Improvisational piecing: Round Trip!

Today's featured quilt was inspired by the quarter circle or drunkard's path shapes. Seen another way, these resemble three-quarters Dresden wheels.  We love the complimentary colors and improvisational piecing! Also scroll down for two FREE patterns for Dresden wheel quilts.

Round Trip by Mary Landon (Florida) @addictedtofabric 

Mary Landon says she began piecing these blocks improvisationally, but then switched to newspaper foundations. She says, [I'm] "still trying to use up scraps, this time green, pink and blue."   The background was improvisationally pieced as well.The techniques used include machine piecing, improvisational piecing, and machine quilting on a longarm. 

Photos of Round Trip by Mary Landon were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2025 QuiltCon show.  For similar (but conventionally-pieced) designs, check out the FREE patterns below!

Four Eyes quilt, free pattern by Tamara Kate for Michael Miller Fabrics  (CLICK for PDF download!) 

Round Robin quilt, free pattern by Natalie Crabtree for Michael Miller Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download!) 

 

Ties that Bind : Necktie Quilts!

Whenever we see a quilt made from neckties, we're intrigued! Silk ties make wonderful memory quilts and gifts for men. Here are some examples of what can be achieved with a silk tie collection and some ingenuity.

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Silk Tie Twist, made and quilted by Jude Martin

We love the strong contrasts in this drunkard's path variation, made with silk ties against a bright white backdrop. Winner of a ribbon (3rd place) in the Scrap-Solo category at a 2025 show, Jude Martin says: "Many years ago I started collecting silk ties that I deconstructed and fused to interfacing. They sat in a box and every one in awhile I would pull them out and try making a block or two and decide I didn't like the pattern until I picked up a Sew Kind of Wonderful book and found just the right pattern. 

The design is Contempo Twist by Jenny Pedigo & Helen Robinson at Sew Kind of Wonderful. The pattern is in the book titled One Wonderful Curve: 12 Contemporary Quilts (available on Amazon and other quilt book sources.)  There are lots of fun silk ties to see in this quilt!

Memory of my Brother by Gail Duffy, quilted by Jeanne Marquardt

This wonderful quilt was made by Gail Duffy in memory of her brother, who passed away.  She took his silk ties and made this quilt for his children.  We like the way in which this criss-cross design has points that mimic the original tie shapes.

The design for the above quilt was a pattern called Daisy Craze, in the quilt book titled Around the Bend by Janet Rae Nesbitt.  

If you have a tie collection, you might also be interested in this FREE pattern: Ties That Bind quilt, 72” square, free pattern by Deirdre Bond-Abel for Marcus Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)!

Also check out this cute Patchwork Tote bag made from silk ties; you can download the FREE pattern at Yarnspirations (CLICK for PDF download)!

 For more tie quilt inspiration, check out our very first posts: Necktie Quilts for Dad (CLICK HERE) AND All Tied Up: Quilts Made from Neckties (CLICK HERE)! 

 

Image credits: Photos of Silk Tie Twist and Memory of my Brother were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2025 Quilt Arizona show.  This post has some affiliate links for products we think you’ll like. If you make a purchase from one of these links, we’ll make a small commission. There is no additional cost to you, but it helps us a little with our costs.

Windham Fabrics 2025 Challenge Quilts

One of the top exhibits at the recent QuiltCon show was the Ruby+Bee fabric challenge! The featured speaker for this show, Tara Faughnan, selected six beautiful solids from the fabric collection. Quilters were instructed to use from 3 to 6 colors in the palette to create their quilt. It was so much fun to see what quilters came up with!

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

Folk Bloom No. 2 by Jenn McMillan (Ontario, Canada) @jennmcmillan

Jenn McMillan says, "Based on an original drawing, and inspired by symmetrical folk floral motifs, the design was created as an ode to my love and obsession with the Evil Eye.  A charm to protect oneself from evil, ill intentions or inadvertent curses, I also see it as a reminder to be kind lest I unintentionally curse someone with my RBF." [We had to look up RBF to see what the acronym stands for... LOL!]

In this closeup photo you can see the blue stitching lines that make up the iris of the eye! This quilt was machine pieced and hand appliqued with needle-turn applique. The heart was foundation paper pieced and tied with matching thread.  Other areas were machine quilted without a frame, using a domestic machine with a walking foot. p.s.  Jenn made great use of the 6 fabrics offered in the challenge, shown below:

 

Reverb by Michaela Romesburg (California) @Michaela_G_Romesburg.  

Winner of 1st Place in the quilt challenge, this stunner is a modern twist on a classic log cabin design. Michaela Romesburg says: "My hope was to create movement through the utilization of color and pattern.  The combination of warm and cool colors create the illusion of space and depth. The added hand applique ring adds to the illusion of reverberation."

Michaela explains that Reverb was designed with harmony, balance and depth in mind. The exceptionally straight fabric lines were foundation paper pieced (FPP).  The final product was machine quilted without a frame using a domestic machine. 

Petal Blossom Fabric Challenge by Jenn Smith (Washington, USA) @Jenn B Quilts

Petal Blossom is a quilt pattern which Jenn Smith designed in the fall of 2024.  At first glance it looks familiar - an orange peel block.  But then you notice it's also a Drunkard's Path* block, with the orange peel sitting inside the Drunkard's path, creating a new block.  We love the way in which Jenn Smith used the challenge fabrics to maximize contrasts. This piece was machine pieced and longarm machine quilted.

 *If you enjoyed this post, you might also be interested in our Free Pattern Day for Drunkard's Path Quilts (CLICK HERE!)

 

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

 

Red Heart Love

Happy February! Hearts are on our minds. Here is an original quilt made with Drunkard's Path blocks with a very clever design. Red Heart Love was displayed in a special exhibit on Curved Patchwork at the recent Quilt Arizona show.  Fascinating effects were achieved with these curved blocks!

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Red Heart Love by Ellen Born, quilted by Sharon Elsberry 

Ellen Born says, "Red Heart Love" was made in 2008 after I learned how to sew Drunkard's Path blocks and was fascinated with the designs that could be created with the curved blocks. The red heart fabrics make a great February wall hanging to celebrate love."  Sharon Elsberry did some beautiful professional machine quilting in the blocks and background.

Image credits: Photos of Red Heart Love were taken at the 2025 Quilt Arizona show.  If you enjoyed this post, you might also love our Free Pattern Day for Drunkard's Path Quilts (CLICK HERE and download your favorites today!)

 

Free pattern day! Drunkard's Path quilts

Welcome to our Free Pattern Day! Today we're featuring Drunkard's Path quilts.  These quilts are made with quarter-circle blocks, and there are many fun variations! To go to a pattern: Scroll down the page until you see the quilt you like, then click on the words "CLICK for PDF download" in the title above the quilt. Download your favorites TODAY!

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.

Imagination quilt, 89" square, free pattern by Natalie Crabtree for Windham Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Mythical Lanterns quilt, 72" square, free pattern by Jen Carlton Bailly for Robert Kaufman Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

A Walk in the Woods, 48" x 56", free pattern by Heather Hasthorpe for Oakshott Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Dancing Blooms blocks, free pattern at Art Gallery Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Drunkard's Path wall quilt, free pattern by Birch Creative (CLICK for PDF download)

 Freesia quilt, 60" square, free pattern by Art Gallery Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

 

Adele quilt, 86" square, free pattern by Art Gallery Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

 

Between Worlds quilt, 72" square, free pattern by Giucy Giuce for Andover Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Bandana Blooms quilt, ~62 x 80", free pattern by Anthology Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Bodacious Blooms quilt,  free pattern by Linda & Carl Sullivan for Keiko Goke at Free Spirit Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Caribbean Ginkgo quilt, 60 x 72", free pattern by Heidi Pridemore for Anthology Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Circles quilt, free pattern by Tara Faughnan for Michael Miller Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Agneta Pillow, free pattern by Art Gallery Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Damas quilt, 85" square, free pattern by Art Gallery Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Drunkard's Planet quilt, 50" square, free pattern by Heidi Pridemore for Windham Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Flower Crowns quilt, 40" square, free pattern by Art Gallery Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Freckles quilt, 62 x 72", free pattern by Tula Pink for Free Spirit Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Going in Circles quilt, free pattern by Cyndi Hershey for P&B Textiles (CLICK for PDF download)

Good Fortune quilt, 58" square, free pattern by Riley Blake Designs (CLICK for PDF download)

Head in the Clouds quilt and pillows, free patterns at Tilda's World (CLICK for Pillow PDF) + (CLICK for quilt PDF)

 

Jelly Bean Trees quilt, 64 x 72", free pattern by Moda Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Meadow Lane quilt, 60 x 72", free pattern by Stacey Day for P&B Textiles (CLICK for PDF download)

Midnight Pond quilt, ~78" x 100", free pattern by Wendy Sheppard for Anthology Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Party Town quilt, 63" square, free pattern by Libs Elliott for Andover Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Path to the 60s quilt, ~56 x 68", free pattern by Vicki Stratton for Hoffman Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Peacock Pavilion quilt, free pattern by Jessee Maloney for Michael Miller Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Primitiva quilt, 63 x 70", free pattern by Barbara Persing for Andover Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Quatrefoil Trellis quilt, 64 x 96", free pattern by Casey York for Windham Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Revolutions quilt, 72" square, free pattern by Natalie Crabtree for Windham Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Skygazing in the Thicket quilt, 72" square, free pattern by Giucy Giuce for Andover Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Springtime Garlands quilt, free pattern by Amanda Murphy for Robert Kaufman Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Twist of Lime quilt, 60 x 72", free pattern by Windham Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Winding Trails quilt, 63 x 72", free pattern by Lisa Swenson Ruble for Windham Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Stream Rhythm quilt, 60 x 80", free pattern by Free Spirit Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Radiant Night quilt, 50" square, free pattern by RaNae Merrill for Blank Quilting (CLICK for PDF download)

Positive Influence quilt, 64" square, free pattern at Windham Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Love Rings quilt, free pattern at Pellon Projects (CLICK for PDF download)

Image credits: NOTE:  This post was updated on February 11, 2026.  Individual images are copyrighted by their owners. Please respect their generosity in sharing their free patterns, and the restrictions they have placed on the use of these designs; complete information can be found at the designers' websites provided in the links. The photo montage shown on this page is a derivative work that is the property of Quilt Inspiration. If any links are broken, we'd love to know so we can fix it. Please email us at QuiltInspiration {at} gmail {dot} com.