La Calavera Catrina

Dia de los Muertos (the Day of the Dead) is celebrated each year on November 1st and 2nd. The tradition honors those who have passed, whose souls are thought to come back to be with their loved ones. 

One of the strongest and most recognizable symbols of The Day of the Dead celebrations is the female skeleton wearing a fancy hat with feathers: La Calavera Catrina. Join us as we admire this outstanding quilt from a prior show.

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

La Catrina by Cindy Stohn (Arizona)

This incredible wall quilt won an Award of Merit from the NACQJ (National Association of Certified Quilt Judges). La Catrina was inspired by a photo by Jamie Emery of Rose Street Photography. 

It was constructed without paint or fusibles. Layers of hand cut fabric pieces creating the image and features were appliqued during free motion quilting on a hand dyed background. We took many closeup photos to capture the details.

 Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2022 Arizona Quilters Guild show.

Modern Quilt Month 2022 (5)

We really enjoy modern quilts and examining the design elements that make the finished pieces come alive. Summer seems like the perfect time to feature contemporary quilts, so it's become an annual tradition at Quilt Inspiration. Here is part 5 (and the finale) of Modern Quilt Month for 2022!

p.s. check out our E-Bay shop for great bargains on quilt patterns, fabric, and vintage jewelry!
For more free quilt patterns, please visit us on Twitter.

Go With the Flow by Karen Neuendorf

This dynamic original design was made and quilted by Karen Neuendorf, showcasing a special technique.  She says, "The black felt top is cut away to expose the blue and then quilted.  Each circle is a quilt that is hand stitched to the quilt.  During the pandemic it reminded me to relax and Go With the Flow."

Social Distancing by Jane Wilcox, quilted by Cindy Stohn

Jane Wilcox won a blue ribbon for her original quilt, titled Social Distancing, which was entered in the Modern-Duet category at the 2022 Quilt Arizona show. She says, "I was inspired by a table runner to add a block here and there, some bright strips, and splashes of color." [Inspired by the Soho table runner by Busy Bee Quilt Designs]. Cindy Stohn's expert quilting adds tremendous interest, as seen in the closeup photo below.

Bubbly by Diane Hartman

Bubbly was made and beautifully quilted by Diane Hartman.  This "whole quilt" (made from a single piece of hand-dyed fabric) was inspired by the original hand dying, done in pink with a few areas of blue, and accented by appliqued circles.  She says, "Glitter HTV (heat transfer vinyl) was a fun addition". Diane's creative quilting added further bubbles and swirls, creating a frothy appearance that was admired by all the viewers.

Light in the Rainbow Tunnel by Becky Ripley

Here's a fabulous quilt featuring a watercolor effect in a rainbow of colors. Becky Ripley estimates that she used about 700 different fabrics to make this quilt! The watercolor effect begins with charcoal in the outer corners and graduates to near white in the center. Becky says that Light in the Rainbow Tunnel was inspired by a published design, Glowing Crazy Eights by Quilters Lumberyard, which Becky reduced to half size.  It was beautifully quilted by Becky herself.

The Blue One by Teresa Duryea Wong @third_floor_quilts

A collection of fabrics from designer Marcia Derse inspired Teresa Duryea Wong - to make The Blue One.  We were delighted to see this quilt in person at the 2022 QuiltCon show. Teresa says, "I loved the idea of cutting up over 2700 tiny patches of fabric and sewing them back together.  The pieces are cut improvisationally, and each bit of fabric has its own free motion quilting design. Just a few bits of red add some pop.  This piece was quilted by Teresa with a longarm machine.

Image credits: Photos were taken at the 2022 QuiltCon show (The Blue One), the 2022 Quilt Arizona show (Social Distancing, Light in the Rainbow Tunnel), and the 2022 Tucson Quilt Fiesta (Bubbly, Go With the Flow).

Highlights of the Road to California Quilt Show! part 4

Here are some more highlights from the Road to California Quilter's Conference and Showcase! The Road to California, as it is called, takes place in Ontario (Southern California), and features over 1,000 quilts by artists from all over the world. Around 40,000 people gather to see the show, take classes, and shop. Join us in admiring some of the stunning quilts from this year's show.

Also check out our E-Bay shop for great bargains on quilt patterns, books, and collectible items !
For more free quilt patterns, please visit us on Twitter.

My Big Face by Cindy Stohn, Arizona

 Cindy explains, "As a study in color, I created this self-portrait inspired by the painting style of Chuck Close. I first created the image using paint chips on a 1/2 grid, then I transferred the concept onto fabric."

Cindy continues, "Free motion quilting using multiple layers of thread rings adhere the circles to the pieced square top. Over 120 colors of fabric and 56 colors of thread were used to create this illusion. No software, paint, or fusible products were used." We really admire the unique technique used to create this pixelated image.

Spring Harmony by Kathy McNeil, Washington

Kathy states,"[This quilt reflects] my love for Japanese gardens. The unusual border represents a Tori gate through which you enter the garden."

The artist's comments on the description card were very brief, but we think this fabulous project with beautiful colors and extensive quilting turned out to be gorgeous! Kathy is well known for her detailed and exquisite applique work, and her realistic fabric landscapes.

Plitvice by Elizabeth Eastmond, California. Quilted by Darby Myers

Elizabeth notes, " I was inspired by the array of color in Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia; the leafy greens and yellows of the meadows and trees, the jades, teals, and deep blues in the sixteen lakes and many waterfalls. This quilt is hand-pieced, using the English paper-piecing method."

Elizabeth continues, "While many rosettes are similar to the New Hexagon Millefoire Quilt by Katja Marek, I eventually took off on my own, creating and combining where I wanted." We admire Elizabeth's hand-piecing talent !

Urban Wheels by Inger Blood, California

Inger says, "On a fall walk in the forest, I liked the sun filtering through the trees onto the forest floor. Not wanting the composition to be literal, I applied filters to my photo to emphasize color and design."

Inger adds about her original design, "The composition was built from commercial batiks. [It was] free motion quilted on a sit-down machine. " We really like the fabric hues and the stained-glass effect of Inger's work.

Flower Power by Marilyn Badger  and the QUTI's , Utah. Quilted by Marilyn Badger and Linda Brown

Marilyn writes, "Our friendship group consisting of Linda Brown, Linda Finney, Teryl McKnight, Vickie Wardrop, Susan Recknagel, Sharon Freidman, Shirley Baptist, and Marilyn Badger are called QUTI, which stands for 'Quilting Under the Influence.' We decided to make a group quilt to enter in our local show, and Flower Power is the result."

Marilyn adds, " We spent many enjoyable hours together piecing, appliqueing, embellishing, and enjoying wine at the same time."  The original design for this fabulous work is by Claudia Clark Myers, who has often collaborated with Marilyn in the past.

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2020 Road to California show.