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.

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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.

Quilt Fiesta! The annual Tucson Quilters Guild show (3)

 It's quilt show time!  The annual Quilt Fiesta, held by the Tucson Quilters Guild in Arizona, is an outstanding show. We're rolling out some of our favorite photos.

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

Bareback Champ by Millie Burgheimer

Bareback Champ received an award for expertise in thread painting. Millie Burgheimer included a quilt show banner on the fence behind the rider! We can't imagine how many colors of thread were needed to create the detail of this scene.  Millie says, "Attending many a rodeo event, I got a to photograph many a rider. Doing this piece brought back memories. [It was] fun recreating with thread."

Talavera Fiesta by Lynn Rubel

Talavera is a Mexican and Spanish pottery tradition that originated in Talavera de la Reina in Spain.  Talavera pottery is known for its brilliant colors set against a pristine white background. Lynn Rubel created a stunning original applique quilt inspired by this tradition. Lynn says, "My friend Shirley inspired me to make a Talavera quilt. Various designs from Talavera were incorporated into the design. I chose primary colors to make this bright and fun with embellishments to make it fiesta!"

Tucson by Jeannie Clegg

We love the Southwest design and colors of this quilt! Tucson by Jeannie Clegg was based on a pattern by Elizabeth Anne Quilt Designs (as of this post, the pattern can be found on Etsy. ) Jeannie explains that she purchased the pattern in 2007, and that the fabrics were selected by her daughter & granddaughters during their visit to California in 2008, where she used to live. She then made the quilt at a retreat summer of 2022.

Saguaro National Park East by Lynne Saul

Saguaro National Park East by Lynne Saul was inspired by a photo of this beautiful area of the Sonoran desert. It is primarily pieced and was machine quilted by Lynne herself.  One Person, Primarily Pieced, Machine Quilted.  The original design was made using Ricky Tims' Gridified Art Quilt process, which Lynne took as an online class. The majestic saguaro cactus are beautifully highlighted against the mountains.

In My Desert Backyard by Barbara Hanson

 

So many animals and plants can be seen in this original design quilt, titled In My Desert Backyard. You can find Gambel's quail, butterflies, prickly pear and barrel cactus, hummingbirds, penstemon flowers and more in this quilt. Barbara Hanson says, "Our move to Tucson in 2020 and learning about the many plants and animals of the desert inspired this quilt. Backyard landscaping included bent rebar to resemble ocotillo."

 

An appliqued hawk soars gracefully over the desert landscape.

Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2023 Tucson Quilters Guild show.

 

Quilt Fiesta! The annual Tucson Quilters Guild show (1)

It's quilt show time!  The annual Quilt Fiesta, held last weekend by the Tucson Quilters Guild, is an outstanding show. We're rolling out some of our favorite photos from the show.

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

Abuelita Scrappy Quilt by Millie Burgheimer

Winner of an award in the thread painting category, Millie Burgheimer created a lovely portrait as a tribute to grandmothers who quilt. She says,  "Our grandmothers (abuelitas) often made quilts by hand or [with an] old sewing machine.  They used old scraps and feed sacks. [This was] a fun project to create by thread painting and fabric that was given to me." 

Southwest Sunrise by Luanne Wood

This stunning quilt was based on the 2020 Southwest Sunrise BOM (block-of-the-month) by Reeze L. Hanson.  Luanne Wood says, "I learned a lot about New Mexico's Zuni Indian tribe from this pattern.  I added thread drawn motifs of Arizona's Sonoran Desert in the corners of the main section and revised the outer border with more Zuni thread-drawn motifs." The quilt won Judge's Choice plus an Exemplary Machine Quilting award.

Bienvenidos by Tami Graeber

Bienvenidos ("Welcome") won the 1st place Viewer's Choice award. Tami Graeber says, "I love painting Mexican tiles; this is my 5th tile quilt. It was inspired by a stairway at the McNay Art Museum in San Antonio, Texas. The stairs were painted one row at a time and machine appliqued into place."

Southwest Lone Star by Kris Neifeld

This beautiful Lone Star quilt was based on the book, All-Star Quilts, by Helen Frost and Blanche Young (available at Amazon and other bookseller sites). We loved the combination of coppery oranges and reds with turquoise and teal blues. This classic Southwest color combination was achieved with batik fabrics.  The top was made and quilted by Kris Neifeld.

Monument Valley by Richard & Shari Thompson

This intriguing digital quilt was a collaboration between Richard and Shari Thompson.  Creating the border from a Navajo rug purchased by his grandmother in 1935, Richard used Photoshop to blend 40 of their Monument Valley images into a single file.  When this was printed on fabric, Shari quilted and embellished the scene. The detail was outstanding, as shown in this closeup photo of the sheep.

Tree of Life by Kay Walen

This wonderful foundation-pieced quilt was based on a design by Lisa Fryxell at the PreFurred Quilt Shop. Kay Walen says, "This quilt is entirely paper pieced.  I needed to improve my skills [with this technique]... I had a large learning curve and lots of reverse sewing opportunities and wasted fabric." The result, as you can see, was outstanding! This Tree of Life was quilted by Double T Quilts.

 

Image credit: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2023 Tucson Quilters Guild show.

Flamenco Dancer

The Pacific International Quilt Festival is held annually in Santa Clara, California. This year's show included over 400 quilts. We're featuring some of our favorite works of art from the show.

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

Maria, 61 x 38.75", by Mary Anne Fontana (Delaware)

Entered in the quilt competition in the Innovative category, Mary Anne Fontana says: "This is an original photograph taken by me in Mercia, Spain in 2018.  Maria, a Flamenco dancer, was performing at an outdoor concert in front of this beautiful cathedral.  The printed image is a composite of two different edited photographs of her." 

Printed on 100% cotton fabric with cotton batting and backing, "Maria" was free-motion "thread painted" using thousands of yards of different color threads.  Fabric markers & watercolor paints were used to enhance her movement and beauty, and the finished piece was longarm machine quilted.

Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2022 Pacific International Quilt Festival.
 

Autumn Splendor

Here is a delightful landscape quilt we admired at the 2022 Quilt Fiesta (Tucson, Arizona). This piece captures the splendor of golden aspen trees at this time of year. A wood cabin is nestled among the trees in the middle left of the quilt, facing a grassy meadow.

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

Autumn Splendor by Janet Pugh

We enjoyed this original art quilt by Janet Pugh.  It was inspired by golden aspen trees, which draw thousands of tourists to Colorado each autumn. The dimensional leaves in the foreground were very well done. Janet says, "Capturing the colors against a woven sky with painted aspen bark, dimensional leaves and grassy meadow is my attempt to create the view in fiber." Her thread painting can be seen in the closeup photo below.

The quilt was designed, made and quilted by Janet herself. She accurately depicts the texture of the aspen bark. The batik fabrics, in hues of green and brown, reflect the colors and textures of the forest floor.

 Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2022 Tucson Quilters Guild show.

 

Highlights of the Road to California Quilt Show! part 1

Welcome to the Road to California Quilter's Conference and Showcase! The Road to California, as it is called, takes place in Ontario (Southern California), and features over 1,000 quilts by artists from all over the world. Around 40,000 people gather to see the show, take classes, and shop. Join us in admiring some of the stunning quilts from this year's show.

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

Persephone by Deb Hyde (Michigan, USA)

This stunning piece drew in hordes of fascinated viewers at the show. The figure in the quilt is created with tiny (1") fabric squares while maintaining an underlying quilt block structure (sunshine and shadow, a traditional Amish pattern, set on point). Deb Hyde explains, "The quilt consists of one-inch fabric squares (many individually cut) that conform to both the demands of the human and landscape image as well as the embedded block pattern, forming concentric diamonds in specific color values."

Deb Hyde explains that all the pieces are placed and then sewn together with a quarter-inch seam allowance and quilted. The facial features, including the eyebrows and eyelashes, were defined by quilting with black thread, as shown in the closeup photo above.  You can read more about Deb Hyde's work at her Facebook page at Deb Hyde Fiber Art.

Little Artists by Hiroko Miyama and Masanobu Miyama (Azumino City, Japan)

One of the most charming and realistic portrait quilts we've seen (and winner of a Third Place ribbon at this show), Hiroko Miyama says this quilt was inspired by pictures of her granddaughters, Natsumi and Fuyuka. Just look at their happy, smiling faces, as they proudly display their artworks! Also check out the adorable dog peering over the sofa.

The girls' butterflies and flowers were also embroidered and popped into the wall paper behind the girls. Hiroko Miyama creates photorealistic quilts by starting with a computerized image (drawing), which is deconstructed into an applique diagram. For more information, see her Facebook page at Hiroko Miyama Quilt.

Triple Threat by Debra Crine (Florida, USA)

A gorgeous combination of fabric painting and thread painting, Triple Threat was inspired by a photograph by Nancy Joiner Harmon. Debra Crine says, "I saw a photograph of these three little faces and knew I had to paint them.  After getting permission from the photographer, I laid out my design, and decided to add some flowers to bring some color to the piece. What fun painting these tiny little faces and bringing them to life."

The precision thread painting on the faces really brings these furry creatures to life.  Check out more of Deb Crine's work at her Facebook page, Deb Crine - Artist.

The Value of Violet by Margaret Solomon Gunn (Maine, USA)

Winner of the $5000 award for Outstanding Wall Quilt, Margaret Solomon Gunn says, "All my life I have had a love affair with the color purple -- lavender, fuchsia, plum...love them all. This quilt explores creating depth, texture and design with just one color."

This beauty is made from commercial cottons and hand-dyed silk Radiance fabrics. It features turned-edge hand applique, embroidery, hand-guided longarm quilting and a scalloped edge created on the longarm. The edge scallops were quilted on the longarm, then finished on the domestic machine; they also were edged with a silk piping as shown below.

You can find more of Margaret Solomon Gunn's award-winning quilts at her website, Mainely Quilts of Love.

Boogie Brass Band by Sharon Casey (California, USA)

We loved this contemporary art quilt, with its bright solid colors and dramatic shapes. Winner of the Director's Choice Award of $5,000, Sharon Casey says, "Boogie Brass Band owes its creation to the big band music my parents played when I was a kid.  I also loved marching bands!  What a thrill it is when the light gleams off the trumpets, trombones, and sousaphones as they break from strict formation and sway into full-tilt boogie-woogie."

The musical instruments, keyboards, notes, and other elements in the quilt were cut in a freeform manner which adds to the improvisational contemporary feel of this quilt.  You can see more of Sharon's work at her website, Sharon Casey Quilts.

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2020 Road to California show.

Quilts of Australia

At the recent Pacific International Quilt Festival, we saw a beautiful display of quilts from Australia, a country of many talented quilt artists !  We hope you enjoy some of the highlights of this exhibit!

Self Portrait with Machine, 38 x 38, by Ronda Hazell

Ronda explains, "This is one version of myself, in my happy place with my favorite sewing machine. I am disupted and interrupted from my activity momentarily. The background is a Drunkard's Path [pattern] in a combination of commercial fabrics, hand dyed after quilting with applique as the main design."

We love the look of contentment and productivity on Ronda's face ! She reminds us that every day is a good day to quilt. Her original design is machine pieced, machine appliqued, and sewing machine quilted.

Teatime in Wonderland, 33 x 55,  by Jessica Dobson

Blue ribbon winner for Best of Country in the World Quilt Exhibition, Jessica notes, "I love the characters out of the movie "Alice in Wonderland", and I thought it would be fun to create a quilt with them. The background has been created with fabric dyes. The characters are all raw edge fabric collage. Lace has been added to sleeves and the binding. "

What a great expression on the face of the giant White Rabbit, one of the memorable characters in classic children's literature ! Jessica's original design is machine pieced, machine appliqued, free-motion embroidered, and sewing machine quilted.

Dragon Magic, 36 x 36, by Silke Steuxner

Silke writes, "Dragon Magic is a quilt that encourages tearing down the borders of rigid beliefs that things only exist which are visible to the naked eye. Let's build bridges that open and allow us entry into a magical world where fairies and dragons exist. Be brave and curious like the little fairy that builds a bridge by approaching the majestic dragon on the wings of a dragonfly."

Silke's lovely work has such an enchanted, fanciful touch to it ! Her original design is machine appliqued and longarm machine quilted.

Night Moves 36 x 36, by Sue de Vanny

Sue notes that the subject for her quilt  is the Tasmanian Masked Owl. It was first discovered in Tasmania, which is an isolated island state off Australia's south coast. Sue says, "I've depicted him coming in and ready to pick up its prey to feed its family."

Sue continues, " [This quilt has a ] pieced and painted background with the owl and tree trunk appliqued and thread sketched, then quilting and beading added."
We love these intricate embellishments which give such an expressive, soulful look to the owl's face.

Deceptive Markings, 65" x 53", by Sue de Vanny

Sue de Vanny says that the center of Deceptive Markings is a preprinted panel from Reece Scannell of trees and statues, done in symmetry.  "I saw an elephant head [within] the image.  Piecing the base and then appliqueing the ears, tusks, and trunk created the distortion to give more roundness."

The elephant's eyes were thread sketched to make them realistic.  Sue used metallic threads to quilt around the trees, and added tulle for value and depth on ears. This very creative piece is machine pieced, machine appliqued, and sewing machine quilted.


Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2019 Pacific International Quilt Festival.