Quilt Inspiration Classics: The Best of Basket Quilts

There is no doubt that baskets are among the most popular themes in quilting.  Filled with flowers or fruit, basket quilts are perfect for spring and summer. As you will see in this Quilt Inspiration Classic, there's almost an endless variety of pretty basket blocks.  If you love romantic, graceful patterns that evoke the elegance of yesteryear, we think you'll love these quilts. 

Virginia Bouquet by Pearl P. Pereira at P3Designs

As a guest artist and teacher at the esteemed Elly Sienkiewicz Applique Academy in 2010, designer Pearl Pereira created this beautiful Virginia Bouquet. Her stunning design features a tall basket with curved handles that reflect the curves of the stems of the delicate dogwood blossoms, bluebells, and berries. The fruit-laden vines that drape languorously from each side provide a lovely symmetry to this work, while the proud cardinal and inquisitive bumblebee add a joyful touch. The complete quilt, with its red swag border, is shown below.

Virginia Bouquet - full, 26 x 26, by Pearl Pereira

For Virginia Bouquet and more delightful patterns from Pearl, please visit her website, p3designs.

Flower Basket Medallion, 84 x 84, by Kim McLean

Kim McLean has created a marvelous, richly detailed quilt pattern with fabrics designed by Kaffe Fassett, whose bold colors explode right off the page. Brilliant orange-reds, blue-violets, and pinks create a vibrant basket bouquet medallion, surrounded by borders of absolute floral delight. You can purchase the pattern, along with a separate starter fabric pack at Glorious Color.

Sixteen Baskets, 38 x 38, by Kay MacKenzie

These adorable baskets by Kay MacKenzie are brimming with the bounty of life, including flowers, food, valentines, and best of all -- fabric ! The red, white, and blue motif provides country charm to this darling design, and the dogtooth border adds extra sparkle. All 16 of these basket designs are available at her Quilt Puppy website. Kay also has a wonderful blog, All About Applique.

Bekah's Basket Sampler Quilt,  84 x 84, by Betsy Rickles

The irrepressible gaiety of Kaffe Fassett's fabrics are featured in his book Country Garden Quilts,  which includes this delightful variation of a Cherry Basket pattern by Betsy Rickles.  Instead of a single large appliqued handle, there are smaller handles on each side of the basket, separated by a stack of cherries piled in the basket, which gives a pleasing symmetrical effect. Like most basket blocks, these blocks are set on point, and the vibrant border of half square triangles mirrors the half square triangles of the basket blocks.

Delphia's Baskets, 80 x 80, by Denice Lipscomb at Common Threads Quilting

 

We were so excited to discover Common Threads Quilting. The bricks-and-mortar shop is in Waxahachie, Texas, but many products are available online, including the pattern for the cheerful red-and-green quilt shown above.  Delphia's Baskets was inspired by an antique quilt in Denice Lipscomb's collection, and the quilt was named in memory of her great-grandmother, Mary Delphia Lowrance. This is just one of Common Threads' original patterns.

Ashley's Flower Basket, 18 x 18, by Sue Nickels and Pat Holly

Sue Nickels and her sister Pat Holly, both award-winning quilters, have designed an applique guaranteed to brighten up any room in your home. Sage green, tomato red, and sky blue blend together perfectly for this basket design, and the red border with prairie points adds an extra pop to the background. Suitable for a confident beginner, this quilt pattern is available from Sue Nickels' website. As a bonus, the pattern is included for the sprightly feather quilting design around the border. For more ideas on creating appliqued floral displays in containers, please see Sue Nickels' and Pat Holly's book, Stitched Raw Edge Applique.

Hawaiian Rainbow Basket Quilt, Red and White Variation, by Lisa Boyer

For a basket quilt with a modern twist, here's an adorable cherry basket quilt made from a variety of luscious red fabrics. For a traditional look, Lisa has pieced one large wide triangle for the main part of the basket, with two small triangles for the base.  She has then turned the square block on the diagonal and appliqued the curved handle. Lisa has achieved a lovely contrast by using white background fabric to really make the baskets come alive. The pattern can be obtained at Lisa Boyer's website.

Image credits: Images are shown with the generous permission of the artists. These quilts first appeared in Basket Quilts Part 1, Basket Quilts Part 2 and Inspired by Red and Green.

Basket Quilts Part 2

In our Baskets Part I article ( from July 10 below),  we featured basket quilts made from pieced patchwork. This time, we are spotlighting basket quilts made by applique. If you love romantic, graceful patterns that evoke the elegance of yesteryear, then you'll love applique patterns featuring baskets as their focal point.

Virginia Bouquet,  by Pearl Pereira

Pearl Pereira was a guest artist and teacher at the esteemed Elly Sienkiewicz Applique Academy in February 2010, near Williamsburg, Virginia. She has fashioned a tall basket with curved handles that reflect the curves of the stems of the delicate dogwood blossoms, bluebells, and berries.  The fruit-laden vines that drape languorously from each side provide a lovely symmetry to this work, while the proud cardinal and inquisitive bumblebee add a joyful touch. Pearl has used delicate pinks, reds, and blues to create a basket of botanical wonders. For more goodies from Pearl, including her excellent DVD,  Applique Techniques With Pearl P. Pereira,  please see her website, p3designs.

In addition, we're thrilled to announce that Pearl Pereira will introduce her gorgeous Virginia Bouquet pattern for sale this autumn, at  the Houston TX International Quilt Market .

Quilt Jamboree, by Judy Severson

Judy Severson is another renowned guest artist at the Elly Sienkiewicz Applique Academy. With its hushed burgundies and golds,  "Quilt Jamboree" is reminiscent of an enchanting Victorian rose garden. We also love the captivating sampler blocks carefully placed around the sophisticated border. One of Judy's many specialties is the centuries-old tradition of Broderie Perse, whereby flowers printed on fabric are carefully "fussy cut" ffrom that fabric and appliqued onto a wholecloth quilt to make an exquisite bouquet, as shown above. Judy writes, "When creating a floral motif (Broderie Perse) quilt, I start with the layout of the flowers in the fabtric and study how they are grouped with other flowers.  I let it suggest if it would make a medallion center, or whether it would be better used in a border, or both. Studying and seeing quilts from the past, as well as the quilts made to day, gives me inspiration."

For more information, take a look at Judy's highly rated, fascinating book, Flowers In Applique: Fast and Simple Quilting With Printed Motif Fabrics.

Botanical Artisan Basketry  by  Janice Vaine

In Botanical Artisan Basketry, Janice Vaine has created a breathtaking block by combining traditional applique with stunning embroidery.  Using embroidery with silk floss, wool, and ribbons, she has embellished the tulips, rose buds, lilies, and gerbera daisies joyfully arranged in the basket, to create a dazzling dimensional effect. The little robin on the rose branch lends a lighthearted touch to this floral feast.

A well-known expert in the applique field, Janice was the guest designer of the ancillary projects for Elly Sienkiewicz's noted book, Baltimore Elegance. Also, check out Janice's website, the Graham Cracker Collection, an awe-inspiring offering of patterns for needleart fans, which includes minature punch needle embroidered quilts along with full size quilts. Best of all, Jan writes that this block  above will be part of a quilt top of blocks that she has taught as a guest artist at the Elly Sienkiewicz Applique Academy ; and she will be introducing her new book on applique and embellishing at the Houston TX International Quilt Market 2010 this autumn.

Flower Basket Medallion, 84 x 84, by Kim McLean

Kim McLean has created a marvelous, richly detailed quilt pattern with fabrics designed by Kaffe Fassett, whose bold colors explode right off the page. Brilliant orange-reds, blue-violets, and pinks create a vibrant basket bouquet medallion, surrounded by borders of absolute floral delight. You can purchase the pattern, along with a separate starter fabric pack at Glorious Color, a website that is a real feast for the eyes.

Sixteen Baskets, 38 x 38, by Kay MacKenzie

Some of the cutest, most imaginative quilts around are designed by Kay MacKenzie, and "Sixteen Baskets" is no exception. These adorable baskets are brimming with the bounty of life, including flowers, food, valentines, and best of all -- fabric ! The red, white, and blue motif provides country charm to this darling design, and the dogtooth border adds extra sparkle. All 16 of these designs and very clear instructions are included in one of  Kay's many  books,  Baskets To Applique, available at her Quilt Puppy website. Kay also has a wonderful blog, All About Applique. If you're headed to the International Quilt Festival in Long Beach,California, which starts on July 23, 2010, be sure to stop in  and say hello to Kay, who will be in booth # 922.

Ashley's Flower Basket, 18 x 18, by Sue Nickels and Pat Holly

Sue Nickels and her sister Pat Holly, both award-winning quilters, have designed an applique guaranteed to brighten up any room in your home. Sage green, tomato red, and sky blue blend together perfectly for this basket design, where cheery flowers spring up exuberantly like a jack-in-the box. The ebullient red border adds an extra pop to the background. Suitable for a confident beginner, this quilt pattern is available from Sue Nickels' website. As a bonus, the pattern is included for the sprightly feather quilting design around the border. For more wonderful ideas on creating appliqued floral displays in containers, please see Sue Nickels' and Pat Holly's recent very inspiring book, Stitched Raw Edge Applique.

Life is like a cup of tea

"A woman is like a tea bag. You never know how strong she is until she gets into hot water." ~ Eleanor Roosevelt
Teapots make delightful collectibles. Plus, teapot quilts remind us of the joys of tea parties, tea ceremonies, and tea for two. We've been collecting tea-themed quilts and have been dying to share them with you. As they say, life is like a cup of tea... it's better when shared with friends!

China, 50 x 50, by Laurel Anderson, at Whisper Color


The "China" quilt by Laurel Anderson displays a complete tea set in Delft blues, surrounding a blue floral platter. Laurel explains that the quilt was made in honor of her grandmother, Charlotte, who loved beautiful things. The quilt is made on paper foundations except for the hand appliqued plate and platter.

TeaTime Floral III, by Holly Holderman, at LakeHouse Dry Goods


TeaTime Floral III is one of Holly Holderman's glorious designs; it has teacups in pale blue or ivory, hydrangeas, roses, and a songbird with speckled egg. The pattern for the Star Maker quilt, above, can be downloaded at the LakeHouse project page.

Cupsey Turvey, 45 x 56, by Karen Brow, at Java House Quilts




Can a quilt be both beautiful and whimsical, at the same time? If the quilt is "Cupsey Turvey", then the answer is 'yes'.  All fourteen cups are dancing, sliding and tumbling around the quilt, and some are even upside down! The cups are flanked by tossed spoons and the occasional flying teabag. "Cupsey Turvey" reminds us of this proverb: "A wise husband will buy his wife fine china, so she won't trust him to wash the dishes."

Tea With The Empress, 40 x 40, by the owners and staff of Always Quilting


We love "Tea with the Empress", above, which features 16 shapely teapots from Kay Mackenzie's bestselling and definitive book, Teapots 2 to Applique. The teapots are rendered in peacock feathers, lotus flowers and Japanese maple leaves in jewel tones of teal, purple, and garnet.  You can see the original quilt and read about the teapots at Kay Mackenzie's website, here.

Corner Tea Shop, 32.5 x 28.5, by Connie Cerdena at Jenny Creek Designs



Connie Cerdena's classic and classy "High Tea" designs are inspired by her own collection of teapots; she began collecting at age 15. "Corner Tea Shop", above, replicates the cheery windows of an English tea shop, with its chintzware-like background and checkered tablecloth... notice the steam rising from the spout of the teapot! For more inspiration, see High Tea, Sweet Violet Tea, and Tea with the Earl. All of the patterns are available at Jenny Creek Designs.

Teapots, as seen in Royal Dutch Tea, by Liz Schwartz and Stephen Seifert at eQuilt Patterns



If applique is not your cup of tea... (get it?) ...then you'll love this versatile collection of six different teapots designed by Liz Schwartz and Stephen Seifert. Use one, or mix and match them to create a teapot quilt with your own fabric stash.

Full Bloom Collection, and Garden Tea Party quilt, by Bari J™


We're smitten with the "Garden Tea Party" quilt, above, which has a border decorated with collaged teapots and flowers from Bari J's earlier fabric line.  The pattern is free at Bari J Online.

Dancin' Teapots II quilt by Virginia Anderson for In The Beginning Fabrics



"Dancin' Teapots II", above, is one of our all-time favorite teapot quilts. It won a blue ribbon in the small wall quilts category at the 2006 AQS show.  For a downloadable foundation piecing pattern, click here. Dancin' Teapots II has inspired many quilters... see the brightly colored Funky Teapot quilt with its piano keys border.

Oriental Teapot, 15 x 20, by Verona Flint and Kay Mackenzie; and Delicious Tea, 24 x 10, by Kay Mackenzie


"Oriental Teapot" reminds us of a Japanese tea house, with its hand-appliqued batik teapot, Asian-inspired fabric and decorative quilting stitches. To read about the quilt on Kay's site, click here and scroll down the page.


"Delicious Tea" features adorable apple teapots surrounded by apple fabric; it can be seen in Kay's quilt gallery. The teapots are based on the 2008 book, Teapots 2 to Applique. Kay also maintains a comprehensive site called All About Applique which is loaded with tips and tutorials.

Little Teapots by The Cloth Shop



The whimsical Little Teapots quilt, above, was an original Cloth Shop design that uses white and black fabrics for the background and lattice, and wonderful hand dyed Bali Batiks for the appliques. Teapots are shaped like a beehive, a house, and a strawberry, among others, and the teapots are surrounded by stacked teacups and little cupcakes !  A wool applique kit may be found at Out Of Hand.

Image credits and links: Quilt images are shown with the kind permission of the artists.