New from Old: Quilts from Vintage Linens!

Are there any precious vintage blocks or linens in your cupboard? Here are some fantastic quilts made with reclaimed vintage materials. We love the way in which these quilters honored the materials and handwork, bringing them back to life. 

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Vintage Fiesta by the Pam Snow Group (Pam Snow, Marion Stearman Skaggs, Agatha Despain Stearman, Flora Warren DeSpain & Various Artists), quilted by Pam Snow. 

Vintage Fiesta was inspired by Rhonda Cox Dort's online vintage linens classes.  The quilt is made from a variety of vintage pieces including table linens, embroidery, quilt pieces, stamped items and a vintage hankie.  The center block is Saucy Senorita by Jane Tenorio Coscarelli.

Spring Morning by Carol W. Carpenter, quilted by Kris Neifeld.  

How lovely to see the cross-stitch embroidery in this quilt! Donated from the estate of Maggie Mullins, the embroidered blocks remind us of a bygone era. Carol Carpenter says, "The modern floral fabric and settings add additional richness to the original blocks and I was delighted to create something special from Maggie's handwork."

1939 Nosegay by Kathryn Bramley Clark and Katrin Bramley (d. ~10 years ago) 

Kate Clark made Nosegay from blocks originally made by her mother. Kate says, "The squares were hand pieced by a 16-year-old in 1939. Nine years later she became my mother. Complementary fabric was found, enabling these rediscovered squares to become a quilt using an original square set and machine quilting design." The choice of border fabric is brilliant!  Also check out Kate's machine quilting, which created a bouquet (in dark thread) on top of the pieced bouquet.

 Seeing Stars by Katherine O' Brien, quilted by Penny Boese.  

This is such a cool quilt! Katherine O'Brien found the antique string stars at an antique shop (in Mesa, Arizona). The block setting was inspired by the book, Smashing Sets: Exciting Ways to Arrange Quilt Blocks by Margaret J. Miller (out of print, but sometimes available on eBay).  The alternate square blocks were pieced using vintage fabrics.

detail, Seeing Stars

 Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2025 Tucson Quilters guild show (Nosegay, Spring Morning) and the 2025 Quilt Arizona show (Vintage Fiesta, Seeing Stars.) 

12 Days of Christmas: True Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all our readers! To celebrate the season, we're posting 12 of our favorite Christmas quilts from recent shows.  We hope you enjoy the beautiful details expressed in these masterpieces!

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True Christmas by Carol Carpenter, quilted by Kris Neifeld 

Carol Carpenter says, "Christmas brings joy in so many different ways.  The sweet applique and pieced pattern caught my eye and shares my vision of a true Christmas image.  Joy to the World!"

This wonderful quilt is based on the Christmas Morning Delight pattern by Lisa Norton & Lora Zmak at Material Girlfriends.  Many colorful batik fabrics can be seen in various blocks. Kris Neifeld quilted spiky stars within the sawtooth stars in the borders:

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

Welcome to the Quilt Fiesta! (3)

We attended the 2025 Quilt Fiesta in Tucson, Arizona, and had a wonderful time.  This show is produced by the Tucson Quilters Guild, and there were so many beautiful quilts to admire. We hope you enjoy our photos of the show! Here is part 3.

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Retro Living, made and quilted by Tami Graeber

This fantastic, large art quilt was one of the top award winners at the show.  The original design was awarded 1st Place - Viewers Choice, Judge's Choice, and 1st Place - Art Whimsy.  Tami Graeber says, "I grew up in the 50's - sat in front of a TV like this.  The good old days! [It was] fun creating the mid-century modern iconic images." Check out the retro wallpaper, a pole lamp (on the right), stylized cats, a French poodle, and even a martini glass on the arm of the sofa. 

The black poodle has a daisy collar and a real bow in her hair. She sits next to a modern potted plant.

Tami says, "I wanted to use "I Love Lucy" on the TV, but copyrights made me use the NBC peacock that was first used in color in 1957."

Summer's Night and Day by Caroline Ellermann, quilted by Glenda Davis

Multiple borders surround this fabulous medallion quilt with its lollipop flowers, houses, Dresden plates, hearts, and more beautiful elements. Caroline Ellermann says, "After seeing this Sarah Fielke pattern made by one of our accomplished guide quilters, I decided to make it. With all of the machine applique, it was a very big challenge.  However, I now have new skills." Pattern source: Sarah Fielke with adaption.

The Blue Door, made and quilted by Lisa Fryxell

Lisa Fryxell is known for her original paper pieced quilt designs.  She says, "This quilt is based on a photo I took in France in June 2024.  It is foundation paper pieced and quilted on my domestic machine."

Psychedelic Carpenter Square, made and quilted by Penny Boese 

A stunning color combination with its an ombre effects truly light up this modern quilt.  It is made with numerous brightly colored batiks. Penny Boese says that her design was inspired by a traditional pattern and Carpenter Square pattern.  The detailed machine quilting adds considerable interest to the design.

 Firewall by Carol W. Carpenter, quilted by Kris Neifeld  

A wonderful stained glass effect is achieved with this design, thanks to the vertical black borders and bright geometric fabrics. The pattern Source is Free Spirit Fabrics' "Play Quilt" by Adrienne Leban (this is a free download).  Carol Carpenter says, "I'm unsure why these wild, swirly fabrics from Adrienne Leban captivated me, but they certainly did. I had a great time under the tutelage of Susie Weaver, making sense of diverse directions, shapes and colors with a cohesive, beautiful result."

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