Two-million-view milestone: Part 2

Quilt Inspiration recently hit a major milestone, with over 2 million page views.  We're taking the time to say THANKS to the many talented artists who inspire us all.  Here is Part 2 of our retrospective, with some contemporary quilts we've featured.

Reversible patched pojagi table runner by Victoria Gertenbach

Pojagi stitching, as explained by Victoria Gertenbach,  is a Korean art of seam construction which produces beautiful flat reinforced seams that add to the visual appeal of  works, especially with  bulky denims or delicate thin silks or voiles. For more information see our October 2011 post, Modern Quilting at The Silly Boodilly. 

Sparkling Spools by Laura Nownes 
 

We love simple patterns that look spectacular. "Sparkling Spools" is just one of Laura Nownes' Simply Strip Pieced Patterns. For more information see our June 2011 post, Simple Shapes by Diana and Laura.

Walks In the Woods by Frieda Anderson

Frieda Anderson's quilts almost always reflect her fascination with nature, and what she sees on her walks. This quilt celebrates the trees in the woods, with golden sunlight shining through the leaves.  For more information see our 2010 post, Dances with Nature: The Quilts of Frieda Anderson.

Totally Tubular Triangles by Rita Hutchens

We love the contemporary design and colors of this quilt, which is the subject of one of Rita Hutchens' workshops. Her tubular strip-piecing techniques, which are a cross between Seminole and Bargello, are the subject of her book of Totally Tubular Quilts.  For more information see our July 2012 post, Totally Tubular Quilts by Rita Hutchens.

Tiny Town, 17 x 17", by Karen Eckmeier at The Quilted Lizard

Wouldn't it be fun to live in this miniature village with its brilliant hues?  Tiny Town is a collage of small overlapping fabric pieces cut into rectangles, triangles, stair steps, window and door shapes.  For more information see our October 2012 post, The Quilted Lizard: designs by Karen Eckmeier.

Shots and Stripes quilt by Kaffe Fassett and Liza Prior Lucy

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. One of the intriguing projects is this contemporary take on the traditional "Lady of the Lake" pattern.  For more information see our April 2013 post, Winner of Kaffe Fassett Quilts: Shots and Stripes.

Paisley by Bruce Seeds

Bruce Seeds' quilts are composed of small triangles that are grouped into hexagons, each hexagon resembling the view through a kaleidoscope. In "Paisley", Bruce created the illusion of a third dimension by placing some of the lighter blocks on top of a black inner border and frame. For more information see our February 2011 post, Seeds of Genius.

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

'Tis the season: Silly Snowmen

In keeping with our holiday theme, here is one of our favorite snowman quilts.  This cheerful design by Karen Eckmeier features eight snowmen who are holding hands (er, sticks) to form a circle. "Silly Snowmen" is #8  in her “Circle of Friends” Series, which includes patterns that 'revolve' around a certain theme. Karen says: "My art is happy and upbeat, concentrating on the positive and whimsical side of life."

Silly Snowmen, 25 x 25", by Karen Eckmeier at The Quilted Lizard

As the description says, you could give your winter months a splash of color with this gathering of cardinals, blue jays, holly leaves and snowmen that form a giant snowflake. There are blue, green, red and lavender mittens that revolve around the snowflake/star in the center.

Fabulous Flamingos, 25 x 25", by Karen Eckmeier at The Quilted Lizard

If you live in Florida, snowmen might seem out of place... but these flamingos would be right at home. The "Fabulous Flamingos" pattern is #7 in the "Circle of Friends" series. The flamingos are accompanied by a collection of tropical flora and fauna including parrots, fish, reef coral and palm trees.

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

The Quilted Lizard: designs by Karen Eckmeier

In 1996 Karen Eckmeier of Connecticut started making art quilts, which were very well received in national and international shows. Her hobby officially became her business in 2002 when she opened her business, The Quilted Lizard.

Tiny Town, 17 x 17", by Karen Eckmeier at The Quilted Lizard

Wouldn't it be fun to live in this adorable village with its brilliant hues?  Tiny Town is a collage of small overlapping fabric pieces cut into rectangles, triangles, stair steps, window and door shapes. Want to know more about how to make this fun quilt?  On Monday,  Oct. 22, 2012,  Karen will be on television on The Quilt Show, Episode #1109 . Karen will explain her techniques for creating these miniature villages to hosts Alex Anderson and Ricky Tims, on location from Santa Fe, New Mexico. Stay tuned for Karen's excellent presentation !

Turquoise Turtles, 25 x 25" by Karen Eckmeier at The Quilted Lizard

When we first saw this quilt, we felt as if we had been transported to a fabulous beach in Hawaii. Look at all the happy sea life here! Among the turtles are gold starfish,  bright pink shells, pastel aqua tropical fish, purple seahorses,  and our favorites, the red lobsters that dance around the outside with their arms outstretched. If you wish, you could use a black background for a dramatic effect.  This is such a cheerful, eye-catching quilt, that you can't help but smile as you construct it using the fusible applique method.

Lakes, approx. 10" x 8", in the Accidental Landscapes"  by Karen Eckmeier at The Quilted Lizard

Make a small quilt of a lovely serene lake and you'll have treated yourself to a virtual mini-vacation. Karen's "Lakes" patterns are part of her very pretty "Accidental Landscapes" designs. In this series of patterns, Karen shows you how to create a landscape scene of your choice by layering strips of colors in different shapes from nature. You can cut and topstitch mountains, lakes, deserts, grasslands- you name it.  All of the cutting is done free form, not from templates, so you can achieve maximum creativity.

Mola Lizard, 17 x 23", in the Lucky Lizard series by Karen Eckmeier at The Quilted Lizard

Karen writes, "Lizards make me laugh.They're tiny and cute and scurry around with amazing speed. ...When it came time to name my company, I wanted a mascot that would make people smile."   This lizard looks like one of the happiest creatures ever, as he appears to be dancing joyfully against a backdrop of stained glass pieces.   Karen based this eye-catching design on the art of the Kuna Indians of Panama. They are known for their brightly colored "Molas",  in which vivid designs are derived from reverse applique patterns.

Moon in NYC, approx 6" x 9" (not including borders), in City Skylines by Karen Eckmeier at The Quilted Lizard

The "City Skylines" pattern is another one of Karen's "Accidental Landscape " series, in which she provides dozens of ideas and examples for a mini art quilt with an urban theme.  You can create a skyline of your hometown or your favorite city of the world by layering and topstitching fabrics, just as you do for landscape quilts.  What a great way to use small pieces of color-saturated fabric from your stash ! Start your imagination......

Books by Karen Eckmeier as seen at Amazon.com

Karen's books on her innovative and fascinating techniques have received wonderful reviews for her easy-to-understand, conversational writing style. For more information, please visit her books and patterns page at The Quilted Lizard.

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

Quilt Inspiration: Best of Halloween Quilts

As holidays go, it seems that Halloween gets bigger and better every year.  We love the images of the season: jack-o-lanterns, haunted houses, bats, ghosts and witches. We've even come to enjoy the wacky but iconic color scheme of orange, green and purple (!) Here's a recap of our Best of Halloween posts from the last two years.

Above, Row 1: Jack O Lantern Baskets by Kim Gaddy at Buttons and Bees; Pumpkin Hollow by Anne Sutton at Bunny Hill Designs; Fall Pumpkins by Kim Gaddy at Buttons and Bees. Row 2: Goofy Ghosts by Karen Eckmeier at The Quilted Lizard; Ichabod Hollow by Holly Oddson at Contra Costa County Quilt Guild (pattern by Joe Wood at Thimble Creek Quilt Shop); Rotogravure by Joe Wood at Thimble Creek Quilt Shop. Row 3: Sew Spooky by Arlene Stamper and Melissa Harris at The Quilt Company; Haunted House by Cynthia England at England Design. Row 4: Baltimore Halloween by Pearl P. Pereira at P3 Designs; Haunted Houses by Amber Johnson at A Little Bit Biased; If the Hat Fits pattern by The Buggy Barn™; a quilt kit is also available at The Buggy Barn. Row 5: If the Hat Fits block by The Buggy Barn™; Pumpkins by Frieda Anderson at Friestyle; Witch's Brew by Joan Jones at Seams Like Home; Don't Drink and Fly by Holly Mabutas at Eat Cake Graphics.

Best of Halloween 2012: Goofy Ghosts

From Connecticut, multi-talented teacher, author, and artist Karen Eckmeier writes, "I am compelled to create; creating gives me energy, and I want to share that energy with others. Fabric is my medium of choice, because I love the feel and texture of it."  Here's Karen's very original Halloween- themed pattern,  "Goofy Ghosts", which can be purchased at her website, The Quilted Lizard.

Goofy Ghosts, 25 x 25", by Karen Eckmeier at The Quilted Lizard

We love "Goofy Ghosts", because we think that Karen's designs in the round are so innovative and interesting. This quilt reminds us of looking through a kaleidoscope at fun Halloween symbols. There are bats done in lively purple, exuberant jack o' lanterns,  and witches broomsticks which give this work an elegantly balanced "compass effect". Also, take notice of  the owls, candy corn, and the faces of the black cats in the center.  The joyous dancing ghosts with their happy faces and curved forms comprise the focal point of the quilt and reinforce the circular motif.  Eye-pleasing symmetry is displayed throughout this excellent design.

Best of all, the assembly of the quilt is a time-saving process. Karen notes that "Goofy Ghosts" uses simple straight-stitch applique, which is done as part of the quilting process, so you don't need to use a stabilizer.

For more of Karen Eckmeier's fascinating work, please stay tuned to Quilt Inspiration during the next few months. We're looking forward to featuring more intriguing patterns from this prolific artist !

Image credits:  The image of "Goofy Ghosts" is shown with the generous permission of Karen Eckmeier.