Art often uses motifs from nature. What we see all around us can often be very inspiring. Many of our longarm machine renters will bring in quilts featuring leaves, flowers, and other plant life. But animals should not be forgotten in this scenario, especially our beloved pets. You can even theme a quilt to your favorite book or television show. The possibilities are endless. The following renters have brought in some beautiful quilts, with themes such as Cats and Frogs and the Wizard of Oz!

Cheri’s Cats

First off are the cats. Cheri made this cute cat quilt for her granddaughter. If this simple block didn’t resemble cats enough for you, the use of cat fabric in some of the blocks will certainly help. They are obviously from the same fabric line, but I can’t find the name of it. There is even a fabric with little mice. She quilted this with a great neutral meandering pattern called Seamless. It does the job without distraction. It also reminded us of yarn that the cats might be playing with.

Paul the Frog Panel

Next, we have our frogs. Anupama practiced and developed her skill with some very adorable panels. This is one of them. This is Paul the frog and Sheldon the turtle from Susybee. Unfortunately, it was in their archive section, so I don’t think it is in production any longer. But we have a few of their other panels in our online shop! She quilted this with an all-over edge to edge free motion design. Because Anupama covered it with lots of swirls, the quilting adds a feeling of watery movement to the top that definitely fits in.

Lions and Tigers and Bears! Oh My!

Finally, we have our Wizard of Oz. This is a great little lap quilt from Nancy. She found Dorothy’s Journey by Jill Howarth. Isn’t it sweet? Obviously the inside block is the panel, but the main outside border is pieced in a zig-zag pattern with more fabric from the line in the cornerstones and outside edge. Even the backing is the Sky in Blue Sparkle from Riley Blake. To maintain the wandering road image of the story, Nancy used the meander design board to quilt this. It adds some great texture without additional design and works great.

Whether you have a great panel, like Anupama or Nancy, or just some super cute cat fabric like Cheri, inspiration involving a theme can be great. Look around, what do you see that can be used as your next great inspiration? Then send us a picture or connect with us on Facebook or Instagram. We’d love to see what you’ve been up to, especially if it involves cats and frogs and the Wizard of Oz.