Wednesday, March 31, 2010

A quilt every few days or so #20




This is a quilt that is not finished - and will be someday - I promise! It is our "Going to Washington" quilt. We moved to Washington in March 2001 to be here so we could participate in the preparations for Beccy and Jason's wedding in October. I sewed Beccy's dress and we helped plan and put on the wedding along with Jason's family.

I wanted to make a quilt to commerate moving to Washington. I started sketching ideas and making blocks. As I tell about each block, it is not necessarily in the order that the blocks were made.

This block is the centerpiece of the quilt - it has Mt. Baker in the background, Lummi Island and Bellingham Bay. Again flying geese, this time in a circle - I do love making flying geese.


This is a map of the Bellingham area, copied from a map atlas book. I even used similar colors to what is in a map book. I will eventually mark where Bellingham is and perhaps the names of each of the San Juan Islands. It is in one piece - but I took two photos fo it to get good close ups of the islands.





One of the borders will be embroidered wild flowers from Washington - I look for photos of wild flowers, or real flowers and make sketches and then embroider them. I plan for this flower border to encircle the entire quilt . . .


Close up of some of the embroidered wild flowers . . .

Of course any Washington quilt must have bald eagles and I paper pieced two of them - then decided that I didn't care for the sharpness. So I removed all the blue and kept just the eagle part - and appliqued it to blue sky fabric.

I made two of them - and appliqued them to a dead tree. I tried four times to get the right look with dark fabric, finally turning a black fabric to the wrong side and using the grey color for the dead tree - it came out the perfect color.

This is a partial layout - just an idea of how I might start putting the blocks together. . .

Next I started making Mariner's Compass blocks . . .


Many of them . . .


Many patterns, many designs . . .


This is the largest one - and has over 100 pieces - the smallest piece is about 1/2" triangle . . .

Then I decided that I can't use the Mariner's Compasses because they are all on a white background - and what I want is for them to float around the center of the quilt, so I have to remake them with a blue background that matches the background of the eagle block. . .

Most of the MC blocks are from Judy Neimeyer's books - wonderful instructions and patterns . . .

I thought that a rope border would be perfect for the last border - and I fiddled with Drunkard's Patch blocks until I got them to come out looking like a rope. I had to elongate part of the block and shorten other parts.


Close up of the rope border . . .

There will be more blocks - as soon as I think of them - ideas of Washington . . .

10 comments:

Crispy said...

I'm so glad you appliqued your eagles, much more dramatic the way you have them now. We often forget the beauty of the backs of some fabrics.

Maybe you need need some rain drops or a couple of puddles too LOL.

Crispy

Peggy said...

Wow - what a fabulous quilt, so much talent in design!

Lili said...

I should just never under estimate your ability to continually WOW me with your work. Love each and every element of this well thought out design. It's just so amazing to me how you continually come up with these exquisite designs. ~Lili

Sunny said...

Well, Joann, I am just speechless! My grandma made many nice quilts, but nothing with this intricate of design. That quilt is going to be absolutely beautiful!

Vicky aka Stichr said...

I really like the eagles too. More natural setting for them also. I really really like the map and your end of the Sound is very detailed.

Teresa said...

This is going to be an amazing quilt.

Julie said...

Those are amazing blocks! Very impressive and creative!

Purple Pam said...

Love your Washington blocks. You have so much creativity. Those mariner's compass blocks are absolutely fabulous. Are you sure you want to remake them? I think they are fantastic the way they are.

LINDA BYLSMA said...

I am really enjoying your quilt exhibit. Wowee! This one is something else.

Christine Thresh said...

This is going to be a wonderful, wonderful quilt.
I love everything you have done so far.
Can you make a pattern for the rope border for us?