Rhythm & Repetition: 12 Remarkable Block-Inspired Designs at QuiltCon 2026

Why make one motif when you can make many? This year, at QuiltCon, rhythm and repetition played a key role in many designs, and block-based or block-inspired quilts were found throughout the show.

For the purposes of this post, when I say block-based or block-inspired, I mean a repeated shape or motif filling most, if not all, of the surface of the quilt. This could mean repeating a single shape or using traditional or new quilt blocks in a regular layout.

How I Select the Quilts to Feature

As usual, I immediately eliminated award-winning quilts from these posts- they already get a lot of attention, including on the QuiltCon Winners website page. I like to focus on just a few of the hundreds of other quilts in the show that are also amazing, but you may have missed on social media.

I could have easily filled several posts with block-based and block-inspired quilts, so narrowing it down to just a dozen was a challenge. I decided I wanted to include quilts that:

• Incorporated a variety of shapes and blocks. Circles and curves were a particularly popular motif in the block-based quilts in this year’s show, but certainly not the only type of shape represented in this style of quilt.
• Used the scale of the design in a variety of ways. Some block-based quilts used many small repetitions, while others used fewer large-format motifs.
• Employed a variety of design styles and construction techniques. Many of this year’s block-based quilts were in the Modern Traditionalism Category, but there were still many more spread throughout the show, using a variety of piecing and appliqué techniques.

Additionally, if one maker had multiple block-based quilts that caught my eye, I selected one to highlight, hoping to capture a more complete view of the overall trend by featuring more quilters.

The Quilts

Recycled Rings

By Jen Sorenson

More Adventurous

By Sarah Campbell

Blue Lagoon

By Audrey Esarey

Peppermint Twist

By Ann Feitelson

Retro Blossoms

By Brittany Lloyd

Folded Flowers

By Holly Clarke

Bauhaus Kelp Forest

By Emily Kidney

Around the Sun

By Katie Larson

Pep

By Caroline Hadley

Double Decker Checker

By Sarah Ruiz

Half In Half Out

By Yvonne Fuchs

Echoes

By Michaela Romesburg

Do You Want To See More Quilts?

Next week, I’ll share more quilts from QuiltCon, but until then:

• The winning QuiltCon quilts are available for everyone to see online.
• A couple of weeks ago, I shared quilts featuring a color scheme of Black & White with Bold Colors
• Last week, I shared quilts using yellow as a key color in the design
• If you are a member of the Modern Quilt Guild, images of the entire show are available online until the end of March. Check the weekly MQG email for details.
• Search for QuiltCon on your favorite social media platform.