It's a Stained Glass Halloween

Designer and quilter, Cole Whitaker, was inspired to celebrate Halloween with this stunning original quilt.  The scene is framed in a Gothic-style stained glass window.  It's got a ghost, bats, jack-o-lantern, spiderweb quilting, and more.  A pattern is also available! Cole is also doing a fabulous Christmas quilt along... scroll down for more info.

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Halloween by Cole Whitaker (Washington, USA)

In the photo above, can you see the bats at the upper right and left corners?  So clever!  The ghost that hovers over the scene, below, is paper pieced.  In the close-up photo you can see spiderweb quilting in some of the stained glass elements.

A smiling pumpkin greets isitors at the base of the walkway, below.

Please visit Cole's Quilts and check out his original quilts and patterns, including the fabulous 2025 Christmas quilt-along!

 

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

Faith, Hope, and Love at Easter

On Easter, many of us take the time to reflect on the promise of hope and new life in the Easter story. Here is a luminous stained glass quilt with a beautiful message of Faith, Hope and Love.

Rays of Hope - Stained Glass version by Carolyn Morris

This quilt was exhibited at the 2013 Arizona Quilters' Guild show and shown on Q.I. that year. Carolyn Morris says: "Using gradation batiks, each section was cut individually, ironed in place, and quilted with irregular satin stitches.  The trapunto cross was machine embroidered and then appliqued to the front." 

You can find the pattern at Rays of Hope Quilts at Etsy and see Carolyn explain the full story on YouTube.

The design came to Carolyn Morris on Easter, 2011, in response to her own prayer. Carolyn says: "My life is dedicated to serving others. For many years that involved my three children and their training. Now that they have children of their own, I use the talents that I have to enrich the lives of others. Many of the quilts I make are small 15" squares with embroidery messages or scriptures on them. I give many away to those in need of prayers."

p.s.  If you enjoy Stained Glass quilts, you might also enjoy our Free Pattern Day (CLICK HERE!)

12 Days of Christmas Quilts: O Holy Night

Merry Christmas to all our readers! We hope you enjoy our photos of this beautiful stained glass quilt.

p.s. Please see our E-Bay shop for great bargains on patterns and vintage collectibles. For continuous free quilt patterns and blog updates, please visit us on Twitter.

O Holy Night, made and quilted by Samantha Wright (Arizona)

Samantha Wright says O Holy Night was inspired by a pattern she found on Etsy. (Scroll down for the pattern source.) "Having collected Nativity items most of my life, I was immediately challenged  to make it!"  The finished quilt includes over 700 applique pieces and quilting was hand guided by Samantha. The Nativity scene, highlighting Samantha's outstanding quilting, is shown below.

Many details can be seen here, including the jewel tone fabrics in the robes of Mary and Joseph; the woolen head scarves of the shepherds; and some very woolly sheep!

This lovely quilt was exhibited at the 2020 Road to California quilt show. Marbled fabrics in a range of hues were used to create the buildings in the town of Bethlehem. Samantha says, "The first time I attended Road2CA in 2017, I purchased the fabrics used in the quilt." 

The quilt was based on a pattern that Elsie Montgomery sells on Etsy. Elsie designed the pattern from Cass Moore’s art on a Christmas card, leaving off the minarets for they were not ‘invented’ at that time. Then she was asked by many for the pattern so chased the copyright for a long time (years) before locating the company that manages Cass Moore’s work, and securing the rights to make the pattern. The pattern, titled When God Became a Man, is available at ElsieQuilts on Etsy.

Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2020 Road to California quilt show.  A big thank you goes to Elsie Montgomery for the background and source of the pattern!

American Quilt Series: Explorations in Stained Glass

We've all heard of stained glass quilts - that is, quilts that resemble stained glass windows. But what about stained glass windows that resemble quilts?

Tim Sutton's American Quilt Series celebrates quilting through unique stained glass pieces. Nineteenth-century friendship quilts inspired these works. Loved ones often made a friendship quilt for someone who was getting married or departing on a trip; the quilts often included thoughts and quotes.

Please check out our E-Bay shop for great bargains on patterns and vintage collectibles. For continuous free quilt patterns, please visit us on Twitter. 

Creativity by Tim Sutton

Blue and yellow stars are featured in this lovely design.  The square centers of the intervening blocks have etched quotes from creative people including Maya Angelou and Twyla Tharp.  Here is a quote we particularly liked, from South African playwright Athol Fugard: "I have an image of myself in a witness box, and I have an opportunity to tell the truth."

 Messages of Help and Hope by Tim Sutton

Messages of Help and Hope is composed of a variety of specialty glasses ranging from deep forest green to clear faceted glass. Each quote begins with an Old English font evoking illustrated manuscripts of that era. Here is a closeup photo, below, of a quote from Psalms 119:105: "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." 

Foundations of Freedom by Tim Sutton

Foundations of Freedom includes inspirational quotes, interspersed with the Great Seal of the United States: An eagle, topped by the words E Pluribus Unum – Latin for "Out of many, one".) 

Tim Sutton reminds us that learning is a cornerstone of freedom.  Diligent learning enables us to avoid the mistakes of the past. Here is an important quotation from Abigail Adams: "Learning is not attained by chance, it must be sought for with ardour and attended to with diligence."

Another great quote is this one by George Washington: "The best way to preserve the confidence of the people durably is to promote their true interests."

Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2022 Springville (Utah) quilt show.

Finding Hope, Finding Peace

Today's beautiful quilt by Mimi Ghauri-Young, titled Finding Hope, Finding Peace, seems like a perfect image for the New Year. We wish you a very bright, joyous, healthy, and prosperous New Year, filled with lots of time for creativity and quilting !

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Finding Hope, Finding Peace, 34" x 39" by Mimi Ghauri-Young ,  California

Mimi writes, "In response to the many global crises swirling around us, I chose to work with the image of the dove, an iconic symbol of peace and harmony. The hope of the dove brings light to the darkness."

Detail, Finding Hope

Mimi continues, "The stained glass quality of the image and the details of the quilting were inspired by the 9th century Celtic illustrated spiritual manuscript of the Book of Kells. " (currently housed in the archives of Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland). 

Mimi's lovely original design is machine appliqued and machine quilted. We really appreciate the way that she emphasizes the stained-glass appearance of the quilt by individually quilting the white dividing sections of the dove with their own unique patterns. 

Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2021 Pacific International Quilt Festival.

Welcome to the 2021 Pacific International Quilt Festival - part 4

Welcome to the Pacific International Quilt Festival! Due to time constraints, we could not view all the quilts this year! Therefore, we are showing a small sample of the quilts in this large show. Here is Part 4 of our photos with some outstanding creations.

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Northern Harrier 30 x 30, by Carol Bryer Fallert-Gentry, Washington

Carol says, "In the Spring of 2020, a northern harrier (the large bird depicted here) lit just outside our kitchen window. We managed to open the window and snap several photos before it flew away." This quilt impressed us with its very realistic colors of nature and the minute, lifelike details of the harrier in surrounding nature.

Carol continues about her original design,  "To create the design for this quilt, I combined a tree photo and two photos of the harrier, then added digital painting to integrate the photos and simplify the background. The composition was printed on cotton fabric and heavily quilted to the level of thread painting."

Kimi in a Dangerous World by Elsa Meyer,  California, quilted by Marian Drain

Elsa's stunning art quilt is made very effective by the use of the lime green background which looks as if it is lighted from behind, so the praying mantis appears to be hidden among the foliage. Embedded on the insect's body are some very pretty butterfly motifs. Outlining the foreground shape in black gives extra high contrast to Elsa's original design. 

This imagery, inspired by political events, was designed to symbolize the power of the minority (represented by the dragonfly) against the powerful (represented by the praying mantis.)

Folk Art Fun in Baltimore, 68 x 68, by Tami Graeber, Arizona

 This year's theme at the Pacific International Quilt Festival was "The New Normal", and Tami addressed this theme by writing, "The New Norm for me is creating a traditional looking quilt with an innovative style."  Tami has utilized the early American "Baltimore Album" pattern and re-created it to make an original design with a great deal of southwestern personality and flair. We really love the border of whimsical, very artistic and varied flowers. 

First Place Award winner for Best Use of Color in a Traditional Quilt, Tami's lovely work is machine pieced and longarm quilted. With artful use of fabric paint, she has added bright, vibrant touches, which really brings the birds, butterflies, and fruit of the trees to life. 

Sicilian Summer, 81 x 81,by Claudia C. Myers,  Minnesota

Winner of the Third Place Award for Best Traditional Quilt, Claudia notes, "The making and machine quilting of Sicilian Summer took all of the time we were quarantined from the Covid-19 virus, and them some. I am fortunate that I have a large stash of fabric and thread so I didn't have to make a trip to the quilt shop to pick up the supplies."

Claudia adds, "I designed this quilt on Electric Quilt (EQ) 7 and made it trying out a new way of applique construction, rather than curved piecing." Claudia longarm machine quilted her spectacular original design, which she also machine pieced, machine appliqued, and hand painted.

Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2021 Pacific International Quilt Festival.

Christmas 2020 (part 5)

As Christmas approaches, we wish you good health and peace of mind.  

Today we're sharing a photo of a beautiful stained glass nativity quilt that reminds us of the true meaning of the holiday.  And for Christmas inspiration, here is a quote by Helen Steiner Rice:

Peace on earth will come to stay, 

when we live Christmas every day.

O Holy Night, made and quilted by Samantha Wright (Arizona)

Samantha Wright says O Holy Night was inspired by a pattern she found on Etsy. (Scroll down for the pattern source.) "Having collected Nativity items most of my life, I was immediately challenged  to make it!"  The finished quilt includes over 700 applique pieces and quilting was hand guided by Samantha.  The nativity scene, highlighting Samantha's beautiful fabric choices and outstanding quilting, is shown below.

Many details can be seen here, including the jewel tone fabrics in the robes of Mary and Joseph; the woolen head scarves of the shepherds; and some very woolly sheep!

This lovely quilt was exhibited at the 2020 Road to California quilt show. Samantha says, "The first time I attended Road2CA in 2017 I purchased the fabrics used in the quilt.  I thought it was only appropriate to enter the quilt into Road2Ca so the fabrics could 'return' to the place of purchase as a piece of art."

Marbled fabrics in a range of hues were used to create the buildings in the town of Bethlehem.

*Note:  The quilt was based on a pattern that Elsie Montgomery sells on Etsy. Elsie designed the pattern from Cass Moore’s art on a Christmas card, leaving off the minarets for they were not ‘invented’ at that time. Then she was asked by many for the pattern so chased the copyright for a long time (years) before locating the company that manages Cass Moore’s work, and securing the rights to make the pattern. The pattern, titled When God Became a Man, is available at ElsieQuilts on Etsy.

Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2020 Road to California quilt show.  A big thank you goes to Elsie Montgomery for the background and source of the pattern!

Celebrating Canada

We spotted this beautiful stained glass quilt within a special exhibit at the 2020 Road to California quilt show, and wanted to show it today, as Canada Day (Fête du Canada) is coming up soon.

Canada Day celebrates the anniversary of July 1, 1867, the effective date of the Constitution Act, 1867, which united the three separate colonies of the Province of Canada, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick into a single Dominion within the British Empire called Canada.

True North - Strong and Free by Rita Kovatch (Hay River, Northwest Territories, Canada)

This striking quilt depicts a polar bear fishing on an ice pack.  The scene is backed by the Canadian flag. Designer and quilter Rita Kovatch says,  "As a proud Canadian, I wanted to represent the Canadian Flag and I chose to showcase that in the background by using my version of the stained glass and reverse applique technique." The bright red maple leaf stands out brilliantly against the sky blue background fabric.

As you can see from the closeup photo above, the polar bear is going after a fish that is leaping out of the water! The entire piece is machine stitched and quilted using a tiny zigzag stitch."

Rita says she was inspired to make True North - Strong and Free after seeing a quilt titled "Catch-A-Hold This One" by quilter Corey Ralph (you can see a photo of that quilt at Amanda Jane Textiles.)  Seeing that quilt inspired Rita to make her quilt based on the theme of fishing in the north.

Image credits:  The photo was taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2020 Road to California quilt show.

Modern Quilt Month 2018 (2)

What makes a quilt modern? According to The Modern Quilt Guild, the characteristics may include the use of bold colors and prints, high contrast, graphic areas of solid color, improvisational piecing, minimalism, and expansive negative space. We hope you enjoy our selections!

p.s. For bargains on quilt patterns, fabric, and vintage jewelry, visit us on E-Bay - we're Top Rated Sellers ! And for continuous listings of free quilt patterns, please check us out on Twitter !

Rainbow Cat Eyes by Laurie Ceesay (Michigan)

These appliqued silhouettes of women are very cool, with their bright batik hues and cat eye glasses! Laurie Ceesay says,  "I love portrait quilts and the color wheel so I combined both ideas.  By overlapping the motifs that are in primary and secondary colors, a tertiary color is created.  I wear glasses and think they are a fashion statement.  My favorite frame shape is the cat eye... my portrait motifs received cat eye glasses with rhinestone decorations!"

Jeweled Windows by Judy Nelson and Debbie Spencer (Iowa)

The gorgeous colors drew us to this stained glass quilt.  The use of white instead of a traditional black background gives this quilt a very contemporary feel.  Jeweled Window was based on the Leaded Glass quilt  pattern by Tracey Jacobsen, published in American Quilter Magazine, November, 2014 (as of this date, you can still download the free pattern here !)  The artist says, "I found this quilt to be the perfect avenue to set off some of the beautiful fabrics in my stash."

Water Mirror by Carolina Asmussen (Connecticut)

The indigo ombre fabric adds fantastic shadows and lights to this quilt.  Water Mirror makes reference to water as an architectural element.  The design was inspired by an iconic mosaic panel by Brazilian artist Athos Bulcão who collaborated with Oscar Niemeyer in the 1960s.  The free-motion quilting reproduces the wind movement across the water's surface, with curves and bubbles playing with the regular solid shapes. 

Drunkard's Bullseye WOW! 58 x 58",by Jackie Nixon-Fulton (Texas)

Inspired by a Drunkard's Path block, this totally modern quilt was derived from a block from the artist's quilt called Playing Well Together, designed for the Modern Quilts Unlimited Old is New challenge.  Ever larger Drunkard's Path sub-units extend out from the middle in four blocks.  The purple unifies and contrasts with the other colors, giving luminosity and depth as the colors seem to jump out at you.  Drunkard's Bullseye was machine pieced and quilted by the artist.

Ohio Snowball by Christine Perrigo (Colorado)

Christine Perrigo says that Ohio Snowball was inspired by Ohio Star and Flowering Snowball blocks (flowering snowball is a very pretty block with curved piecing).  She started with a huge Flowering Snowball block, choosing to emphasize the small square formed between the petals. The Ohio Star blocks march across the different background segments in a grid.

Christine says,  "I very often play with overlapping patterns for my quilting designs.  Once this quilt top was together, it sat for almost a year until I could brainstorm how to quilt it."

Three D Illusion by Sheila Bruner (Arizona)

Sheila Bruner made this fantastic illusion quilt for her guild's Black & White With A Splash of Color challenge.  She says the piecing was quite a challenge!  The tumbling blocks were made the hard way, with y-seams.  The quilting was done freehand on her longarm machine, with feathers and vines that loop in and out of the charcoal background.  Sheila also used Derwent Inktense color pencils to enhance the 3D effect.

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2018 Quilt Arizona show (Three D Illusion) and the 2017 Houston International Quilt Festival.

Free pattern day! Stained Glass quilts

Here are free patterns for Stained Glass quilts!  They can be made by piecing a thin sashing strip between blocks, or by appliqueing fabric on a background, or or by placing bias tape over the edges of applique (as with fusible bias tape). To retrieve a pattern: Scroll down the page until you see the quilt you like, then click on the words "CLICK for PDF download" in the title above the quilt.

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

Showcase quilt, 67" square, free pattern by Sue Penn for Free Spirit Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

The Way We Were quilt, 64 x 75", free pattern by Marjorie Rhine for Hoffman Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Anne Pillow, free pattern at Art Gallery Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Stained Glass Flowers table mat, free pattern at Quilters World (CLICK for PDF download)

Serengeti baby quilt, 45 x 50", free pattern by Jinny Beyer (CLICK for PDF download)

Cosmo Oxygen lap quilt, 66 x 77", free pattern at Northcott Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Leaded Glass quilt, 72 x 72", free pattern by Tracey Jacobsen for AQS (CLICK for PDF download)

Dashing quilt, ~54 x 54", free pattern by Ink and Arrow for Quilting Treasures (CLICK for PDF download)

True Nature quilt, free pattern by Cathey Marie Designs (CLICK for PDF download)

Stained Glass Rooster, free pattern by Fiona Schiffl (CLICK for template)

Tiffany Bluebird, free pattern by Lauri C. Martin for AQS (CLICK for PDF download)

Stained Glass Quilt video tutorial by Rob Appell (CLICK for tutorial)

Deco Delight quilt, free pattern by Sally Ablett for Fabric Freedom (CLICK for PDF download)

Prairie Glass Squared quilt, 57 x 57”, free pattern by Jessica Levitt for Windham Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Chromazone quilt, 61 x 61”, free pattern at eQuilter (CLICK for PDF download)

Pop Art Palette quilt, 52 x 65”, free pattern at Benartex (CLICK for PDF download)

Rocket 88 quilt, 72 x 90”, free pattern by Latifah Saafir for Robert Kaufman (CLICK for PDF download)

Batik stained glass quilt, 40 x 40”, tutorial by Ludlow Quilt and Sew (CLICK for PDF download)

Midnight quilt, 47x 57”, free pattern by Sally Ablett for Fabric Freedom (CLICK for PDF download)

Diamond Pendant quilt, ~60 x 69”, free pattern at Hoffman Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Skyline Sensation, 58 x 70”, free pattern by Larene Smith for Hoffman Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Lumina quilt, 105 x 117”, free pattern at Robert Kaufman Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download) (see the Lap size quilt variation here; CLICK for PDF download)

Sound of the Woods, 69 x 81”, free pattern at eQuilter (CLICK for PDF download)

Illuminate quilt, 73 x 90”, free pattern by Gina Gempesaw (CLICK for PDF download)

Painting the Town, 67 x 73”, free pattern by Heidi Pridemore for Benartex (CLICK for PDF download)

De Novo quilt, free pattern by Stephanie Sheridan for Benartex (CLICK for PDF download)

Ambrosia quilt, 61 x 71”, free pattern by Janet Houts for Blank Quilting (CLICK for PDF download)

 

Viva la Vida quilt, 63” square, free pattern by Sandy Irish for Benartex (CLICK for PDF download)

Dahlia Garden Gate quilt, 44 x 59”, free pattern at eQuilter (CLICK for PDF download)

Celtic Squares quilt, 47 x 47”, free pattern by Fabric Freedom (CLICK for PDF download)

Sparkling Hexies quilt, 73 x 88”, free pattern by Larene Smith for eQuilter (CLICK for PDF download)

Twelve Moons quilt, free pattern at Robert Kaufman (CLICK for PDF download)

Glass Rail Fence quilt, ~82” square, free pattern at Benartex (CLICK for PDF download)

Midnight Garden Gate quilt, free pattern at eQuilter (CLICK for PDF download)

Image credits: This post was updated on November 17, 2024. 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 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.