Pictorial quilts to make you gasp

Last week I shared the Art quilts, which are designed as pieces of art and this week I’m sharing the relatively similar category of Pictorial quilts. The quilts in this category are quilts depicting a scene or a subject, such as people, animals, flowers etc as the main body of the quilt.

Knowing the boundaries of the category really helps, and once you see the quilts I’m sharing today I’m pretty sure you’re going to gasp. Each and every one of them are truly amazing and I don’t even want to start thinking about the number of hours that has gone into each one. Though I’m not sure I’d want a gorilla on my bed…

SHE MATTERS, SUE DE VANNY

SHE MATTERS, SUE DE VANNY

Though it’s amazing isn’t it? More so I think when you look closely at the quilting and its composition. I’ve actually seen this quilt twice now as it was also at the Harrogate Knit & Stitch show, and both times I’ve been wowed by it.

This second quilt is quite different in style and at first glance you could be mistaken to thinking that it’s a simple design, but look again and see the colours flow from pink to blue effortlessly, and the composition of the lower leaves and vases, and you realise it’s not quite as simple as you first thought.

FLORAL ABUNDANCE, JENNY BRADBURY

With a cyclist in the house (clue: it’s not me!) I had to include this one didn’t I? And the blocks of bold colours really work here I think.

POGI, AURORA CALVET

There were a few nature inspired quilts too, this ‘under the sea’ view had plenty to look at when you stepped back, but when you move closer there’s even more to see as it’s made from small hexagons pieced together.

MEERBEDECKT, RENATE KÄMMER

MEERBEDECKT, RENATE KÄMMER

I don’t even want to contemplate the number of hours spent making this one, let alone having the inspiration to even make it.

This bug was cute though with all its blues and slightly less overwhelming to my eyes.

LAURA’S BEETLE, LINDA SMITH

And then there were butterflies perched on flowers with the most beautifully quilted background.

MONARCH BUTTERFLY, INJA METZGER & MARIA SCHATEN

The final two quilts I’m sharing really do fit the pictorial brief, and are worthy of more than one gasp. As I approached the monochrome quilt below, I thought to myself it had a touch of Breakfast at Tiffany’s to it, as I got closer I saw it was titled ‘a beauty from the swinging 60s’ so I was just a decade out!

BEAUTY FROM THE SWINGING 60S, VICTORIA MILLER

But I hope you’ve saved some gasps, as you’ll need it for this one. It’s so good it doesn’t look as if it’s been sewn together, but painted - and just look at the detail on the frame alone.

A WIND FROM THE NORTH, ANDREA LEA MCVEY

It’s no surprise though that this quilt was voted the Visitor’s Choice Winner, and thoroughly deserved. It really is in a class of its own, and not something I’m ever likely to attempt!

Striking Art quilts

At the Festival of Quilts there were several categories that seemed quite similar to me, for example an Art quilt and a Pictorial quilt, but each category has clearly defined boundaries which also include what the judges are looking for.

So in case you were wondering an art quilt is ‘a quilt designed to be displayed as artwork’ and which communicates ‘an idea, emotion or concept’ with its textiles and stitching. It has to be an original design with a strong visual impact and non-traditional fabrics and construction methods are encouraged. Whereas a pictorial quilt depicts a scene or subject, so now we both know!

The quilts I’m sharing today - my favourites from this category - definitely meet the strong visual impact criteria. It’s also probably no surprise that I’m starting with a garden related quilt with a strong, positive message.

BUILD WHAT YOU BELIEVE IN, JOHN J COLE-MORGAN, FESTIVAL OF QUILTS 2025

BUILD WHAT YOU BELIEVE IN, JOHN J COLE-MORGAN, FESTIVAL OF QUILTS 2025

Isn’t it wonderful? Simple, yet complex and definitely strong.

BE PATIENT DIY QUILT, PIA TØNNESEN, FESTIVAL OF QUILTS 2025

I love the colours, the lettering and the quilting on this one. It’s completely different to the first one but yet still meets that criteria.

This next one is just fascinating, the colour palette is obviously monochrome, but it’s the textures for me on this one - and it’s clearly not one for your bed is it?

SOMNAMBULIST SERIES, JOSEPH KOPIEL, FESTIVAL OF QUILTS 2025

SOMNAMBULIST SERIES, JOSEPH KOPIEL, FESTIVAL OF QUILTS 2025

A Somnambulist can be what’s more often known as sleepwalking, and knowing that it does give a different perspective and interpretation - and like lots of art, often each of us will see it and react differently, and that’s ok.

This next one is different again, but again it’s the textures in this one for me - and the sparkles!

IRENE’S PICNIC, ANJA GEBLER, FESTIVAL OF QUILTS 2025

IRENE’S PICNIC, ANJA GEBLER, FESTIVAL OF QUILTS 2025

I am rather partial to a sequin, and a sequinned beetle just as much as those embroidered insects I saw many years ago at another show.

It was the colours and all those half square triangles that drew my attention to this quilt, and there’s definitely truth in the message.

KILLING OTHERS WILL NOT BRING BACK THE DEAD, ALISON BLACKBURN, FESTIVAL OF QUILTS 2025

There’s clearly a lot of work in all of these quilts, in fact in any quilt and it was great to be able to see these up close first hand - and I’m already looking forward to seeing the quilts in this category at this year’s show.

If you enjoyed this post from my visit to the Festival of Quilts 2025 then please do check out my other posts from the show. Even though my mind was blown by the sheer volume of quilts on display, I’ve booked to go again - just for the day - this year.

Just for the joy of sharing

I hadn’t realised that the quilts with the ‘Joy’ labels and in the category ‘For the Joy of Sharing’ were quilts that simply want to be seen and not judged. What a great way for quilters to share their quilts, without the constraints around quilting style, or any other rules, apart from not being no more than 3 metres in any direction.

But don’t be fooled, these quilts were just as detailed and eye catching as any of the other quilts in the show.

A RAINBOW OF HEXIES, COLETTE DUNNING

These two had plenty of colour, and look more closely at the one above and you’ll spot plenty of English Paper Piecing (EPP) hexagon flowers, and flowers galore in the many sized squares below.

MY SISTER’S GARDEN, CLAIRE BAXTER

I liked the connecting hearts in this one, as well as the colour fade throughout the design.

ALL THE LOVE, K CARPENTER

FLOWER POWER, MELISSA ATCHISON

The fabrics in the Flower Power quilt above call to me, and the more I look at this one I alternate between seeing flowers and crosses, and I love how you can work out how it’s constructed.

These curve studies though are night and day, or rather day and night - aren’t they great?

CURVE STUDY, KAT MOLESWORTH

I’m in two minds about this one, it’s clever and there’s a lot of work in this but I’m not sure it’s a quilt I’d want myself.

DECONSTRUCTED TOILE, KARIN LISHER BRIDEN

Unlike this one, I love it’s bright sunny disposition - and I love the pattern too.

BARBICAN ON A SUNNY DAY, CATHERINE HUNTER

It’s the Happenstance pattern which I’m planning to replicate when I get around to my Jeans and pyjamas quilt. I know mine will look different to this, but I’m hoping that it will (eventually) look as good as this one.

If you enjoyed this post from my visit to the Festival of Quilts 2025 then please do check out my other posts from the show. Even though my mind was blown by the sheer volume of quilts on display, I’m pretty sure I’ll be going again!