All Sewn Up: Wedding Ring Quilts

For the past few weeks we've been focusing on our favorite Double Wedding Ring Quilts.  Here's a wrap-up of the Best of Wedding Ring Quilts at Quilt Inspiration !

Above, Row 1: Jeweled Wedding Ring pattern by Karen Earlywine and Kay Connor, from: Link to the 30's: Making the Quilts we Didn't Inherit (Martingale); Jeweled Wedding Ring by Robyn Tischner at Bolo Heads ; Bachelor's Wedding Ring by Eric Gunson at Pieceful Expressions ; 10 Years and Still Over the Rainbow by Michèle-Renée Charbonneau at Quilt Matters. Row 2: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, 2013 Raffle Quilt by the River City Quilters Guild (California),  photo by Quilt Inspiration, adapted from Jennifer Chiaverini’s Caroline’s Wedding Quilt pattern;  Rings n' Things by Karen Earlywine and Kay Connors, from:  Link to the 30's: Making the Quilts we Didn't Inherit (Martingale); Single Girl Quilt by Denyse Schmidt at Denyse Schmidt Quilts; Bali Wedding Star by Judy Niemeyer Quilting . Row 3: Flowers for my Wedding Ring by Judy Niemeyer Quilting; Diamond Wedding Ring by Diana Simkins for Judy Niemeyer Quilting ; Grandma's Wedding Ring by Judy Niemeyer Quilting . Row 4: Glowing Wedding Ring, Dresden Plate Wedding Ring, Crazy Wedding Ring and Broken Pickle Dish patterns by Virginia Robertson Designs . Row 5: Jewel Tone Wedding Ring and After The Wedding by Debby Schnabel at Debby Quilts ;  Double Wedding Ring Quilts by Bonnie Hwang and Mary Pona at Fun Easy Designed .


Image credits:  Images are shown with the generous permission of the designers.

Wedding Ring Quilt Inspiration and Free Patterns!

The Double Wedding Ring is the most popular pattern in the history of quilting. Here are some inspiring quilts !  NOTE:  This post has been UPDATED.  For the latest patterns, please go to our Free Pattern Day for Wedding Ring quilts (CLICK HERE!)

Note: Please check out our eBay shop for great bargains on quilt patterns, fabric, and unique vintage jewelry ! 

Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, 2013 Raffle Quilt by the River City Quilters Guild (California);  photo by Quilt Inspiration

First place winner for "Best Group Quilt" in their 2012 quilt show, this is the RCQG’s Opportunity Quilt for 2013. It is adapted from Jennifer Chiaverini’s Caroline’s Wedding Quilt  (a Double Wedding Ring quilt embellished with floral appliqués, a cherished gift for a very special bride). The quilt was made by 25 applique artists and 4 piecers. This quilt has four gradations of red and green fabrics, creating an elegant luminous quality.  You can see the detail of the blocks in the close-up photo:

Bachelor's Wedding Ring by Eric Gunson of Pieceful Expressions

Shown above is Eric Gunson's "Bachelor's Wedding Ring". We first featured this stunning quilt in a 2011 Blue Quilt series called The Blues. Eric Gunson is the lead designer at Pieceful Expressions, which is his family's business in Sisters, Oregon.  To our knowledge they are no longer producing patterns, but you can sometimes find individual patterns on eBay or Etsy.

Double Wedding Ring design

The diagram below shows the pieces which form the rings in a basic Double Wedding Ring quilt:

In this diagram there are 6 fabric wedges in each arc, but there may be as many as twelve or more. The wedges can be cut from templates and pieced traditionally, or they can be foundation paper pieced. Once the arcs are constructed, they are attached to the melons (B) and center shapes (A) with curved piecing; alternatively, the finished arcs can be appliqued on a background block. In addition, the arcs can be made from a single fabric, without any piecing, as in the auction quilt shown below:

The Double Wedding Ring design - first published in 1928 - is believed to be a variation of an even older pattern called Pickle Dish (see the article by historian Barbara Brackman).  Barbara explains that a wedding ring quilt has four-sided patches in the arcs, whereas a pickle dish quilt has triangular pieces as shown below.

Pickle Dish Quilt, c. 1930, seen at Ebay

  Kaffe Fassett's Pickle Dish Quilt

Just when you thought the naming was straightforward, on the cover of Kaffe Fassett's Quilt Romance there is a hot pink quilt which looks like a cross between a fat wedding ring and a Dresden fan.  This is Kaffe Fassett's Pickle Dish Quilt. Whether you call it a Pickle Dish or a Double Wedding Ring, we love Kaffe's brilliant, vintage-inspired design !

Golden Wedding Ring, 1940's, seen at Ebay 

This beautiful and unusual vintage quilt from the 1940's features a design known as a Golden Wedding Ring.  We love the sunny orange and yellow stars:

We can hardly wait to show you some more fabulous variations. Use the search bar in the upper left corner of this blog to see more Wedding Ring quilts!

Image credits: Note: this post was updated on February 17, 2025.  Photos are copyright of the owners.

The end of the Blues

We're wrapping up "The Blues" with a look at the dazzling quilts we've featured over the last two weeks. And, we've come to a few conclusions. First, we love the color Blue, in all its manifestations. Second, we are captivated by bold graphic designs with high contrasts: there is nothing bland about these quilts! Finally, just looking at these quilts makes us feel serene and hopeful... which means that color psychology is for real!

Top row, L-R: Bachelor’s Wedding Ring, by Eric Gunson, at Pieceful Expressions; Kaleidoscope, the 2010 ASIJ Auction Quilt by Julie Fukuda and colleages, as seen at My Quilt Diary; Yuletide Snowflake design, by Joanna Figueroa, at Fig Tree Quilts (the quilt shown was made by Connecting Threads). Row 2: Glowing Splendor, by Barbara Cline, at Delightful Piecing; Teacup, by Maria Elkins, at Maria Elkins Art Quilts; Embroidered Japanese Crests, by Susa Glenn, at Susa Glenn Designs. Row 3: Victorian Gingerbread, by Janice Lee Baehr, at Pacific Rim Quilt Company; Albers at Sea, by Debra Levin, at the Empire Quilters Guild; Delft Storm, by Ionne McCauley, at Ionne Quilts.

Image credits:  Images are shown with the generous permission of the artists.

The Blues

The hues in the blue range have been shown to have the highest preference among people. Blue is beneficial to mind and body, causing a decrease in heart rate and blood pressure. Blue is thought to suppress appetite; if you put your food on a blue plate, you will eat less. (This does not explain the blue plate special !)   Joen Wolfrom says that blue is the most popular color for a monochromatic design: "Blues create refreshing, airy, and serene moods. They can suggest sophistication, elegance, and formality."  Finally, blue is a traditional symbol for weddings. Have you heard the saying "Marry in blue, lover be true" ?  The symbolism and psychology of 'blue' are embodied in this stunning new design.

Bachelor's Wedding Ring, multi-sized, by Eric Gunson, at Pieceful Expressions

The Bachelor's Wedding Ring pattern combines a traditional favorite, the Wedding Ring pattern, with sparkling flowers that reflect Eric Gunson's love for wildflower photography. He creates all of his designs on the computer, and he sees his craft as a combination of graphic arts and sewing.  He is the lead designer at Pieceful Expressions, his family's business in Sisters, Oregon (see About Us). Recently, Eric was chosen to design the 2011 Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show Raffle Quilt! To learn more about Eric Gunson, see the fun article called Breaking the Quilting Gender Gap. 

Image credits and additional links:  The copyrighted image of Bachelor's Wedding Ring is shown with the generous permission of Eric Gunson.  Previously we featured Nine Beauties Dancing, a Pieceful Expressions design by Nicole Gunson, in an article on Batiks and Stars - A Match Made in Heaven.

The quote by Joen Wolfrom is from the book ColorPlay. Also check out Color - Messages and Meanings- A PANTONE Color Resource.  Finally, stay tuned this week and next for more beautiful Blue quilts!