Sunday, May 20, 2012

North Wind goes to Bloggers' Quilt Festival


Amy's Creative Side 


I have always loved piecing triangles and began making these North wind blocks in the winter of 1997. Once I had plenty of blocks, I thought all that wind needed something to do, so I added sailing boats  ... and a mariner's compass, so they wouldn't get lost.


Once the center was together, the project stalled for want of a border and ended up as a UFO in a box with other unfinished projects.

A  1999 issue of  "Quiltmaker" magazine printed designs using the block and requested pictures using the block be sent in. I sent the picture of the unfinished top which was printed in the May/June issue and along with the printed issue came a suggestion to use a cloud print for the border.

Then in the summer of 2001, on a trip to the States, I bought some cloud and water print but I still couldn't decide how to use it as the print ran the short way across the fabric.

Finally, I declared 2003 to be "the year of the unfinished project" and vowed not to start any new project until all my UFOs were done. This was the last project of the year and finished in April 2004. I pieced the water and clouds and placed gulls across the seams. The outer border used up triangles I had originally thought of using for the border in a different way.


I quilted a Japanese cloud design in the boat blocks.


Some gulls were white and some were gray and some were quilted along with more clouds.
I usually make scrappy quilts but this time I limited the colors to red, white, and blue, putting red and blue prints between the red and white and blue and white blocks.

Although this quilt took a long time to reach the finish point, I am happy with the final result and learned that sometimes a bit of waiting for the right idea to come along may work better than rushing ahead.

33 comments:

  1. This is just beautiful! I love your description of how it came together. It really looks like it came out the way it was meant to be.

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  2. Julie, this is just fantastic! As are all your quilts. It is amazing to think you did all of that by hand! And so many little creative additions.

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  3. I so love the ideas that you have put into this quilt, a whole story by itself, and specially the Mariner's Compass. The quilting on the blocks is so fitting.May it blow in the wind and win the race. Cheers from Jean

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  4. Wow! I'm not sure I'd have the patience to have waiting that long for the *best* idea! Kudo's to you for knowing it was out there and waiting. It looks fabulous!

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  5. Wow! A beautiful work of art! I thinkg sometimes a quilt just has to sit a bit while the ideas for finishing them have a chance to ripen.

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  6. Simply beautiful - proof that with patience there is hope for all our UFO's!

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  7. This is a really wonderful composition - well done!

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  8. Julie, this is one beautiful quilt - such fine handwork and so much meaning. You are an inspiration - I'd love to see this quilt in person sometime.

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  9. Oh Julie, I do love all your quilts, but I must say this one is my favourite! Your work is exquisite and so inspiring ! I love sea quilts and the blue/white/red colors combination... If you'd give a class/workshop about that quilt I would certainly sign in with both hands!
    Congratulations, dear, and heartful thoughts ;>)
    XOXOXOXOXO
    NADINE

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  10. Definitely worth the wait. I have admired this quilt before and think it is perfect for the quilt festival.

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  11. Really stunning, your works are beautiful :))

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  12. Very creative piece. Both the main body of the quilt and the border.

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  13. Your work is beautiful, and you are amazingly prolific!

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  14. What a wonderful quilt!

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  15. Julie, that is such a wonderful quilt! Definitely worth the wait, I'd say! I love your design and Japanese cloud quilting. Beautiful!

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  16. Beautiful Julie! I love the seagulls added to the border.

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  17. I'm your neighbor for this fabulous sharing of creativity. Thought I'd stop by and say hello! Lovely! So many triangles and a great story. I like the idea of a year to finish up UFOs. I read your profile, seems like you have quite an interesting life. Thanks for sharing!!

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  18. Your fabrics and your use of them is just great. This is a very lovely quilt.

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  19. Julie your sense of design is amazing to me. I'm one of those people who needs a pattern and who follows it to the letter. I don't do well at creating something or embellishing something - and I do have an imagination so I don't know why that's so hard for me. This quilt may be my favorite of all yours I've seen. blessings, marlene

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  20. What a absolutely amazing quilt and love the story of how long it took to make!

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  21. This quilt is really amazing and with such a wonderful story to go with it. Very very beautiful!!

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  22. What a gorgeous quilt -and pieced by hand. Just beautiful!

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  23. The making of this one definitely sounds like a journey! This is a beautiful design, and your border solution works perfectly-- I especially love the gulls soaring out along the edges. Lovely!

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  24. and to think that you don't use a machine. Wow!

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  25. Beautiful composition, a true work of art. I love every part of this quilt!

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  26. The quilt tells its own story just looking at it!

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  27. Dear Julia, your quilt is perfect. I like it very much.

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  28. Great quilt. I have been commissioned to do a quilt that this would be perfect for. Sadly I have a limited time to get it done. But I may "borrow" the boat design for at least one block. Although I will probably simplify it.

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  29. How wonderful to see this quilt again ..... a great quilt for the festival!

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  30. This is a beautiful quilt Julie and the colours are wonderful for our Jubilee year!! All those triangles, you're a brave woman. Hugs, Lis x

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  31. gorgeous quilt love the way you put it together
    Ann

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  32. My goodness, what a masterpiece!!! You are sure to win prizes with that!! I can't imagine trying to do that all by hand (as I know you do). The Mariners Compass and sail boats set that off just beautifully and the gulls really add to the whole thing! I don't know when I've seen a more beautiful quilt! I wish I could see it in person!

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