Something Fishy? Final reveal for Gwennie Inspired Medallion Quilt Along.

Something Fishy was chosen by Wendy for our final border.  I live along the Fraser River in New Westminster B.C. and have some gorgeous sunsets at different times of the year over the river where Salmon, Sea Lions and other fishy creatures can be found.  This picture was taken New Year's Day 2011.  Finding inspiration in colour was going to be my first goal for liberation.

This next one was taken October 29, 2011.

 I also had this Kaffe Fassett fabric for inspiration and l almost used it but decided no.

 Here is Twin A as I've decided to call the two similar but different solid inspired baskets.

My sketch of the plan.

How it came out in cloth.  This one is 44" wide by 42" high.  I may add a sunset to the top not sure.

 I drew out some sailboats to sail along the seas. I pieced my sunset borders and had some fun trying to switch it up a bit.  This first sailboat had both striped and solid sails.

Sailboat sketch.

Finished boat.

The other two sailboat sketches

The solid one.

 As was this one having a bit of a rocky ride. I didn't do the colour bands.

The light house sketch turned out this way.                                                                                               

 Watching over them was a light house, I figure all these items are used for fishing at various times.

Here is what I sketched out Twin B has some fishy visitors.  It measures 42" wide and 41" high.

I didn't do a top border of sunset but I may in the future, I'll think on it for awhile this may be another liberated move not to have four borders on these quilt tops.
And in fabric here it is. I changed some of the placements and had fun making the layers of water.

 Some Dolphins, twins of course one on the left in the seaweed.  Eyes and other details will be added when I've quilted the tops.  I'm thinking of a combination of both machine and hand quilting.

Dolphin and sea weed sketch.

 Here are the sketches with one I didn't use.

Some starfishes and a shell of my own designs.

 Twin B dolphin on the right.

 I may still add some swirls representing waves but not as sure as I changed the sketch layout.

Now for the third medallion please bear with me being liberated with this top was a bit more challenging.  I love living on the west coast and listening to the sound of waves crashing on the beaches.  Driving up and down from home to California along the coast lines is a favourite holiday of mine and also visiting Hawaii.  These next photos are from my visit to Maui in 2011.

 Love watching the waves spray up when they hit rocks along the coastline.

 Sometimes you'll see a wave of them coming in towards the shore.

So I decided that I needed an appliqued border inspired by the curling waves and shapes of fish and surf boards for my Windswept Tulip Basket.

Here is the sketch.

And the eventual placements.  It is 47 1/2" wide and 48" high.

 I used 1/4" bias for my "waves."

 I scaled up the size of the tulips from the centre along with the leaf sizes and wound then into the starry border.

 I've never designed applique borders before let alone asymmetric ones but I'm pleased with how they turned out.

 Each border is a bit different than the other, the three tulips and four leaves are mirrored imaged to each other and the bias took its own route around the stars.

I'm linking up with Lori of Humble Quilts again today. I can hardly wait to see what everyone has done for their fishy finishes. Ethel is sending me a picture to share of her top. She already is quilting it but I haven't received it yet so come back for a visit please. Thanks to everyone for their suggestions for borders this was fun!

First Day of Autumn!

I can hardly believe that the lazy days of Summer have passed and the first day of Autumn is upon us.  I always think of dahlias as being an Autumn flower although this picture was taken in Summer.         

 I've been busy creating something Fishy for my next round of the Gwennie Medallion Quilt Along.  Any guesses what this will become?  I still have to finish prepping the other two medallion quilts by October 1.  Hope I make the deadline.

 I'd also like to wish my dear friend Anna and her husband Greg on their wedding anniversary today.  Have fun in Portland this weekend you two!

Gwennie Medallion QAL round finally done!

Last month I didn't get my tulip basket log cabin done in time to post a picture for the link up.  So this is what I ended up with I think the log cabins sort of look like tulip fields in the distance.  I'm very pleased how it worked up once I finally got them all made.

 Stars is the theme for this round and I decided on my dark and light backgrounds for the stars.

 Playing with possible placements.

 Voila the top is done.  Love how it worked out.

 My Turquoise background Gwen inspired background with log cabins.

 Stars and moons for it's border.
                                           
 Pink Gwennie baskets with logs.

 Playing with where things will go for the turquoise background.

 And for the pink background.

 Finished Turquoise background.

 Finished Pink background.  They both make me think of the Italian houses built into the cliffs.

 Remember my friend Ethel's Sea Basket?

 Her first round was Sand Castles, then she added logs that had drifted up onto the sandy beaches around Vancouver and Stars in the sky and over the water for this round.

So we both are all caught up now to add something Fishy, Ethel's theme has been an happy accident for this suggested theme.  Me I may have to think on it for awhile.

I'm linking up with Lori's blog Humble Quilts for this go around once again.

Friday Finish for Gwennie Medallion QAL!

I finished the log ca bin borders on my original tulip basket medallion.  I added a few more greens and pinks both solids and prints to this round to expand the palette a bit more.  To me they almost look like tulip fields in the distance.  Now to start on the stars for all three!

A reminder of what it looked like before the log cabin borders.

Have a great creative weekend!

Gwennie Inspired Medallion QAL update.

 Here are my bright Gwennie Inspired Medallion baskets with the log cabins added.  I decided to add a few more bright citrus coloured fabrics and a clay shade of orange.  I also added a Kaffe Fasset print that I had in my fabric library.

 Here is where it was last month.

Here is the second bright top where it ended this month.

And where it was last month.

I'm still working on the more traditional basket medallion logs but wanted to get this post in.  Just to remind you this is where it is right now.

See you next month I'm linking with Lori of Humble Quilts for this round.  Katy is has chosen Stars as our inspiration for next month, check out what she shared with us for inspiration.