Mythical Creatures

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.

Midsummer Night Dream Dancers, 42 x 42.5", by Lynne S Dallmeyer-Hartman (Florida), quilted by Julia Quiltoff

This wonderful quilt includes a unicorn, dragons, and other fantastical beasts. Lynne Dallmeyer-Hartman says, "Have you ever wondered what it would be like to dance among mythical creatures? As I was creating this quilt, I envisioned these creatures frolicking across meadows in a summer moonlit night. The magnificent blues along with the exquisite quilting make these mystical creatures come to life."  

The quilt center was based on a design [Fantasy Meets at Midnight] by Michele Hill at William Morris in Quilting.

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

Quilts of Australia

At the recent Pacific International Quilt Festival, we saw a beautiful display of quilts from Australia, a country of many talented quilt artists !  We hope you enjoy some of the highlights of this exhibit!

Self Portrait with Machine, 38 x 38, by Ronda Hazell

Ronda explains, "This is one version of myself, in my happy place with my favorite sewing machine. I am disupted and interrupted from my activity momentarily. The background is a Drunkard's Path [pattern] in a combination of commercial fabrics, hand dyed after quilting with applique as the main design."

We love the look of contentment and productivity on Ronda's face ! She reminds us that every day is a good day to quilt. Her original design is machine pieced, machine appliqued, and sewing machine quilted.

Teatime in Wonderland, 33 x 55,  by Jessica Dobson

Blue ribbon winner for Best of Country in the World Quilt Exhibition, Jessica notes, "I love the characters out of the movie "Alice in Wonderland", and I thought it would be fun to create a quilt with them. The background has been created with fabric dyes. The characters are all raw edge fabric collage. Lace has been added to sleeves and the binding. "

What a great expression on the face of the giant White Rabbit, one of the memorable characters in classic children's literature ! Jessica's original design is machine pieced, machine appliqued, free-motion embroidered, and sewing machine quilted.

Dragon Magic, 36 x 36, by Silke Steuxner

Silke writes, "Dragon Magic is a quilt that encourages tearing down the borders of rigid beliefs that things only exist which are visible to the naked eye. Let's build bridges that open and allow us entry into a magical world where fairies and dragons exist. Be brave and curious like the little fairy that builds a bridge by approaching the majestic dragon on the wings of a dragonfly."

Silke's lovely work has such an enchanted, fanciful touch to it ! Her original design is machine appliqued and longarm machine quilted.

Night Moves 36 x 36, by Sue de Vanny

Sue notes that the subject for her quilt  is the Tasmanian Masked Owl. It was first discovered in Tasmania, which is an isolated island state off Australia's south coast. Sue says, "I've depicted him coming in and ready to pick up its prey to feed its family."

Sue continues, " [This quilt has a ] pieced and painted background with the owl and tree trunk appliqued and thread sketched, then quilting and beading added."
We love these intricate embellishments which give such an expressive, soulful look to the owl's face.

Deceptive Markings, 65" x 53", by Sue de Vanny

Sue de Vanny says that the center of Deceptive Markings is a preprinted panel from Reece Scannell of trees and statues, done in symmetry.  "I saw an elephant head [within] the image.  Piecing the base and then appliqueing the ears, tusks, and trunk created the distortion to give more roundness."

The elephant's eyes were thread sketched to make them realistic.  Sue used metallic threads to quilt around the trees, and added tulle for value and depth on ears. This very creative piece is machine pieced, machine appliqued, and sewing machine quilted.


Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2019 Pacific International Quilt Festival.

The Quilts of Karlyn Bue Lohrenz

Karlyn Bue Lohrenz of Montana started taking quilt classes as a way of coping with the stages of grief after her sixteen year old daughter tragically lost her life in a car accident in 1989. As her success grew, she was invited to display her work in the "Rising Stars" exhibit at the 2017 Houston International Quilt Festival.
We greatly admire Karlyn's fantastic work, so we'd like to share it with you !

Calamari Time by Karlyn Lohrenz

Karlyn's inspiration for this amazing contemporary art quilt was a photo of a water fountain. She says, "Fiberart is such a wonderful medium to use in creation. From vision to image, every step fuels creativity. I challenged myself on working with gradation values in fabric, precision, shading, depth, and creativity in free-motion quilting. It is humbling to be part of the community who utilizes this medium. "

Close-up, Calamari Time

Rich, complementary color-saturated hues of purple, orange-yellow and apricot really bring out the sparkle in this pattern. Calamari Time is machine pieced, appliqued, quilted, and trapuntoed.

Bengal Peace by Karlyn Lohrenz

For this fabulous piece, Karlyn was inspired by the teachings of quilt artists Hollis Chatelain and Barbara Olson . Karlyn remarks, "I studied and explored the Royal White Bengal. The White Bengal is believed to have been extinct from the wild since 1958. Less than 400 were in the captive world at the time I made this quilt. What fun it was to take this quilt from thought to reality."
 
 Close-up, Bengali Peace

We were impressed by the amazing life-like markings on the tiger's face and its piercing eyes, which seem to follow the viewer's gaze. This stunning work is machine quilted and painted.

Montana Tigers by Karlyn Lohrenz

The design source for this vibrant work was photos of tiger lily flowers. Karlyn notes, "These beauties are in my flowerbeds every fall. We are so blessed to work in a medium where we can create these image that float in our heads.I tried to give them the attention they deserved. A quilt is complete when it is shared."

Close-up, Montana Tigers

This beautiful threadwork replicates the tiny lines and veins in the flower petals which give them such a depth of color. Montana Tigers is machine-pieced, appliqued, and quilted, plus trapuntoed.

We're Not In Kansas Anymore II by Karlyn Lohrenz

Karlyn's design source for this magical, imaginative quilt was the great story, "The Wizard of Oz" by L.Frank Baum. She states, "This was a challenge that tried my patience, tested, my discipline, and stirred up pleasant memories from childhood. I hope my interpretation of the journey to the Emerald City sparks the enthusiasm of the child in all of us."

Close-up,  We're Not In Kansas Anymore II

Here's the beloved characters of Dorothy, the Tin Man, the Scarecrow, and of course the Lion on their way to a marvelous adventure down the yellow brick road

And of course,  the adorable Toto is included, against a beautifully quilted background. Karlyn's techniques include machine piecing, applique, quilting, and thread painting.

It All Comes Around by Karlyn Lohrenz

Karlyn's inspiration for this gorgeous quilt were circles and a path to and from Montana and Germany. Karlyn writes, "I watched my 17 year old granddaughter apply, interview, and accept a full ride scholarship to study abroad. We went through many emotions as a family. I finished this quilt the day she was greeted by her host family in Germany."

Close-up, It All Comes Around

Karlyn's spectacular work is machine pieced, appliqued, and quilted, felted, and overlaid. The lovely warm colors really create a glowing effect for this contemporary quilt.

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the Houston International Quilt Festival (2017).

Celtic Quilt Inspiration

Happy St. Patrick's Day (17 March!) The holiday commemorates Saint Patrick, the primary patron saint of Ireland, and celebrates the heritage and culture of the Irish.  To honor the occasion, we're featuring a selection of Irish themes and some beautiful green quilts.  Erin Go Bragh!
Please note: We're continually posting free patterns on Twitter ! Check us out @quiltinspire.

Faerie Quilt by Bobbie Bergquist at Quilters Treasure (New Hampshire)

Fairies feature heavily in Irish mythology. This stained glass quilt features hand-marbled fabric and the following Celtic patterns from Quilters Treasure: Celtic Fairie, Fairie Lights, Hazel Fairie, Ivy Fairie, and Willow Fairie.  The stained glass is made with LeadLine, a narrow (3/16") flexible bias tape.  The braid is colored with metallic Tsukineko ink.  Here is a closeup of the Celtic Faerie:

Book of Kells by Karen G. Fisher

Book of Kells won 1st place in the Mixed Techniques - Small category at the 2015 Arizona Quilters' Guild show.  It was inspired by medieval manuscript illustration, beginning with the Book of Kells from Ireland. Gold fabrics and embellishments honor the use of real gold on the original manuscripts.

There is an amazing amount of detail in Book of Kells including bias strip appliqued circles and ovals, piping, appliqued crosses, and borders of tiny blocks.

Pixie Fairy by Margie Huber (Kingman, Arizona), quilted by Stephanie Davis

Pixie Fairy is based on an original drawing by Pandi Patterson, re-designed by Sharon Schamber and Margie Huber.  The face was painted by Sharon Schamber.  Sharon Schamber's art quilt techniques are explained in her Quilt Fairy DVD. Check out the yarn for hair on the fairy and for the flower centers.  

My Two Color Quilt by Gloria Jean Hartley (Mapleton, Utah), quilted by Carole Lifferth

For this quilt, Gloria Jean Hartley used only two colors of fabric:  10 green and 9 cream. The additional color you see is in the machine embroidery threads that surround the applique.  Gloria's lovely creation is based on the Sincerely Yours machine embroidery pattern by Smith Street Designs.  We love the soothing spring color scheme and leafy fabrics.

March Mania mini quilt by Kathy Stark (California)

Cathy Stark says that March Mania is her take on a Courthouse Steps pattern.  We love the shamrock fabrics and the meandering border design! It was begun as a calendar quilt block in a class taught by Megan Selby and Cindy Sloneker.  

Tree of Life by Karen G. Fisher

This beautiful Tree of Life wall quilt won 2nd place in the Pieced-Small Quilt division at the 2015 Arizona Quilters' Guild show.  The beaded tree, created with iridescent beads, can be seen because of its sparkle.  Karen says, "Our lives should sparkle to light up a sometimes dreary world."

Karen G. Fisher is the author of Easy Grid Quilts published by AQS.  This quilt is a miniature version of her Herringbone Grid design.

Learning to Navigate, 94 x 89",  by Barbara Henderson (Pinetop, Arizona), quilted by Pat Doro

This quilt inspired us with its beautiful forest green color scheme.  Barbara Henderson did a spectacular job with the fabric selection and piecing. The description reads, "Barbara arrived at a Judy Niemeyer Mariner's Compass class totally unprepared for the complexity of the design.  With scraps of green and gold fabric, she took a deep breath, tried not to cry, and pushed on."  The quilting by Pat Doro was done in gold thread, which really stands out against the dark background.

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2015 Arizona Quilters' Guild show (Book of Kells, Tree of Life, & Pixie Fairy);  the 2015 Springville Quilt Show (Utah; My Two Color Quilt); the 2015 Diablo Valley Quilters' Guild show (California; March Mania); the 2016 AQS QuiltWeek (Learning To Navigate).  Bobbie Bergquist was on the Special Faculty at the 2014 Road to California (Faerie Quilt).

Best of the 2015 World Quilt Show in Florida - part 4

Florida's World Quilt Show in West Palm Beach is a great event to attend, amidst the warmth and sunshine, while most of the U.S.A. shivers under winter's blanket. We marveled at all the spectacular quilts from around the globe! Planet Earth indeed holds a huge variety of wonderful quilting talent. Here is our 4th and final post featuring the show.

Perseus Saving Andromeda, 79 x 66",  by Marilyn Belford, New York, USA

Winner of both the Viewer's Choice Award and an Honorable Mention in the Innovative Quilts category,  this quilt depicts an ancient Greek myth. Marilyn explains,  "When Cassiopeia's [pride] leads her to boast that her daughter Andromeda is more beautiful than the Nereids (the female spirits of the sea waters), King Poseidon chains Andromeda to a rock and sends a sea monster after her. [She] is saved by Perseus, her future husband. ...Made with commercial fabric, fusible web, and thread sketching. Long arm quilted.  No inks or paints applied."

Close up, Perseus Saving Andromeda by Marilyn Belford

Marilyn has created a wonderfully ferocious sea monster, with the sharpest "teeth" we've ever seen on a quilt. She has really brought the myth of Perseus and Andromeda to life. Marilyn's original design is machine appliqued and machine quilted.

Littering the Sky with Diamonds, 33 x 49", by Jane Hopkins (UK)

Jane notes, "As the song says, the diamonds are in the sky and the inspiration came from an art nouveau calendar. Techniques include hand-sewn hexagons which are quilted by machine with a diamond pattern. The figure and lamp are machined trapunto to bring extra loft. There is also machine applique using mostly hand-dyed fabric with extra embroidery and hand-crafted cords."

Close up, Littering the Sky with Diamonds by Jane Hopkins, U.K.

In this close-up you can see the background in deep hues, made from hand-sewn hexagons. You can also see the pretty embellishments of strands of pearls in pastel shades, along with crystals.  This charming "flapper girl", reminiscent of the Jazz Age of the 1920's, looks as if she's all ready for a night on the town.

Flower Fantasy, 58 x 46", by Tamar Ophir ,Israel

The ombre monochromatic fabrics in Tamar's quilt glow so beautifully, they look as if they are lit from behind. We really enjoyed this elegant, symmetrical piece which reminds us of a stained glass window.

Close up, Flower Fantasy by Tamar Ophir

Flower Fantasy is machine appliqued, pieced, and quilted. You can see the satin stitching in black thread on the edges of the pieces.  The echo quilting pattern brings out the gentle curves of the flowers and surrounding stems.

In The Fabric's Path, 42 x 42", by Orna Shahar, Israel

We love eye-catching quilts with all (or most) of the colors of the rainbow, and this one's no exception. Look at all the different fabrics in this energetic contemporary spiral! It must have been so fun and so rewarding to design and piece this vivid modern work.

Close up, In The Fabric's Path by Orna Shahar (Israel)

Tamar's vibrant creation is appliqued, pieced, and quilted by machine. She's made excellent use of  blended deep blue fabrics with lighter tints as a neutral background to showcase these radiant colors.

A Newborn Star, 62 x 54", by Atsuko Matsubara ,Japan

Blue ribbon winner for Best Use of Color in the Innovative category, Atsuko's dynamic contemporary quilt  exemplifies the "Big Bang" theory of the creation of the universe.  As the star is born from a whirling, circular vortex, chunks of angular ice and rocks fly around it.

close up, A Newborn Star by Atsuko Matsubara

Atsuko's original design is all hand pieced, hand appliqued, and hand quilted. She's done a stunning job of juxtaposing cool silver grays, blacks, and glacial whites, with warm rust, cinnamon, tangerine, and apricot hues.

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration.