Quilt Fiesta! The annual Tucson Quilters Guild show (4)

 It's quilt show time!  The annual Quilt Fiesta, held by the Tucson Quilters Guild in Arizona, is an outstanding show. Here are more of our favorite photos.

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 !

Will by Kathy Godbout, quilted by Wolf Quilting

Kathy Godbout says, "This quilt was created from a photo I took of my dog Will. The collage process was taught by Susan Carlson at a quilt retreat. The quilting was done by Kristy Wolf on top of an old piece of Japanese fabric."  This quilt was framed; it was entered in a new category called "Art - Rigid Finished."

Venus Galactic Explosion by Yvonne M. Flores, quilted by Quality Quilters

Venus Galactic Explosium was based on a Missouri Star Block-of-the-Month project. Yvonne Flores says, "This was a block-of-the-month project during [COVID-19] lockdown. The block pattern and fabric were mailed monthly. It was selected because of the design and warm colored fabrics. The sewing was a stress release."

Happy Trails by Gloria Magee & Carey Larue, quilted by Susan Gorder.

Happy Trails was awarded 1st place in the Group Quilt category. This lovely quilt was based on the ‘Happy Trails’ quilt pattern by Pearl Pereira. Gloria Magee says, "My daughter and I saw this pattern at a workshop we took from Pearl [Pereira]. We decided to make a wall hanging with the center block only. The branding irons represent the initials of my daughter’s five sons."

Mystery Reimagined by Penny Boese

Mystery Reimagined won First Place in its category (One Person Medium Pieced Machine Quilted.) It is a pattern redesign of Michelle Hiatt’s Holiday Sensation Mystery Quilt. Penny Boese says, “I learned I am not a mystery quilt person!"

Penny says, "I started off completing clues but I didn’t like the fabric placement nor blocks as the quilt came together. I left some elements in place, but really redesigned the quilt.” We admired the machine quilting designs and execution, which softens the angular lines of the blocks.

Desert Blossoms by Camille Salisbury, quilted by Brenda Smitley

This stunning applique quilt is a real standout. Camille Salisbury says that Desert Blossoms was based on Nancy Landon’s BOM Cactus Quilt [at the Cactus Quilt Shop.] “I loved choosing bright desert colors for this quilt. I enlarged the pattern to make it a king size quilt.”

3877 by Cherie Swanson, quilted by Quality Quilterz

Cherie Swanson based this fabulous quilt on 'Finger Lakes' in Judy Martin’s Log Cabin Quilt Book. Cherie says, “3877 is the number of pieces in the quilt. Or maybe that’s the number of hours it took to piece it?”Cherie's fabric choices and contrasts make this design sparkle.

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

Into the Sunshine

The Pacific International Quilt Festival is held annually in Santa Clara, California. This year's show included over 400 quilts. We're featuring some of our favorite works of art from the show.

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

Into the Sunshine by Patricia Heinrich Hechler & Joyce Hite (Ohio)

Winner of a Third Place ribbon, this beautifully made quilt utilizes nine different blocks from P3 Designs (Pearl Pereira) in their American Album series.  Each of the blocks represents a different State of the Union.

Jocye Hite designed and pieced the quilt in a traditional style.  The superlative applique and longarm quilting can be seen in the closeup photo, below.

 Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2022 Pacific International Quilt Festival.

Twelve Days of Christmas Quilts ! Day 9

Ot came upon us so quickly... but believe it or not, it's that time of year again: time for Twelve Days of Christmas Quilts ! We will feature an inspiring quilt each weekday, starting today and ending on Christmas Eve.  We wish you a very happy, healthy and creative holiday season.
Merry Christmas to all...

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Ho Ho Ho, 41 x 41", by Betty Eastham

Betty Eastham says that about half of the fabric for this wall quilt came from a kit by Pearl Pereira; the other half were her choice.  There are over 200 appliques in each border and about 200 appliques in the center panel!  She says, "It took me about a year to complete this wall hanging." (The pattern is Ole Time Santa, available at P3 Designs.)

 

Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2019 Santa Clara Valley Quilt Assocition show.

24 days of Christmas at Quilt Inspiration - Day 7

Welcome to the 24 days of Christmas ! Each day this month, up through Christmas Eve, we'll feature a work of fiber art that reflects the joy and beauty of the season ! Let's continue with Day 7.

Note: Please check out our eBay shop, where we are Top-Rated Sellers, for great bargains on quilt patterns, fabric, and vintage jewelry! For free quilt patterns, please visit us on Twitter!

'Twas the Night Before Christmas, 74 x 74", by Linda Neal and Jackie Brown (Texas)

Done in the style of a traditional Baltimore Album pattern, this beautiful quilt won an Honorable Mention award at the American Quilters' Society Show in Phoenix, Arizona, in 2016. Santa’s “nice” list contains Linda’s grandchildren and family members.  Storybook villains are on the “naughty” list.   It was lots of fun adding the embellishments to the quilt top.

The pattern is Baltimore Christmas by Pearl Pereira at P3 Designs.

Here's Santa checking his list of who's been good this year !  We hope you're on his list, and we hope you receive everything you wish for Christmas !

Close-up "Twas the Night Before Christmas" 

Look at the cute button eyes and the rick-rack braid trim on the gingerbread people! We are amazed at the amount of painstaking detail work on this quilt.

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2016 Arizona Quilters' Society (AQS) show in Phoenix, Arizona.

Welcome Fall

Fall is arriving in the North, and we've selected some autumn quilts to share.  We hope our readers had a healthy, safe and happy summer!

Note: for continual free patterns, please visit us on  Twitter!  For great bargains on quilt books and fabric, check out our eBay store!

Golden Leaves by Virginia Standley

Virginia Standley says, “The skeletonized leaves are highlighted with a wax metallic finish. They are stitched to samples of drapery fabric and framed by a small gold silk border. The piece is mounted on my ice-dyed fabric, which I could not bear to cut, so it became the background for this art quilt.”

Maple Leaves in a Color Study, group project, quilted by Audrey Hutchinson

The maple leaf blocks were made by members of the Progressive Party Friendship Group of the Amador Valley Quilters Guild and the final project was quilted by Audrey Hutchinson. Audrey chose purple for this color study. “I made one block and packed my bag with all the purple fabrics I had from the palest lavender to the deepest purples. Each member made 1 or 2 maple leaf blocks. I set the blocks on the diagonal and when completed had almost used up my purple stash. Almost !”

My Pumpkin Patch by Janice Brook, quilted by Dianne Schweikert

The pattern for this quilt was from a book called Country Quilts of Friends by Margaret Peters and Anne Sutton. Janice Brooke bought the book in 2004; she made the pumpkin blocks, then put the quilt on a shelf until last year when she decided to finish it. The leaves, stems and pumpkins were beautifully embroidered.

Wild Pineapple quilt by Susan Benson, quilted by Dianne Schweikert

Susan Benson says Wild Pineapple began in a class taught by Jean Impey. "It was a fun class given by a fun teacher who had an infectious enthusiasm. I took this home and then took it on a trip up the coast, sewing away everywhere we stopped... As with all my quilts, it’s not perfect, but I love the colors. [It was] quilted beautifully by Dianne Schweikert of Livermore (California).”

Autumn Blessings by Kia Johnson

Kia Johnson used an embroidery machine to create the blocks for this stunning quilt, which was based on the Baltimore Autumn pattern by Pearl Pereira at P3 Designs.  There is an amazing amount of applique detail in the blocks, which include all the themes of autumn: leaves, squirrels, wheat stalks, and pumpkins, in wonderful colors.

For free quilt patterns for Autumn, please check out our FREE PATTERN DAY !

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2017 Amador Valley Quilters Guild show (California).

Quilt Arizona 2017! day 1

For us, springtime in the desert means three things: spring flowers, spring training (baseball), and Quilt Arizona!  This is our 8th year blogging about this fun show, which draws visitors from many parts of North America. Here are some of our favorites from this year's show.

Please note: We're continuously posting free patterns on Twitter ! Check us out here !  

Whimsey in Bloom. 78 x 78", by Ann L. Petersen

Ann L. Petersen has won awards at every Quilt Arizona! show in recent memory.  The fabulous Whimsey in Bloom won 1st place - Mixed Technique and a special award for Excellent Use of Color.  Ann says, "I've been laying with adding applique to paper pieced designs for curves.  The top reminded me of Art Deco so I quilted it to reflect that."

close up, Whimsey in Bloom 

Six original black and white Dresden plate blooms are arrayed over a background of squares that move from green, at the bottom of the quilt, to sunny skies at the top.  In the photo below you can see the Art Deco style quilting designs created by Ann Petersen.

Unfortunately this quilt was hung right under a canister light in an otherwise dark hallway, which created the uneven lighting you see in our photo.  For a better photo of this quilt and other beautiful creations, please visit Ann Petersen's gallery at Obsessive Quilter.

Southwest Spirits, made and quilted by Linda Hopkins

We loved this southwest-style crazy quilt.  Done in copper and turquoise, with beautiful stitching and embellishments, there was something to see in every corner.. Linda Hopkins says, "Southwest Spirits embraces the diversity of cultures and colors of this region's past.  Mythical figures, rock etchings, and vivid colors are incorporated in this quilt."

detail, Southwest Spirits by Linda Hopkins

The closeup photos show some of the amazing beadwork and stitchery in Southwest Spirits.

The Harbor at Portofino by Linda Schoenfeld

This was a small quilt, maybe 15" across,with details that lend a photo-realistic quality.  Linda Schoenfeld explains that her photo of Portofino Harbor invokes fond memories of many trips to Italy.  The boats set against a backdrop of colorful buildings create the quintessential picturesque scene.  In the closeup photo below you can see the window shutters with painted details.

Cheryl's Fantasy Flowers by Cheryl A. Giovenco, quilted by Sheila Osbrink

Bursting with spring flowers, this is such a pretty quilt!  Cheryl A. Giovenco started Fantasy Flowers in 2012 and finished in June 2015. It is based on the Fantasy Flowers pattern by Pearl Pereira at P3 Designs. Cheryl says,  "I just love P3 Designs patterns! I enjoyed collecting the fabrics, then hand appliqueing each block." 

The Delft blue prints were a perfect choice for this flower pot.  See if you can spot the bumblebee enjoying the flowers!

Foxy Lady by Monika Hancock, quilted by Debbie Stanton

We are fans of Monika Hancock's work, and the larger-than-life face on this quilt really drew us in.  It received First Place - Pictorial (Non Original Design),  Monika Hancock says,  "I'm a big fan of Toni Whitney's paintings.  I couldn't resist the Red Fox.  I increased her pattern 150%.  Debbie Stanton always brings them to life."

The eyes, whiskers, and fur are so lifelike!  Monika's fabric selections and applique work were perfect in every way. Check out her award-winning Mama Loves You, Baby in our 2016 post.

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration. We have made efforts to identify the websites for the makers, quilters and designers; please leave a comment if you have additional information.

Happy Fourth of July 2016

We're celebrating Independence Day, July 4, with a picnic, a parade, fireworks, and a tribute to red, white and blue quilts ! Here are some of our favorites; we hope you like them also !

Home of the Brave by Juanice Hess

Second place winner for Best Appliqued Quilt at the 2014 River City Quilter's Guild,  Juanice writes, "I wanted a 4th of July wall-hanging. I found the pattern, enlarged, and changed it, [then] hand appliqued and machine quilted it. [I  was] inspired by Pearl Pereira's New York Block pattern."

In this close-up, you can see the Bald Eagle, the American national symbol, standing proudly on a crest of three stars. The Bald Eagle was featured on the first Great Seal of the United States, approved by  Congress in 1782, and later, this majestic bird became the national symbol in its own right.

Storm at Sea for Quilts of Honor, 50 x 66,  by Caroline Lunstra

Caroline explains, "Storm at Sea" is one of my favorite designs. I have made several."  Caroline made this quilt for Quilts of Honor, an organization that supports veterans and active duty members of the military by making and distributing quilts for the wounded and those who have served multiple tours of duty.

In this close-up, you can see the Bald Eagle on the Great Seal, below the words "We the People" , which are the first three words in the Preamble to the United States Constitution.

Caroline continues, "[In this quilt pattern], the diamond is the tricky piece. This one was made using a new ruler ( found at The Fabric Garden in Sacramento, California) to cut the diamonds. With it, you can cut several sizes of diamonds."

Simply Patriotic by Sue Cold, quilted by Kathy August

Sue notes, "I took a Texas Lone Star pattern quilt-making class from Jan Krentz and was in WAY over my heard from the beginning. But with Jan's guidance and gentle patience, I created my best piece so far." 

The colors of red, white, and blue trace back to the birth of America. On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress passed a resolution authorizing a committee to develop a Great Seal for the new country. The committee was instructed to design a seal that reflected the Founding Fathers' beliefs and values.

Along with the Bald Eagle, the committee also chose the national colors. Charles Thomson, Secretary of the Continental Congress, explained the significance to Congress when he presented the seal. “The colors,” Thomson said at the time, “are those used in the flag of the United States of America. White signifies purity and innocence. Red, hardiness and valor, and Blue… signifies vigilance, perseverance, and justice.”

Have a very happy and safe Fourth of July !  

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2014 River City Quilters' Guild show (Storm at Sea, Home of the Brave) and the 2015 Diablo Valley Quilters' Guild show (Simply Patriotic).