Aquaculture & Addiction

Happy Friday to you all. I have a finish to share.

Friday Finish!!!

I chose to call this quilt Aquaculture - aqua for blue and culture for green (imagine growing a culture in a petri dish) Since it is growing, it is green.

Green Blocks

Blue too!

But it could also mean growing things in water.

Piecing in Progress

And the green blocks within blue outlines seems like green things growing in water. Therefore - Aquaculture.

Charmed

I bought the charm pack (Pineapple Fabrics) from the Quilt Show in 2015.  Threw in a couple of other fabrics to match/make do.

Assembling Rows

OK, I admit, it was a UFO. But I am happy to announce it is  FINISHED  now.

Aquaculture

No body in mind.
Just a quilt.

Quilted

I am sure  a recipient will miraculously appear.

Quilting Detail

The batting is Warm & Natural.  I quilted it in a grid - horizontal and vertical lines, using my walking foot and a decorative stitch. on my Janome.

I chose the same teal blue for the binding to bring the quilt pattern together.  I think it works.

Backing and Binding

The backing is just so cute!!!  This is my September finish (one of them at least) and I will be linking with Heidi of Red Letter Quilts.

Friendly Animals :-)

Here is what the label looks like -  Name on one half, and care instructions on the other half.  I got it from ikaprints. 

My label

This is how the finished label looks.

Labelled

Since my quilt holder-upper is still out of commission, the mail box will have to do for now.

What are you working on?
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Let's talk about Addiction now.  Fabric addiction that is.
Let's admit that there is  no cure. We can manage it...or at east try.

I have allowed myself to buy new fabric in the following conditions
1. When I finish a UFO.
2. When a desired line goes on sale.
3. When I do a giveaway.

Amazingly, all three are true for right NOW.
I just finished Aquaculture.  I just completed my first giveaway. The packages in the mail today.
And look at all this yumminess on sale!!!

Here are a few of my favorite picks.


Cotton and Steel FQ box - Just over a dollar for a fat quarter, this needs no introduction.  Grab it before it is gone.

Andover Sun Print by Alison Glass - This is the fabric line that Molli Sparkles has been raving about.  Need I say more? Fine, it is also on sale!!!

Arabian Nights - Love the rich dark colors. And it is 50% off.  I probably won't use the kit for the pattern (I think it needs some lighter colors too for the eyes to rest), but boy do I love the fabric?

Moda Ombre Basic by V & Co. - Such a  great value for such versatile fabrics. Wow!!!

Which one of these caught your eye?  Do let me know because I love to hear from you!
I will be linking with all my favorite linky parties.


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Wins, Waters and Wisdom (Math)

Let's start with the good news. Shall we?  Here are the winners of the American Hustle? Orphan Adoption Event.

American Hustle Top - Cindy
Pigma Micron Pens - PK_Sews
Mini Wacky Web Template - Shelley

I will send you emails asking for your postal address, so that I can ship your items to you.
Karen, even though you did not win the quilt top, I will send you another quilt top to finish.  The cause of Marine mothers giving up their babies for adoption touched my heart.

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The theme of the 2016 Quilt Show challenge is "Virginia's Beautiful Waters".  
Here is my entry.

Skipped a Stone

The challenge - Create a quilt that best expresses your idea of the theme - Virginia's Beautiful Waters.  It can be an art, pictorial quilt or a quilt in "theme related" colors such as blues for ocean, white & green for waterfalls in the woods, green & brown for "Dismal Swamp", etc. 

Texture in the Sun (Wood Grain quilting near the bottom right)

The quilt uses 2.5" strips of blues/teals/aqua with white strips.  The blocks were created using the 
Missouri Star Quilt Company's tutorial - Summer in the Park.  

Walking Foot Quilting

I loved the blocks and the various possibilities of arranging them.  I started with placing four blocks making a colored square (at 45 degrees) in the middle.  That became the focal point. After that, I placed blocks all around as if they were rippling out from the center.

Gentle Curves

It did take a few iterations to get it right here.  In the end, everyone who saw it said nice things about it.  Either they really liked it, or they are being incredibly kind :-)

Sunny & Rippled (May favorite picture)

I believe that the slightly off-center design creates more interest.  The layout of the blocks creates concentric waves, but more angular than circular.  When it came to naming the quilt, I did not want to go with the obvious - Ripples or Waves.

Radiating outwards

Fortunately, that night Paul was watching the French movie "Amelie". When I saw Amelie skipping stones, I found the name - Skipped a Stone.

Blue, Aqua, Teal & Navy = YAY!!!

The choice of the border was definitely tricky.  Wanted to make sure that it was neither blue nor white, so as to keep the focus in the main quilt.  Any color from the warm side of the color wheel would be too distracting. A medium gray (thin) and a wide batik (navy+aqua) worked just perfectly.  Did you notice that the batik print looks like aqua droplets on navy background.

Off Center Focus

I love the navy and aqua grouping. I am sure you will be seeing it a lot more :-D right here.
The quilt top finished at about 57" by 70".  A wide backing acquired from Connecting Threads (on the 40% off sale day YIPPEE), was my choice. Yes it is very Christmassy.

Winter/Christmas Backing

This way it is Summer in the front and Winter in the back.
The batting is Warm & Natural.  Quilted in gently waving lines, with a few wood grain like curves.  Someday, I will learn FMQ. For now, thanks to Jacquie Gering, I do not have to send my quilts to a longarmer.  I can do this.

Finished!!!

The binding is aqua solid which works beautifully with the front and does fine with the backing.

You make me happy!

One more picture.  When I was piecing and squaring, while trimming the pinked edges, I noticed a tiny heart shaped bit of fabric.  Had to capture that picture :-)

Yes, I love this one.

I heart YOU!!!

The Quilt Show is June 3 - 5, 2016 in Chantilly, VA.  I will be volunteering a couple of the days, just so that I can stand near my quilt and watch folks react to it.  Is that too self-absorbed?  Please let me know.

I will be linking with all my favorite linky parties!!!
 
Here is a peek into my loot.  Acquired these Good Neighbors (Amanda Jean Nyberg) fat quarters and the supercute cows fabric yardage from Connecting Threads when it was a whopping 40% off.

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