Friday, April 17, 2020

Storm at Sea Finish

Finally, half a month late, my One Die Wonder Challenge for Island Batik is done!
Rather fitting to show a Storm at Sea quilt as we have been in a wet, gloppy snowstorm all day here, and it was snowing when I walked down to the lake edge for the photo shoot. So yes, there are a few white blurs on the photo, and now you know what they are! Yesterday was April, today is February. Springtime in Canada, eh?


*I've had comments that the photos aren't posting, and found out it is a Blogger issue. I've reinserted them today, Monday, and I think it should be all fixed now.
Thanks for your patience and for the heads up.

So the March challenge was creating a quilt, 45" x 60" minimum, using the Block on Board die we were given in our January supplies box. Thank you so very much to Island BatikAurifilHobbs BattingSchmetz Needles, and AccuQuilt for supplying fabric, thread, batting, needles (Microtex needles rock) and the Block on Board die which was used in constructing the quilt.

I got Storm at Sea, a quilt I've wanted to make for some time. I just love the movement in it. I used several of the Basics and Blenders half yard cuts in my box along with some solid white we were given, and yardage of the neutral I was given, Whip Cream.


You can read the story of the quilt in my flimsy finish post from April 9.
I quilted it on Avril.

Of course I used my growing collection of Aurifil threads. The pale green was part of the Verona 3-spool box I received, and the others are from previous boxes and my own purchases. I love how well the pale green blended on Whip Cream, the white, Parakeet, and Opal. I used the navy on Cherio Navy and on Amethyst, the purple solid. I used the medium blue on Bluebird Wavy Dots. The pink and the brown are on the woven heart.

I cannot say enough about loving the die for accuracy. Yes, it uses more fabric, but it saves time and it is so precise. Okay, yes, some of the precision is due the sewist 😇 but having the points cut off for ease of alignment with triangles going onto diamonds etc. is invaluable. And look just how precise when I pulled it off the longarm and laid down my 15" square to square it up. Like this perfect has never happened before!


For quilting motifs, I did a fair amount of ruler work. In the flowing streamers effect I free-motion quilted flowing designs.


The amethyst and navy fabrics are hard to show but this indoor shot when squaring it up shows those two designs the best. So, five main colours, five flowing designs, two of them repeated: the rope-like one in the navy is also in the opal sections.

The heart had to be different, and I knew I wanted to outline it and echo, but I wasn't liking the deep pink on the white, so I kept the echo to a minimum. Two diamonds within the heart got special treatment:

The brown, which is for Penny, Dayna and Tyler's darling fur baby, with her 'ears' just above, pricked up, as per usual, and the pink diamond at the heart's 'v' centre, both got feathers. They fit so nicely within a diamond shape.

I did the binding using the five main colours in the quilt.


I even had to piece the Bluebird and Navy scraps because I had so little left. I applied the binding to the front of the quilt, pressed it to the back, glue-basted it down, and then stitched in the ditch from the front of the quilt, catching in the fold on the back. It makes for a bit uneven finish on the back, but looks exactly like hand-sewn-down binding from the front.

I actually remembered my satin label before applying the binding. Yay me. The backing is a lovely flannel, which I'll show some other time, as it is not Island Batik, but I wanted it soft and cuddly for Dayna and Tyler. And the entire quilt is. Because I kept the quilting fairly open, it drapes beautifully.


I do not know when I'll be able to give it to them as the Canada/US border is to remain closed for another month at least. I may investigate mailing it, but it is expensive as you all know.

Here is a straight-on shot off the side of our deck.

All the trees have budded out, and our magnolia is starting to unfurl her petals. Baby robins have hatched; I posted two perfect halves of a beautiful blue egg I found on a walk this past week. MacGyver was going to cut the lawn yesterday but then the temperature dipped in the late afternoon, and we got clipped by the northern tip of this storm that's from the Kansas City area! Strange weather. So, Storm at Sea is photographed during a storm on land LOL.

Dayna is, and always has been, my #1 fan of my quilting. You may recall she asked me to make a quilt for her dear friend who suffered a tragic loss in November, as she just knows the comfort that snuggling under a quilt, wrapping yourself in it, sobbing into it, can bring. I know the tender loving vibes I stitched into this quilt will help her and Tyler heal from their loss.

Penny, December 2019, in about the same spot as her quilt, today.


Quilt Stats:
Pattern: Original design based on Storm at Sea with heart image off Pinterest
Size: 54" x 63"
Fabric: Island Batik
Backing: flannel from stash
Batting: Hobbs Heirloom 100% Natural Unbleached Cotton with scrim
Quilted: on Avril my Avanté;  132 920 stitches
Threads: pieced with Aurifil on my Bernina; quilted with Aurifil 50 wt, The Bottom Line in the bobbin

Linking up

This is also on my Q2FAL list, since I didn't quite make the deadline for Q1!

27 comments:

  1. It's a beautiful quilt, Sandra, and I know you stitched a lot of love into it for Dayna. Be well and stay warm!

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  2. Love in every stitch and block, and the photo setting, that is extra special,Penny, you will be remembered with love for your photo right there too. Thanks so much Sandra for the Centred details, I am sorting the fabrics, not easy to find the graduations, a friend told me I had too many to choose from!!!! As if, so I washed every one in blue and green I could find, a grand total of 24, plus 2 that were already done!!!!Now to iron them all and layout some choices.

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  3. Hi Sandra! So many photo links aren't working for me, but the three most important ones are. The first quilt picture is gorgeous against the storm of the Lake! And those fabrics - they are perfect and really tell the stormy story. The final picture is can enjoy is sweet Penny who is embodied and memorialized in this quilt. It's a fitting finish and one that won't necessarily heal the wound right now but will offer some salve for future healing. {{Hugs}} a bunch. ~smile~ Roseanne

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  4. Gorgeous Sandra & some great shots of it in many different poses(giggle). The quilting is beautiful & keeping it soft is something I like too. Our weather has turned really cold, dark & drizzly this weekend, so may get a walk today after the heavier rain yesterday. I suppose we are coming into winter, so I better get used to it. Off to cut some strips later........ Take care, stay safe & hugs. I'll pop an email through tomorrow.

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  5. Your photos are not posting. I am having the same problem and have spent hours looking for an answer with no luck.

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    1. Okay maybe it’s a blogger issue because here on my phone I only have three: the first, the fabric one and the last. On my MacBook I have all of them but for one! It’s bizarre.

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  6. I only got the first and last photo, but it was enough to see your beautiful quilt finish and the reason the couple needed a quilt to cuddle with. What a wonderful gift you are giving, Sandra!

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  7. Only the first and last photo came through for me. But the quilt looks lovely.

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  8. Love your finished quilt! I, too, only have a few photos but it's enough to see the beauty of your design and the fun heart and sweet dog ears :)

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  9. I see the first, third and last photo (of that handsome pup). Your SaS turned out just beautifully, and that's a perfect spot for a photo! We are back to sunshine here today, so I'm going to get out in it for a walk or a drive, or both.

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  10. Same here, only photo 1 and 3 and that cutie Penny❤️

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  11. I could see a few photos, the most important was the first one, well, maybe the last one! Beautiful quilt. I hear you on the winter return to bedevil us. We might get up to 55° today! Woohoo!!!

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  12. The missing photos issue must be something with blogger because many other posts from today and yesterday are missing photos. And in the last two weeks, Bonnie Hunter lost all the photos on the mask making tutorial post (and those had been there when I read the post). So who knows, it's definitely above my pay grade. But I did see your photos on Instagram and know Dayna and Tyler will be very touched with your condolence quilt.
    Pat

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  13. How strange that the photos are missing. The three I can see are wonderful (Storm at Sea--of course!!), and I'm making pictures in my mind for the rest. I hope the problem gets resolved soon. Blogger throws us curve balls every few years, doesn't it? And with the way the world is right now, nothing surprises me. Stay safe, stay well, and hugs to you, Dayna and Tyler.

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  14. I know if and when those photos show up, I'll be blown away with your quilting. Because you always do such a wonderful job with the big finish :) I'm sure this quilt is greatly, greatly appreciated. Your hands are multi-talented and your heart is so, so generous.

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    1. Ah! I'm so happy to see the photos now! Your quilting, as always, is ah-maze-ing :)

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  15. How strange this is! On the ipad most photos are missing. How strange....maybe it will resolve itself. It is a gorgeous quilt and I really want to see the quilting!!

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  16. I only got three photos on my mac laptop, but that's enough to see that you've created yet another wow of a quilt. And how great of the weather to play ball for you and give you such a wonderful and topical backdrop to contrast your lovingly made and beautifully bright quilt. I hope you are super pleased with your finish and your recipients feel all the love that went into it.

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  17. I am not getting all your photos either, but that's ok. I will check them out on my phone. But I have already seen this quilt and I know it is beautiful.It is my new favourite Sandra

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  18. Too bad the photos aren't showing. I can see the first one, so can see how great your quilt is. Well done. Someday I'll make this pattern. Maybe I need to invest in the die.

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  19. How very sad for Dayna and Tyler and so hard that you can't get near them to hold them tight. It's just as well you write so expressively and well, and I can imagine how beautiful the quilt is from the odd photo I see. Perfect colours for this design too. Let's hope that all the pain we go through, staying locked in at home, means life as close to we knew as possible, can resume soon.

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  20. I love the quilt! I have the BOB too, and it's on my list to make. I've been not getting blog picture for awhile, not all but about 75% in some posts won't show, as yours this time. I thought it was my problem alone. I had no idea others were experiencing the same thing. I'm sure it will sort itself out at some point.

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  21. Such a beautiful quilt! It definitely lives up to the promise of the flimsy. Too bad the gremlins got to work on your photos, but the one by the lake is stunning, as is the lovely shot of poor Penny. Dayna and Tyler will love it.

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  22. I love the photos at the lake - so pretty.

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  23. This is such a beautiful quilt! I love all the details of it, but that heart just makes it! Your heart really comes through in it.

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  24. You made a beautiful quilt, Sandra. Your workmanship is impressive and the quilting is just perfect. These are strange times. We have to come up with another word to describe unprecedented. Strange weather patters, the social/physical distancing and closed borders all add to the uncertainty. Sewing and quilting can be our refuge.
    I am familiar with Blogger issues but have decided not to dwell upon them for now. Sending hugs and best wishes to you for your safety and continued creativity.

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  25. Hi Sandra, what an amazing quilt. It's a real beauty. Thanks for linking up to Free Motion Mavericks last week. Next week, when it's my turn to host again, I'll be featuring your quilt. Take care.

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