Modern Quilt Month 2017 #2

We're keeping it simple for summer at Quilt Inspiration and featuring a showcase of modern quilts.  These original designs have a bold impact and straight or flowing lines, but the quilting is anything but simple.  We hope you enjoy these quilts as much as we did!
(NOTE: We've been awarded "Top Rated Seller" status at our eBay store, with super-low prices on quilt books and fabrics !  For free patterns,  please follow us on Twitter!)   

Piano Razzle Dazzle by Wendy A.S. Hoag, California

Wendy explains, " [This quilt] was designed for my daughter Ashley. She filled our house with years of piano magic. The quilt design evolved after seeing her most recent body art that was inspired by ships' camouflage during World War I, called "dazzle painting."  The "dazzle" made it difficult to estimate the ships' range, speed, and direction."
Wendy's original design is machine pieced, hand appliqued, and sewing machine quilted. We enjoyed this intriguing very well-done quilt,  which reminds us of the fun "op-art" designs of the 1960's. 

Pineapple Rings #5 by Emily Parson , Illinois

Emily states, "This is my fifth quilt in a series of pineapples with an original "rings" color arrangement. I love playing with traditional blocks and making modern fresh arrangements."

Detail, Pineapple Rings #5 by Emily Parson

By setting these blocks into a motif of interlocking rings, Emily has provided an updated, contemporary look to this traditional pattern. Emily's original design is machine pieced and sewing machine quilted.

Cartwheel by Arleen Kukua, California

Arleen notes, "Cartwheels was started in an Improvisation Curve piecing workshop. The fabrics come from a sampler pack of plaids and a Cherrywood Fabrics grab bag." Arleen's original design is machine pieced and hand quilted.

Admit One to the Sands of Time by Virginia Hammon and Coleen Barnhardt, Oregon

Blue ribbon winners for Best Longarm Machine Workmanship - Innovative Quilts at the 2016 World Quilt Show in New Hampshire, Colleen and Virginia write, "Admit one to a journey over the sands of time: how people and ideas evolve through time and history. One fabric begins the story as the block centerpiece, moving into the next position as a new fabric is added and continuing until the sixth block is complete.Then, one fabric drops out as a new one is added  - a fun challenge to pick fabrics that would play well together as the color story evolved."

Detail,  Admit One to the Sands of Time

Stunning quilting motifs mirror and enhance the geometric and circular shapes of the blocks. This fabulous original design is machine pieced.

Farm Girl by Victoria Findlay Wolfe (New York), quilted by Karen McTavish

Blue ribbon winner for Best Machine Workmanship - Innovative Quilts at the 2016  Pacific International Quilt Festival, Victoria says: "I'm a farm girl living in the Big Apple (New York City). If it were not for where I came from, I would not be doing what I am doing now. I cut up my families clothes to make this quilt and to tell this story of a farm girl and all that she is proud of.  [I am] using the star as my direction to find joy and [using] the double wedding rings to show what binds us together."

Detail, Farm Girl

Victoria's dazzling original design is machine pieced and makes excellent use of gold, beige, gray, and blue cottons against a white background, enhanced by Karen McTavish's award-winning quilting.

Double Ikat by Arleen Reiko Kukua, California

"Ikat" is a tie-dyeing technique from Indonesia, in which the yarns are wrapped tightly prior to dyeing and weaving, so that when the color is applied, it appears unevenly. Arleen notes, "[This quilt] is made of treasured Japanese double ikats and Kaffe Fassett ikats. I wanted to highlight the beautiful fabrics and chose Pat Yamin's Magic Squares pattern.

Detail, Double Ikat

Arleen's colorful, eye-catching quilt is machine pieced and sewing machine quilted.

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration.

Modern Quilt Month 2017 #1

We're keeping it simple for summer at Quilt Inspiration and featuring a showcase of modern quilts.  These original design quilts have a bold impact and straight or flowing lines, but the quilting is anything but simple, as you will see from the closeup photos.  We hope you enjoy these quilts as much as we did!
(NOTE: Please check out the great bargains on quilt books and fabrics at our eBay store ! for free patterns, follow us on Twitter!)     

Dandelion Dream, 70 x 40”, by Sharon H. Pedersen (Santa Maria, California)

Instantly recognizable as a dandelion, this quilt won a blue ribbon for Best Sewing Machine Workmanship in the Mid Century Mod Modern Quilt Competition at the 2016 PIQF. Sharon Pederson says, “Georgia O’Keefe’s representational water color paintings of nature inspired me to try and create my own interpretation. Her larger than life subjects have haunted me in my dreams until one morning I awoke with a desire to create a vision I had of a dandelion. “

Sharon says Dandelion Dreams is her first modern quilt and hopefully the first in a series. It was hand appliqued and sewing machine quilted.

Ferris Wheels Gone Awry, 46 x 46”, by Carolyn S. Davis (Oxford, Alabama); longarm quilted by Becky Everett

Carolyn S. Davis says, “This is my first attempt at a modern quilt. I wanted to combine the old (30’s repro fabric) Dresden plate with the basic stripped fabric. I saw somewhere where someone had added a slightly different shade in a striped pattern. This combo pleased me with the beautiful quilting (by Becky Everett) in the negative space" (shown below).

Seeds of Life, 78 x 78”, by Virginia Hammon and Coleen Barnhardt

We love this giant version a Snail's Trail block, enlarged to over 6 feet. It reminds us of an underwater scene with cool blues and greens. The artists say, "This quilt speaks to the importance of life’s foundation: healthy seeds, water and the interconnection of all life on earth. Inspired by a quilt belong to collector, Bill Volckening – a simple and traditional blue and white Snail’s Trail that a family friend made decades back. This is a contemporary update of the spirit, colors and movement of that quilt. It was a fun challenge to get the big swatches of fabric to flow together."

As you can see in the photo above, prairie points were used to create points at each corner of the design. An architectural print fabric was used in the background, creating lots of interesting texture. This is just a portion of the fabulous quilting on this quilt.  Seeds of Life was machine pieced, hand appliqued, and long arm quilted.

Bertha, 48 x 49”, by Melissa Miller Curley (Las Vegas, Nevada)

The dramatic contrasts and saturated colors drew us to this quilt. Melissa Miller Curley says, "This quilt was inspired by my quilt guild’s half rectangle triangle challenge. I know that the design could have used strips but I wanted to keep the original HRT going, for this quilt would not have been if it weren’t for that challenge. I chose to use soft organic line quilting to contrast a bit with the crisp lines of the pattern.

Pink, 39 x 48”, by Ruth Galpin (Australia)

Gorgeous hand-printed fabrics make this contemporary quilt a work of art.  Ruth Galpin says, "With its origins in Nature, “Pink” is an exploration of color and texture and my delight in the effects achieved by various processes. Mono-printed color over color gives visual depth and texture to the image. I am fascinated by the beauty I discover in the juxtaposition of small fragments of patterned fabrics pieced together."

Raspberry Medley, 50 x 50”, by Vicki Ruebel (Las Vegas, Nevada)

Vicki Ruebel took the humble half-square triangle concept to a new level with her longarm quilting.  She says, "The color inspiration for my quilt was my new hot pink recliner. I wanted to create a quilt using multiple shades of hot pink and mustard yellows. The simple pieced top is enhanced with various grid-based quilting designs."

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2016 Pacific International Quilt Festival (Santa Clara, California).