Native American Quilts: Jennifer Emerson Tsosie

A brilliant selection of Native American quilts was displayed at the 2025 Modern Quilt Guild show.* From a collection at Michigan State University, their bold colors and graphic designs feel like a precursor to many of the elements we see in modern quilts today.  Today's quilts feature designs inspired by Navajo rugs.

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For continuous free quilt patterns, please visit us on X (Twitter).      

Ganado Red by Jennifer Emerson Tsosie (Navajo) c. 1989 

This beautiful quilt, resembling a Navajo rug, was featured in the 1997 book titled To Honor and Comfort: Native Quilting Traditions.  

As the book describes, "Ganado-style Navajo rugs, highly regarded for their stark graphic designs, were originally made for sale at the trading post in Ganado, New Mexico. Jennifer Emerson-Tsosie uses crosses or plus designs in her Ganado Red Quilt to convey the conflict in her life between Christianity and the Native American religion."  This red-on-black quilt was made from polyester & cotton, machine pieced and quilted.

Chief's Blanket by Jennifer Emerson Tsosie (1998) (Flagstaff, Arizona)  

In Navajo arts, a Chief's Blanket is a type of woven textile known for its intricate patterns and cultural significance. These blankets feature bold geometric designsusing natural dyes in colors like red, black, white, and indigo. These beautiful deep hues and geometric designs of this quilt echo the Navajo rug-weaving tradition. 

Navajo Designs Quilt by Jennifer Emerson Tsosie (1996)  

In this one-of-a-kind black and white quilt, Tsosie replicates a different Navajo rug design in each block.  Stunning and graphic in its black-and-white simplicity, this quilt is pieced, machine appliqued, and hand quilted.

 Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2025 QuiltCon show in Phoenix, Arizona.

Native American Quilts from the Southwest

A brilliant selection of Native American quilts was displayed at the 2025 Modern Quilt Guild show.* From a collection at Michigan State University, their bold colors and graphic designs feel like a precursor to many of the elements we see in modern quilts today.  

p.s. Check out our E-Bay shop for great bargains on craft jewelry, quilt supplies, and collectibles!
For continuous free quilt patterns, please visit us on X (Twitter).      

Black Foot Boy's Shirt Quilt (1983) by Margaret Wood (Navajo & Seminole) quilted by Una Jarvis 

These stunning wall hangings by Margaret Wood were inspired by a Blackfeet boy's shirt made circa 1870. It's a wonderful color study with dark and lighter blues contrasting with yellow-orange. 

Blackfeet Color Study #2: Navy/Turquoise by Margaret Wood (Phoenix, Arizona) 

Even more minimalist, the navy/turquoise center of this quilt is a counterpoint to the Seminole-inspired border. So many precursors of modern quilting can be seen here. The center also reminds us of Amish bar quilts which are beautiful in their simplicity.

Image credits: Quilts are from a collection at Michigan State University. Photos were taken at the 2025 QuiltCon show in Phoenix, Arizona.

Highlights of Quilt Arizona! (1)

The 2025 Quilt Arizona show features hundreds of quilters, many of whom spend the winter months in this sunny locale.  Here are some highlights from the show.  We hope you enjoy our photos!

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

PIMA, made and quilted by Deb Deaton  

Winner of 1st Place in the Art-Innovative category, and Best of Show, Deb Deaton says: "When I create art, I think of how I can make it stand out, be different. PIMA took more than a year to complete with over 1000 pieces of fabric, needle felting, and mixed media (wow!)

Inspired by a copyright-free photo found on the Unsplash photography website; the image was altered significantly in creating this work of art. The painterly effects were created with silk threads, hand dyed fabrics, and mixed media including inks, pastels, & paints.  

 To Walk in Beauty by Jane McCabe, quilted by Rose Maynes

This incredible quilt won 1st Place in its category (Pieced - Large Duet), and a special award for Exemplary Machine Quilting - Computer Guided. Jane McCabe says: "To honor Arizona Native American art aesthetics, the center medallion pattern is "Hopi Basketry" by Southwest Decoratives. 

 Jane McCabe says that pieced borders of pineapple blocks, half-square triangles, and flying geese squares echo Navajo and Zuni rugs and pottery designs.  The quilting by Rose Maynes represents tribal design forms.

Faceted Jewels in Blue by Judy Locke, quilted by Penny Boese  

Winner of 1st Place in the Modern - Duet category, this brilliant quilt was based on a published design called Faceted Jewels from Paper Pieced Modern by Amy Garro.  

Judy Locke says, "I had seen this pattern in the Paper Pieced Modern book and wanted to make it when I found the right fabrics. A new collection called Ebb & Flow from Windham Fabrics was available in the summer of 2024.  The collection's geometric designs and solids work together well creating the faceted jewels."  It was machine quilted by Penny Boese, who echoed the geometric designs of the pieced blocks using blue thread to emphasize the "jewels". 

Go West by Naomi Marin, quilted by Matt Seamons  

 This fantastic Southwestern design quilt won 1st Place in the Pieced - Small Duet category. Naomi Marin says: "The indigenous designs of tribes across the world have always been interesting to me. They express a message or tell a story. In the pattern Go West (by Bonjour Quilts) I find the colors striking and the sharp points are perfectly placed for a stunning pattern."

 Wildflowers at the Cabin, made and quilted by Jo Ann Kilgroe  

We loved this original quilt with its pineapple blocks and colorful, appliqued flowers. Winner of 1st place in the Mixed Technique - Solo category, Jo Ann Kilgroe says, "Camping in the mountains and seeing all of the brilliant wildflowers is a favorite of mine." Here you can see sunflowers, poppies, and other mountain flowers that echo the primary colors in the pineapple blocks.

Jo Ann says, "Paper pieced scrappy pineapple blocks in numerous rich colors [were used] for my background.  Then I drew up an assortment of wildflowers, placed them on a vine, and then appliqued it all on my blocks." 

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

Note: This post has some affiliate links for products cited by these artists. Even if you don’t want to buy the items online, you could buy them at your local craft store. If you do make a purchase from one of these links, we’ll make a small commission. There is no additional cost to you.

Welcome to the Quilt Fiesta! (4)

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 4.

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

Four Little Cowpokes, made and quilted by Lisa Fryxell

Lisa Fryxell says, "Thanks to my friend, Lynn Rubel, for allowing me to make a quilt featuring her mom (in red) and uncle, with their cousins from Illinois at Arivaca Ranch in 1935. The original photo was black and white."

Lisa Fryxell is known for her paper-piecing patterns, and it's impressive to see the photo-realism she achieved in this original portrait quilt.  

Echoes of the Past by Kay Walen, quilted by Laura Farnham 

Each feature appliqued block is surrounded by small blocks, many of which are pieced, adding to the extraordinary detail in this quilt. Kay Walen says, "This quilt pattern reminded me of prehistoric art - prevalent in the Southwest.  I decided to hone my blanket stitch applique technique and enjoyed the process." (Pattern source: Echoes of the Past by Elizabeth Anne.)

(Note: The printed card next to this quilt said "quilted by Laura Faenham"; we are assuming this is a typo, so have tentatively corrected the spelling to Laura Farnham.)

Beach Boards and Balls, made and quilted by Nancy Zeller

This small improvisational art piece really captured our attention with its energy and sense of movement.  It was inspired by the fibert art of Sue Benner, a member of SAQA.  Nancy Zeller says, "This piece was created for a monthly challenge in our Art Quilt Group to emulate the artist drawn (selected) for that month."  We loved the end result.

Remembering Nancy, made and quilted by Tami Graeber

Winner of a blue ribbon for 1st place in the applique category, Tami Graeber says: "This original design was made in remembrance of Nancy Arsenault, my friend and mentor. Machine applique was her favorite technique." Some of the beautiful details can be seen in the closeup photos.

The quilt was "inspired by a Victorian tile I own. Heavy background quilting [was used] to make the design pop." Fancy double prairie point edges add to the piece, shown below.

African Art by Janet Chumbley, quilted by Quality Quilterz

We loved this quilt, which was made with random African fabric pieces with occasional thin strips of black fabric to set off the blocks.  Janet Chumbley says,"Over the years, I had collected several different pieces of African fabric.  Eventually I had to figure out a use for them. I tried to just use yellows, reds and black." Her choice and expert arrangement of the fabrics makes for a fabulous composition.

Note: If you enjoyed this post you might also be interested in our Free Pattern Day for Africa Inspired Quilts (CLICK HERE!)

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

Welcome to the Sun

Each fall and winter, millions of North Americans head South, seeking the sun.  The snowbirds often land in Arizona, Florida, and other warm climates.  Here are some wonderful wall quilts and sampler quilts that celebrate the warmth of Arizona and the Southwest.

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

My Christmas Cactus, made and quilted by Palma Davis

Palma Davis says, "This wall hanging shows our magnificent Saguaro in the morning, midnight, and sunset."  We love the fabric choices for the backgrounds, Saguaros, and even the stony base of the quilt. Pattern source: Sonoran Saguaro by Copper Thimble Makery.

Sun Kachina, made and quilted by Karen Neuendorf

The Sun Kachina is one of the most famous of the Hopi Kachina figures, and is a symbol of life and growth. This wonderful art quilt is appliqued, and the feathers are 36-gauge copper, tooled and stained with alcohol inks. The border batik fabric has southwest patterns as well. (Note: Karen Neuendorf is a member of the NW Tucson Art Quilters group.)

Welcome to Arizona, made and quilted by Wendy Anderson.

Wendy Anderson says, "When I first moved to Tucson, Arizona, I was drawn to all the wonderful, colorful southwest fabrics. This pattern was a perfect opportunity to use and show off those fabrics." We spy cowboy boots, the Arizona symbol, Saguaro cacti, Pueblo, Kokopelli and petroglyphs in this design. Wendy says that this great quilt was based on a 'Happy Trails, Cactus Quilt pattern' (we're still searching for the pattern source.) We enjoyed all the blocks, including the sun over the mountain (or 'moon over mountain') row shown below.

Beautiful Desert by Karen Chrisman, quilted by Brenda Taminga. 

This was a block-of-the-month project started in June 2019.  Karen Chrisman says, "During the shutdown in March 2020, the last 3 blocks were mailed to me.  I added my own designs to set the blocks, creating a beautiful southwest theme." Pattern source: Blockbuster "Desert Beauty" BOM, Quilters' Market. The half-square triangle blocks shown below give the appearance of mountains, while the quarter Dresden plate depicts the sun.

 Arizona Adventure, made and quilted by Barbara Lambrecht. 

Barbara Lambrecht says, "This is my first quilt, a BOM challenge from Saddlebrooke Ranch Piecemakers. I started it 5 months late but finished on time.  We were encouraged to add our own touches to the simple block pattern we were given along with two fat quarters required to use for each block.  I love the way it turned out."  Fussy-cut circles serve as medallions in the corners of some blocks, shown below.

Note: If you enjoyed this post you might be interested in our Free Pattern Day for Southwestern quilts (CLICK HERE):

Image credits: Original quilt photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2023 and 2024 Tucson Quilters Guild show.

 

Highlights of the Utah quilt show (3)

Each year, the Springville Museum of Art (Utah) has one of the best quilt shows in the country.  It features award-winning quilts from Utah, a state blessed with an abundance of accomplished quilters. Here are some highlights of this year's show!

Note: please check out our E-Bay shop for great bargains on quilt patterns and collectibles ! For continuous free quilt patterns, please visit us on Twitter ! 

Vintage Southwest by Marian Murdock (Mapleton, Utah)

We love the Southwest colors and images in this striking wall quilt with its cloud-shaped appliqued scenes. 

Marian Murdock designed the quilt around a rare vintage Alexander Henry fabric. Marian says, "After I received [the fabric], the big question was how do I use it and show the print?  After several failed attempts I finally came up with this design that didn't take away from the fabric I had fallen in love with." 

 Perspective by Megan Cresap Legas (Provo, Utah)

Hundreds of 1-inch fabric strips were used to create this tumbling blocks quilt! Each block was made with 24 different strips. Megan Cresap Legas says, "I have a very deep basket of 1" strips that I like to experiment with.  This is the result of one of those experiments.  I thought the strips would add extra depth to a large Tumbling Blocks design.  The setting was designed to enhance the illusion of real stacked blocks."

 The Boys on the Block by Marian Eason (Moab, Utah)

Winner of a blue ribbon (Award of Excellence), this very artistic quilt features three charming guinea fowl.  Marian Eason says, "This year our guild's annual challenge theme was 'Lotsa Dots'. At least 50% of the top had to be dotted fabric. Guinea Fowl are naturally dotted so they seemed a good choice for my quilt. They come in a range of colors so I made one blue. I was surprised to find so many dotted fabrics already in my stash, so I only bought a few additional pieces."

 Happy Dolphin Family by Jean Thornock (Provo, Utah), quilted by Amity Golding

Dolphins frolic among the "waves" of this lovely baby quilt. Batik fabrics from light to dark give the impression of the deep blue sea. Jean Thornock says this is one of a series of baby quilts which she has made over the years. "Since I didn't start quilting until my grandchildren were all grown these are for my future great grandchildren."

 Straits of Mackinac by Lani Brower (Orem, Utah), quilted by Peggy Cameron

We can never resist a storm-at-sea type quilt, and this one is a real beauty. Lani Brower says, "I pieced this quilt in a Bonnie Hunter class on Mackinac Island, Michigan at the Grand Hotel (think Somewhere in Time...) It was magical! Loads of string piecing and Tri-Recs [ruler] work, but definitely worth it!" Close inspection reveals tons of fun fabric prints which add interest.

Urban Cabin Vibes by Deanne Kuhni (Park City, Utah), quilted by Emily Herrick

Deanne Kuhni won a blue ribbon (Award of Excellence) for this very contemporary log cabin quilt! She explains, "I quilted when I was a young mother until I became too busy... now I am a grandmother and I have recaptured the luxury of free time. All my life I have loved subdued colors, so when I approached this quilt, I relished the bold design and colorful fabrics. A complete departure from "me!"

Deanne's colorful log cabin blocks are made with skinny strips, which are wider on the outside of the block and skinnier in the middle, creating an optical illusion of depth. A similar design can be seen in Tara Faughnan's Modern Log Cabin pattern. Deanne set off her large log cabin blocks with smaller pieced squares so that each block really stands out.

 Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2022 Springville (Utah) quilt show.