Friday 13 May 2011

Bloggers' Quilt Festival, Spring 2011



Amy's Creative Side
Welcome to my post for Amy's Bloggers' Quilt Festival which starts today (now that Blogger is back with us).  Thank you to Amy for hosting another great festival, and to the sponsors for offering such lovely goodies.  When you've finished here there are lots and lots of lovely quilts to enjoy.
As you can see from the label (and I've just this moment noticed that I omitted a finish date - it was completed in August 2008 and was the fourth quilt I'd made) the quilt lives at our holiday home and is used by the grandchildren and by guests of ours there. 
It was the first quilt I'd made that used a bought pattern, it was "Yellow Brick Road" by Terry Atkinson which I bought, along with all the fabric for the quilt top, on holiday in Florida when we visited the Judy Hansen's Quilt Shop of Deland.  My DH and my friend's DH were very impressed with the coffees and the chocolate brownies that they enjoyed while Dorothy and I spent ages browsing, being advised and buying.  That morning we'd been to the Blue Springs State Park and had been delighted to see the manatees with their calves in the warm waters there.  When I saw a sample of this quilt hanging on the wall of Judy's shop I knew it would make the perfect holiday souvenir. 
As this was only my fourth quilt my focus was simple - follow the pattern carefully!  I also tried to balance the colours but think that the paler fabric is too stark in retrospect.  I also made a mistake by buying economy furnishing fabric as backing, thinking at that early stage in my quilting life that anything would do for the backing!  Hmm, I know better now.  The quilt is just quilted "in the ditch", for the first full size quilt I'd had under my domestic machine that was quite challenging enough.
I love this quilt for all it's faults and it is special as a holiday souvenir for me and because it is now part of the holidays of family and friends at the bach in Norfolk.

31 comments:

  1. I'm not a fan of blue (yet... I always say that I'm not a fan of a certain colour until I sew my first thing with this colour as a main one) but your quilt looks like a sea with some sea foam on it. Wonderful!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Lucky you to see the manatees. They are hard to spot at times. You did a great job putting this together, so keep quilting!

    ReplyDelete
  3. This one has lovely colors. I'm sure your guest must love sleeping under it.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Lovely quilt. and you're just down the road from me (well almost, I'm in York). This is the great thing about the BQF, you find quilters you would maybe not otherwise come across. Nice to meet you.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Lovely colours! I would be happy to sleep under this quilt anytime - I find blue so soothing.

    ReplyDelete
  6. It's a great quilt Lis! I am a sucker for blues and that manatee fabric is fabulous.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Blues are pretty in this one and I love that you made this for your guests! Love your "About me" description!

    ReplyDelete
  8. I think I am awed by the label since it is informative and beautiful. Being a Florida girl that lived on the St Johns and had manatees visit while I studied makes me love the quilt that much more.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I love the colors/fabrics in this quilt. It definitely evokes thoughts of the sea.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Wonderful colors and a special quilt to have for precious times with friends and family. My grandfather came from lincolnshire! Thanks for sharingand have a great day

    ReplyDelete
  11. I love blue quilts. And this one is especially lovely.

    ReplyDelete
  12. It's just beautiful - I love it - I'm partial to quilts that remind me of the ocean! Great story behind it, too.

    ReplyDelete
  13. It is beautiful and I am so bummed that my computer is down and I can't post anything and I have to grab my husband's computer when he is out but he lives on it 90% of the day and night.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Your quilt looks great. I love the design and the colours you have chosen. Wonderful work!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Beautiful quilt. I think the pale bits really add depth to the piece. All the fabrics work so well together.

    ReplyDelete
  16. It's so interesting to read what we all have learned from our quilts. This quilt is full of Beautiful color, what a great way to remember.

    ReplyDelete
  17. What a lovely souvenir, I love the blues!

    ReplyDelete
  18. I recognize a lot of your faults, I am also a beginner. I never made a label, did you write this with a pencil?
    LOve the quilt.

    ReplyDelete
  19. So pretty. I love manatees, what a great quilt.

    ReplyDelete
  20. It's a pretty quilt and I like that the label really incorporates the who/what/why and how! I'm going to remember that... :)

    ReplyDelete
  21. Great quilts, lovely colours!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Love the blues! So soothing!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Wonderful story and a very cute quilt.

    ReplyDelete
  24. What a great family heirloom: so many folks will directly associate their lovely times at the beach house with that quilt. Thanks for sharing it!

    ReplyDelete
  25. Love the blues, they make the quilt so soothing, and peaceful. It reminds me of the sea.
    http://fabgrandma.com

    ReplyDelete
  26. I think it's a wonderful idea to have the quilt for people using your vacation home! The blues are beautiful - thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  27. Lovely quilt!! I love the blues you used for this. I have made this pattern as well (about 10 years ago actually!!), and it is so much fun because it's quick and easy. :)

    Cheers!
    Rachel
    http://www.dewberrylane.com

    ReplyDelete
  28. Hi Lis love your quilt. I am a fan of blue. Thought you might like to know my quilt I have featured has the same seacow fabric in it and I live in NZ the opposite side of the world to you. Just shows how small the world is becoming.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Mi piacciono tanto, tanto i colori!
    Congratulazioni!
    Ciao

    ReplyDelete

I really appreciate your lovely comments, ideas and opinions, they make my day. Thank you for visiting Piece'n'Peace,
hugs, Lis x