Main Street on Independence Day

Does your home town celebrate the 4th of July? Also known as Independence Day, this US holiday commemorates the passage of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.  We always enjoy the fireworks and the red, white and blue decorations - including quilts!  Today's featured quilt really sparkles with red, white and blue fabrics and pinwheels.

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Main Street on Independence Day, made and quilted by Carol Pavey McConahy (Icy Swan Creations)

Carol Pavey McConahy based this wonderful quilt on the Main Street quilt pattern by Sassafras Lane Design.  The flying geese borders were her original design to make the quilt wide enough for a queen-size bed. She used 20 different red fabrics and 14 blue fabrics for the top. The pure red and blue colors are the perfect combination. We love the "confetti" fabric in the background!

 (Happy 4th of July to all!) 

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

Free pattern day! Pink quilts

Here are FREE patterns for PINK quilts! Pink is a delicate color that represents romance and femininity, and feelings of tenderness and hope. Pink ribbons have become the symbol of Breast Cancer Awareness. 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" (or the hyperlinked website name) in the title above the quilt.  

Also check out our E-Bay shop for great bargains on quilt patterns, books, and collectible items !
For more free quilt patterns, please visit us on Twitter.

Whirl quilt, ~48 x 60”, free pattern by Mary McGuire for RJR Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download) 

Friendship Stars quilt, 51 x 59”, free pattern by Patti Carey for Northcott (CLICK for PDF download)

Stars for Hope quilt, 48" square, free pattern by Hilary Bobker for Windham Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Still Chasing the Cure quilt, 57 x 82”, free pattern by Hilary Bobker for Windham Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download) 

Pink Ribbon quilt, 47 x 58”, free pattern by Gina Gempesaw for Quilter’s World (CLICK for PDF download) 

Hope Springs Eternal quilt, 24 x 30", free pattern by Hilary Bobker for Windham Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Pink Ribbon – Intertwined quilt, 43 x 60”, free pattern by Patti Carey for Northcott Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Luminous quilt, 48 x 60”, free pattern by Ariga Mahmoudlou for Robert Kaufman Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Starlight Tea quilt, 65 x 74”, free pattern by Elise Lea for Robert Kaufman Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Charmer quilt, ~51 x 64”, free pattern at Dear Stella Design (CLICK for PDF download)

Bunny Love quilt, 52” square, free pattern by Heidi Pridemore for Studio E Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)  

Twinkle Fairies quilt, 48 x 59”, free pattern by Marsha Moore for Michael Miller Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Wee Ones pink quilt, 36 x 48”, free pattern by Project House 360 for Michael Miller Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Hugs quilt, 58 x 73”, free pattern at Robert Kaufman Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Basic Blocks quilt, 34 x 45”, free pattern at Robert Kaufman Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

 Pink Warrior - Twist and Turn quilt, 50 x70” or 54 x 74”, free pattern by Elaine Theriault for Northcott Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

 Hug Me quilt, 56 x 78”, and Hug Me 2 quilt, 68 x 86”, free pattern by Stephanie Sims for Clothworks Textiles (CLICK for PDF download) 

I Love Flamingos quilt, 48 x 60”, free pattern by Heidi Pridemore for Andover Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

 Sew In Love quilt, 64” square, free pattern by Riley Blake Designs (CLICK for PDF download)

Baskets in Bloom quilt, free pattern by Linda Ballard for Robert Kaufman Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

 Petals quilt, 40 x 55”, free pattern by Marinda Stewart for Michael Miller Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Pixelated Rose quilt, 66 x 78”, free pattern at Riley Blake Designs (CLICK for PDF download)

Rosalie wall quilt, 36 x 46”, free pattern by Flaurie & Finch for RJR Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

 Heart with a Cause block, 6” square, free paper piecing pattern by Jennifer Ofenstein at Sew Hooked  (CLICK for PDF download)

Choose Hope quilt, 60 x 60”, free pattern by Hilary Bobker for Windham Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Hope quilt, ~62” square, free pattern by Wendy Sheppard for Windham Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

 Ribbons of Hope mini quilt, 15” square, free pattern by Annis Clapp (CLICK for PDF download) 

Rose Garden quilt, 61 x 77", free pattern by Ariga Wilson for Robert Kaufman Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Image credits: This post was updated on April 8, 2025. 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 within the pattern and/or 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.

The Joy of Christmas

Today's theme is the Joy of Christmas, which is the title of this gorgeous wall quilt. It features ornaments, a tree with angel, gingerbread house, Santa Claus, and many more holiday motifs. We admired the beautiful hand applique work in each of the blocks.

Note: Please check out our eBay shop for great bargains on jewelry, fabric, and collectible items!   

The Joy of Christmas by Kay Walen, quilted by Whisper Stitch Studio.

This quilt is a combination of hand applique and machine piecing. Kay Walen says, "I chose this pattern as a challenge for my needle turn applique, machine piecing skills and visual appeal."  We took several closeup photos of Kay's beautiful blocks starting with Santa's sleigh, below, which is embellished with embroidery thread and beading.

We also loved the adorable gingerbread couple with their peppermint buttons and rick rack trim in the (see the photo below).

T The red and green plaid fabric makes a wonderful sashing to tie all the blocks together.  The truck hauling the Christmas tree (below) is even made from truck-themed fabric. We also enjoyed the lovely quilting by Whisper Stitch Studio.

NOTE:  The Joy of Christmas pattern is by Shabby Fabrics. Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2024 Tucson (Arizona) quilt show.

Twelve Days of Christmas Quilts ! Day 8

It 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...

p.s. Check out our many new listing at  Quilt Inspiration E-Bay !!  And for continuous free patterns, please follow us on Twitter !

Sparkle, 43 x 54", by Diane Thomson (California)

This Sparkle quilt really shines, with its cheerful red pinwheels amongs a sea of black and white fabrics!  Diane Thomson says the quilt was based on a pattern by Kim Brackett (who has authored several books on scrap quilting.)   Diane also notes that she had fun working with the many different black and white fabrics. The quilting designs (by The Granary) swirl and swoop across the quilt, reminding us of snow blowing in the wind on a wintry day.

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

24 Days of Christmas at Quilt Inspiration - Day 6

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 6.

Note: Please check out our eBay shop for great bargains on quilt patterns, fabric, and vintage estate jewelry! For free quilt patterns, please visit us on Twitter!

Snow Fun by Margie Brakefield

Margie Brakefield won Honorable Mention at the 2017 Arizona Quilters Guild show for this cute machine embroidered wall quilt.  It is based on the Candy Cane Christmas pattern by Claudia's Creations.  (As of this writing, the pattern is available here.)   The snowman in the photo below is decorating his tree with red and white candy canes.

Snowman self-affirmations are embroidered in the borders:

...along with some pretty metallic snowflakes:

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration.

Best of the Utah Quilt Show! (part 3)

Here are more outstanding quilts from the the 43rd Annual Springville (Utah) Quilt Show! This juried exhibition features quilts of all styles created by some of the State’s finest quilters. We are always impressed by the quality and beauty of the quilts by these Utah quilters.

Please note: We're continuously posting free patterns on Twitter !
We're also selling beautiful quilting and crafting books at low introductory prices on e-Bay!

Mariner's Compass by Josephine Keasler, quilted by Wade Wardrop

This Mariner's Compass design is by Judy Niemeyer. Josephine Keasler says, "The use of color was a challenge and a tool in making this quilt. I wanted the color placement to have a balance around the compass. This was accomplished by using a dark and a light of the 8 colors and moving the colors one position over every time I added another layer."

We loved the intricate, filigree-like quilting by Wade Wardrop as shown below:

Tessellation by Jen Van Orman, quilted by Kaylene Perry

Jen Van Orman says, "This quilt represents what quilting is to me: an art form. Whether a quilt is meant to hang on a wall, be used on a bed, or go with a family to soccer games, it is a piece of art that provides comfort and beauty." The tessellation quilt pattern is by Alison Glass, done in an ombre version with fabrics by Vanessa Christenson.

Paricutin by Maria Hawkins, quilted by Becky Morganson

This brilliant French braid quilt is done in 12 gradated hues of yellow, orange and red. Maria Hawkins says, "Paricutin was named for a volcano that grew from a corn field in Mexico where I lived as a child. I love to work with batiks, the color black, and any bright fabric." 

Flowers to Towers - Island in the Sky by Peggy Harty

Peggy Harty lives in Moab, Utah, near Canyonlands National Park. Peggy says: "In 2014, Canyonlands National Park celebrated its 50th anniversary. Our guild picked that theme for our annual challenge. I used one of my own photographs to create this quilt." In the closeup photo below, you can see French knots that represent flowers.

Dakota Sunset by Marian Murdock

Recipient of a blue ribbon and Award of Excellence, Marian Murdock says: "Dakota Sunset is my depiction of the beautiful sunsets on the prairies of South Dakota at the time when the buffalo roamed free. The Native American culture is also represented in this quilt." Dakota Sunset was quilted on a domestic machine with some very creative designs including feathers and tepees.  We are seeking the source of this great design.

Kaffe Pinwheels by Charlene Nelson

Charlene Nelson says,"The pinwheels are made from some Kaffe Fassett fabric that I had bought in Houston one year. I made paper pieces for the pinwheels and constructed them using the English paper piecing method. They are appliqued onto solid backgrounds. Many of them are hand-dyed fabrics that were in my stash. The checkerboard backgrounds are quilted with Magnifico thread."

Rainbow Furrows by Barbara Colton, quilted by Dixie Sargent

I had always wanted to do a log cabin quilt and decided to use up my scraps to do it. Fortunately, I had enough rainbow colors to make this without buying much extra. The setting is ‘straight furrows’ but since I used rainbow colors, I call it ‘Rainbow Furrows.’”

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration.