Hexagon Quilt Inspiration (part 2)

Today's post is inspired by some outstanding hexagon quilts we've seen at quilt shows.  The hexagon shape can be used to create contemporary as well as traditional quilts, as shown in today's post. (For more hexagon quilt inspiration, see part 1 of this series.)

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De Jurk (The Dress) by Annemiek van den Boogaard,  The Netherlands

An Award of Merit winner at the Houston International Quilt Festival, Annemiek says, "For my inspiration, I used a drawing by the artist Victor Vasarely. Then, I started to draw myself and I put my own ideas into it."

Annemiek continues, "This quilt is made with different techniques, fabrics, and colours. I followed my intuition, and I'm proud of the result." We love this hand-pieced, machine quilted, creation in soft neutrals, with a touch of terracotta shades and the happy flower face which brings so much personality to Annemiek's work.

Five Little Peppers and How They Grew by Linda Puttmann, Arizona

Second place winner in the Scrap Quilts category, Linda comments, "Blocks made using colored pencils, applique, and embroidery in the 'Grandmother's Flower Garden' setting. This pattern was from a class by the late Arlene Southworth."

These adorable images of children are interspersed among the hexagons. Linda's use of 1930's style small prints in pastel colors is a perfect choice for this charming quilt.

For The Love of Hexies by Sharon Wilkinson, Australia. Quilted by Leanne Kaufmann

Sharon notes, "It was while preparing to open our quilt shop that we decided we needed to have a statement quilt; a quilt that displayed what we were about. Bright, modern, and just a little bit different."

This is a wonderful display of hexagonal block patterns, showing the versatility of  the hexagon
shape when combined with triangles. Sharon's design source is Katja Marek's The New Hexagon: 52 Blocks to Paper Piece.

Granddaughter's Flower Garden, 46 x 56", by Louise Moor, Florida

Louise explains, "I'm a very traditional quilter and found it hard to 'go Modern'. Then I saw this [Easy Breezy Hexies] design by Sonja Callaghan and felt it was modern but still let me feel comfortable in my traditional roots." Louise's use of solids and striped fabrics, along with a pale gray and white background lend a three-dimensional perspective.

Triangular, parallel line, and small circle quilt patterns give this vintage pattern such a refreshing, updated look. The saying "Everything old is new again" is really exemplified by Louise's contemporary craftsmanship. Louise adds, "While I would normally hand quilt this, I decided to quilt this by machine."

My Grandma's Garden by Michele Louise Knight, Utah

Michele explains, My inspiration came from a quilt I saw online a few years ago, which did not have the traditional pathways in the flower garden. I had never done English paper piecing, but thought this handwork would travel easily." We love the warm pastel shades of the flowers, which create a radiant, sunlit effect against the aqua background.

Michele adds, "I also had never tried hand-piecing, applique, or much embroidery, so many thanks to the talented ladies of our 'Gone to Pieces' quilt group for tutoring me. I worked on the quilt for 2.5 years while in the car traveling."

Michele continues, "I named the quilt for my maternal grandmother, who worked all her life and never had a garden."  For Michele's first attempt at these techniques, we think the results are spectacular.

Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2017 Houston International Quilt Festival (For The Love of Hexies), the 2014 Arizona Quilters Guild Show (Five Little Peppers), the 2015 World Quilt Show (Granddaughter's Flower Garden),the 2013 Houston International Quilt Festival (De Jurk), and the 2015 Springville (Utah) quilt show (My Grandma's Garden).

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.

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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.