The Beach
Last week we took a wonderful family vacation to Turks and Caicos. We had never been there before and it lived up to all the hype. The sand is like silk, the water truly is turquoise, and the reefs and aquatic wildlife are amazing. I hope you have a chance to go some day; it's a worthwhile destination. But go soon! There's quite a bit of development going on and I worry that may change the flavor of the islands.
But enough preaching ... I packed a few things so that I could make a journal quilt while I was away. Since I'd never been to the islands and packing space was at a premium, I brought along some embroidery threads, two pieces of beige fabric and a square of blue tulle. Clearly, I had a beach scene in mind when I packed. And, yes, that's what I created here. It was inspired by the view from our room: the huge ocean coming up to the quiet stretch of sand.
All in all, I'm a bit disappointed because I pigeon-holed myself; I think I might have made a better piece if I hadn't had a sub-conscious, pre-conceived notion in my mind when I set aside my supplies. I guess I'll have to really think about this when we take future vacations. But I do like the yellow crayon umbrellas (thanks to what my little one had the foresight to bring!) and I like the texture created by the stitching on the tulle. (This shows up better when you look at the journal quilt at an angle; it looks like it has ripples.) I've also learned I'll need to pack a ruler. I didn't know where my stitching should start and end. When I was home, I ended up having to cut off some of my ocean to make the piece 6x6, while at the same time, I had not filled in all my beach grasses. Ah well, live and learn, right? That's what this is supposed to be about.
But enough preaching ... I packed a few things so that I could make a journal quilt while I was away. Since I'd never been to the islands and packing space was at a premium, I brought along some embroidery threads, two pieces of beige fabric and a square of blue tulle. Clearly, I had a beach scene in mind when I packed. And, yes, that's what I created here. It was inspired by the view from our room: the huge ocean coming up to the quiet stretch of sand.
All in all, I'm a bit disappointed because I pigeon-holed myself; I think I might have made a better piece if I hadn't had a sub-conscious, pre-conceived notion in my mind when I set aside my supplies. I guess I'll have to really think about this when we take future vacations. But I do like the yellow crayon umbrellas (thanks to what my little one had the foresight to bring!) and I like the texture created by the stitching on the tulle. (This shows up better when you look at the journal quilt at an angle; it looks like it has ripples.) I've also learned I'll need to pack a ruler. I didn't know where my stitching should start and end. When I was home, I ended up having to cut off some of my ocean to make the piece 6x6, while at the same time, I had not filled in all my beach grasses. Ah well, live and learn, right? That's what this is supposed to be about.
Comments
Like you and Natalya, I also like using stuff that is actually from my children, they have lovely pastels, paint with glitters and so on.