I am so excited to be featured on the Great Outdoors Blog Hop – generously sponsored by Island Batik. Being on the second to last day – and on Labor Day in the US – is either a bonus (people have time to read) or not (people are out celebrating). If you are here, thank you! There are giveaways! One on the Island Batik blog and my blog (see bottom of blog). The fabric and Hobbs thermore battingand some Aurifil threads were given to me by the Island Batik company – thank you very much! It is such a pleasure to work with these companies. The last time you saw this fabric it looked like this.
Let me present to you Sweet Tweets. It is a beautiful line full of gorgeous color – lots of greens, oranges, blues, and a touch of red.
DESIGN
The theme was the Great Outdoors and our challenge was to find a way to show all the fabrics. Twenty fabrics fit pretty easily into a traditional quilt and I felt drawn to something simple that let the fabrics shine. I was trying blocks on point and a few other things in Electric Quilt 8* w Windows! One can look out of a window and see any of these things: dragonflies, birds, leaves, flowers, raindrops or even geometric designs! For my quilt, I choose a version of the attic window block. May I present to you…My Victorian Window.
Almost a year ago, we sold our victorian home. We lived in it for 20 years and it was time – our son was out of college and worked for a year (living with us), my husband was retired, and we had a house in Maine. I love that house and do miss many of the wonderful things about it , but it was the right decision for us.
For those of you who don’t know Victorian houses (I didn’t until I lived in one), many of these houses have elaborate ornamental woodwork. One of the common things is the bull’s eye cornerstone; that became my cornerstones in the border. As I sized up the fabric, I needed some background so I added in an Island Batik foundation, butter. I was given the light green dragonfly and the dark green flowers as extra yardage, but I didn’t want the windows to be so green! So, yellow was perfect.
PATTERN
The cutting and assembly was pretty easy (and in fact will be a pattern in the near future). It is well suited to a precut layer cake. My squares were cut at 8.5″ inches (I actually wanted rectangles, but didn’t bring all the yardage with me so change of plan). My window sills/lattice were cut at 2.5″ so the blocks finished at 10″. I didn’t like that there was no delineation on the bottom sill, so as I was working on it a tiny strip was added to the bottom sill. Borders were cut at 4.5″ and the cornerstones at 4.5″ square. I drew the circles in EQ8 so I could print out the templates. The appliqué was done with that luscious 50 wt Aurifil #1148. For this I used a zig zag stitch set at a width of 2.5 and a length of .8. That is a pretty useful setting for my Janome 3160QC. Enough to contain the edges, but not enough to drift off into sleep while doing that stitching. All in all it was a fast quilt!
QUILTING
I asked a new friend to machine quilt it! We used the Hobbs Cotton batting, and it was a true delight. It has a lovely feel and drape. Her name is Linda Deming of Linda’s Longarm Quilting Services near Freeport, Maine. Even if you have been to Maine the name of this town probably sounds familiar. Below is one of the symbols of Freeport – the LLBean boot! I met Linda at MQX in April while taking an EQ8 class. If you need her, let me know – she has a very good turn around time – which is sometimes hard to find. And yes, drop off and pick up did include a run to the flagship store!I love the flowieness (is that a word) of the pattern Linda choose. To me it makes it look like a windy day outside My Victorian Window. The pattern is from Urban Elements and called Bayside.
BINDING
I used two different fabrics in the blue-green colorway as binding. I had some green left, but to me it was going to make the quilt more green than I wanted. This choice also helped give the cornerstones some continuity, too. My labels are from an Etsy shop, Tagtopia. I love it because I almost always remember and I am now keeping them with the Clover wonder clips*. This brain needs all the help I can get these days! I have a tutorial for how I do my other labels, which you can find here. I enjoyed doing the hand binding – a side each evening – it worked out to take about 3-4 threaded needles. I use this thread minder* and would have a couple needles threaded when I began AND when I stopped I threaded them for the next day. This makes it easier to pick up where you left off.GIVEAWAYS!
Now for the fun stuff! Here are the giveaway links:
My giveaway will run for a week, ending September 9. Due to shipping costs, only US residents, please. Please comment by telling me: How do you follow my blog? Bloglovin or direct Email or an RSS feed?
But wait, there’s more!
Island Batik is hosting a GIANT giveaway for this blog hop! Be sure to enter on their blog.
It is a great honor to be an ambassador and work with such a wonderful company. Just for kicks, while not in Bali this photo is on an island in Maine where I get to spend a lot of time.
And for those who follow, and love my Percy, here are two shots of him at the photo shoot. I think he was quite bored. I, however, was in heaven!
I am every grateful for your support and appreciate you following me and putting up with some of the silliness. Have a terrific week!
Linking up:
Cooking up Quilts: Main Crush Monday
Pretty Piney: What I Made Monday
Free Motion on the River: Linky Tuesday
Clever Chameleon: Colour Inspiration Tuesday
Powered by Quilting: Friday Foto Fun
Disclaimer: *Links with asterisk indicate an affiliate link and as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Your price is not any different, but a small percentage of the sale will go to supporting my blog.
What a great way to show off those yummy batiks, gorgeous! I follow you on Bloglovin.
Thanks, Melody and good luck in the giveaway!
Great quilt Kathleen I follow on bloglovin
Thanks, Jan and good luck in the drawing.
Nothing like being by the ocean and a quilt by the ocean with Island Batik Fabrics, life just doesn’t get any better.
You are so right! The world seems perfect when I am here and quilting.
Love the last picture! Island Batik has the best blog hops and this years collection is full of beautiful colors. Thanks for sharing your quilt. I follow on Bloglovin and IG. grinnie1961 at gmail dot com
It is too funny – isn’t it! Thanks for following and good luck in the giveaway!
Beautiful quilt! The attic window idea is perfect for the colors and patterns on the batiks. Looks like Percy was so helpful in the photo shoot. I follow on Instagram.
Allison, thank you for following and good luck in the giveaway. Percy is always a help.
Beautiful quilt! The batiks are gorgeous in this design. I follow on Bloglovin and Instagram,
I’m glad you like the quilt, visited today and follow me. Good luck in the giveaway.
Beautiful! I really love these fabrics and your quilt shows them off nicely. I follow you on Bloglovin.
Thanks Joyce for stopping by and for following – good luck in the giveaway.
Lovely quilt! Like your bulls eyes!
Thanks, Alison – it was fun to design.
I follow you through Bloglovin. Love your quilt. We were just at Freeport last week!! Beautiful town, and yes, we did LL Bean too!!
Nancy, I am so glad you saw Freeport and very glad you are a follower! Good luck in the giveaway.
It’s beautiful, the pattern showcases the fabric really well.
Thanks, Vicki for stopping by and appreciating my work.
I love that you used your beloved home as inspiration! Attic Windows pattern has long been a favorite of mine. I follow via bloglovin.
It was fun how the idea developed! I appreciate you following and good luck in the giveaway!
Pretty quilt, following with Bloglovin’.
You are welcome, and thanks for following and for your lovely comment!
Beautiful quilt, Kathleen! I follow you on Bloglovin and via email! Thanks for the opportunity to win!
You are welcome, and thanks for following and for your lovely comment!
lovely way to show off fabrics. The attic window block is fun and one I want to make a into a quilt one day.Thanks for the inspiration.
I enjoyed the block and coming up with the design. It is an easy quilt but great for featuring fabrics!
Beautiufl quilt and batiks!
Thanks, Connie, it was so much fun to make.
Your quilt is beautiful! It showcases the fabrics so well
Sherry, thank you! It was fun to do, and of course a few things I would change but all in all I am pleased.
I love the ocean backdrop. Beautiful quilt and the colors are wonderful. I follow on Bloglovin.
Thanks, Christi for visiting and following! The colors are fab aren’t they!
Love the quilt, Kathleen, and the story behind the design. I’ve been here, in my chair, all morning reading blog posts! It’s time to get down to my sewing room! Love the colors of those batiks! Of course, you know I love the outdoor photos of your quilt too!
Thanks, Wendy. It was fun to do and yes, I too have been on the blogs too long, but today is my day! Good luck in the giveaway!
Love the bright colors in this quilt.obe the window effect. Not sure how I follow you….Blogluvin?
Thanks – the colors were terrific in this fabric line. I don’t see you on either of those, so if you want to enter, please return and sign up!
Beautiful quilt and I like the quilting design too. I follow you through email.
Thanks for following and I do love both the design and the quilting. Good luck in the giveaway.
I follow by bloglovin’.
Thanks, Janet and good luck in the giveaway!
I have just found your blog from this hop. Your work is lovely so I have added you to my blogger dashboard/GFC so I can follow your future posts.
Thanks for the add Lisa, and good luck in the giveaway!
Lovely quilt! We have those “bull’s eye” corners in our home, but never knew what they were called – thank you for that!
Fellow Ambassador Karen
I thought that was the name and then I thought I made it up, so, of course – google! Happy Labor Day.
Great quilt. I follow via Bloglovin.
Thank you, Nancy, for your kind comment and for following!
Your quilt really shows the wonderful colors and textures of these batiks. Love your corners. I follow by email.t
Thank you, I loved working with them. Thanks for following and good luck in the giveaway!
Pretty quilt and it showed all those lovely batiks–I am following you with Bloglovin’.
Thanks for following and commenting! Good luck in the giveaway.
Great way to feature those fabrics, and aren’t they yummy? I loved your story about your Victorian home. Really makes the quilt pattern come alive!
Thanks, Jennifer! It is fun to have those stories and interesting how they forever become a part of the quilt.
I follow on Bloglovin. ljbisme at msn dot com
Thanks for following and commenting – good luck in the giveaway.
Love that pattern for this collection of batiks… absolutely beautiful and the settings for the photo shoot is perfect! I follow you via Instagram.
Thank you, Michele, I thought it was a fitting way to show them. Good luck in the giveaway.
What a lovely design and the fabrics were perfect for this! I am a new follower on Bloglovn! Thank you!
Thank you, Lee. I thought it was a good fit too. Welcome to my blog and good luck in the giveaway.
Beautiful quilt, I’m a new follower on IG.
Thank you, Thunder and welcome! Good luck in the giveaway.
I follow by Bloglovin and direct Email
Thanks you for following and good luck in the drawing.
Ahh, such delicious photos from Maine again (just came from Beth’s blog, and saw some of Kitty’s yesterday). LOLOL on the brain needing all the help it can get these days: how MANY times I forget to put in my satin label, and have to ‘ribbitt’ and insert it! Great choice on the binding and on the windowpanes to tone down the green IMHO too. I live in a pretty old town with tons of Victorian houses, many ‘painted ladies’ amongst them, and oh, yes, I never tire of looking at the woodwork inside (when I’m lucky enough to get inside one) and out. Also totally get you on the missing your home (I still miss the one we built back in Alberta) but knowing it was time… Great post! Mwah! to Percy. 🙂
You are too funny about the forgetting – really put it in with your clamps. Yes, I think woodwork calls my name as I grew up in a non-descript 60’s split level. My cottage has beadboard – so I still have a lot of wood. Kitty just did an Aurifil photo shoot at a store I love in Damariscotta and worked with the owner when she was in college in Boston. Small world – but I would love to have her photograph some of mine!
I enjoyed hearing how the quilt came about, and I especially like those outdoor quilt photos! I’m a new email follower.
Verna, thank you and welcome aboard. Good luck in the giveaway.
Pretty quilt! I enjoyed your story about your quilt. Thanks for the chance to win. I follow your blog via Bloglovin and on Instagram as ceciliaquilts.
cecilialyoung at gmail dot com
I am pleased that you enjoyed the story. Good luck in the giveaway.
A great overall quilt. Great colors and simple pattern done well. You checked all the boxes on my list. BTW I follow your blog on email. Thanks for all you share.
Thank you so much, Robin. I am pleased that it did the things you like. Good luck in the giveaway.
Lovely quilt! and a lovely spot where you photoed it.
Great job! I follow you on IG and Bloglovin
Thank you, it was fun photographing there!
I love the flowieness of your quilt too! If two of us use it, it must be a word! I am a Bloglovin’ follower!
Great minds think alike! Good luck in the giveaway
Wow great quilt and great colors .I follow you in facebook, ..I lived in parkman maine for 34 years..And I am a big mardens fan.I m now living in michigan but my daughters in brewer maine and my son is in sangerville maine……Tytyty for sharing your talents with us..lmao yess I do know the corner stones. .. happyness04431@yahoo.com
Maine is pretty terrific! I love Mardens but haven’t been for some time – I am feeling a trip coming on. I do love sharing with folks near and wide! Thanks for following
I follow your blog through bloglovin
Thanks Sandy and good luck in the giveaway.
Wonderful quilt, Kathleen! We lived in a Victorian house for a year. The staircase looked just like the one in It’s a Wonderful Life. I didn’t know that was called a bull’s eye cornerstone. Nice touch adding that memory to your quilt. I follow by email.
I had to look that up too – I thought that was the name but wasn’t sure. It was fun to see how the connections develop as you are working on a project.
Oh my gosh, the fabrics are gorgeous Congratulations onn “My Victorian Home”! I love what you created Kathleen! Each block is like looking through a window at a pretty view. What a neat idea to include an ode to your Victorian home. It sounds like a lovely place to have lived in for so long.
Percy appears not to be bored but to be appreciating your quilt, he just wishes he could lay on it for awhile!
I follow your blog by email and my wordpress feed, I still haven’t totally figured out what RSS is!
PS: MY family and I love L.L. Bean, a Christmas staple each year.
~Abbie
It is a really gorgeous collection. I am so pleased that you love it and that it did exactly what I was hoping. Percy appreciates anything that has him near the center of attention! I do love LLBean and succumb too often. Don’t worry about RSS it is what “feeds” the other services – no need most of the time to do it that way.
Really love thexwuilt, especially the corner detail. Thank you for the links, I didn’t know about the Clover thread holder! I follow you in BlogLovin
The clover thread holder is great. Someone gave it me (thanks Ase) and I love it! It really helps you keep moving on projects if you keep a couple threaded to get going the next time. Thanks for stopping, commenting and following.
The colors in this quilt are just bright and happy. The quilt is fantastic and the in the wild photo shoot just right. I added you to my Bloglovin feed.
Thanks, Mary. It was fun to do the outdoor shoot – more of those in my future – although winter here is a different kind of beauty. I had days where there was no outside photography due to strange weather. Good luck in the drawing.
Lovely! The colors are great, and photos are wonderful. Fellow Ambassador
Thanks Maryellen! It was a fun challenge – now on to the next!
This is my first visit to your blog, and I’ll definitey sign up to follow via email. I enjoyed this delightful post. I made my home in Maine for several years, but now only pass through to visit my sister twice a year. I’m heading down this weekend for a wedding, but it will be a quick trip.
So glad you stopped by and will be following! Maine is really a very special place – enjoy your upcoming visit. Good luck in the giveaway!
I follow you on Pinterest. I love your quilt and the quilting on it.
Thanks for stopping by and commenting and following! Good luck in the drawing.
Beautiful quilt, Kathleen! I can see why you love being an ambassador…those fabrics are gorgeous! Attic windows is one of my favorite patterns and the bullseye makes it special 🙂 I follow you through email and always enjoy stopping by!
It is a great gig! I had a lot of fun doing this – and looking forward coming up with a new idea for January’s new lines. Appreciate you following and stopping by and wishing you good luck in the drawing!
Great photos. I follow with bloglovin.
Vicki, we had a good time taking the photos and will do more on our rock in the ocean! Thanks for following and good luck in the drawing.
I just found out about you through this blog hop. I have now signed up to follow by email. Your quilt is cute and I liked reading your story about it. Thank you for the giveaway opportunity.
Thanks Deb! So glad to have you aboard and good luck in the giveaway!
I’m following you via Bloglovin, as a new follower. Your Percy is adorable!
Percy sure is a keeper! I am glad you are following me and wish you luck in the giveaway.
Hi Kathleen! Wow – this turned out just fabulous. I love the last photo, where your quilt holder was almost blown away. Good job hanging on! And the cornerstones along with the story are just too cool. All the fabrics really just shine – good job to you, too! ~smile~ Roseanne
Thank you so much, Roseanne! The quilt holder was fine but I did have a moment or two hoping for no lift-off of the quilt into low tide! There were people at the end of the rock – and I am sure they were mystified!
Your pictures & quilt are AWE$SOME!!! I follow you thru Bloglovin. 🙂 Thank you for chance to win your Give-a-way too! 😀
Thanks for your comment and following! Good luck in the drawing!
I follow you on Bloglovin’–we visited the New England states last fall–great experience and different scenery from the midwest where I live!
It always interests me the differences in the different parts of the country. When I moved to New England from Pennsylvania I was shocked at the lack of sidewalks in many places as well as all the clapboard and shingles – more brick in PA. Good luck in the drawing.
What a clever interpretation! They’re gorgeous fabrics to work with, too. Plus, I love your new word and will have to work “flowieness” into as many conversations as possible. Thanks for linking up to What I Made Monday.
Thanks, Becca. New words are fun to come up with aren’t they! Glad to link up and have a great rest of the week!
Your quilt is absolutely gorgeous! And what beautiful photography! I follow you via Bloglovin.
Pam, thanks for following and your comments. Good luck in the giveaway.
Your quilt is beautiful and I love those rocky beach pictures. They remind me of the beaches here in Newfoundland :)piec
Thanks, Leanne. It was fun to make and fun to take photos on the rocky shores of Maine.
Great finish! I love the circles you added in the corners to mimic the window trim, they look great!
Thanks so much, Cheryl. I love it when something just clicks that you didn’t expect and that was the case with this quilt.
You did a beautiful job of displaying your Island Batik fabrics and adding the memories from your beautiful past home. I hope you enjoyed the blog hop!
Thanks, Dione, I enjoyed the whole process on this one. A few things I would change, but that is no surprise for us quilters! Hope you have a splendid week.
Beautiful quilt Kathleen and love the photos of the shoreline in Maine!
Thanks for stopping by, Connie. There is nothing like a view of the water – a true Scorpio I am!