Morning Glories

We enjoyed this large and sunny quilt, composed of blue, orange, and yellow kaleidoscope blocks.  Our favorite bird is the hummingbird, which is the highlight of this large and sunny quilt.

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 ! 

Sunny Morning Glories, made and quilted by Julie Hallquist

Julie Hallquist explains that this is a panel-based one block wonder quilt, celebrating the morning glory and the hummingbird who enjoys its nectar.  Each kaleidoscope block is a work of art!  The quilt was based on One-Block Wonder panel quilts by Maxine Rosenthal. This such a creative application of this technique.

Image credits: Photos of Posy Park were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2024 Tucson Quilters guild show.

Best of Utah quilts: The 2018 Springville show ! part 3

We had lots of fun seeing the pretty quilts at the 45th annual Utah Quilt Show in Springville, Utah. It's a juried show, featuring quilts of all styles and sizes. We hope you enjoy the "eye candy" below !

Note: For great deals 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.

Joci at Meiji Shrine by Sandra Rindlesbach - Award of Excellence

Sandra notes, "Joci at Meiji Shrine is adapted from a photo of my daughter while on vacation in Japan. The quilt is completely thread painted with over 100 threads. It was started in a class by [art quilter] Jennifer Day. This is my first thread painted quilt. "

Close-up, Joci at Meiji Shrine

In this exquisite quilt, you can see every detail of Joci's face. We really admire Sandra's amazing work.

Everlasting by Helen Butler (Best of Show)

Helen explains, "This multi-faceted quilt has been year in the making and finishing. Begun in 2014, the Coxcomb pattern has intrigued me, as I was drawn to its circular design and secondary pattern. The coxcomb flower is known as an "Everlasting", being one that when it dies, it does not lose its color or shape."

Close-up, Everlasting

Helen adds, "Last, not but least, this quilt, as my family knows, has literally been everlasting in its completion, and now it's done. AMEN. This original design quilt features trapunto, stuffed work, thread play, piping, couching, and needleturn applique. Quilted on my domestic machine."  Many congratulations to Helen upon the completion of her stunning work, with such intriguing shapes and beautiful quilting.

Autumn Migration by Margo Faccini

Margo says, "I couldn't resist the wonderful colors in this [fabric] line, so I bought several yards of several pieces and have ended up with two fall colored quilts."

Close-up, Autumn Migration

We really like the center medallion of long-stemmed flowers, which is set off so nicely by the flying geese inner border. Margo's pretty work perfectly captures the moods and colors of a sunny autumn day.
  
Magnificent Mola by Ellina Poulson, quilted by Kim Peterson (Award of Excellence)

Ellina writes, "I purchased the mola several years ago in Midway, UT and then struggled with ideas to frame it. It finally came together this year."
Ellina is referring to the  textile with the circular motif in the very center of the quilt. 

detail

In this close-up of the center motif, you can see the gorgeous colors and patterns that went into its construction. Ellina adds, "The quilting by Kim Peterson exquisitely sets off the design."

Deep Blue by Aftyn Schwab, quilted by Carol Rawson

Aftyn states, "Deep Blue" is a one block wonder quilt, but it is an original design. I didn't want a normal one block wonder quilt in the way they are usually made. I wanted something completely different and organic - like the ocean. The organization of the blocks is inspired by the ocean. The lightest blocks are near the top, where the sun penetrates and causes [the water] to be lighter."
(Based on One Block Wonders: One Fabric, One Shape, One-of-a-Kind Quilts by Maxine Rosenthal)

Close-up, Deep Blue

Aftyn continues, " The symbolism between my quilt and the ocean is similar. As you go deeper in the ocean, the colors deepen due to the absence of light. This is the effect I wanted to replicate in my quilt. I chose to do the ocean because I absolutely love it. I think it's gorgeous, mysterious, endearing, and captivating. This quilt was made entirely by me, with my Grandma Evans as my technical advisor." This is such an energetic,  pretty quilt, with a perfect selection of fabrics to depict the myriad hues of the ocean against a background of sandy and gray neutrals. 

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration.

Modern Quilt Month 2016 - part 1

Welcome to Modern Quilt Month 2016 ! We've enjoyed seeing the modern quilts at various shows, and summer seems like the perfect time to feature these fun quilts. Here is part 1 of Modern Quilt Month.

Tree of Life by Kira Holladay (Springville, Utah)

This red, white and black Tree of Life was inspired by Kira's daughter's love of swirling trees.  This quilt looks very modern with its one-patch design and high contrasts.  Kira quilted it herself, using red thread (below) in a design of stems and leaves, along with diagonal wavy lines (in white) that radiate from the upper right corner of the quilt.

Study in Blue by Maria Hawkins (Elk Ridge, Utah), quilted by Becky Morganson

Maria Hawkins says,  "Many years ago I saw a very simple blue and white quilt that was stunning... finding the correct navy blue was hard and then a bright white for a contrast was a chore. The quilt came out better than I expected but I was very pleased with a slightly altered pattern that I saw in McCall's Quilting, April 2013 called Fujita Maze by Susan Guzman."  (Visit McCall's Quilting to download the free Garden Path block pattern.)

24 Shades of Stars, 75 x 75", by Lisa Maechtlen (Anchorage, Alaska)

Lisa Maechtlen says, "This quilt was made to conform to an optical illusion challenge, using only the snowball block and the 54-40 or Fight block.  To make the quilt more interesting, Lisa chose 24 shades of gray to black and four shades of pink to magenta."

Grandpa's Model Twenty #1, 60 x 60",by Jodi Robinson (Enon Valley, Pennsylvania)

This original design was inspired by a groovy stereo system Jodi's grandfather used to have called a KLH model.  The quilt was constructed using piecing and invisible applique, and quilted on a longarm using mostly straight lines. For more information on her process, and to see the stereo system that inspired the design, see the post at Jodi Robinson Designs.

Magical Masquerade, 63 x 72", by Jo Anne Fredrikson (Placitas, New Mexico), quilted by Shirley Barter

Jo Anne Fredrickson says, "The magic and mystery of the Crescent City of New Orleans inspired the colors and movement depicted in this One Block Wonder variation." The design source was the book One-Block Wonders: One Fabric, One Shape, One-of-a-Kind Quilts by Maxine Rosenthal.

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2016 AQS Quilt Week (Phoenix, Arizona) and the 2015 Springville (Utah) quilt show.

River City Quilt Show - Day 1

"Rhapsody in Bloom" was the theme of the  River City Quilters' Guild 2012 Quilt Show, which took place from Nov. 14-16, 2012 in Sacramento, California.   We really enjoyed the exhibits put on by this local guild, and we have many fantastic quilts to show you !

River City Quilters' Guild, 2012 Raffle Quilt, close-up photo by Quilt Inspiration

This year's Opportunity Quilt was adapted from a pattern by Crabapple Hill Designs.  The blocks of delicate floral motifs, and blossoms in soft pastels remind us that cultivating good friendships is like tending to a cherished year-round garden.

Red Chair, 41 x 58”, by Mary Upham

Winner of the "Best in Show" award and First Place winner in the Art Quilts category,  Mary writes, "The inspiration for this quilt came from a photo that I took of the porch of a winery in Murphys, CA. I started this project at a Ruth McDowell class at  the Empty Spools Seminar in Asilomar, California." Mary's perfect piecing work has resulted in a life-like depiction of an inviting, homey porch on a sunny afternoon, with one's favorite chair waiting to be occupied.

Close-up of Red Chair by Mary Upham

The strong vertical lines of the house are mirrored in the vertical lines of the chair's colors and quilting pattern.The house, chair, and the garden have a very comfortable rustic look to to them, as a place to relax and daydream.

Fractured Star, 60 x 60”, by Linda Bergmann, quilted by Debbie Lopez

Blue ribbon winner in the Scrap Quilts category, Linda says "This star is a variation of the Star of Bethlehem; all paper pieced with Civil War fabrics."  We recognize this design as the "Unusual Lone Star" pattern in the book, 'Quilts by Karen K. Stone'. Linda has done a wonderful job with a fabric selection of mostly browns, reds, and oranges, which contrast nicely with the taupes and ecru shades of the background fabrics.

Close-up of  Fractured Star by Linda Bergmann

Here's a close-up of how this graceful contemporary star is constructed. The triangles are paper-pieced into smaller diamond blocks, then the blocks are sewn together to make larger diamond components of the eight-pointed star.

Bridget, 22 x 29”, by Linda Bergmann

Winner of a Judges' Choice award, Linda writes, "This portrait was made in a Ruth McDowell class-from a picture of Bridget; pattern was made in class, and this is a form of paper piecing."

Close-up of Bridget by Linda Bergmann

With her perked-up ears and lively eyes, Bridget exudes a lovable personality full of energy.  We can really imagine Bridget just begging to be taken on a walk by her owner

Lady Bug Picnic, 74 x 73, made by Linda Boehm and quilted by Karen M. Walker

Third place winner in the Two Person Pieced Quilt category, Linda notes,  " My children listened to the classic song, Ladybugs' Picnic, during early Sesame Street. In tune with this whimsy, Karen Walker long-arm stitched an Eric Carle (Children’s author) pattern, I spy a dragonfly, snail…”

Close-up of  Ladybugs' Picnic by Linda Boehm and Karen Walker

Complementing the darling polka dot sashing is the ladybug in the center of each quilt block.  Can you spot the cute quilting patterns of the bugs which are stitched into this block?  ( Hint : One bug's head is in the blue background, on the right hand side of the block).

Italy in Bloom, 57 x 81”, made by Malene Evans, quilted by Karen Valdez

Malene tells us, "This [one-block wonder] quilt was created in memory of our trip to Italy and Sicily in October 2009 to celebrate our retirement." These lovely primary colors and the cheerful round symmetrical patterns remind us of the beautiful hand-painted folk art plates that travelers find throughout sunny Italy.

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration.

Seeds of genius

In 2006, Maxine Rosenthal wrote a book called One-Block Wonders, which described quilts made from a single fabric. In 2008, an architect by the name of Bruce Seeds saw the book. He was taken with the dynamic effects, and decided to try the process.

Fast forward to 2011, and to Bruce Seeds' impressive art quilt portfolio.  One of his Facebook fans sums it up: "Your quilts are astounding. They belong in a museum of quilts." ~Maxine Rosenthal 

Paisley, 85 x 85, by Bruce Seeds

The quilts are composed of small triangles that are grouped into hexagons, each hexagon resembling the view through a kaleidoscope, and each made up of six identical triangles. The hexagon elements are then arranged into a whole, in a process similar to the construction of a mosaic, prior to stitching. 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. There is great balance and harmony, along with energy,  in this composition.

Metro, 86.5 x 87, by Bruce Seeds

"Metro" is the second quilt which Bruce Seeds made.  He has shared photos at his photostream on Flickr.  There you can see some of the original fabrics, including the amazing black-and-white animal print that was used to construct "Metro". 

The Ring, 82 x 82, by Bruce Seeds

The Ring, above, was exhibited at the Grand Rapids Public Museum in September 2010 during the ArtPrize exhibit. It is the 13th work in Bruce Seeds' portfolio (he is now finishing number 18). This quilt started with a gorgeous floral print in rusty reds, sage greens and whites against a black background (below). Bruce divided the fabric into over a thousand triangles and then arranged them to construct the stunning quilt shown above.

We are struck by the beauty of Bruce Seeds' quilts, and we are also curious about his transition from an architect and web designer to a quilter (Oh, and he still does web design.)  We had a chance to ask Bruce a few questions about his work:

Quilt Inspiration: How does your experience as an architect impact your quilting?

Bruce Seeds: Architecture for me is a balance of tending to detail while also working the overall composition. This is also true for my quilted textile mosaics. When my seams are straight, when my corners come together in points, they enhance the overall work. The big difference is that my mosaics quilts are composed as they are constructed, while buildings are generally designed first and then constructed. Having to stay in the present and always thinking about the composition is what holds my interest in making this type of quilt. If I were making quilts from patterns, it would be like constructing a building that someone else designed, and for me that wouldn't be nearly as much fun.

Q.I.: Do you think you were 'born' to be an art quilter, and if so, what forces or influences caused you to go into architecture and computer design first?

Bruce Seeds: I went into architecture because it presented a balance between science (structure) and art. Because I worked at large firms, I rarely got to experience the art and spent most of my time on the computers working detail. I parlayed that computer experience into web site design, which gave me more opportunity to create. As the economy tanked in 2008, I took the opportunity to move even further into the creative by trying my hand at mosaic quilting. And this work has the best balance for me between detail and artistic expression. Was I born to be an art quilter? No more than anything else that strikes a balance between the detailed and the expressive.

Q.I.: What challenges have you encountered in quilting (any artistic, technical, societal, or professional challenges?)

Bruce Seeds: My pieces are large, which means they are expensive, which means they don't exactly fly off the shelves. So sales, for one. But that's getting better as I get more notice. Beyond that, I'm not much of a networker, so to the extent that I'm missing out on opportunities because I'm not out there rubbing elbows, that's a challenge.

Q.I.: How do you see your work evolving in the future ?

Bruce Seeds:  One part of the answer lies in the way I've recently decided to start describing my work as quilted textile mosaics. They are, at their essence, mosaics. And I plan to explore mosaic compositions in other mediums using techniques similar to what I'm doing with cotton fabric. In addition, I plan to find more of my voice and do work that says something more specific about my life.

Additional notes:  Images are shown with the generous permission of the artist. You can find Bruce Seeds at bruceseeds.com, at his Facebook page, and at his online shop. In 2010 he was featured in M magazine (click for the .pdf article) and exhibited at ArtPrize 2010. Recently, he was interviewed by Nancy Zieman for the Sewing with Nancy television show (click to see a studio shot).