Well, I finished the quilt and picked a name. One of my best friends moved to California several years ago, thinking it would only be for 2 or 3 years, but now it’s going on over 7 and they just bought a vacation beach house an hour north of San Francisco. When they first moved out there I was still figuring out quilting and made her a quilt out of silk dupioni (entirely impractical in retrospect, although at least they didn’t have kids or pets in their small apartment). So with the beach house I figured it was time to re-quilt her with a new quilt.
Hence, Northern Beach Lights.
The pattern is Picnic in the Shade, from the Moda Bake Shop, using a mix of Robert Kaufman linen print in beige and a variety of batiks. I resized the pattern down to a total of 42 blocks (the original is 8×8 blocks). The finished quilt measures 69 x 78″ with these new dimensions.
The fabrics themselves aren’t exactly beachy in the Miami sense of the word, but the low contrast and blues and greens gives it a more northerly beachy feel, which is exactly where her new house is.
I auditioned quite a few fabrics for the border, ultimately settled on a piece of blue for the inner border, and a purpleish batik print with jellyfish or squids on it (or some other shape that just looks like squids- sometimes it’s best not to ask!). Of course I was about 6″ too short to make it all the way around the quilt, so I used some cornerstones of the same linen print to make it work.
I mentioned on my last podcast I was not sure about using another batik for the backing, but I ended up using it anyway. I’m pleased to say I didn’t have any problems with it, just made sure I had a new needle and had dipped my thread in mineral oil and it all came out okay.
One more off the Q3 Finish Along list!
Gorgeous, gorgeous! I know they will love it. The batiks are terrific.
Oh my goodness, this is spectacular! I love the colors with the linen print. Perfect for curling up after a day at the beach!
Oooh, another lucky friend! This beautiful quilt looks like it’s made of broken glasses and they’re scattered in the sand. I really love the border fabric you used it’s so pretty! So I guess it’s okay to use batik backing with the batik front in the end?
))
Lovely! Kati R nailed the feeling that I had, but couldn’t name by mentioning broken glass in the sand.
Don’t you need to hand deliver this and, since you’re there anyway, go visit Jaye? Just saying. If not, you can come to Annapolis next year when both she and Susan promise that they are coming my way. I would be THRILLED to host an East Coast Twilters party.
I love the quilt! Especially the crinkly quilting. Hurry and get winter here so you can cuddle under it!