31 Animal Quilts from The International Quilt Festival 2023 that You will Swoon For

This year at the annual Judged Quilt Show of the International Quilt Festival in Houston Texas, there was a profusion of quilts featuring animals!

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Walking through the quiet, curtained aisles of quilts, I fell in love with all the exotic species, lovable pets, and countryside farm animals. I think you will too! The quilts in my photos have been magnified to show detail. If you would like to see more of any of these quilts, please search for them on the web using the quilt title and maker, which are provided.

In case you missed it, be sure to check out the 2023 quilt show winners and things I loved from the Quilt Market showroom.

Buddy

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By Hiroko Miyama of Azumino City, Nagano, Japan and quilted by Masanobu Miyana 

Techniques: machine pieced and quilted; fused appliqué; hand dyed.

Confabulation

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By Caryl Bryer Fallert-Gentry of Port Townsend, WA

Techniques: machine appliquéd and quilted; hand dyed and painted; digitally printed; professionally printed fabric.

The One That Got Away

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By Kestrel Michaud of West Melbourne, FL

Techniques: fused applique, digital cutting, machine quilted.

Blossoming Flock

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By Xiaping Yuan of Fort Collins, CO

Techniques: fused appliqué; thread painted, fabric collaged; machine quilted.

Malaki – The Apple of My Eye

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By Cindy Peterson of Las Cruces, NM

Techniques: hand appliqued; machine quilted.

Please Don’t Eat the Dahlias

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By Caryl Bryer Fallert-Gentry of Port Townsend, WA

Techniques: hand dyed and painted; digitally printed; professionally printed fabric; digitally painted; machine quilted.

Blooming Bright Eyes

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By Lorraine Turner of Clearwater, FL

Techniques: hand embellished, painted, and embroidered; raw-edge appliquéd; thread painted; machine free-motion embroidered and quilted.

Xebo

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By Hollis Chatelain of Hillsborough, NC

Techniques: hand painted, machine quilted.

Star Gazer

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By Lorraine Turner of Clearwater, FL

Techniques: machine embellished, free-motion embroidered, and quilted; raw-edge appliquéd; felted; threadpainted.

In Flight

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By Pam Seaberg of Kenmore, WA

Techniques: hand appliquéd, dyed, and painted; threadpainted.

My Helper

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By Pam Seaberg of Kenmore, WA

Techniques: machine pieced and quilted; hand appliquéd, embroidered, dyed, painted, penciled, and beaded; threadpainted.

Rise and Shine

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By Lorraine Turner of Clearwater, FL

Techniques: raw-edge appliquéd; machine free-motion embroidered and quilted.

A Horse With No Name

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By Judith Phelps of Battle Ground, WA

Techniques: hand painted, thread painted, machine quilted.

Sheep in the Cotswolds

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By Miyuki Humphries of Adachi-ku, Tokyo, Japan

Techniques: machine appliquéd and quilted; fused applique; hand dyed and painted.

Emma

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By Karen West of Union Hall, VA

Techniques: professionally printed fabric; threadpainted.

Moving With the Seasons

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By Lydia Middaugh of Lowville, NY and Quilted  by Jean Knapp

Techniques: machine pieced and quilted; hand appliquéd, embellished, and embroidered; fused appliqué.

Greeting Between the Lines

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By Lorraine Turner of Clearwater, FL

Techniques: machine pieced, free-motion embroidered and quilted; raw-edge appliquéd.

My Australia

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By Helen Godden of Canberra, ACT Australia

Techniques: hand painted; free motion machine quilted.

Parrot Is a Bird of Paradise

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By Galla Grotto of Boussac, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France

Techniques: machine appliqued and quilted.

Clustered in the Cliffs

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By Lorraine Turner of Clearwater, FL

Techniques: hand embellished and embroidered; machine embellished, raw-edge appliquéd, free-motion embroidered, and quilted; thread painted.

Long Tall Sally

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By Susan de Vanny of Greenvale, VIC, Australia

Techniques: machine appliquéd, embellished, and quilted; hand dyed; collaged; threadpainted; couched.

Reap for Joy

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By Lorraine Turner of Clearwater, FL

Techniques: raw-edge appliquéd; machine free-motion embroidered and quilted; felted; thread painted.

Muuu…Muuu…!!

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By Esther Troncholi Simo of Javea, Alicante, Spain

Techniques: fused applique; threadpainted; interwoven; machine quilted.

Tree Hugger in Red

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By Lorraine Turner of Clearwater, FL

Techniques: raw-edge appliquéd; machine free-motion embroidered and quilted; felted.

Crazy Becomes Eclectic

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By Cindy Cooksey of Irvine, CA and quilted by Frances Holliday Alford, Bronwen Burton, Peggy Calvert, Lisa Chin, Joanell Connoly, Jamie Fingal, Vickie Valdez Green, Margrit Hall, Sharla Hicks, Michelle Howe, Stacy Hurt, Jan Kirby, Sherry Kleinman, Joann Sarachman, Julie Schlueter, Sharon Smith, Del Thomas, and Kathy York

Techniques: hand appliquéd, embellished, embroidered, dyed, printed, quilted, and pieced; machine embroidered; professionally printed fabric.

Why Did the Tiger Cross the River?

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By Carla Wolf of Littlerock, CA

Techniques: machine appliquéd and embellished; thread-sketched; fused appliqué.

Seeking Strength

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By O.V. Brantley of Atlanta, GA and quilted by Maxine Moore

Techniques: machine pieced and quilted. Pattern by Violet Craft.

Paycheck the Cow

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By Marcia Henry of Dickinson, Texas

Techniques: machine appliqued, pieced, and quilted. Pattern by Laura Heine, machine quilting design by Karlee Porter.

A Child’s Garden of Delights

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By Audrey Durnan of Pasadena, CA

Techniques: hand dyed and painted; machine quilted.

Garden State Big Bird

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By SuZanne L. Gilbride of Cypress, Texas

Techniques: fused applique; rough-edge appliquéd; thread work; crystal embellishment; machine quilting.

A New Beginning

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By Katherine Dossman of Belton, Texas

Techniques: hand appliqued, embellished, quilted, and embroidered; machine appliqued; free-motion stitched and embellished; fabric manipulation.

The Heart of the Lion

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By Koleen McDowell of Salem, Oregon and quilted by Jefferson Williams.

Techniques: machine pieced and quilted. Pattern by Pride and Joy Quilting.

I think my favorite quilt of this astonishing collection of animal quilts is ‘Blooming Bright Eyes.’ She stole my heart!

Disclosure: some of my posts contain affiliate links. If you purchase something through one of those links I may receive a small commission, so thank you for supporting SewCanShe when you shop! All of the opinions are my own and I only suggest products that I actually use. 🙂