, cut, and sewed together to make flowers, animals, insects, etc."

Here's a close-up of the very cheerful bumblebee and  ladybugs that add whimsy to these vibrant flowers.

Garden Party, 62 x 32", by Cindy Greco

Cindy says, "Maggie Walker designed this quilt, and I chose to hand applique and hand quilt it. I originally saw this quilt at the "Quilting in the Garden" show at Alden Lane Nursery  (Livermore, California) about 5 years ago. I found the pattern online, started collecting batik fabrics for the chickens, and began work on my quilt a year ago. I used the starch method with freezer paper templates and had to make a vinyl overlay for each block to tell where to put the pieces. I enjoyed making the background quilting look kind of like chicken wire, but the quilting of the chickens was very difficult because of the applique layers. The chicken eyes were a challenge, but i am pleased with the result. "  We think Cindy did a lovely job with this creation, which involves a great deal of applique pieces.

Bugs, 48 x 74", by Jo Mathies

Jo notes, "Bugs" evolved from Amy Bradley's pattern Snugly Bugly. My son is "Bugs", so most blocks were changed to showcase his favorite activities: Baseball Bugs, Grad Bugs, Hockey Bugs, Roller Blade Bugs, Sports Bugs, Paraglider Bugs, and Ski Bugs."

We can't help but smile at this colorful bug on polka dot roller blades, with his silly face. Jo's quilt is a real day-brightener ! 


Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2016 Contra Costa County Quilters Guild show.

Best of Halloween 2013: Part 4

We love Amy Bradley's whimsical quilt designs, so we were excited to see this beautiful rendition of Happy Halloween at a recent quilt show.

Halloween Quilt by Maryann Maiorana

Maryann Maiorana said that this quilt was made for her daughter-in-law and son's annual Halloween party... “My daughter-in-law and son have an annual Halloween party with fabulous decorations, costumes and fun. When [she] saw this pattern she asked if I would make it. It was terrific fun choosing the fabrics and assembling the monsters. Now they and their guests can enjoy it.”

close up, Halloween, made and quilted by Maryann Maiorana

The close up photo above shows the clever way in which Maryann Maiorana echoed and enhanced the letters with her quilting

close up, Halloween, made and quilted by Maryann Maiorana

 
Each one of these monsters has a quirky personality.  Just look at the smile on the mummy's face... even the grim reaper is not-so-grim after all!

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration.The pattern for Happy Halloween can be found at Amy Bradley Designs.

'Tis the season: Nutcrackers

When we think of Christmas time we think of the Nutcracker Ballet. Nutcrackers come in such fun shapes and sizes that many people collect them.  If your house does not have room for collections, how about a nutcracker quilt ?  Here is a delightful pattern by Amy Bradley.

Nutcracker Quilt, 48 1/2" x 48 1/2", by Amy Bradley at Amy Bradley Designs

You can see Amy Bradley's distinctive and fun style in these cute characters.  There are three different nutcracker blocks that repeat in each row for nine blocks altogether, and each one is slightly different.

We've admired the blocks made by Karen Snyder of Anna Lena Land (you may know her as the designer of fabrics, especially 1930's reproductions, for Timeless Treasures). Karen chose some wonderful black-and-white fabrics for her nutcrackers; she even fussy-cut some of the pieces as shown below. 

Nutcrackers by Karen Snyder at Anna Lena Land, design by Amy Bradley

In this photo you can see that Karen Snyder hand stitched, with a blanket stitch, around each of the applique pieces.  The nutcracker's mouth is also stitched with embroidery thread, and buttons are used for the nutcrackers' eyes and the top of his hat. We also love the starry red fabric which Karen used for the background.

The nutcracker is just one of nine different figures in Amy Bradley's Merry Christmas Quilt pattern, shown below.

Merry Christmas Quilt Pattern, 48 1/2" x 62 1/2", by Amy Bradley at Amy Bradley Designs

This quilt has every figure we associate with the season!  Here you can see an adorable gingerbread man, Santa and Mrs. Claus, a penguin, snowman, reindeer, angel, nutcracker and polar bear.  The pattern has instructions to make the Nutcracker and Penguin versions - each of which is  48 1/2" square - and a felt pillow.  You can even choose between "merry christmas" or "happy holidays" for your greeting.   

Image credits: Images are shown with the generous permission of Amy Bradley Designs and Karen Snyder. Amy has a fine arts and graphic design background; she designs quilting patterns and gift items available in quilt shops.  You can read about the design of the Merry Christmas Quilt, and see more photos, at Amy Bradley's blog.  Karen Snyder owned a quilt shop called Anna Lena's in Long Beach, Washington for eleven years. In 2008, she closed the store to concentrate more on her quilting, designing fabric, pattern writing, and teaching nationwide. For more information, visit her website at www.annalena.com