I decided to make a little mini quilt, incorporating my favourite summertime quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson:
"Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air."
That is EXACTLY what I wish to be doing right now :)
I pieced random scraps of blue, using cottons, corduroys, linens, voiles, all adding to the texture, starting with darker tones at the bottom and graduating to lighter shades towards the top. I added a scrap of precious Mendocino mermaids at the top. I hand stamped the quote onto natural cotton, using lettered stamps from Stampin' Up and a fabric paint marker. I cut the rows of blues in curves, to replicate the sea, and then straight cut in the quote pieces.
Free motion quilting was done in a sea colored thread, adding waves, crests and pebbles.
The binding is my favourite part: Joel Dewberry Aviary woodgrain fabric, cross stitched to the front with Pearle 8 thread. I will be doing this again!
On the back, I added sleeves for a dowel for hanging, stamping my name and date, and what I was doing while I was making it :)
I am so very pleased with how this mini turned out. As some of you may recall, our family had a summer cottage that was destroyed in a storm a couple years ago. Finally, the rebuilding phase has begun, and I plan to give this mini a place of honour there when we start again.
I intended to enter this as my Sew Off Home Dec entry for week 2 of the competition. And I DID make it through the first round- I placed 4th out of 12, with the top 9 progressing! But, I opted out of the contest. I am busy with so many other things needing my time in my life, and I realized I don't enjoy being judged for what I make...this is my hobby, my escape, and I want to do it just for ME! So, thanks for your support and your votes, but this girl plans to stay contest free for the time being!
Wishing you a day filled with sunshine!
