We went looking for quilt ideas for Mother’s Day, and came up with a virtual garden of inspiration. The outstanding artists featured here have used their fabrics as palettes, creating vivid floral tableaux. You’ll find tulips and iris, passion flowers and poppies, sunflowers and roses and more, in distinct artistic styles. Moreover, these works of art are accessible to quilters everywhere, thanks to easy-to-follow patterns. We fell in love with every one of these quilts, and hope you do too!
Geraniums, 20 x 22, by Edyta Sitar, at Laundry Basket Quilts
Primitive rose, 25 x 30, by Edyta Sitar, at Laundry Basket Quilts
Laundry Basket Quilts: Edyta Sitar was born in Poland and raised in Germany before coming to the U.S. Her love of nature and of quilting inspired her to create her beautiful floral designs, including Geraniums and Primitive Rose, above. Her marvelous raw edge applique designs also include Daffodils, Chrysanthemums, Tiger Lilies, Tulips, and many others. All of the Laundry Basket Quilt patterns, including raw edge, patchwork, and traditional applique designs (including Midnight Blooms) are available on the website, here. (And by the way, Laundry Basket Quilts designs fabrics for Moda... see the collections here).
Flowers are love's truest language.
~ Park Benjamin
Rose in a vase, 18 x 22, by Shelley J. Greener, at SJ Greener Quilts
Red roses, by Shelley J. Greener, at SJ Greener Quilts
SJ Greener Quilts: Shelley J. Greener is an award-winner quilter and designer, who has won accolades for her quilts and for her innovative construction techniques. Her original floral and still life designs, including her Rose in a Vase (shown above), Apple Basket, and Flores Brillantes are wonderfully realistic. Also don't miss seeing the floral applique in Shelley Greener's stunning Blue Lace quilt, which was designed for the 2007 Dutchess Heritage raffle. "Blue Lace" has gorgeous applique blocks in three styles, in vivid shades of blue and violet (a pattern book is available!) To view more original works, see her gallery and quilts for sale pages.
Flowers... are a proud assertion that a ray of beauty outvalues all the utilities of the world. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
Sunflower, 18 x 18, by Melinda Bula, at Melinda Bula Designs
Summer rose, 25 x 25, by Melinda Bula, at Melinda Bula Designs
Melinda Bula Designs: Melinda Bula is a renowned artist and designer, who first became known for her original hand silk screened wallpapers and fabrics. Since 1996, Melinda has focused on quilts (her first love). Her best-selling book, Cutting Garden Quilts, contains patterns for a rose, pansies, clematis, coneflower, and apples... and a wealth of visual inspiration. Her truly Fabulous Fusible Flower patterns include Sunflower and Summer Rose (shown above), Geranium and Yellow Daisy, and others. Melinda Bula's book and patterns, including the (also fabulous) Tea for Tulips, can be obtained here.
I'd rather have roses on my table than diamonds on my neck.
~Emma Goldman
Garden Flowers, 14 x 18, by Laura Wasilowski, at ArtFabrik
Trio of tulips, 10 x 13, by Laura Wasilowski, at ArtFabrik
ArtFabrik: Laura Wasilowski is a contemporary quilt maker, author, teacher, and creator of luminous hand-dyed fabric and thread. Her quilts have been featured in museum collections, exhibits, and books. Garden Flowers and Trio of Tulips (above), as well as Wild Rose and Blue Cosmos are just a few of her newest patterns. Also see her delightful Cat and Flower (to mention just one of our favorites; click here to see all of her patterns). Laura also provides fusing tips and books for fun, fast, and fearless fusing. Be sure to peruse Laura's extraordinary hand-dyed fabrics here (her fabrics are used by many leading textile artists). For even more inspiration, view the ArtFabrik galleries.
My first memory is of the brightness of light ... light all around. I was sitting among pillows on a quilt on the ground... ~ Georgia O'Keefe
Georgetown Poppies, 20 x 30, by Carol Morrissey, at O Carol Designs
Poppy, 36 x 48, by Carol Morrissey, at O Carol Designs
O Carol Designs: Carol Morrissey designs quilts and patterns, teaches classes and workshops, and hand-dyes fabrics. Her love of quilting, gardening, photography are all reflected in her fantastic flowers and other quilt designs. In addition to her perfect Poppies, shown above, her floral designs - which are made for fusible applique - include exquisite iris, pansies, and bluebonnets. Entire gardens of blooms are represented in her April and July patterns. Also we can't help but mention two more of our favorites: Grand Gerber, which measures 57.5" square, and Sue's cactus, a beautiful cactus flower. Carol's complete list of patterns can be viewed here.
I decided that if I could paint that flower in a huge scale, you could not ignore its beauty. ~ Georgia O'Keefe
Passion Flower, 42 x 44, by Cleo Mounday, at Cleo's Designs
Roses, 41 x 59, by Cleo Mounday, at Cleo's Designs
Cleo's Designs: Cleo Mounday draws on her background of photography and interior decorating, and her love of gardening, to inspire people to find colors they love around them and to include them in their lives through clothing and quilts. Her realistic, colorful flowers are larger than life: in Roses (above), which measures 41 x 59, the largest rose is 16" x 14" and is made of 18 pieces of fabric. Cleo's other elegant designs include hollyhocks and hydrangeas, fuchsias (which come with a little hummingbird!), her wonderful water lilies and koi, and many other favorite flowers...to browse a complete gallery of Cleo's Designs, visit her pattern page, here.
To plant a garden is ... to believe in summer, to have faith in tomorrow, to have hope in the future. ~ Anonymous
Iris, 14 x 23, by Brenda Yirsa, for Bigfork Bay Cotton Company
Plumeria, 19.5" x 24", by Brenda Yirsa, for Bigfork Bay Cotton Company
Brenda Yirsa is a pastel artist and oil painter whose work depicts landscapes, portraiture, and abstracts. She has designed quilt patterns for Bigfork Bay Cotton Company based on her original paintings. Her designs create a sense of depth through shading and layering of the fabrics, making us feel as if we can reach out and touch the flowers. Her glorious iris (above), tulips, and rose are among her newest patterns. On the tropical front, we are particularly partial to her brilliant plumeria (above), hibiscus , and bird of paradise. For a complete list of her patterns, visit the online store. For more information on Brenda Yirsa's original artwork, visit her gallery.
A beautiful garden is a work of heart. ~ Anonymous
A beautiful quilt is a work of heart. ~ Quilt Inspiration
Image Credits : All images are used with permission of the artists.
