Memorial Day: Honoring a Fallen Hero

On this Memorial Day we honor all those who have given their lives for our country. Here is a beautiful quilt made to honor Lori Piestewa (1979-2003).  

Lori was the first Native American woman to die in combat while serving in the US Military.  Piestewa Peak in the Phoenix (Arizona) Mountains, shown below, was subsequently named after Lori to ensure her legacy lives on.   

To Honor Lori Piestewa, 91" x 83", by Kaye Winalis

The quilt maker, Kaye Winalis, notes that for over 100 years, Morning Star quilts have been made by Plains Indian tribes to honor events in their lives including births, deaths, and marriages. This quilt consists of a center star comprised of diamonds along with 22 split diamonds, 2.5" on a side.  The center features a crest eagle design.  The quilt won first place at the 2004 Tucson (Arizona) Quilters Guild quilt show and was recently shown again at the 2026 TQG show. 

Kaye says: "Lori Piestewa, a Hopi girl, left two small children in her mother's care in order to join her Army unit in the Middle East.  She gave her life to fight for her country, a sacrifice that many of us would not make.  She was a true warrior."  

Image credit: Memorial Day Memories on YouTube

The quilt is beautifully machine pieced and hand quilted including Native American designs, shown below. 

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

Highlights of Quilt Arizona! (4)

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

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Baltimore Spring by Pearl Sceviour, quilted by Spools: The Workshop. 

 Winner of a Blue Ribbon for 1st Place in the Applique-Duet category, Pearl Sceviour says this is her third in this series of quilts.  it is based on the Baltimore Spring pattern by Pearl Pereira (P3Designs). "I love the technical challenge of the tiny detail in this pattern and it has been one of the most satisfying quilts I've made to date. I did a lot of the quilting within the applique motifs, as I was willing to spend the time with color changes." 

Pretty in Pink, made and quilted by Barb Tatera. 

 Winner of a 3rd place ribbon in its category, this quilt began in an AQG class on the Crimson Christmas pattern by Krista Moser.  Barb Tatera says, "I changed the largest poinsettia to pink to create a fresh, contemporary color palette.  The free-hand feathers emphasize the petals of these classic winter blooms.  I'm so glad I took the class!"

Chasing Dreams by Pamela Elliott, quilted by Jessica Jones.  

Winner of a 2nd Place ribbon in the kit quilt category, Pamela Elliott says that she loves color and paper piecing and this pattern caught her interest.  "It was a joy to work on."  It was based on the published design: Chasing Dreams by Jacqueline de Jonge.

 Unfolding, made and quilted by Claire Victor  @cvqquilts

Winner of a Blue Ribbon for 1st Place in the Modern-Small category, Claire Victor says that this quilt was designed using Procreate.  "I am trying to create dimension and motion without shading or painting.  It was constructed by English Paper Piecing (EPP) and machine quilted on a domestic Bernina machine with no stitch regulator."

 Claire Victor says, " The background quilting design is my modern tribute to crazy quilting."

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

Highlights of the 2026 Quilt Fiesta! (5)

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 5 of 5.

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Greek Garden Party, made and quilted by Tami Graeber.  

In this original design, the Greek keys were hand drawn.  Tami Graeber says that she needed a project on a cruise, so she packed fabric and a limited color palette of paint.  She machine appliqued the elements to the back and added the Greek key border for a fun thing to do. The giant rick rack completes this whimsical piece.

Firefly Dance by Shawna Wallis, quilted by Kris Neifeld.  

Winner of the Quilt Show Chair's Choice award, this panel "One Block Wonder" quilt was begun with a class by Susie Weaver. [The One Block Wonder technique is by Maxine Rosenfeld.]  Shawna Wallis says, "When I saw this panel I knew if would be perfect for a One Block Wonder.  It exceeded my expectations!"

My Childhood in Wyoming, made and quilted by Julie Hallquist

A variation of Alex Anderson's Sequoia Sampler, this quilt won 1st Place and a blue ribbon in the One Person Small Pieced category. Julie Hallquist says, "This is full of reflections of my childhood on a sheep ranch in Wyoming.  My mother's poppies, my grandmother's Swedish heritage, our log cabin, learning to sew, the ever-present wind, and millions of stars at night."

 

 Purple Pineapple, made and quilted by Ann Weber

Ann Weber says, "We have purple potatoes these days - why not purple pineapples? I had been wanting to make a purple quilt to combine lots of different purple fabrics that I had been collecting. Then for some reason, I was drawn to trying the pineapple block. I had so much fun making this and watching the pineapples appear." The quilt is based on the classic pineapple block.  

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! (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.

Arizona Blooms

Here is a gorgeous quilt filled with flowers - cactus flowers, to be exact! This Arizona design is so pleasing to the eye. Read on for details!

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Arizona Blooms by Betsy Wycislak, quilted by Valerie Greenwell. 

We love the gorgeous colors and contrasts in this quilt, along with the large print floral border.  Betsy Wycislak says, "I moved to Arizona three years ago. When Edyta Sitar named her pattern Arizona, I knew I had to make it and I had to use all cactus fabrics.  So, I did!"   

Here is the original Arizona by Edyta Sitar in her Dahlia fabric collection. As of this writing, you can find the pattern on Edyta's website HERE!

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

Optical Illusions: Arabesque!

Purple lovers, unite! This beautiful medallion quilt was made with foundation paper piecing. Asymmetrial diamonds create a spiral, going from small to larger blocks as they radiate from the center. Read on for details, and a link to FREE patterns for optical illusion quilts!

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Amethyst Spiral, made and quilted by Karen Gieske 

Purple is my favorite color and I just love a good spiral.  Paper pieced.  Machine quilted, hand guided.  Published design: Arabesque by Orange Dot quilts (CLICK HERE!) 

Here is the original Arabesque design in beautiful blues from Orange Dot Quilts. A "Color Me page comes with the pattern so you can create your own design and color combination. 

And last but not least: For FREE patterns for optical illusion quilts, CLICK HERE! 

Image credits: Photos of Purple Spiral were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2025 Quilt Arizona show.

Alaska Magic

Here's a gorgeous Alaska Magic quilt made with a fascinating combination of stars, plaids, florals and berry prints. We love the soft purples, muted blues, and warm yellows and oranges. Cindi Huff did a beautiful job with the piecing and machine quilting!

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Alaska Magic, made and quilted by Cindi Huff 

Winner of Honorable Mention for this quilt, Cindi Huff says, "I have dragged my husband in and out of quilt shops all over the US and had never seen him excited about a quilt pattern until he saw this hanging in a quilt shop in Oregon, so here it is!" 

NOTE: The Alaska Magic quilt pattern by Edyta Sitar is available [as of this writing] at Laundry Basket Quilts (CLICK HERE!) There is also a Rainbow version of this design, shown below... find the pattern [as of this writing] at Laundry Basket Quilts!

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

12 Days of Christmas: True Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all our readers! To celebrate the season, we're posting 12 of our favorite Christmas quilts from recent shows.  We hope you enjoy the beautiful details expressed in these masterpieces!

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True Christmas by Carol Carpenter, quilted by Kris Neifeld 

Carol Carpenter says, "Christmas brings joy in so many different ways.  The sweet applique and pieced pattern caught my eye and shares my vision of a true Christmas image.  Joy to the World!"

This wonderful quilt is based on the Christmas Morning Delight pattern by Lisa Norton & Lora Zmak at Material Girlfriends.  Many colorful batik fabrics can be seen in various blocks. Kris Neifeld quilted spiky stars within the sawtooth stars in the borders:

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

Free pattern day! Bear Paw Quilts

Bear Paw quilt blocks consist of a square with half square triangles on two adjacent sides.  The finished block resembles - you guessed it - a bear's paw!  Download your favorites today!! 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.  

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Wash Your Paws (Giant Bear Paw) quilt, free pattern at Wooly Petals (CLICK for PDF download) 

Sparkler quilt, free pattern by Tula Pink for Free Spirit Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Paws for Thought quilt, free pattern at Banyan Batiks (CLICK for PDF download)

 Lodge Life wall quilt, free pattern by Wendy Sheppard for P&B Textiles (CLICK for PDF download)

New Beginnings quilt, free pattern by Marie Bostwick & Deb Tucker (CLICK for PDF download)

A Walk in the Woods, free pattern by Bob Coon for Kona Bay Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Paws Out quilt, free pattern by Tula Pink for Free Spirit Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

In The Wild quilt, free pattern by Michael Miller Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Evening Stroll quilt, free pattern at RJR Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Animal Tracks quilt, free pattern by Michael Miller Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Bear Paw Rollup quilt, free pattern by Robert Kaufman Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Bear Feet baby quilt, free pattern by Emily Herrick for Michael Miller Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Garden Path quilt. free pattern at Robert Kaufman Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download) 

 Bear Paws and Pines quilt, free pattern by Riley Blake Designs (CLICK for PDF download)

Caboodle Basics quilt, free pattern by Henry Glass Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)  

Dino Tracks quilt, 51 x 60", free pattern by P&B Textiles (CLICK for PDF download)

Forest Tracks quilt, free pattern by Robert Kaufman Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

Bear Paw flannel quilt, free pattern by Landauer Publishing (CLICK for PDF download)

Lakehouse Forest Track quilt, free pattern by Windham Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

 Legends of the Park quilt, free pattern by Riley Blake Designs (CLICK for PDF download) 

Lend A Paw quilt, free pattern by Tula Pink for Free Spirit Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

New Dawn quilt, free pattern by Marcus Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

On The Road quilt, free pattern by Riley Blake Designs (CLICK for PDF download)

The Fire Within quilt, free pattern by Margrit Hall, Robert Kaufman Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download)

 

Image credits: 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 include downloadable (.pdf) patterns; we have tried to note which is which in the titles.  We update our links every 6 months as needed; however, websites may change their pages in between updates. If any links are broken we'd love to know; please email us at quiltinspiration {at} gmail {dot} com.