Best Wall Quilt award

Winner of the Pfaff Best Wall Quilt Award at the 2026 AQS - Paducah Quilt Week show, today's quilt also won 1st Place in the People, Portraits, and Figures category at the 2025 Houston International Quilt Festival. We're still marveling at the realistic facial expression achieved with tiny pieces of colorful fabrics.

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

The Man Lost in His Memories by Marina Landi, quilted by Fabia Diniz (São Paulo, Brazil) 

 

This original design was created with hand cutting, painting, and dyeing; digital printing; fusing; machine applique and quilting. Marina Landi says, "My style is characterized by the fusible raw edge applique in a wide range of colors in the composition of figurative images. The challenge of transmitting expressions and feelings through small fragments of fabric leads me to represent mainly human physiognomies [facial features.]"

 

 

The incredible quilting by Fabia Diniz gives the appearance of brush strokes in an oil painting.

 

Marina Landi lives in São Paulo and graduated in engineering and plastic arts. For many years, she worked with glass mosaics and now uses that knowledge in her quilting. Her work is especially focused on portraiture and figurative imagery, capturing emotions and expressions with remarkable subtlety and depth—one small piece of fabric at a time.

 

 

Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2025 Houston International Quilt Festival.

 

Highlights of Quilt Arizona! (2)

The annual Quilt Arizona show is a highlight of spring!  Here are some great quilts from this year's show (part two of 4)!

p.s. Please visit our E-Bay shop for great bargains on jewelry, clothing, and collectibles! For blog highlights and free patterns, follow us on Twitter!     

Guidance for the Tribe by Stephanie Leuthesser, quilted by Jessica Jones.  

 Winner of 1st Place  for Machine Embroidery, Stephanie Leuthesser says she loved choosing all the colors and finally using her embroidery machine to the max.  "Because my first 12 Kachinas were done on a flannel, they puckered despite using good stabilizers... I changed the background fabric and made 12 more that you see here. The Kachinas were from the Embroidery Library. The feathers and arrows are from Anita Goodesign.

Sawyer's Pasture Paradise, made and quilted by Millie Burgheimer  

Winner of a Third Place ribbon in the pictorial category, this original quilt was based on Millie Burgheimer's own photo of her daughter's horse. The very clever binding was from her husband's saddle blanket. From a distance this looks like a painting; up close you can see the intricate stitching that creates the imagery.

Diamond Mine, made and quilted by Marianne Nowacki.  

Diamond Mine was based on the Indian Blanket pattern by Reeze L. Hanson. Marianne Nowacki says that every piece of Kaffe Fassett fabric was cut using a diamond template. "Working in diagonal rows and maintaining the pattern was a challenge! I used lots of baggies in order to keep all the colors and pieces organized."

Garden Party by Gail Witt, quilted by Jessica Jones 

Winner of Best of Show - Team, plus 1st place in the Mixed Technique - Duet category, this gorgeous quilt is an adaptation of a traditional New York Beauty quilt. Gail Witt says, "I added fussy cut Kaffe flowers, vines, leaves and butterflies to the design.  Techniques include applique, paper piecing, and embroidery. The diagonal setting was inspired by other New York Beauty quilts.  The quilting by Jessica Jones adds dimension and whimsy."

Detail, Garden Party by Gail Witt

 

Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2026 Quilt Arizona show.

 

 

Circle of Comfort

Therapy dogs provide strength and joy to many people in need, including children undergoing difficult cancer-related treatments. Here is an award-winning quilt that honors their service.

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

Circle of Comfort "Bringing Joy to Kids with Cancer" made and quilted by Kelly Godbout 

Winner of a blue ribbon for 1st Place in the Art-Realistic category, Kelly Godbout made this original quilt from her photo. The quilt features some of the original therapy dogs from Shine On! Kids, a nonprofit in Tokyo that she has proudly supported for more than 20 years. 

 Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2026 Tucson Quilters Guild show.

Our Canine Companions

Our canine companions bring us joy, energy, and unconditional love. It's no wonder so many talented quilters have chosen to honor their companions with a quilt. Here are four quilted tributes from the U.S., Canada and Brazil, using a variety of styles and techniques.

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

Boundless Spirit by Alessandra Volker (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil).  

Boundless Spirit was hand painted and finished with machine quilting and thread painting.  It was based on a photo by Annette Shaff, which Alessandra Volker bought at Shutterstock. This artwork captures the zest for life emboided by a dog in its most exuberant state. Its expressive face, wide eyes, and playful tongue convey pure joy and boundless energy.  The vibrant colors radiating behind it mirror the dog's dynamic spirit. 

Tinker Bell by Karmen Brister (Texas)

Karmen Brister says that she started with a photo of her son's bulldog, Tinker Bell, while she was snoozing.  "I knew I had to paint this picture and bring it to life. As ink flowed, painting her sleepy folds was irresistible; then, thread painting detailed each crease meticulously, mimicking her skin's texture."  The red and white rug is a wonderful backdrop for Tinker Bell!

Hercules by Margery Hedges (Texas) 

 Margery Hedges says, "Hercules is one of the many granddogs we've had over the years.  We were lucky to have him stay with us for about 6 months when he was about a year old.  This image is a perfect example of how fun and enjoyable he was.  He will always be remembered as one of our favorites." Hercules was created with hand painting, machine applique and quilting. 

Blue by Amber Mitchener (Saint John, NB, Canada)  

Amber Mitchener honors Blue, a calm and sweet dog with a distinctive white mark in one eye. The background has various blue blocks, symbolizing his serene and loyal nature. "His friendly personality and love for food are subtly reflected in the design, capturing the warmth and joy Blue brings to all who know him... This artistic piece is a beautiful tribute to his gentle spirit and unwavering companionship."

Image credits: Photos of Boundless Spirit, Hercules, Tinker Bell, and Blue were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2025 Houston International Quilt Festival.

Highlights of the 2026 Quilt Fiesta! (4)

In the beautiful Sonoran desert of Arizona, the Tucson Quilters Guild celebrated their 50th anniversary with a spectacular show. The Quilt Fiesta includes a fascinating mix of styles, techniques, and patterns. We hope you enjoy our photos! This is Part 4 of 5.

p.s. Please see our E-Bay shop for great bargains on jewelry, clothing, and collectibles. For more free patterns, please follow us on Twitter. 

Cactus Trio, made and quilted by Barbara Lambrecht.  

This still life of cacti in pots is beautifully done. Winner of a 2nd place ribbon in the Art- Realistic category, Barbara Lambrecht says: "Two cacti from the class with Jane Haworth needed a companion.  I designed the barrel cactus to accompany the others. I used eyelash yarn for the spines and fused flowers for the blossoms."  

The Color of Music, made and quilted by Stephanie Nordlin

Winner of a ribbon for 3rd place in the Art - Realistic category, Stephanie Nordlin says, "My granddaugher recorded herself playing keyboard and guitar.  Her jacket [in the quilt] is made from leftover fabric from a shirt I made her 16 years ago.  Her face is made from layers of dyed silk."

Blossoms, made and quilted by Barbara Lambrecht

 Oh my... This gorgeous floral quilt is hand quilted; scroll down for closeup photos. Winner of the Exemplary Hand Quilting award, plus a red ribbon (2nd place) in the One Person Primarily Applique category. 

The blocks are original designs by Barbara Lambrecht, plus one from the book, East Quilts West by Kumiko Sudo.  Barbara Lambrecht says, "I designed these blossoms and finally found a setting design that was public domain.  This quilt is the first of two I made." We hope you can see the tiny hand quilting stitches in the background in these photos...

Sonoran Star Burst by Saddlebrooke Quilters entered by Tami Graeber; quilted by Athena Taylor.  

Winner of a ribbon for 2nd place in the Group Quilt category, this is the Saddlebrooke Quilters' 2026 Raffle Quilt. A chocolate background was chosen to make the desert color palette pop! The scallop border was added to soften the sharp lines. The quilt included two patterns designed by Linda McGibbons: Canyon Twilight & Luminary.

Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2026 Tucson Quilters Guild show.  NOTE: Quilt Inspiration is an Amazon Associate, meaning we earn a small commission if an item is purchased from an Amazon link on this page. (There is no extra charge to you.)  Thank you for your support of Quilt Inspiration.

Highlights of the 2026 Quilt Fiesta! (1)

In the beautiful Sonoran desert of Arizona, the Tucson Quilters Guild celebrated their 50th anniversary with a spectacular show. The Quilt Fiesta includes a fascinating mix of styles, techniques, and patterns. We hope you enjoy our photos! This is Part 1 of 5.

p.s. Please see our E-Bay shop for great bargains on jewelry, clothing, and collectibles. For more free patterns, please follow us on Twitter.

My Turtle from Tula's 100 Blocks, made and quilted by Penny Boese.  

Winner of a Judge's Choice award, this fantastic batik quilt was based on Tula Pink's City Sampler: 100 Modern Quilt Blocks, arranged in a unique setting by Penny Boese.  She wanted to take Tula's 100 blocks in a different direction and settled on her favorite sea animal, using EQ8 to design the layout.  

Westerlund 2 Stellar Nursery, made and quilted by Janet Hasson.  

Winner of a blue ribbon for 1st Place in the Viewers Choice category, this stunning original quilt by Janet Hasson is composed of 1600 1-1/2" paper pieced squares using a watercolor technique. The appearance of glittering stars is created by thousands of beads and pearls sewn on top of the squares.

The inspiration for Janet's design was a photograph released by NASA celebrating the Hubble Space Telescope's 25th anniversary in 2015 (NASA photo below):  

As NASA describes it, the brilliant tapestry of young stars flaring to life resemble a glittering fireworks display. The sparkling centerpiece of this fireworks show is a giant cluster of thousands of stars called Westerlund 2.

In the quilt by Janet Hasson, subtle gradations of color suggest the swirling gas clouds in Westerlund 2. The beads represent the young super bright massive stars approximately 20,000 light years away.

Carmen Romantica by Barb Lambrecht  

The quilt show included a special display of original works by local art quilters. We love Carmen Romantica by Barb Lambrecht.  It was inspired by a 1973 greeting card that looked much like Carmen Miranda.  This piece is hand appliqued and embellished with paint and a piece of recycled, hand dyed lace.

Through the Stained Glass by JT Taylor, quilted by Kris Neifeld.  

The gorgeous colors and stained glass effect of this quilt really drew us in. Winner of a blue ribbon for 1st Place in the Two Person- Medium Pieced category, plus a special award for Best Use of Color, JT Taylor says she collected fabrics for this quilt for about a year in hopes of making a sunset and stained glass quilt. The pattern source was "Striped Surprise" by 3 Dudes Quilting Designs. 

 Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2026 Tucson Quilters Guild show. NOTE:  Quilt inspiration is an Amazon Associate, meaning that Amazon pays us a small commission if you purchase an item from a link on this page; there is no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support of Quilt Inspiration, and for reading our blog!

 

 

Mona Meets Mr. Warhol

Karen G. Fisher comes from both a sewing background and an art background, with degrees in Art and Art Education. Karen has won multiple awards, both local and national, over the years. Here is her spectacular interpretation of the Mona Lisa done in the style of Andy Warhol.

FOLLOW US on Twitter for blog updates and freebies. Also check out our E-Bay shop for bargains on jewelry, clothing, patterns and collectibles ! 

Mona Meets Mr. Warhol by Karen G. Fisher

This work was inspired by Andy Warhol's famous "faces" paintings—referring to his iconic celebrity portraits or repeated facial images. Karen created the Mona Lisa using batik fabrics in different color combinations. She achieved a painterly effect with expert machine applique.

For reference, Andy Warhol's most famous "faces" painting is from his Marilyn Monroe series. The Marilyn works (starting in 1962 shortly after her death) are widely regarded as his most recognizable and celebrated "faces" depictions.  Here is a collection of silkscreen prints from Weng Contemporary Gallery:

 

Image credits: Photos of "Mona Meets Mr. Warhol" were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2024 Tucson Quilters Guild show. 

Native Woman: A Portrait in Strength

Today's featured quilt was created with machine embroidery and quilting on whole cloth. Made by Isabel Munoz Bueno, Native Woman was inspired by a photograph by Yulia Brodskaya, a renowned quilling paper artist. Isabel's remarkable stitchery creates a stained glass effect on cloth.

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

Native Woman by Isabel Munoz Bueno (Pozuelo de Alarcon, Madrid, Spain). 

This quilt was inspired by a photograph by Yulia Brodskaya a renowned quilling paper artist (reproduced with permission). Isabel Munoz Bueno explains, "When I saw [the photo], I asked myself what would happen if I tried to take it to my field and make a quilt. It was a magnificent opportunity, and this is the result - a colorful quilt in which the native woman transmits an incredible security and inner strength through her eyes... strength forged through generations that will be passed down to future generations."

In the closeup photo below you can see the way in which Isabel used thread painting to create different colored segments that make up the design. 

The original paper quilling work by Yulia Brodskaya can be seen at the El Hurgador blog.  Isabel Munoz Bueno did an incredible job translating this piece into fabric art.

"Native Woman",  art with paper, by Yulia Brodskaya as seen at El Hurgador

 

Image credits: Photos of Native Woman by Isabel Munoz Bueno were taken at the 2025 Houston International Quilt Festival.