The Magic of Tumbling Blocks

Tumbling blocks are quilts of illusion! The traditional tumbling blocks pattern lends the appearance of three dimensions. When made from strip sets, they do not required complex piecing or Y-seams. Here are two fabulous quilts we enjoyed at recent shows!

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

3-D Blocks, made and quilted by Laura May.  

In this beautifully made quilt, each block is created with light, medium, and dark solids, creating the 3-D illusion. The red ribbon on the right denotes a second place prize at the 2025 Quilt Arizona show!  Laura May says, "When I met my husband in 1975, this design was painted on a wall in his bedroom, using just three colors. When I saw this pattern I decided to make it for him." Based on a published design: Arcade Game by Jaybird Quilts. 

Cat's Meow - 3D Stacked Blocks by Natalie Baker, quilted by Wanda Ginn.  

Beautiful batiks create the sophisticated look of this quilt. Natalie created this quilt from strip sets; no Y-seams were required! Natalie Baker says, "Starting as a strip quilt this ordinary beginning quickly turns into a geometric challenge... Mastering left and right sides of triangle accuracy completes the 3-D block illusion." (Can you see the vertical seam that bisects the light-colored diamond on top of each block? That shows where the strip sets are sewn together.)

Note: We searched for this pattern by name {Cats Meow - 3D Stacked Blocks} and found a link on Pinterest to a book titled ABC 3D tumbling blocks... and more by Marci Baker.]  For more Quilt Inspiration, please check out our FREE Pattern Day for Tumbling Blocks (CLICK HERE!) 

 

Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2025 Quilt Arizona show (quilt by Laura May) and the 2025 Tucson Quilters Guild show (quilt by Natalie Baker.

Best of Utah 2018 - Day 2

We had lots of fun seeing the pretty quilts at the 45th annual Utah Quilt Show in Springville, Utah. It's a juried show, featuring quilts of all styles and sizes. We hope you enjoy the "eye candy" below !

Note: For great deals on quilt patterns, fabric, and vintage jewelry, visit us on E-Bay - We're Top Rated Sellers ! And for continuous listings of free quilt patterns, please check us out on Twitter.

Gravity by Lydia Mack

Lydia Mack (a member of the Armed Forces stationed at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas)  says, "Wherever the Army sends me, my creativity goes too. I love the bold solid colors contrasting and shining next to the black and gray. We all need a splash of color in our lives."
The Gravity quilt pattern is by Julie Herman at Jaybird Quilts.

Lydia's expert workmanship shows through in her precise piecing and hand quilting of these vibrant solid colors.

Rainbow for Lars by Rebecca Wolston

Rebecca Wolston writes, "Rainbow maker, color me home. When I was expecting my baby, I was anxious to get started on a quilt, but didn't know the gender yet. So I went to the fabric store and chose 36 different colors to make this rainbow. I figured that both boys and girls appreciate color, and I loved the chance to play around with so many shades of the basics."

Close-up, Rainbow for Lars

Rebecca continues, "My husband helped me do the math for the back and helped me with the basting before I machine quilted it. It was special to combine efforts for the first project for our child." Rebecca's quilt is a pretty blend of both light and dark values and is so versatile that it can be used and valued by all members of her family.

August Morning by Sheryl Gilliland

Sheryl notes, "I love color, and this quilt was inspired by hot August mornings, with the promise of coolness yet to come in the autumn."

Close-up, August Morning

Sheryl has made very artistic use of batiks, prints and striped fabrics in carefully piecing these New York Beauty blocks. August Morning reminds us of the Radiant New York Beauties featured in the book by Valori Wells.

Playing with Bubbles by Sheryl Gilliland

Here is another beauty by Sheryl Gilliland, who started this quilt at a friend's home in Florida.  The friend had a stash of hand-dyed and over-dyed fabric, and Sheryl had some shibori fabric she had dyed, so the quilt top background was created in one glorious 3-day improvisational stint. 

After the background was created, Sheryl made circles of different sizes from African fabric, appliqued them to the surface, and quilted the piece.  The textured African circles seem to float like bubbles on the surface of the quilt..With its wide array of warm color tones, enhanced by the purple shades of the border, Sheryl's quilt turned out to be most spectacular.

Sunset-Sunrise by Maria Hawkins, quilted by Kristen Webb

This colorful French Braid quilt is aptly named Sunset - Sunrise.  Maria Hawkins says,  "Starting with two brights from opposite sides of the color wheel [purple-yellow] and then finding intermediate colors was a challenge.  My son who has a great sense for color helped pick and arrange the twelve colors.  Finding the correct value and hue of each color was important."

Maria Hawkins' expert piecing can be seen in the perfectly matched points, while Kristen Webb's wavy line quilting adds movement to the otherwise straight lines of the design.

Maria and her son have a perfect eye for choosing fabric shades, as this French braid pattern showcases their lovely selection of complementary colors.


Challenging Kane by Sylvia Borschel Lewis

We really enjoyed this contemporary quilt, with its bold contrasts and improvisational design.  This was a challenge for the Raising Kane Quilt Guild last year.  Sylvia Borschel Lewis says, "We were given a fat quarter of an "ugly" print and needed to use a recognizable amount on the front of the quilt.  The challenge fabric is the multicolored print.  I actually liked the fabric!"  (So do we!)

Sylvia used multicolored thread which matched the lilac and magenta hues of the colored fabrics.

Her selection of pattern, surrounding fabric, and quilting motif has resulted in a stunning contemporary quilt.


Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration.

Free pattern day! House quilts

House quilts really appeal to us, maybe because "home is where the heart is." With dozens of FREE quilt patterns... which house will you choose? 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.

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

My Colorful Town quilt, ~58 x 72", free pattern at Tilda's World (CLICK for PDF download)

American Beauty quilt, 58 x 73", free pattern by Robyn Pandolph for Maywood Studio (CLICK for PDF download)

Farmhouse pillow, free pattern at Tilda's World (CLICK for PDF download)

Farmhouse quilt, ~60 x 80", free pattern at Tilda's World (CLICK for PDF download)

Pool Party quilt, 76" square, free pattern by Lynne Goldsworthy for Makower (CLICK for PDF download)

Happy Home Houses quilt, ~52 x 64", free pattern by Wendy Sheppard for Quilting Treasures (CLICK for PDF download)

Homestead quilt, 60 x 74", free pattern at Windham Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Welcome Home quilt, 60 x 72", free pattern by Wendy Sheppard for Windham Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Around The Block quilt, ~34 x 42", free pattern by Debbie Beaves for Maywood Studio (CLICK for PDF download)

Dutch Mill quilt, 71 x 77", free pattern by Anthology Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Welcome Wall Hanging, free pattern at Connecting Threads (CLICK for PDF download)

Terrace quilt, 60 x 72", free pattern by Stacey Day for Windham Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Starry Cabin mini quilt, 19 x 19", free pattern by SK Peters for Clothworks (CLICK for PDF download)

Cozy Cabins quilt, free pattern at Quilting in the Rain (CLICK for PDF download)

Blueberry Pie house mini quilt, 24 x 26", free pattern by Wendy Sheppard (CLICK for PDF download)

The Art Haus wall quilt, ~23 x 29", free pattern by Jamie Fingal for RJR Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Village quilt, 70 x 80", free pattern by Pat Bravo for Art Gallery Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Home on the Block quilt, 56 x 70", free pattern by Wendy Sheppard for Hoffman Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

One Room Schoolhouse, free pattern by Diane Nagle for RJR Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Little Houses All in a Row, 40 x 58”, free pattern by Marinda Stewart for Michael Miller Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

The House that Kaffe Built, 17 x 20”, free paper piecing pattern by Kathryn Patterson for McCall’s Quilting (CLICK for PDF download) 

Pedal Lane quilt, 63 x 55”, free pattern by Casey York for Windham Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Village Life quilt, 48 x 67”, free pattern at Cloud 9 Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Happy Houses quilt, free pattern by Rossie Hutchinson for Birch Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Wonky Cottage lap quilt, 40 x 55”, free pattern by Cynthia Shaffer at Lark Crafts (CLICK for PDF download) 

Kyoto Gardens quilt, 86 x 90", free pagodas pattern by Lori Mason for Andover Fabrics  (CLICK for PDF download) 

Punch Street quilt, 56 x 78", free pattern by Daniela Stout for Hoffman Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Pretty Little Houses quilt, 51 x 60", free pattern by Wendy Sheppard for Benartex (CLICK for PDF download)

Tweet Tweet quilt, 57 x 68”, free pattern by Vicki Stratton for Hoffman Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Manchester Heights quilt, 56 x 56”, free pattern by Jill Reid for Quilters Newsletter (CLICK for PDF download)

Cityscape quilt, 60 x 70”, free pattern by LB Krueger for Windham Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Bright Lights – Big City quilt, 48” square, free pattern at Timeless Treasures (CLICK for PDF download)

Home Sweet Home quilt, 66 x 90”, free pattern by Bari J for Windham Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Urban Village quilt, 58 x 67”, free pattern by Little Miss Shabby (CLICK for PDF download)

Homegrown Quilt, free pattern by Lynne Goldsworthy for Makower (CLICK for PDF download)

26 Letters Schoolhouses quilt, 42-1/2" x 53-1/2", free pattern at Connecting Threads (CLICK for free pattern)

Corner Oak Street quilt, 69 x 76”, free pattern by Cherry Guidry for Benartex (CLICK for PDF download)

Big Houses quilt with 16” blocks, 55 x 74”, free pattern by Pam Rocco for Quilters Newsletter (CLICK for PDF download)

Happy Scrappy Houses quilt, free pattern by Bonnie Hunter at Quiltville (CLICK for PDF download)

Scrappy happy houses quilt by Robicole as seen at About.com

The House Where Kitty Lives, free paper pieced mini quilt pattern by Campbell Soup Diary (CLICK for tutorial)

Caribbean Houses quilt, 42 x 42” , free pattern by Pam Rocco for Quilters Newsletter (CLICK for PDF download)

Welcome Home mini quilt, 24 x 24”, free pattern by Brenda Ratliff for RJR Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Happy Home table runner, free pattern by Wendy Sheppard (CLICK for PDF download)

 

HOME pillow, 30 x 15", free pattern at American Quilters Society (CLICK for PDF download)

Mister Rogers Neighborhood pillow, free pattern at Riley Blake Designs (CLICK for PDF download)

Barn Block wall quilt, 24" square without border, free pattern by First City Quilts for PBS Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Gambrel Roof Barn, free pattern at Quilt in a Day (CLICK for PDF download)

Home Sweet Home, 3” Bitty house block at Quiltmaker (CLICK for PDF download)

Baby House quilt blocks, 5” square, free patterns by Quiltmaker (CLICK for PDF download)

Image credits:  Note: This post was updated on November 21, 2024. All 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 at the designers' websites provided in the links.  Some of these are tutorials while others include downloadable (.pdf) patterns; we have tried to note which is which in the titles.  We update our links every 6 months as needed; however, websites may change their pages in between updates.  If any links are broken, we'd love to know so we can fix it; email us at quiltinspiration {at} gmail {dot} com.