Shots and Stripes by Kaffe Fassett : book review and Giveaway!

~The Giveaway is now closed ! Thank you to everyone who entered. The winner will be drawn at random and will be announced tomorrow, Friday, April 12 !
The 2013 book Shots and Stripes: 24 New Projects Made with Shot Cottons and Striped Fabrics by Kaffe Fassett and Liza Prior Lucy is the newest of the books that showcase Kaffe's fabulous fabrics. We practically jumped at the chance to review this gorgeous, hardbound book. Here's the news: STC/Melanie Falick Books has donated a copy of the book to one lucky reader!

This latest book is unlike any other Kaffe Fassett book in our collection.  First, the focus here is on quilts made with solids and stripes, rather than Kaffe's signature prints. Whereas quilting fabrics are first woven and then printed or dyed with a color and/or pattern, shot cottons are woven using two different colors of hand-dyed cotton thread: one color is used for the warp, and another color is used for the weft.  This combination of fibers gives these fabrics a soft, almost iridescent look.

Kaffe Fassett shot cotton bundle at Form and Function

The Indian-woven cotton stripes, below, come in regular and irregular width designs with the same rich colors. These fabrics are more loosely woven than traditional cotton fabrics which means that they ravel more easily; however, the looser weave gives them a smooth hand and makes them perfect for hand quilting.  The book recommends washing and starching the fabric before cutting.

Kaffe Fassett woven stripes seen at Hawthorne Threads

In Shots and Stripes, Kaffe and Liza show how to use these luscious fabrics in 24 different projects that are inspired by Kaffe's worldwide travels and by ethnic textiles. The book features some beautiful photography by Debbie Patterson (we snapped a photo of this page next to some of our own woven stripes).

Inspired by the vintage "chimney sweep" design, this project shown above features large areas of each color on a gray ground, which gives the quilt a modern appearance and helps the shot cottons to glow.  We appreciate the use of gray and neutral tones as backgrounds, rather than the bright white which is common in modern quilts.

The project shown below is a contemporary take on the traditional "Lady of the Lake" pattern; this traditional design also looks wonderful in shot cottons.  As Kaffe says:  "The sashing with the two-toned cornerstones made those chalky colors sing."

While almost all of the projects in the book involve piecing, here is an applique quilt featuring Kaffe's famous "Rice Bowls", which has been re-done here in shot cottons and stripes.  The stripes provide a realistic "tablecloth" for each of the bowls to sit on.

There are many more intriguing projects in this book, including a quilt inspired by Japanese rag or "Boro" cloths, which is made by hand quilting raw-edge strips onto a fabric foundation.  These fabrics are perfect for hand quilting with a utility stitch (it's like quilting through butter!)  As in all of Kaffe and Liza's books, the quilts are beautifully designed; the staging and photography also makes this a book you will be proud to display on your coffee table.

If you would like to win a copy of Kaffe Fassett Quilts: Shots and Stripes, please post a brief comment in the comments section below the prize list, and we'll enter your name in the Giveaway. The Giveaway ends at midnight, Thursday, April 11 and winners will be announced on Friday, April 12.  Please make sure that we are able to contact you via e-mail, and we'll mail out your prize free of charge.  Many thanks to each reader who writes a comment below!

All Sewn Up: Wedding Ring Quilts

For the past few weeks we've been focusing on our favorite Double Wedding Ring Quilts.  Here's a wrap-up of the Best of Wedding Ring Quilts at Quilt Inspiration !

Above, Row 1: Jeweled Wedding Ring pattern by Karen Earlywine and Kay Connor, from: Link to the 30's: Making the Quilts we Didn't Inherit (Martingale); Jeweled Wedding Ring by Robyn Tischner at Bolo Heads ; Bachelor's Wedding Ring by Eric Gunson at Pieceful Expressions ; 10 Years and Still Over the Rainbow by Michèle-Renée Charbonneau at Quilt Matters. Row 2: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, 2013 Raffle Quilt by the River City Quilters Guild (California),  photo by Quilt Inspiration, adapted from Jennifer Chiaverini’s Caroline’s Wedding Quilt pattern;  Rings n' Things by Karen Earlywine and Kay Connors, from:  Link to the 30's: Making the Quilts we Didn't Inherit (Martingale); Single Girl Quilt by Denyse Schmidt at Denyse Schmidt Quilts; Bali Wedding Star by Judy Niemeyer Quilting . Row 3: Flowers for my Wedding Ring by Judy Niemeyer Quilting; Diamond Wedding Ring by Diana Simkins for Judy Niemeyer Quilting ; Grandma's Wedding Ring by Judy Niemeyer Quilting . Row 4: Glowing Wedding Ring, Dresden Plate Wedding Ring, Crazy Wedding Ring and Broken Pickle Dish patterns by Virginia Robertson Designs . Row 5: Jewel Tone Wedding Ring and After The Wedding by Debby Schnabel at Debby Quilts ;  Double Wedding Ring Quilts by Bonnie Hwang and Mary Pona at Fun Easy Designed .


Image credits:  Images are shown with the generous permission of the designers.

Wedding Rings part 8: Fun Easy Designed

For our 8th and final post in our Wedding Ring series, here's something completely different ! Fun Easy Designed is a modern pattern company owned by Bonnie Hwang and Mary Pona in British Columbia, Canada.  Bonnie is an innovative designer,  teacher, and award winning quilter; Mary has a degree in Interior Design and a love of fabric and quilting.  Mary says: "We use an easy free-hand cut curve technique on many of our quilts. You may notice when looking closely at the photographs that nothing truly lines up. It really is quite easy and the results can be stunning."

Double Wedding Ring Quilt, approximately 52 x 60", by Fun Easy Designed

This quilt is a fresh, modern take on the traditional double wedding ring; it is shown above in colorful African-inspired fabrics with a pieced border. The description says:  "This non-traditional design is faster and easier, using freehand cut techniques. No matching required ! You can achieve a beautifully detailed quilt without the time-consuming traditional methods."  The same Double Wedding Ring pattern would look great in a wide variety of fabrics; it is shown below in gorgeous batiks, with a solid batik border.

Double Wedding Ring Quilt, approximately 57.5 x 57.5, by Fun Easy Designed 

We asked Mary Pon to explain the method of construction a bit further.  She says:  "Although all of the patterns come with a paper templates, they are included mainly as a guideline. Squares of fabric are stacked, the curve cut, the pieces paired and stitched using an 1/8" seam allowance. The resulting blocks are re-stacked and this procedure is repeated. The blocks are then stacked again, rotated 180 degrees and cut again. For some blocks this will be the last cut. Some get cut a fourth time." This does sound like fun!

Leaves, 39"w by 17"h, by Fun Easy Designed

In "Leaves", shown above, the freehand cut curve technique produces a contemporary free form leaf with flowing lines. The offset contrasting background adds a dynamic quality to the quilt. The slender stems that separate the coordinating leaf fabrics add a little challenge, making this quilt an intermediate level project.

Curve Play, approximately 40 x 40", by Fun Easy Designed

Bonnie Hwang grew up in Taipei, Taiwan; she studied with Quilt Studio Tokyo before relocating to Richmond, British Columbia in 1997.  Her background in Asian design shows up in this simple yet elegant quilt. Bonnie and Mary recommend choosing an exciting feature fabric and multiple coordinates for best results. As with the Wedding Rings, this pattern uses an easy freehand technique to form the curves; lining-up is not required or desired!  "Curve Play" can be made in three different sizes, from wall-hanging (shown) to a queen size quilt. We also like "Feng Shui", a contemporary version of the traditional “Drunkard’s Path”.

Image credits:  Images are shown with the generous permission of Mary Pona. For more fun  patterns, check out the whole collection at Fun Easy Designed.

Double Wedding Rings part 4: Collaged quilts !

One thing we love about quilt inspiration is that it can strike when you least expect it.  While contemplating this series, we came across the ingenious quilts of fiber artist Debby Schnabel. Debby's fabulous wedding ring quilts are made with raw-edge collage. She says: "This is a technique I came up with after several dismal attempts at the double wedding ring pattern. After staring at the modern pattern for a while, I thought, why wouldn’t this work?"

After the Wedding by Debby Schnabel at Debby Quilts

Debby Schnabel has worked in various types of fiber arts her whole life – from spinning and knitting, through cross stitch and needlepoint, rug hooking, and now quilting (her byline reads: "Quilting is NOT my life, but it comes close) !   For this quilt, Debby made a set of 12 inch background squares and little 2″ squares to form the “rings”; she pinned the squares in place to form the rings and then stitched the raw edges in place with a zig zag stitch.

Close-up, After the Wedding by Debby Schnabel at Debby Quilts

Debby says: "This is the first one I made.  After it was finished, I had the thought: 'After the Wedding.'  After the wedding, the reality of married life starts. Its kind of messy, from what I hear. So I decided to ‘mess up’ my double wedding ring quilt.  I ended up putting words on top of the sheer silk circles."   As shown above, the quilted words include "forgiveness" and "compromise"; for more examples, see this post. The spirals on the quilt are skinny strips of fabric which were zig zagged onto the quilt. Debby also added broderie perse flowers and bits of lace, "Because every wedding includes a bit of lace, doesn’t it?"

Double Wedding Ring by Debby Schnabel at Debby Quilts

Here is a Double Wedding Ring quilt done in a classic style, with colorful floral patches in pastels on a white background.  This reminds us of a traditional quilt from the 1930's, but look again:  this quilt is made with raw-edge collage. This is the quilt that Debby pieced during her carpal tunnel surgery; she says that it was a perfect recovery project. You can read about Debby's raw-edge collage methods, and get how-to tips, at Debby Quilts.

Jewel Tone Wedding Ring by Debby Schnabel at Debby Quilts

Here is a fantastic Double Wedding Ring Quilt done in bold and bright colors on a dark background. Debby explains: "I decided that these jewel tones went well with a beautiful large floral print that I had, and I cut those flowers out and fused them in place (even though I don’t like fusing that much!)"  She is in the process of creating a Rolling Stone quilt with raw-edge collage; see the work in progress at her February 6, 2013 post.

Housetop Quilt Project by Debby Schnabel at Debby Quilts

 
Last but not least, we are blown away by Debby Schnabel's Housetop Quilt Project, which was the subject of a gallery show this year (2013).  Inspired by the quilters of Gee's Bend, Debby created a series of contemporary housetop quilts and then quilted them with Biblical verses.  You can read the story here and see the whole collection at Debby's photostream on Flickr ; check out the glorious hand embroidery on many of the quilts.

Image credits:  Images are shown with the generous permission of Debby Schnabel. In addition to Debby Quilts, she offers diet and cooking tips at Debby Weighs In .

Wedding Ring Quilt Inspiration and Free Patterns!

The Double Wedding Ring is the most popular pattern in the history of quilting. Here are some inspiring quilts !  NOTE:  This post has been UPDATED.  For the latest patterns, please go to our Free Pattern Day for Wedding Ring quilts (CLICK HERE!)

Note: Please check out our eBay shop for great bargains on quilt patterns, fabric, and unique vintage jewelry ! 

Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, 2013 Raffle Quilt by the River City Quilters Guild (California);  photo by Quilt Inspiration

First place winner for "Best Group Quilt" in their 2012 quilt show, this is the RCQG’s Opportunity Quilt for 2013. It is adapted from Jennifer Chiaverini’s Caroline’s Wedding Quilt  (a Double Wedding Ring quilt embellished with floral appliqués, a cherished gift for a very special bride). The quilt was made by 25 applique artists and 4 piecers. This quilt has four gradations of red and green fabrics, creating an elegant luminous quality.  You can see the detail of the blocks in the close-up photo:

Bachelor's Wedding Ring by Eric Gunson of Pieceful Expressions

Shown above is Eric Gunson's "Bachelor's Wedding Ring". We first featured this stunning quilt in a 2011 Blue Quilt series called The Blues. Eric Gunson is the lead designer at Pieceful Expressions, which is his family's business in Sisters, Oregon.  To our knowledge they are no longer producing patterns, but you can sometimes find individual patterns on eBay or Etsy.

Double Wedding Ring design

The diagram below shows the pieces which form the rings in a basic Double Wedding Ring quilt:

In this diagram there are 6 fabric wedges in each arc, but there may be as many as twelve or more. The wedges can be cut from templates and pieced traditionally, or they can be foundation paper pieced. Once the arcs are constructed, they are attached to the melons (B) and center shapes (A) with curved piecing; alternatively, the finished arcs can be appliqued on a background block. In addition, the arcs can be made from a single fabric, without any piecing, as in the auction quilt shown below:

The Double Wedding Ring design - first published in 1928 - is believed to be a variation of an even older pattern called Pickle Dish (see the article by historian Barbara Brackman).  Barbara explains that a wedding ring quilt has four-sided patches in the arcs, whereas a pickle dish quilt has triangular pieces as shown below.

Pickle Dish Quilt, c. 1930, seen at Ebay

  Kaffe Fassett's Pickle Dish Quilt

Just when you thought the naming was straightforward, on the cover of Kaffe Fassett's Quilt Romance there is a hot pink quilt which looks like a cross between a fat wedding ring and a Dresden fan.  This is Kaffe Fassett's Pickle Dish Quilt. Whether you call it a Pickle Dish or a Double Wedding Ring, we love Kaffe's brilliant, vintage-inspired design !

Golden Wedding Ring, 1940's, seen at Ebay 

This beautiful and unusual vintage quilt from the 1940's features a design known as a Golden Wedding Ring.  We love the sunny orange and yellow stars:

We can hardly wait to show you some more fabulous variations. Use the search bar in the upper left corner of this blog to see more Wedding Ring quilts!

Image credits: Note: this post was updated on February 17, 2025.  Photos are copyright of the owners.

Color Play by Joen Wolfrom: Class review and giveaway !

~The Giveaway is closed... read on for our class review ! ~
We're here with a review of Joen Wolfrom's new online class,  Color Play for Quilters, and we are thrilled to be able to offer a free class to the lucky winner of this Giveaway.  As you may know, Joen Wolfrom is one of the most respected teachers on the subject of color and design.  She is a quilter, author, designer and photographer, and the owner of JWD Publishing.   We have admired Joen's work for a long time (in addition to her books, we love her Ultimate 3-in-1 Color Tool).  We also have been intrigued by Craftsy, which is a wildly popular new craft learning site.  We discovered that taking the class is like taking a 2-day quilting retreat, except that you can do it on your own schedule, from the comfort of your own home ! 

Northern Lights by Meredith Annett (Nova Scotia, Canada)

One of the things we like about Color Play for Quilters is that it does involve "play". There are 13 different lessons, and each lesson involves some aspect of playing with color and/or fabric. For example, Lessons 2 and 3 are devoted to creating your own color wheel and exploring the four color scales in the world of color: the pure color scale, tint scale, shade scale, and tone scale (you'll learn what these are, why they are important, and how to create them in paint and with fabric). Meredith Annett’s quilt "Northern Lights", shown above, provides an example of how shades enhance a design with their deep, dark beauty (a shade is created when black is added to a pure color).

Coriolis by Judy B. Dales (Vermont)

"Coriolis" by Judy Dales, shown above, is one of the quilts which Joen Wolfrom discusses in Lesson 4 (Value/Gradation).  Joen says that "Coriolis" is one of her favorite examples of the use of value gradation (moving the value of a color very gradually from light to darker or from dark to lighter). Joen shows how Judy has moved a wide range of values throughout her quilt, from light to dark to light across the surface of the quilt. This keeps the eye moving across the quilt, creating an exciting design !

Blue Ginkgoes by Norma Schlager (Connecticut)

In Lesson 5, Joen discusses color plans that work, and how to use them.  For example, in "Blue Ginkgoes", Norma Schlager has used a lovely complementary color scheme of aqua blue with orange-red.  In the class, Joen explains that what we learned in school may need some adjustment ! Do you remember learning that orange/blue and red/green were complementary pairs ?  Thanks to Joen's classes and books, we now know that orange is complementary to turquoise, red is complementary to aqua green, and orange-red is complementary to aqua blue.  These subtleties can make all the difference between a quilt that is simply OK and one that is truly stunning. 

Memories of Monet by Joen Wolfrom

In addition to color and value, Joen explains how to create certain illusions in your quilts, including Depth (Lesson 7). For us, one of the 'aha' moments in this class is that you can create an illusion of depth - such as you would see in a landscape - in a pieced quilt. Fabrics that are lighter and grayer ("toned") will recede, while fabrics that are darker and purer in color will advance. "Memories of Monet", above, is a deceptively simple design which Joen created by combining two historic nine-patch blocks, Summer Winds and Storm at Sea. The marriage of these two blocks, and the careful application of color and value, creates four-pointed stars and softly-colored diagonal lattices set inside illusionary circles. Joen explains the illusion; she also has created several different sample quilt blocks so you can test the principles with your own fabric stash.

Reflections on the Pond by Joen Wolfrom

This beautiful quilt uses harmonious (analogous) colors of garden and water, moving from soft yellows to alluring violet. This is also an example of a visual illusion which Joen covers in Lesson 9: Luster. In "Reflections on the Pond", Joen uses value - a gradual shift from light to dark - to create luster. In the class, you will learn the difference between Luster and Luminosity and how to create these effects in your own quilts  !

In sum, we think that Color Play for Quilters has something for everyone.  For those who are left-brained, as we are, there is enough color theory to explain why different color schemes work, and to explain how to analyze fabrics that will produce a desired effect. For the right-brained among us, the class is filled with beautiful photographs of flowers and landscapes, as well as quilts, which Joen uses to illustrate the take-home points; another section of the class covers Visual Coloring, which is an intuitive approach to color in design.  In terms of the Craftsy platform, we loved the interactive nature of the class. For people who would rather learn "hands on" than by reading a book, Craftsy is the way to go. You can skip around if you want, fast forward or repeat sections, and ask questions as you go. For the serious quilter who wants to make more beautiful quilts, this class is a great value (only $39.99). We learned a lot, and we highly recommend this class!

~This Giveaway is now closed.  Thank you to everyone who entered!  The lucky winner of Color Play for Quilters will be announced tomorrow,  December 20, 2012. ~
How to enter this Giveaway: Under this post is the Comments section (click to expand if necessary). Leave us a brief comment there, explaining why you would like to learn more about color in quilting, and we'll add your name to the list of contestants ! Please make sure that we are able to contact you, either by your blog, website, or e-mail address. The Giveaway closes at noon EST on Wednesday, December 19. One winner will be drawn at random and will be announced on Thursday, Dec. 20. The lucky winner will receive a free class registration to Color Play for Quilters by Joen Wolfrom.

Image credits:   Images are shown with the generous permission of Joen Wolfrom.

'Tis the Season: Toyland Tree

We're back with more fabulous Christmas quilts. "Toyland Tree" is a charming new design by Lynn Wilder of Sew'n Wild Oaks.  Lynn incorporated toys from her youth ("toys that are now considered vintage and in antique shops!")  Here you will see a rocking horse, teddy bear, a toy train, and more.  The toys remind us of the famous song:  "Childhood's joyland, Mystic, merry Toyland"...

Toyland Tree, 64 x 76", by Lynn Wilder at Sew'n Wild Oaks; pattern and BOM at In Between Stitches

Lynn Wilder has been quilting seriously for the last 15 years and teaching quilting classes for the last five years at In Between Stitches in Livermore, California. She enjoys designing and making traditional quilts, combining her love of appliqué with pieced blocks. In this quilt, Lynn has arranged the toys in the shape of a tree made with swags, decorated with yo-yo's and topped by a star which is echoed in the four corners of the quilt. The black polka dot fabric provides a perfect backdrop for the colorful toys.

Detail, Toyland Tree by Lynn Wilder

Lynn Wilder says:  "I loved to listen to Gene Autry sing 'Frosty the Snowman' on my old 45 rpm record player. I was always sad when Frosty melted.  My snowman will never melt away."

Detail,  Toyland Tree by Lynn Wilder

This looks like a real teddy bear in so many ways.  We love the plaid vest and muffler; look at the way the muffler is flying behind the bear, showing the fabric on the back side.

Detail,  Toyland Tree by Lynn Wilder

Here is a smiling giraffe hitching a ride on a toy train. To add to this playful scene, there are balloons/bubbles coming out of the smokestack! For more photos of Toyland Tree blocks, see the slide show at Sew'n Wild Oaks. The BOM, which will begin January 15, 2013 and run for 12 months, is available at In Between Stitches.

The House on Edgewood Lane, 70 x 82", by Lynn Wilder at Sew'n Wild Oaks; pattern at In Between Stitches

We couldn't resist showing one more of Lynn Wilder's designs:  The House on Edgewood Lane.  The description reads:  "Step back to simpler times and make a quilt with fond memories of your first home. This quilt contains only one block."  Lynn says:  "This is the first quilt I designed and it holds a very special place in my heart."  You can read the story and see more photos of this quilt at Sew'n Wild Oaks.

Image credits:  Images are shown with the generous permission of Lynn Wilder, who says:  "At a very young age, my maternal Grandmother taught me how to make a very simple quilt block on her treadle sewing machine. I was instantly smitten with quilting. I now have the machine in my home, and I still have my first quilt blocks! I started to design at the same time that I bought a long-arm quilting machine. I wanted to create my own designs with open areas, and fill them with custom quilting. Four years ago I started my own pattern company called Sew’n Wild Oaks. I was the featured artist at the 2012 Georgetown Outdoor Quilt Show. My background is Geography. Prior to my retirement, I was a Geographic Information Systems Analyst at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. This is a fancy way to say I was a cartographer with a twist. I mapped, then analyzed data that was collected by scientists around the world. My knowledge and use of color transferred directly to the quilting world....and I've never looked back."

QI Milestones: 400 posts + 1000 followers + 1 million page views

This week we're celebrating some milestones at Quilt Inspiration, and we couldn't be more excited. When we first started Quilt Inspiration, in February 2010, our goal was to feature the most beautiful and interesting quilts in the world. So far we have published over 400 posts, and we've met so many delightful and creative people along the way.  We are thrilled to belong to this worldwide community of quilters!  On August 30, 2012, we reached 1000 members:

And on September 24 we exceeded 1 million page views !

See the red Pinterest button on this screen shot ?  Many of you know that Pinterest is an online pinboard where you can organize and share things you love. Come join us at Quilt Inspiration on Pinterest !  We've been on Pinterest for nearly a year, and just yesterday we reached 3,000 followers:

Our 40 different Quilt Inspiration boards include contemporary quilts, vintage quilts, folk art quilts, Dear Jane quilts, cat quilts, quilts that make us smile, recycled clothing creations and more:

And now, we would like to send a big hug to our readers and followers. By way of thanks we've created a free and fun tutorial which will appear in our very next post (the theme is "waste not, want not").  Stay tuned... and THANK YOU for visiting us at Quilt Inspiration!  ~Marina & Daryl Lynn

Best of Halloween 2012

Halloween is just around the corner! Each year we feature half a dozen of our favorite Halloween quilts.  Our first pick for 2012 is this fabulous "Ichabod Hollow" quilt, which we spotted at a 2012 quilt show.  The design is by the talented Joe Wood at Thimble Creek Quilt Shop in Concord, California.  Holly Oddson did all of the piecing, applique and quilting.

Ichabod Hollow, 56 x 56", by Holly Oddson, Contra Costa County Quilt Guild

There is so much detail in this quilt!  The outer border is made of triangles that look like candy corn; moving inward, we see pinwheels on point, a checkerboard, LeMoyne Stars and striped arrow blocks, all of which surround the center medallion.  There is even a small black cat at each of the the four corners of the innermost border!  A close-up of the spooky house, with its stepping-stone walkway, is shown below.

The designer, Joe Wood, is a co-owner of Thimble Creek along with his wife Roxie.  Their quilt shop - which we visited this week - is filled with goodies including a wonderful selection of quilt patterns and quilt inspiration. Another pumpkin-y quilt we love is shown below.

Rotogravure, 61 1/2" x 76 1/2", by Joe Wood at Thimble Creek Quilt Shop

This quilt is adorable in person.  Each of the "pumpkins"  has a different little block inside! "Rotogravure" and many other patterns and fabrics are also available on the Thimble Creek website.

p.s. Stay tuned next week for more Halloween fun!

Art and Sport: the Art Quilts of Linda Robertus

If you are enjoying the Olympics, we think you will love the art quilts of Linda Robertus.  Linda was born in the Netherlands and now resides in Brisbane, Australia. Her screen-printed sports quilts began in 2009, when her oldest son joined a gymnastics club and started doing competitions. This inspired her to make MAGnificence, a gymnastics-themed quilt, which was selected for the 2011 Studio Quilt book edited by Sandra Sider. We think that these silhouettes on fabric portray the essence of the human figure in motion.

Balance, 11 x 11", by Linda Robertus

One of the first of Linda's gymnastics-related quilts, the composition and color of this piece really caught our eye. As an avid photographer, Linda's quilts are inspired by her own photographs, which she turns into handmade freezer paper stencils for screen printing.  An online screen printing class with Lyric Kinard has heavily influenced her work; see the spotlight on Linda Robertus written by Lyric Kinard.

Balance 3, 12 x 12", by Linda Robertus

Since 2009, Linda Robertus' work has been featured in galleries, shows and art quilting publications. "Balance 3" was included in the 2011 SAQA Benefit Auction. This quilt is among the sports-series quilts which you can see in Linda's online gallery. The gymnast is screen printed, and the shadows and the reverse images are stenciled with Paintsticks.

Speed 1, 8 x 12", by Linda Robertus

Speed 1, above, is Linda's first cycling quilt.  We love the dynamic motion of the cyclist which is enhanced by the radiating quilting lines on the bright yellow background. Speed 2, another cycling quilt by Linda Robertus, is now a part of SAQA's traveling trunk show called This is a Quilt!  Speed 2 also was selected to become part of the permanent collection at the Michigan State University Museum.

Other sources of inspiration for Linda's work are nature, people and optical illusions. Some of her most popular designs have been made into thermofax screens which she uses to print on canvas, art cards and ACEOs; we love these small pieces, which you can find in Linda Robertus' Etsy shop, Blue Jacaranda. In addition, Linda designs some wonderful fabrics which you can find on Spoonflower.

Image credits:  Images are shown with the generous permission of Linda Robertus.

Totally Tubular Quilts by Rita Hutchens

We've always been intrigued by Seminole patchwork. The traditional patterns are created by sewing, cutting, and rearranging multicolored strips to create intricate designs. Although the designs and techniques have been well documented, there have been relatively few innovations in modern times.  Thus we were fascinated when we came across the quilts of artist, author and international quilt teacher, Rita Hutchens.  Her tubular strip-piecing techniques, which are a cross between Seminole and Bargello, were used to make the quilts shown here.

Diamond Tubello, 14 x 22", by Rita Hutchens

Since 1980, Rita Hutchens has been fine tuning her design and patterning skills while developing her own techniques. She is the author of Totally Tubular Quilts, which outlines her strip piecing methods. In essence, the method involves creating strip sets which are sewn into tubes, then cross-cut to create long rows of triangles of any size or angle. Unlike most other Bargello methods, there is no waste with this method! In the beautiful mini quilt shown above, the finished squares are only 3/8-inches; details of this quilt can be seen at Rita's shop on Etsy.

Mirror Image Study, 17 x 24", by Rita Hutchens

 In "Mirror Image Study", mirror image bias tubes were cross-cut and assembled to create a dynamic, streak-of-lightning design.

Ziggity Doo Dah, 37 x 49", by Rita Hutchens 

In creating "Ziggity Doo Dah", above, Rita says:  "I wanted an ethnic feel using bold color and wonky pattern. Pattern components were constructed using a Curved Tubular Strip Piecing technique. The quilt ‘grew’ intuitively after each component was added. Stripes were used to give the quilt movement and direction." This quilt was exhibited at the La Conner Quilt Festival in September 2011.

Close-up, Ziggity Doo Dah by Rita Hutchens at Etsy

As shown in the close-up photo, above, a variety of different weight threads were couched, bobbin quilted and used for embellishing, quilting and outlining, emphasizing design elements and adding texture and dimension to the quilt.

Totally Tubular Triangles, a workshop by Rita Hutchens

We love the contemporary design and colors of the quilt shown above, which is the subject of one of Rita Hutchens' workshops. This quilt was featured in her popular class at the 2012 Australasian quilt convention. Rita will have a special exhibit and will present workshops and a lecture at the Pacific International Quilt Festival in California in October 2012.  

Image credits:  Images are shown with the generous permission of Rita Hutchens. At Rita's website, you can browse her colorful quilt galleries and order a copy of her book; also, at her Etsy site, you can purchase individual patterns for sawtooth borders, flying geese and other fun motifs to get you started on a project of your own.

For more information, also see Rita Hutchens' videos at YouTube.