Beautiful Bargellos

Here are some beautiful Bargello quilts to brighten your day and spark your imagination. The bargello technique can be used to showcase prints, solids, or ombre fabrics, or simply to use up a stash.We hope you enjoy our photos!  (Also, scroll down for the link to dozens of free bargello patterns.)

p.s. Check out our E-Bay shop for great bargains on jewelry, patterns, and collectibles ! For continuous free quilt patterns, please follow us on Twitter !    

Night Sky, made by Kris Neifeld & Susie Weaver, quilted by Kris Neifeld

This gorgeous quilt is based on the two-fabric bargello pattern by Susie Weaver. Kris Neifeld says this quilt, made with a dotted ombre fabric, "ended up working out better than I'd hoped." We love it... The dots create the appearance of stars!

Opposing Views, made and quilted by Amy Fitzgerald 

Amy Fitzgerald says, "My husband picked this pattern and helped choose the fabrics. I had never done a Bargello quilt-as-you-go pattern before, and it was very challenging to keep the columns straight and points lined up.  I turned the quilt upside down from the pattern picture."  Opposing Views was based on the published design called Free Fall by Ann Lauer of Grizzly Gulch Gallery. 

A Little Bit of This and That, made and quilted by Joyce Harrison

This lovely wall quilt or table runner uses original 1" squares in a 7x21 grid pattern.  Joyce Harrison says that she mused, "What to do with 1" squares? Lots of ideas. This is a small attempt to use up my stash. [My] summer time plan seemed to turn out well... I'm happy with it. Thank you to my seam ripper too." We love Joyce's original quilting, shown in the closeup photo below.

Double Rainbow by Susie Weaver, quilted by Kris Neifeld.  

Susie Weaver's original pattern, Pattern Two Fab 2.0, was the basis for this stunning quilt with its gently curving waves of color.  Susie says, "Using strip sets from this bargello project as class demos was taking way too long... I finally decided it was time to get 'er done and I'm glad I did."

Note: For more bargello quilt inspiration, please check out our Free Pattern Day for Bargello Quilts (CLICK HERE!)

 

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2025 Quilt Arizona show (Opposing Views); the 2025 Tucson Quilters Guild Show (Double Rainbow and Night Sky); and the Tucson Quilters Guild 2024 show (A Little Bit of This and That.)

Welcome to the Quilt Fiesta! (3)

We attended the 2025 Quilt Fiesta in Tucson, Arizona, and had a wonderful time.  This show is produced by the Tucson Quilters Guild, and there were so many beautiful quilts to admire. We hope you enjoy our photos of the show! Here is part 3.

Note: Please check out our E-Bay shop for great bargains on patterns, jewelry, and collectibles. You also can follow us on Twitter!

Retro Living, made and quilted by Tami Graeber

This fantastic, large art quilt was one of the top award winners at the show.  The original design was awarded 1st Place - Viewers Choice, Judge's Choice, and 1st Place - Art Whimsy.  Tami Graeber says, "I grew up in the 50's - sat in front of a TV like this.  The good old days! [It was] fun creating the mid-century modern iconic images." Check out the retro wallpaper, a pole lamp (on the right), stylized cats, a French poodle, and even a martini glass on the arm of the sofa. 

The black poodle has a daisy collar and a real bow in her hair. She sits next to a modern potted plant.

Tami says, "I wanted to use "I Love Lucy" on the TV, but copyrights made me use the NBC peacock that was first used in color in 1957."

Summer's Night and Day by Caroline Ellermann, quilted by Glenda Davis

Multiple borders surround this fabulous medallion quilt with its lollipop flowers, houses, Dresden plates, hearts, and more beautiful elements. Caroline Ellermann says, "After seeing this Sarah Fielke pattern made by one of our accomplished guide quilters, I decided to make it. With all of the machine applique, it was a very big challenge.  However, I now have new skills." Pattern source: Sarah Fielke with adaption.

The Blue Door, made and quilted by Lisa Fryxell

Lisa Fryxell is known for her original paper pieced quilt designs.  She says, "This quilt is based on a photo I took in France in June 2024.  It is foundation paper pieced and quilted on my domestic machine."

Psychedelic Carpenter Square, made and quilted by Penny Boese 

A stunning color combination with its an ombre effects truly light up this modern quilt.  It is made with numerous brightly colored batiks. Penny Boese says that her design was inspired by a traditional pattern and Carpenter Square pattern.  The detailed machine quilting adds considerable interest to the design.

 Firewall by Carol W. Carpenter, quilted by Kris Neifeld  

A wonderful stained glass effect is achieved with this design, thanks to the vertical black borders and bright geometric fabrics. The pattern Source is Free Spirit Fabrics' "Play Quilt" by Adrienne Leban (this is a free download).  Carol Carpenter says, "I'm unsure why these wild, swirly fabrics from Adrienne Leban captivated me, but they certainly did. I had a great time under the tutelage of Susie Weaver, making sense of diverse directions, shapes and colors with a cohesive, beautiful result."

Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2025 Tucson Quilters Guild show.

Autumn River Walk

It's a wonderful season to enjoy the fall colors and cooler weather. Here is a glorious quilt that celebrates the colors of autumn and the creativity of one-block-wonder designs.

p.s. Please see our E-Bay shop for great bargains on patterns, jewelry, and vintage collectibles. For continuous free patterns and updates, please visit us on Twitter.

Autumn River Walk by Kris Neifeld and Susie Weaver, quilted by Kris Neifeld.

Winner of an award in the Two Person, Primarily Pieced category, Kris Neifeld says: "Susie [Weaver] and I took liberties with the one-block wonder design during the process of wrestling this together.  My college roommate asked for an autumn wall quilt. Twenty-five years later, it's completed. Hopefully I can get it to them before 25 more years go by."   

We've always loved the effects that can be created with one-block wonder quilts. The kaleidoscope blocks, seen in the closeup photos, were creatively arranged to maxmize the impression of blue water and colorful trees.

You can see many more examples of one-block wonder quilts on this blog:  CLICK HERE!

Image credits:  Photos of Autumn River Walk were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2024 Tucson Quilters Guild show.

It's Modern Quilt Month! (2)

We're celebrating Modern Quilt Month at Q.I. This is the second of FIVE posts. According to The Modern Quilt Guild, modern quilts often use bold colors and prints, high contrast, graphic areas of solid color, improvisational piecing, minimalism, and/or expansive negative space. Enjoy!

Also check out our E-Bay shop for great bargains on quilt patterns, books, fabric and jewelry items !
You can also visit us on Twitter. 

Silk Parquetry Impression #2, made and quilted by Joyce Kaiser. 

 Original design.  This piece was created using a grab bag of silk strips from "Leilani Arts".  The raw edge strips were sewn to batik units onto a muslin foundation using Holoshimmer or gold thread. Beading of opposite corners [was] added to enhance the silk rectangles.

Gamma, made and quilted by Maria Barr

This quilt seems to vibrate with motion! Maria Barr says, "[This is] such a cool optical illusion, I almost changed the name to "Warp Speed Ahead"! Pattern source: Devon Iott (Miss Make). 

 Gridlock, made and quilted by Karen G. Fisher 

This quilt appears to glow from within, thanks to the creation of intricate dark-to-light gradients.  Karen G. Fisher says, "Gridlock combines all six "grids" I've designed over several years (five of them are in my book*): Triple Sudoku, Matrix, Miriam's Grid, Triaxial, Graduated, and Herringbone." *Pattern source: Karen Fisher's own book, titled "Easy Grid Quilts".

Embellishing, a controlled color palette, and fussy cutting control the chaos. Above, you can see large beaded spirals; other parts of the quilt (shown below) are embellished with metallic buttons and gold trim. Southwestern design fabrics add to the intricate textures. 

Cool Porte Cochere, made and quilted by Kathy Kutansky

Here is an original quilt showcasing fabrics created through surface design! Kathy Kutansky says, "This spring I took a week long Zoom workshop with Pat Pauly.  Using screens, rubbings and direct painting, I created most of these prints. It's really fun to work with these unusual fabrics."

 Kites over Cabin at Night, made by Russ Beasley, quilted by Kris Neifeld.  

This original black and white quilt is the essence of modern design, forming a tessellation. Russ Beasley only used black & white solids because he "loves simplicity".  He says, "I saw a similar picture on Google Art and thought it would be a great quilt. I configured a template for the kite and the square.  I concluded that partial seams [were] the only way to go. I then decided the rows would need to be constructed from the center out also with partial seams."  

The photo below shows the "kites" that make up the design.  Check out the perfect piecing!

Image credits and awards: Photos were taken at the 2024 Tucson Quilters Guild show. Silk Parquetry Impression #2 won 1st Place in the Art Abstract category, plus a Judge's Choice award. Gridlock won 1st place in the One Person - Large Pieced category. Kites over Cabin at Night won 2nd place in the Modern Quilt category. Cool Porte Cochere won an Honorable Mention.

Batik Beauties (1)

We love batiks! Their striking beauty is enhanced by designs that incorporate star blocks. The spiky points of the stars provide numerous opportunities for the eye to perceive the color contrasts in the fabrics.We hope you enjoy these photos.

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

Crown of Thorns by Carol W. Carpenter, quilted by Kris Neifeld

Gorgeous colors and contrasts can be seen in this quilt. Carol Carpenter says, "This Judy Niemeyer pattern was challenging, even though I chose the smaller version of the pattern.  It is beautiful in design and especially meaningful to me as my Easter season quilt."  Spiky New York Beauty blocks, and strong contrasts, add to the visual appeal.

 There's a Bear There, made and quilted by Rhonda Borders.

This is an original design by Rhonda Borders, showcasing some very special batiks.  Rhonda says,  "We had to visit a couple of quilt stores on a trip to Alaska.  These bear batiks were available in Anchorate.  I designed a placemat/quilt to maximize their presence." The tree blocks add to the Alaska ambience, while sawtooth stars conjure the night sky.

Wishing Star by Meg Silvern, quilted by Linda Powell.

Stars within stars, done in wintery blues and whites! Meg Silvern says, "I made this quilt on a quilt cruise with Stitchin' Heaven in 2023.  Sandra Coffey was the teacher." Pattern source: Judy Niemeyer Quilting. An allover quilting design was used, resembling swirls in the snow.

Starburst in Color by Yvonne M. Flores, quilted by Quality Quilterz. 

This classic lone star design positively glows, lending the appearance of a stained glass quilt. Yvonne Flores says, "Seeing this quilt in a quilt show was the inspiration to learn how to paper piece.  It's Judy Niemeyer's Prismatic Star. It's a favorite because this was my 'impossible dream' completed 2 years later."

Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2024 Tucson Quilters Guild show.

Modern Quilt Month: Three Dimensions

It's Modern Quilt Month here at Quilt Inspiration! We'll be posting a new modern quilt each weekday... we hope you enjoy our photos!

p.s. Please see our E-Bay shop for great bargains on patterns and vintage collectibles. For continuous free quilt patterns and blog updates, please visit us on Twitter.

Modern Plumbing, design by Malcolm Neifeld, made & quilted by Kris Neifeld

What a clever variation on a tumbling block!  Light, medium and dark values create the optical illusion. Malcolm Neifeld says, "Most of my time is taken up by school, so after designing this and choosing fabrics, my mom pieced the top.  I chose the quilting. This was designed in the midst of my isometric 3-D fascination.  I wanted to make more than a cool cube, and gave myself the challenge of writing the instructions without the use of "Y" seams."

Image credit: Photo taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2023 Quilt Fiesta (Tucson, Arizona).

Modern Quilt Month: Hexicube Star

It's Modern Quilt Month here at Quilt Inspiration! We'll be posting a new modern quilt each weekday... we hope you enjoy our photos! Today's fun quilt is an optical illusion using cubes.

p.s. Please see our E-Bay shop for great bargains on patterns and vintage collectibles. For continuous free quilt patterns and blog updates, please visit us on Twitter.

Hexicube Star by Kris Neifeld

Kris Neifeld's Hexicube Star is based on an original design by Malcolm Neifeld.  In this unique design, six cubes are arranged in an overlapping fashion, creating a star in the middle. Kris says, "Malcolm has designed many quilts over the past few years... I had the privilege of constructing this one." 

 As in tumbling blocks quilts, these hexagons have three faces that range from light to medium to dark values, creating the 3D illusion.  For more tumbling blocks variations, please check out our Free Pattern Day for Tumbling Blocks Quilts:

Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2023 Quilt Fiesta (Tucson, Arizona).

Quilt Fiesta! The annual Tucson Quilters Guild show (1)

It's quilt show time!  The annual Quilt Fiesta, held last weekend by the Tucson Quilters Guild, is an outstanding show. We're rolling out some of our favorite photos from the show.

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

Abuelita Scrappy Quilt by Millie Burgheimer

Winner of an award in the thread painting category, Millie Burgheimer created a lovely portrait as a tribute to grandmothers who quilt. She says,  "Our grandmothers (abuelitas) often made quilts by hand or [with an] old sewing machine.  They used old scraps and feed sacks. [This was] a fun project to create by thread painting and fabric that was given to me." 

Southwest Sunrise by Luanne Wood

This stunning quilt was based on the 2020 Southwest Sunrise BOM (block-of-the-month) by Reeze L. Hanson.  Luanne Wood says, "I learned a lot about New Mexico's Zuni Indian tribe from this pattern.  I added thread drawn motifs of Arizona's Sonoran Desert in the corners of the main section and revised the outer border with more Zuni thread-drawn motifs." The quilt won Judge's Choice plus an Exemplary Machine Quilting award.

Bienvenidos by Tami Graeber

Bienvenidos ("Welcome") won the 1st place Viewer's Choice award. Tami Graeber says, "I love painting Mexican tiles; this is my 5th tile quilt. It was inspired by a stairway at the McNay Art Museum in San Antonio, Texas. The stairs were painted one row at a time and machine appliqued into place."

Southwest Lone Star by Kris Neifeld

This beautiful Lone Star quilt was based on the book, All-Star Quilts, by Helen Frost and Blanche Young (available at Amazon and other bookseller sites). We loved the combination of coppery oranges and reds with turquoise and teal blues. This classic Southwest color combination was achieved with batik fabrics.  The top was made and quilted by Kris Neifeld.

Monument Valley by Richard & Shari Thompson

This intriguing digital quilt was a collaboration between Richard and Shari Thompson.  Creating the border from a Navajo rug purchased by his grandmother in 1935, Richard used Photoshop to blend 40 of their Monument Valley images into a single file.  When this was printed on fabric, Shari quilted and embellished the scene. The detail was outstanding, as shown in this closeup photo of the sheep.

Tree of Life by Kay Walen

This wonderful foundation-pieced quilt was based on a design by Lisa Fryxell at the PreFurred Quilt Shop. Kay Walen says, "This quilt is entirely paper pieced.  I needed to improve my skills [with this technique]... I had a large learning curve and lots of reverse sewing opportunities and wasted fabric." The result, as you can see, was outstanding! This Tree of Life was quilted by Double T Quilts.

 

Image credit: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2023 Tucson Quilters Guild show.