Quilted Lighthouses

We have been lucky to work with lighthouse enthusiasts in creating this collection. They have shared their quilts with us and their love of lighthouses is infectious! These lighthouse fabrics will inspire you to make your own nautical masterpieces.

In the earliest days, lighthouses were wood or coal fires in the open, sometimes protected by a roof. Later, candles or oil lamps were used in lanterns mounted on a tower or on an isolated rock. By the 1st century bce, lighthouses were regularly mentioned in historical texts and maps as well as in accounts of sea voyages.

By 1700, improved structures and lighting equipment allowed the construction of lighthouses on open-sea sites such as the Eddystone rocks off Plymouth, England; Smalls Island off Wales; Bell Rock in Scotland; and Minots Ledge off Boston. Henry Winstanley’s 120-foot wooden tower on the Eddystone was followed by John Smeaton’s famous masonry tower in 1759, which incorporated his design principles, including one of the first examples of a conical taper.

We’re also highlighting some beautiful lighthouse applique quilts created by participants in the Lighthouse Inn mystery quilt from Modern Quilt Studio. Click here to read more and see photos of the finished quilts!

The final block for the QAL By the Sea is the “Quilted Cliffs Lighthouse” by Karen at Tu-Na Quilts. You can find the pattern and tutorial on her blog HERE.