I lived on the Virginia Peninsula for 34 years and after I made this door knob quilt it reminded me of scenes from that beautiful state...except for the alligators!
But we won't quibble.
I DID live with alligators for 10 years in Florida and my hubby and I are still totally fascinated with them.
Why I added them to this quilt is anybody's guess.
Now that I live in Barranquilla, Colombia...we have only seen one similar creature and they call it Caiman - pronounced KY-mahn.
I think the Cayman Islands were named for this smaller version of the alligator and crocodile but don't take my word for it because I haven't researched.
I needed a break from the pressure I'd put myself under with Claire's quilt and decided to set it aside and play for awhile.
This and one other door knob quilt are what I worked on, among other things, for the past month.
Claire was due yesterday and I'm feeling much more relaxed about her quilt...but darn it all...my old faithful Bernina has cord problems.
I checked on eBay and the cheapest cord is $79. YIKES!
I still have my wonderful Juki...and it's fine for play...but I don't feel like it's the best machine for me to use for a baby bed quilt. (Yep...my daughter thinks it's too pretty to use as a floor quilt. Cool, huh?!?)
The Juki is a pedal to the metal machine and will be quite a challenge for me to slow down for even stitches. Actually, I'm more concerned about the baby quilt my friend made for Claire because I've agreed to quilt it for her.
But hey, if I'm not up for a challenge...who is?!?
Create your life,
annie!
PS (What do you think? With or without the flower in the top left corner? ((You can see the flower a few pictures above)))
PPS (This quilt is for sale) :)
I'm linking to Paint Party Friday - even though this isn't your usual idea of painting...I do paint with thread and fabric...and even paint!!!
..."With the flower" (she shouts from the UK)! You say it's only playing, are you kiddin', it's brilliant as always. As for Claire's quilt, I'm not surprised your daughter says its too good for the floor, of course it is. Message time: "now come on Claire, it's time you met your granny annie and grandpops"!
ReplyDeleteOK…so you like the flower, huh?!? I'm still undecided but your opinion matters and is helpful. Thanks. And thanks for the lovely compliments and for the message for Claire. :) She's at the doctor's office this afternoon and we'll see what he says!!!
DeleteOh, definitely with the flower! I agree with your daughter and Ann, much too good for a floor quilt! Come on Claire make your debut soon!
ReplyDeleteThank you Robin! You two are getting me even more excited about my Claire!!!
DeleteOk, so just in case you don't feel indecisive enough at this point, here you go ----- without the flower. There's something about it that I can't quite figure. Maybe the flower seems to big to me. Anyway, it matters only what you think. If it's a baby quilt, it will be both on the floor and on the bed. Sweet Claire will be here soon! :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks Annie. :) I liked it at first…but when I saw the pictures, it made a lot of difference in how I felt about it. I REALLY appreciate your opinion.
DeleteThe quilt will go to my daughter's house…so I'm gonna let her do anything she wants with it! :)
Its a definite with for me and I think it is lovely you clever lady.
ReplyDeleteLynn xx
Thanks Lynn. :) Speaking of clever, I'm gonna have to add a bird to my next one. Well...you know...a bird more on the order of yours!
DeleteWhat a beautiful piece! Love the little alligators.
ReplyDeleteThis is such a cheerful piece! Gorgeous! It took me a while to decide but I like it better without the flower. I think the flower distracts a little bit from all the fabulous details that can be discovered on your quilt.
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Julia
Thank you so much for your compliment and opinion! I appreciate you taking the time to look and think you've hit the nail on the head.
DeleteWith no flower for me, too beautiful to cover a simple bit of it.
ReplyDeleteAnd your daughter is right ! :-)
Oh thanks so much Gio!
Deletewithout, whithout! it has a lovely naif quality and doesn't need distractions.
ReplyDeletei have been looking into
jukis. i'll mail you and pick your brain:)
Thanks Neki! I have to agree after looking at it for the last couple days. And yes…by all means…I'll be happy to answer any questions I can about my Juki.
Deleteoh my gosh I love love what you do, so beautiful, I like it with the flower it adds texture, well more texture , it is beautiful both ways! You have lived in some amazing places, best wishes on the baby, how exciting!!!Your work is just beautiful,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Laurie! Your enthusiasm is infectious. And thanks for the well wishes for the baby. Any time now!
DeleteYour quilt is so beautiful and so alive, am totally loving it. Happy PPF, Annette x
ReplyDeleteThanks Annette! Glad you dropped by. :)
DeleteThis quilt is magical. I love it. So clever and talented. And I am fascinated by Alligators, though I have never seen one in the wild. One day, I can't imagine living close to them.
ReplyDeleteOh thank you Natasha. I really appreciate your comment. Whenever we saw alligators in the wild in Florida…it was such a treat! Scary…but a treat nevertheless!
DeleteYour doorknob quilts are beyond stunning! This had to have taken you such a long time to create!
ReplyDeleteThanks SO much Carolyn! I do them in stages…and it really doesn't seem like I've got that much time in them at all. :)
DeleteThis is such a beautiful piece - I could climb right in and touch the lovely houses and trees. Thought about it for a while - I think without the flower. At first I thought differently - but after looking at the piece for a bit - decided it was a distraction from all the lovely detailed stitching.
ReplyDeleteWell thank you Gina. I'm so appreciative of your taking a second look, and for your valued opinion. I really appreciate your comment and visit!
DeleteLove your little quilt. Very nicely done. I don't think I could live where there are alligators. I would be so afraid all the time.
ReplyDeleteThanks Gloria! It was always exciting to see them but we'd hear terrible stories on the news and from friends and so while it was cool in one way…not too great in another!
DeleteI love this! And a doorknob quilt is such a lovely and original idea (and washable??? my DH is a keen gardener....) Thanks so much for visiting me and leaving a comment. Hugs from the UK
ReplyDeleteThanks so much! I think lots of people make small quilts…I just gave mine a name and a way to hang them on a knob! Not sure about how they'd look after washing them! Some are more washable than others though. ")
DeleteBeautiful! Painting with stitches is like painting with paper, which is what Matisse did. As to the flower, I don't think you need it. Happy PPF. Blessings!
ReplyDeleteThanks Arnoldo! I didn't know that about Matisse. I love playing with paper too…as you may remember from Tag Tuesday…but fabric is usually my first choice. Thanks for letting me know what you think about the flower. :)
DeleteBeautiful quilts! I hadn't heard of either a doorknob, or floor quilt before, but they're both so nice. They could both hang on the wall. I remember the caymans from Costa Rica. Somehow they're not as scary as alligators, but I don't know why!
ReplyDeleteThank you Debbie! I named them that for lack of a better word. I was calling them mini-quilts but didn't love that name for them. The floor quilt name came about because I didn't love the way my granddaughter's quilt was coming along so decided it would be for the floor! I think Caiman are a little more lizardy…but I wouldn't dare tell them that!
Deletethis is absolutely amazing! your quilt is beautiful and quilts amaze me for intricacy! I keep telling my mum who quilts to submit to PPF but she never does -- so glad you added the gators!!! they ARE amazing creatures, and it so happens I was watching this croc documentary last nite :D http://youtu.be/yw_wT61kViI
ReplyDeleteThanks so much Alicia! I hope your mom will add a quilt. I really feel like what I do is painting with fabric and thread. :) Most often…there IS paint on my quilts. Thanks for the link!
DeleteI adore your little art quilts, never thought of them as having door knob ablility! Clever idea that. I am an art quilter too.
ReplyDeleteI like the flower and have just added two to my most recent art quilt that will show on my blog Sept 30th. (for another challenge) HPPF!
Thanks Lynn! Where we live…you have to drill a hole into concrete to hang anything…so…my quilts hang on any handy spot in the house! I look forward to seeing yours!
DeleteYour textile is so full of life, either with flower or without :o)
ReplyDeleteAw thanks so much Ayala!
DeleteThis is a beautiful quilt, wonderful details!
ReplyDeletethanks so much!
DeleteAh so talented you are annie:) What a beautiful piece of quilt. So delicately done with all the details and colors. I love it without the flowers as it shows the beauty more.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your lovely compliment. I appreciate your opinion about the flower. I've decided to take it off…and tried to at my quilt group meeting the other day…but they insisted I leave it. So I did, until I got home.
DeleteDoor knob quilts! What a lovely idea. I also make very small quilts and sometimes they look lonely on the wall, so this is an ideal solution. Your little quilts above show a whole little world. You have a unique way with textiles and you use fabrics in such an interesting way. I like the different backgrounds on the same piece.
ReplyDeleteThanks Sheila for your thoughtful compliment. I was giving lots of my door knob quilts away…and didn't want friends and family to have to put a nail in the wall. I'm glad you like the different backgrounds. My daughter thought it was a bit disconcerting…but I like it too. I'm off to see your quilts!
DeleteYou have some lovely work here and I think it is indeed painting with thread. I like the flower - infact I think with this kind of work it looks great crammed full, door knob quilts are new to me - but I love them!
ReplyDeleteThanks Betty! I - nor my friends - have any more room on the wall for quilts…so I started hanging them on any available surface. I really appreciate your compliment and opinion on the flower!
DeleteI do live in Virginia and was about to freak out about the alligators till I read all your post. I'm glad there aren't really any in VA! Your quilt is absolutely breathtaking. I love the satin fabric that brings a different texture to it. The colors are gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much Faye! What part of VA do you live in? In all the time I was there I never saw or heard about an alligator in the area…but I did see plenty other creatures. Bears, foxes, bobcats and snakes…to name a few. But alligators are still a bit scarier! :)
DeleteI love this little quilt! It reminds me of where I live. We do have plenty of gators here in Louisiana, and the little shanty houses, too. All the pinks make it look so cheerful and friendly.
ReplyDeleteThank you Melisa! I actually thought about Louisiana when I was making it! I lived in Biloxi for 4 years and visited LA a couple times and it does remind me of the beautiful areas along Rt 10.
DeleteWhat a fun & lovely piece and it is painted art in its own way.. I like the flower. Thanks for your comment and HPPF.
ReplyDeleteThank you! There is actually a little paint on it!
DeleteThis is just amazing... All of those details, wow! It's also very soft and pretty and so tactile.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Lisa!
DeleteThese are so beautiful. I don't sew and have such admiration for those who do. I love the yellow and orange trim too! Thanks for your kind words on my post and happy PPF!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much Jessica! Where I'm from...that trim is called 'dingleberries'. Everybody needs dingleberries in their life!
Deletewow I love this, so sweet and charming! I say with the flower.
ReplyDeleteThank you very much Julie! I appreciate your opinion about the flower!
DeleteI prefer it without the flower! Somehow the flower sort of distracts me. I love your work! Patsy
ReplyDeleteThanks Patsy! The flower is coming off! Just need to do it! So happy you visited.
Delete