Saturday 28 September 2013

Beach Finds - Holiday Memories Mini Quilt

You have a whole week left so it's not too late to enter the Holiday Memories Mini Quilt (or bag or cushion) competition hosted by Fiona at Celtic Stitches - such a great idea for a competition because there are so many ways different people can take inspiration and run with it which makes looking at entries such fun.  The quilts and cushions linked up already are fantastic.

Celtic Thistle Stitches   

The memory which inspired my entry was one of the best days of our summer holiday.  We spent a lovely day on the beach with three generations of family in Bute (posted here).


My nephew helped me pebble hunt.


I thought I'd make a mini quilt of our finds, using brown, grey and off-white Oakshott scraps left over from a current rather larger WIP  because, as you can see, I'm a bit obsessed with the loveliness of pebbles which always make their way home with us...


The grainy Oakshott is perfect for the texture of the pebbles which are all pieced, except the one with a circle on it which is reverse applique using the Bondaweb method I used for a cushion.  They are appliqued to the background (Klona white  - I tried different sandy coloured fabrics but the effect was a bit sludgy and I love the crispness of Klona).  It seemed right to pebble quilt round them - not very competently as it's the first time I've used a proper FM foot - including some wavy lines to represent the ripples you get from trickles through sand.


I sneaked in one tiny clamshell for the hell of it.


I bound it with scraps of the same fabric but left parts of the binding white to let the trickles flow across the quilt unimpeded.









Disasters (luckily minor) with this quilt were failing to remember that Warm and Natural batting has a good side (in the wrong light you can see the little cotton seeds or whatever they are, through the white) and stabbing myself really hard with the needle when putting on the binding  - luckily the bloodstains are on the back!

Stats:
Oakshott, from the Lipari and Minerals ranges, and Klona cotton
Warm and Natural batting
Scrappy binding
Gutermann threads
Pebble and wavy line quilting
23 x 23 inches

Please visit and even enter the competition at Celtic Thistle Stitches!




19 comments:

  1. ooo - it's really nice! I too love collecting those pebbles with the white bits through them.

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  2. Such a lovely finish to your quilt and a beautiful memory of pebble hunting on the beach too.

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  3. I love that you let the current run through! Who knows where it came from or where it will go...

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  4. This is beautiful. I love those soft stone colours :)

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  5. I love your quilt and the memory it represents. Congrats too on the clamshell quilting :)

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  6. You've done a lovely job with this and the pebble and flowing lines FMQ complement it beautifully. The pebbles remind me of the work of printer Angie Lewin whose book Plants and Paces is a real inspiration, especially if you like gardening!

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  7. Oh now that is right nice. Love the quilting too x

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  8. Your beach and your quilt are both beautiful. We always bring home the pebbles too, I love the story behind your quilt.

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  9. Fabulous mini, I love the addition of the pebble quilting, and the binding is perfect!

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  10. This is wonderful! I love how the quilting ties in with the piecing - great mini!

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  11. Ouch! I love this mini as you have captured the stripey pebbles so well. My mum was born on the Isle of Bute and one day I'm going to go as I have heard it's so beautiful.

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  12. Lovely memory quilt! As we now live by the seaside & walk the beach nearly every day, we have had to curtail our rock collecting & only bring home the "very very special" ones. LOL
    Cheers
    Lush

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  13. This is a really lovely and calming mini quilt - well done.

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  14. Really beautiful; Oakshotts are so perfect for the pebbles xxx

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  15. Really beautiful. I love your pebbles and Oakshotts are defintiely the perfect fabric choice.

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  16. Such a beautiful quilt Catherine. The pebbles are perfect and the quilting is just fabulous.
    Good luck!

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  17. Wow..!!
    Amazing job..!!
    I like like this colorful pebbles designs,it's so good..Thanks for this nice article..!!
    Villen in Tossa de Mar

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  18. So glad to have seen this! One word...genius! You have captured the wonder of pebbles found, perfectly! Or maybe perfect pebbles found, wonderfully :)

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