Modern Quilt Month: Minimalist Design! (2)

Minimalism refers to a design approach that emphasizes simplicity, clean lines, and a restrained aesthetic. Within the Modern Quilt Guild, it has its own category for shows! We're honoring modern quilts for the month of July, starting with minimalist designs.

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Klee for a Day, 37" square, by Karen Duling (Michigan) @karenbduling

Paul Klee's inspiring work "Fire in the Evening" influenced the use of color and line in this quilt.  Karen Duling explains, "My version started by sewing together a long-held collection of medium and dark value strips.  Strips were arranged using lessons learned by studying Klee's work.  Textile artist Rosalie Dace opened my eyes to Klee's work in her virtual class "The Thinking Eye." Klee for a Day is machine quilted in a grid using silk thread, adding subtle texture to the minimalist design.

Off Kilter by Margo Yang (California) @Quiltmagic

  

This quilt with its creative use of reclaimed materials and its minimalist design conveys a heartfelt message: "Distractions in life happen, They can throw your world into chaos. That's when you hold on to things that anchor you, be it faith in God, family, and friends. These distractions will be but a short while and then life goes on and everything will be okay at the end. This quilt is made of old denim, garment top and painter's drop cloth as background. It reminds me that life is not perfect but beautiful." For more about Off Kilter see this post by Margo Yang.

 

Extreme Dopamine by Jenn Burt (North Carolina) @jenngeorgeburt  

Dopamine is a chemical messenger that works in the brain and is associated with pleasurable reward and motivation. This quilt is titled "Extreme Dopamine" because of the way the artist felt about creating this piece: "It was joy-inducing from the design process to the color scheme selection, to the embracing of a newly-found love of piecing inset organic shapes, to the time devoted to hand quilting." 

We found our eyes moving from the subtle curves and contrasts in the background, to the intense colors and quilting within the circles, shown below.

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

A Memory Quilt

Memory quilts are made of reclaimed clothing once worn by the person whose life is celebrated. These are always personal, cozy, and comforting.  We enjoyed seeing this lovely memory quilt at a recent show.

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A Hug from Mom, made and quilted by Sherlyn L. Kistler  

The fabrics make this quilt, dedicated to Thelma Roar Ledford, b. 3-27-1925. The colorful fabrics must bring many special memories. Her daughter, Sherlyn L. Kistler says, "Mom would have been 100 years old in 2025.  After she passed away, I took the silky blouses that she loved wearing and made a cozy 'memory quilt'. "

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

Free pattern day! Christmas stockings

How about a handmade quilted Christmas stocking? To go to a pattern: Scroll down the page until you see the quilt you like, then click on the words "PDF download" (or the hyperlinked website name) in the title above the quilt. 

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Merry and Bright Christmas Stockings, free pattern at Leutenegger (CLICK for PDF download)

Holiday Stocking with iron-on applique, free pattern at Fabric Editions (CLICK for PDF download)

Scrap Angels oversized stocking, free pattern at Tilda's World (CLICK for PDF download)

Scandi Christmas Stocking, free pattern at Andover Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Stocking 'Stache, free pattern at Robert Kaufman Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Starflakes Stocking, free pattern by Jackie Robinson for Maywood Studios (CLICK for PDF download)

Holiday Stocking tutorial at Dear Stella Design (CLICK for PDF download)

Felt Stocking, free pattern by Amy Butler Design (CLICK for PDF download)

Quilted Ornaments Stocking tutorial by Cherry Guidry as seen at We All Sew (CLICK for tutorial)

Cozy Christmas stockings, free pattern at Tilda's World (CLICK for tutorial)

Elf stocking, free pattern at Mod Kid Boutique (CLICK for PDF download)

Paw stocking, free pattern at Mod Kid Boutique (CLICK for PDF download)

Lined stocking with cuff tutorial by Allison Harris at Cluck Cluck Sew (CLICK for tutorial)

Christmas Stockings tutorial at Amy’s Creative Side (CLICK for tutorial; this uses the wonky stars tutorial by Victoria Gertenbach)

Chimney Charmers Stockings, free pattern by Jill Finley of Jillily Studio as seen at All People Quilt (CLICK for PDF download)

Spiral Stockings, free pattern by Mary Reddington and RaNae Merrill as seen at All People Quilt (CLICK for PDF download)

Whimsical Christmas Stockings, free pattern and tutorial at Positively Splendid (CLICK for tutorial)

Merry and Bright Christmas Stocking, free pattern at In My Own Style (CLICK for tutorial)

Joyful Stocking, free pattern by Linda Lum DeBono as seen at All People Quilt (CLICK for PDF download)

His-and-Hers Christmas Stockings, made with gray denim fabric, tutorial by His and Hers blog (CLICK for tutorial)

Christmas stocking, free pattern and tutorial for baby and adults at Fleece Fun (CLICK for tutorial)

Quilted Christmas Stocking by Ellen Baker, free paper piecing templates at The Long Thread (CLICK for free pattern)

Simple Embroidered Stocking tutorial, with free reverse alphabet letters pattern, at Purl Bee (CLICK for tutorial)

Glad Tidings applique Christmas Stockings, free pattern by Lisa DeBee Schiller at McCalls Quilting (CLICK for PDF download)

Retro Space Age Stockings tutorial by Vanessa Brady at Tried and True blog (CLICK for tutorial)

Denim Jeans Christmas Stockings Tutorial by Lynn at Nebraska Views (CLICK for tutorial)

IMAGE CREDITS:  This post was updated on November 13, 2025. All 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.  Some of these are tutorials while others have downloadable (.pdf) patterns; we have tried to note which is which in the title above each photo.  We update these posts every 6 months or so, but patterns are often retired without our knowledge. If any links are broken, please email us at quiltinspiration {at} gmail {dot} com.

Intersections: A Utah Surface Design Group Showcase (2)

Surface Design encompasses the coloring, patterning, and structuring of fiber and fabric. This involves processes such as dyeing, painting, printing, stitching, embellishing, quilting, weaving, knitting, felting, and papermaking. The Utah Surface Design Group is a group of artists dedicated to this genre. Here are some highlights of their 2024 exhibit — titled Intersections — at the Brigham City Museum.

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Stag Quilt (2023) by Quincy Davenport, quilted by Jami Herndon

Stag Quilt was inspired by a love of kaleidoscopes, quilting, and the challenge of using fabric panels innovatively.  Quincy Davenport says, "By stacking and cutting six stag panels into vertical strips, then further dividing them into sets of equilateral triangles, a transformative process unfolds... The resulting hexagons, the kaleidoscopic windows, encircle the original panel, offering a glimpse into a world of vibrant symmetry and intricate design." 

The piece was created with cotton fabric panels from the Whispering Pines collection by Northcott Fabrics.  The One Block Wonder technique used 6 panels to create hexagons which are arranged around one of the panels.  The closeup photo below shows the intriguing kaleidoscope patterns.

Black Vase (2020) by Susan Reese.

Black Vase is wonderful still life bouquet, made with collage and commercial fabrics, which were machine stitched and appliqued. Susan Reese says, "In our vegetable garden we have a section for flowers - a cutting garden. My husband makes beautiful bouquets (his art) that fill our home all summer.  So once again, it's an intersection of nature and fiber and family. I find that I'm inspired to express my work series."

The Mother Tree: Keeper of Wisdom (2023) by Jane De Groff.

The Mother Tree is a beautiful piece created with shibori on cotton, dyed with juniper, curly dock seeds, and indigo. Shibori is an ancient, shaped resist, dyeing technique that involves manipulating cloth by stitching, folding, binding, and compressing it before dyeing. Quilting and applique were also used.

Jane De Groff says, "This piece represents a tree but is also symbolic of the divine feminine, who connects us deeply to the earth... Using my hands, the tactile and magical nature of shibori, and harvesting plants for dyes, all help create a stronger intersection between earth and heaven." 

Ancient Connection (2024) by Polly Masaryk.

Here is a fascinating piece made with reclaimed cotton dish cloths and the artist's daughter's baby diapers. Raw edges, embroidered patches, and frayed edges add to the visual interest. The full title of the piece is Ancient Connection: Mother's Blood and Children's Tears, Children's Blood and Mother's Tears.  The artist's description begins with a poem by Herman Hesse, including this phrase: 'This is our way of listening to it, the huge serene heart, and it is the heart of the mother whose children we are." 

Polly Masaryk says, "The act of patching, stitching, and mending my old dish towels and my daughters diapers is my way of listening to it."  

A large embroidered outline of a human heart is in the center, shown above. In addition to the reclaimed clothing and cotton dish towels, this piece used cotton embroidery floss and cotton batting. The materials were cut, pieced, patched, layered, mended, and stitched.

Paper Quilt (2020) by Judy Elsley.

This alternative quilt is composed of 25 individual collaged pieces. As Judy Elsley says, "The piece invites the viewer to ask such questions as: What constitutes a quilt? Is a quilt always made from fabric?  Can we make quilts without sewing?"

Judy Elsley used fabric paints, stamps and stencils to create works on paper. Each piece of geli-printed paper was created with stencils and wood blocks, using fabric prints on paper.  The papers were then cut up and collaged onto canvas frames. 

Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the Brigham City Museum (Brigham City, Utah).

Childhood Memories

What a fantastic quilt, made from reclaimed family clothing !  We love the giant flowers and colorful butterflies. Flowery half-Dresden plates adorn the borders.

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Childhood Memories by Caroline Ellermann, quilted by Glenda Davis

Caroline Ellermann says, "The quilt was created from my granddaugher's childhood dresses.  A larger quilt for my daughter-in-law was made with the Garden Party pattern and t his quilt emerged from four left over blocks."  Pattern source: The Garden Party pattern by Laura Heine, which was modified.  

A kaleidoscope effect was created in the border by fussy-cutting the fabric for the Dresden plates.

Check out the Tula Pink squirrel, and the broderie perse flowers, in the closeup photo below! 

Also, Glenda Davis did a beautiful job with the quilting.

 

Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2024 Tucson Quilters Guild show.