Marvelous Miniatures (1)

 Let's start off the week on a small scale! In a true miniature quilt, the blocks are often scaled down from 12" to only 1". As you can imagine, these tiny works of art require considerable skill on the part of the quilter.

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Desert Peacock by Peter Adams, quilted by Valerie Greenwell

The creator of Desert Peacock, Peter Adams, explains: "This mandala designed quilt is the end product of a class I took (with Keith Dommer at Quilters Market) concentrating on invisible, turned-edge applique. When I completed the mandala circle, the particular shapes and colors evoked visions of a peacock tail.)

Here is another photo of Desert Peacock (with a hand in front, not touching, to show the scale):

And a closeup photo showing the invisible applique (we can confirm that the applique stitches are invisible!)

Image credits: Photo were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2023 Tucson Quilters Guild show (Quilt Fiesta!)

 

Modern Quilt Month 2022 (1)

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 1 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.

 Sanity by Karen G. Fisher

This beautiful contemporary quilt, designed and made by Karen G. Fisher during the pandemic, is a fascinating juxtaposition of red and black prints, circles, and squares. Karen says, "The background of squares-plus-sashing had stalled. During Covid, I got out and immediately saw my solution - circles!"

Buttons were added to create even more interesting patterns. Karen explains, "I [added] appliqued circles, quilting, buttons and beads... one more way to stay sane in isolation." She adds this wise counsel: "Do something you love."

Spotlight by Sophie Zaugg @lunalovequilts (Switzerland)

Spotlight by Sophie Zaugg is is a very pleasing design. This is the second of a series inspired by Jason Woodside murals. Sophie says, "I draw the whole design to its actual size on paper and then cut it out to use each section as a template.  Some of these sections were then cut out from plain fabrics, while the others were cut into string sheets. I then machine pieced all sections together."

The circles and blue rectangles were hand appliqued on the different sections before the final assembly. Sophie machine quilted diagonal straight lines and grids following the piecing design.

Scrappy Scallops by Keith Dommer

The half circles and ovals seem to dance across this original design by Keith Dommer. He explains that "Improvisationally sized ovals, improvisationally sliced, and improvisationally appliqued in rows with some piping create an image that might resemble colorful birds sitting on wires."

The intriguing mix of colors and prints invites the viewer to look closer. There are all kinds of fun fabrics in this quilt. We loved the use of a muted gray background producing a soft contrast to the brightly colored prints.

A Little Kaffe (Goes a Long Way) by JoAnn Hinchliffe @joannhinchliffe

Believe it or not, this is a miniature quilt - which makes the precision piecing even more impressive.  A Little Kaffe won second place in the Miniatures category at this show. 

JoAnn Hinchliffe used the Pennants pattern from one of Kaffe Fassett's early books, Glorious Patchwork, but decided to miniaturize it, reducing [the pieces] from 6" to 1.75". 

JoAnn says, "I find Kaffe Fassett's fabrics interesting individually, but when there are too many used together, it feels like "too much" to me." JoAnn used pleasing complementary hues, and shaded the blocks - from light to dark - to make the design stand out. JoAnn says, "There is a single teal fabric and eight pinks/reds. The teal seems to change color depending on the pinks/red it's next to."

Improv Mosaic #3 by Lorraine Woodruff-Long (California)

Improv Mosaic #3 is an incredibly dynamic composition. Lorraine Woodruff-Long says, "Using variations on a traditional log cabin quilt block and small solid fabric scraps recycled from other projects, I sought to create a quilt with pulsing energy and color.  With the self-imposed parameter to limit block sizes to 9, 6, and 3 inches, each block is developed using as much variety in color, "wonky" sizes and contrast as possible to create blocks that pop and move to the viewer."

"The improvisational nature is furthered by a random, puzzle-piece layout. Using bright and vivid colors and shapes to create an immersive polychromatic experience is my quilting passion." Lorraine machine quilted this piece in a grid pattern using a longarm machine.

Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2022 QuiltCon show (Spotlight and Improv Mosaic #3) and the 2022 Tucson Quilters Guild show (Sanity, Scrappy Scallops, and A Little Kaffe (Goes a Long Way).

Pineapple delight: Pineapple log cabin quilts!

This is our first-ever feature on Pineapple Log Cabin quilts. The Pineapple block design radiates from the center, and the overlapping angled strips produce a jagged edge that creates a whirl of motion.   Here are some dazzling examples!  

Note:  We're continually posting free patterns on Twitter! Check us out @QuiltInspire.

Summer Love by Keith Dommer

Blue ribbon winner at the 2014 Tucson Quilt Fiesta for Best Machine Quilted Pieced and Appliqued quilt, Keith writes, "Finally - it's finished !  My first quilt adding turned-edge machine applique to amp up a traditional pieced quilt. And apparently 15 years ago when I started this, I really liked green and orange together."  Keith's message is humorous, but it contains an important lesson:  Never give up on a UFO ( unfinished object), because you might achieve spectacular results upon its completion !

The use of gray and black neutrals as a background really help the green and orange blocks to "pop", in order to display the distinctive triangular, geometric look of the pineapple design. The circles within the center diamonds provide an innovative adaption to this traditional pattern.

Pineapple Log Cabin quilt by Sheila Arnold

Sheila Arnold notes, "I made this quilt to research methods of construction to teach a pineapple log cabin class." Sheila's quilt was part of the "Pieced Pineapple Special Exhibit" shown at the 2014 Quilt Arizona Show in Mesa, AZ.

The pineapple pattern is one that looks great in high contrast colors, whether the fabric is batik, solid colors, or small calico prints. The midnight blue, cream, and red calico prints give a contemporary, but warm and cozy look to this eye-catching design. Extra visual interest is provided by the four-patch blocks which nicely frame the quilt's center medallion.

Red Licorice, 34 x 34",  by Linda McGibbon

Linda explains, "I used pineapple blocks in a diamond shape. I then used black background fabric in some of the pieces and Stitch-n-Ditch to make the design three dimensional." Red Licorice won Second Place, Pieced-Small, at the 2013 Shipshewana Quilt Festival. A pattern for Red Licorice is available at Linda McGibbon's website: Lakeview Quilting.

Close up, Red Licorice by Linda McGibbon

Set against the dark black background, these high-chroma hues glow beautifully, almost as if they are illuminated by a black light.

When Pineapples Kaleide by Judy D. Birchett, quilted by Kate Snyder

This elegant creation is a cross between a Lone Star and a Pineapple quilt.  Judy Birchett says that When Pineapples Kaleide was based on the New Day Dawning quilt pattern, which can be found in the book, Pineapple Stars by Sharon Rexroad (2005).

Close up, When Pineapples Kaleide by Judy D. Birchett, quilted by Kate Snyder

Judy used the word "kaleide" to title this quilt, because her design looks like the pattern seen inside a kaleidoscope, a mirror-filled cylinder which displays fragments of images when one looks into it. This intricate center star is surrounded by an intriguing quilting pattern which replicates the sharp points of the pineapple blocks, but also adds some lyrical curves to provide a sense of balance to this innovative work.

Aurora by Dixie Haywood, exhibited by Lynn Kough

Lynn Kough says, "[This] quilt was purchased at a National Quilting Association Little Quilt Auction, which benefits the Grant Programs. It's wonderful to own a pineapple quilt made by one of the "dynamic duo" - Jane Hall and Dixie Haywood."
There are actually nine pineapple blocks in this quilt. In the blocks on the edges, the four outer pineapple rings were done in a single color (purple), which emphasizes the octagonal shape within each block.

The center block, done in four different colors, is shown below:

Jane Hall and Dixie Haywood have promoted the paper-piecing method of constructing pineapple quilts in order to enhance accuracy, which you can see in these blocks. In fact, in their book Hall and Haywood's Foundational Quilts, they advocate for using paper-piecing in the construction of almost every traditional geometric pattern.

Fresh Pineapple Possibilities, 2013, by Jane Hall and Dixie Haywood (Amazon)

On her website,  Jane Hall says, "My friend Dixie Haywood and I have written six books about this old-made-new technique. We wrote the first book on Pineapples and have been known ever since as ‘The Pineapple Queens.’ "


Image credits:  Quilt show photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the Arizona Quilters' Guild show, the Tucson Quilt Fiesta (Summer Love), and the Houston International Quilt Festival (Red Licorice).

Modern Quilt Month

We're celebrating Modern Quilt Month at Q.I. This is the first of four feature posts, and we couldn't be more excited about these fun quilts!  So, what makes a quilt modern? According to The Modern Quilt Guild, the characteristics may include the use of bold colors and prints, high contrast, graphic areas of solid color, improvisational piecing, minimalism, and expansive negative space.  Well, some of these quilts don't fit the definition, but they do have modern themes and/or colors!

Alien Eyes by Keith Dommer

We loved the 1960's op art flair of this design.  Keith Dommer says, “I’ve been fascinated by Notan and bold graphic images for a while now and tried to use them in my first quilt in kind of the modern quilt style. The applique is turned-edge machine applique.”

close up, Alien Eyes by Keith Dommer

Keith adapted the pattern from Hajime Ouchi’s Japanese Optical Art.  Alien Eyes won Honorable Mention at the 2014 Tucson Quilters Guild show.

Be Yourself - Everyone Else is Taken, 40 x 40", by Meg Cowey (Fremantle, Western Australia)

Meg Cowey created this quilt for a new baby of modern parents, "with blessings for strength of character and independence."  The title of the quilt is from the quote by Oscar Wilde.

close up, Be Yourself - Everyone Else is Taken by Meg Cowey

We love the way in which the red triangle is soaring away from the rest of the flying geese.  The swirls, depicting the wind, are a clever part of the design.

Coloring with Kate by Jane Bromberg (Kansas City, Missouri)

We like the modern minimalist design of this woven-looking quilt.  The orange squares were arranged in groups of two and three columns with a space in between, adding interest to the design. Coloring with Kate was exhibited in the AQS Modern Quilt Challenge, which is traveling to all of the AQS shows in 2014. 

close up, Coloring with Kate by Jane Bromberg

Jane Bromberg, a professional long arm quilter, used a simple but effective quilting design that did not detract from the color blocks.  For more information on the quilt, see Jane Bromberg's website.

Lost and Found by Jacqueline Skarritt (Kalamazoo, Michigan)

The AQS Modern Quilt Challenge included many quilts that broke the traditional rules with new approaches to fabric combinations, piecing, construction methods, and motif quilting.  In Lost and Found, some diagonal design lines are formed by the touching triangles.  The triangles stand out starkly against the blue field but there is plenty of negative space to rest the eyes. 

close up, Lost and Found by Jacqueline Skarritt

The straight-line quilting complements the strip-pieced triangles and alternates directions, adding texture to the surface of the quilt.  The traditional prints make an interesting juxtaposition with the bright solid background.

Log Pyramids by Liz Havartine

Liz Havartine says, “This design was inspired by traditional log cabin blocks, using an equilateral triangle for the center 'hearth' instead of a square. I wanted to have uniformly sized 'pyramids' with precise piecing but add randomness with the width of the 'logs'. I had an acrylic triangle template custom made to facilitate trimming the blocks down to size while keeping everything centered.”  As of this writing, you can find a Log Pyramids Quilt Along at Liz Havartine's website, Lady Havartine.

close up, Log Pyramids by Liz Havartine

Log Pyramids was included in the Best of Quilt Con exhibit at the 2014 Road to California show.  The exhibit featured quilts from the inaugural 2013 Quilt Con Show.

Obsession, 63 x 63", by Meg Bauer (Crestwood, KY)

Obsession by Meg Bauer was awarded Third Place in the Wall Quilts - Traditional category at the 2014 AQS Quilt Week in Phoenix, Arizona.  Mary says that she became obsessed with modifying traditional blocks to create mini quilts; she stitched the mini quilts together to make Obsession.  These little quilts did not have pieces as small as traditional miniatures, however, they were still a challenge to piece.

close up, Obsession by Meg Bauer

The mini quilt blocks were quilted in spirals that were centered over each of the blocks; the quilting lines overlap at the four corners of the blocks.  We like the aqua, chartreuse and orange color scheme of this quilt.

Buckles and Belts, 39 x 49", by Linda Hungerford (The Villages, Florida)

On her blog, Linda Hungerford says, "I named my quilt 'Buckles and Belts' because the chevron and solid diagonal prints weave in and out of blocks that look like buckles. The woven effect was accomplished, in part, with hand appliqué."

close up, Buckles and Belts by Linda Hungerford

We enjoyed seeing Linda Hungerford's interesting design and quilting. After completing all the machine quilting, she hand quilted the solid strips with big stitches, using DMC #8 Perle cotton.  Buckles and Belts is traveling around the country as part of the AQS Modern Quilt Challenge exhibit.

Charming Chevrons, 48 x 56", by Christa Watson

Christa loves solid fabrics with lots of machine quilting, which was done on an older Bernina 1630. On her blog, Christa says:  "When I started Charming Chevrons I’d just barely heard of the modern quilt movement and was wanting to go a little bolder with my quilts." "It was inspired by a pack of bold and beautiful [Kona cotton] charm squares and the desire to quilt the heck out of something!"

close up, Charming Chevrons by Christa Watson

Christa used pebble quilting within the chevrons, and straight line quilting in the negative spaces.  A pattern for the Charming Chevrons quilt is available at Christa Quilts.  The quilt was exhibited at the 2014 AQS Quilt Week in Phoenix.

Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration.