Monday, 3 October 2016

Cornish Blue

 When we arrived home from cornwall i was determined to finish sewing my blue and white quilt as soon as i could.............inspired by all the beautiful cornish blues we saw in the sea and sky....from the palest turquoise sea blue and the bright blue of the crashing white topped waves to the deepest navy of the night sky..........
 .............the quilt was hand quilted (as i mentioned in an earlier post) using circles made from card which i drew around using a washable pen for the white fabrics and tailor's chalk for the dark......
 ...............i sewed with navy blue thread.........it took quite a while compared to simple straight line quilting but it was nice to sew and to see the circles emerging all over the quilt.......
 .............i bound it with kona cotton solid in hyacinth after auditioning various other fabrics like stripes and checks this one just looked right..........

 ..................the backing is a navy and white polka dot............
 .............so there it is, another work in progress finished and in use, giving me a seaside feeling whenever i see it.............
 ...............below is a picture of my studio sofa/day bed this week which also has a bit of a nautical feel.....the mini star quilt is from my book *modern vintage gifts* and so are the two red and white cushions........
 .............here are a few more pictures from our trip.......this is zennor, a tiny village close to st ives, and special to us as it is where we used to stay with my parents when we were young....you can just see the roofs of 'our' cottage in the bottom picture.....the cottage is tucked away up a long lane and is no longer rented out as someone lives there permanently now.........we had a long walk along the coastal path to zennor head seeing the waves crashing below and blackberries gleaming in the hedgerows with the blue blue sea behind......
 .............now i have finished the blue and white checkerboard quilt i am working on the trip around the world one, my st ives quilt (and creating some cross stitch charts for magazines in lots of different colours)........and it is really autumn now here even though it has been feeling quite summery still until this weekend....so it is time for blackberry picking....and knitting.....and pumpkins.....and lots of other cosy autumn-y things........
.................thank you for dropping by to my little blog space dear readers and a big thank you for the kind comments you leave for me....i always love to read them.......wishing you a happy week ahead with lots of crafty inspirations........back soon xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

35 comments:

greenrabbitdesigns said...

beautiful Helen, it really is a seaside quilt...I love it, there's something so crisp and bright and clean about blue and white!
Your Cornwall images are so pretty. :)
I constantly look through your books, I really need to get my act together and make a quilt, even just a little one and I can't wait to see your next one!
Have a lovely autumny week,
V x

KC'sCourt! said...

Gorgeous quilt, love the colour, definitely Cornish blue. Love your St. Ives sign too.

Julie xxxxxxx

Tammy@T's Daily Treasures said...

I do love all shades of blue. Your quilt is lovely and the hand-stitched circles just perfect. :)

Christine B said...

Beautiful post Helen! I love blues and your quilt is gorgeous! Can't wait to see more of your St Ives Quilt.... I already like how that it looking! Have a lovely week! Christine x

Jacky H said...

Hi Helen
Well what can I say stunning the quilt is such a simple design it certainly has the wow factor. It really has a seaside feel.
Have a lovely week Jacky.

Jo@awholeplotoflove said...

It's a gorgeous quilt x

Salty Pumpkin Studio said...

You and your quilts, Helen, are amazing. Beautiful work.

Its good to see patterns that a beginner can dare try. I've learned, from the small quilt practice pieces I've done, that keeping quilt supplies separate from other sewing and craft projects is a must for me. My self healing mat is chunky with hot glue drops and cardboard cutting. I have only a tiny idea where the cutting wheel is. What I have a lot of is inspiration. Thank you!

Mylittlepieceofengland said...

What a beautiful place, how lovely to see your quilt and be reminded of such a lovely beach xx

PamKittyMorning said...

Gorgeous Helen. I love all those blues coming together. Perfect!

Jennifer Hays said...

Gosh, Helen, this quilt is so beautiful. I just love the fresh, crisp look of all the blues and white. I've never been to Cornwall, but if that's the color of the sky there, you got it just right with your quilt.

Mickie said...

Helen, This is one of my many favorite quilts of yours. So fresh and crisp looking and I love the hand quilted circle design. I have finished my blue and white quilt top and now need to make the "sandwich" and quilt it. Thank you for the inspiration.
Mickie USA

Susan said...

I am glad you enjoyed your trip. Thank you for sharing pictures with us. I love your blue and white quilt (just like I love your red and white). I find myself drawn to the simplicity of squares and the use of only one color. Yours are a nice blend of fabrics and the whites aren't all plain white. Such an inspiration.

Gracie Saylor said...

It is always a joy to visit you here, Helen, and you never fail to encourage me to exercise my creativity as I admire yours! This Saylor also appreciates your love of the sea and I am glad you have many fond memories of your times there as do I. Happy Autumn! xxxxxxxx

Little Quiltsong said...

Beautiful quilt - and I love the quilting you did on it. My old sewing room used to be Blue and White - I miss it when I see your gorgeous blue and white creations!

Unknown said...

The pictures are beautiful, love the beach and the cottage and all the lovely colors. The quilt is Cornish perfection, your circle quilting is unique (compared to my always straight lines ;) and adds so much interest to the quilt. Glad you had a nice visit to Cornwall.

Mary

Linda @ Itsy Bits And Pieces said...

So lovely! I love the way you quilted in circles! The blues are so fresh...and oh so charming, too!

Anonymous said...

What a beautiful quilt, Helen! Blues and white always have a lovely fresh feel and the little pops of red is just so pretty.
Have a great week!

Elderberry-Rob said...

That is delightful, nice fresh blue and white - a very crisp colour scheme

Mokki said...

I love the hand quilting. It's such a lovely quilt

Ali said...

So pretty xx

Pat's Patch said...

You really have captured the Cornish blues. Lovely to visit a childhood happy holiday memory and bring back new ones.Your quilt is beautiful xxx

Tina said...

Pretty and very summery quilt.I love your crafts and admire your talent.
Have a lovely week.
Tina x

Teresa Kasner said...

Hello Helen! I love how you've brought home the blues of the sea and sky from your trip and immortalized them into a quilted blanket. Bravo! Thank you for the snippets of photos of the area.. what a dream of a place to visit! You're so lucky to have spent your childhood visiting there. ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

pens and needles said...

Oh, those blues! How welcome they will be as winter approaches -- reminders of your beautiful vacation and all its pleasures.

Simone said...

I love all the circles sewn onto the quilt. I've never seen that before. Your quilty makes are so gorgeous Helen! x

handmade by amalia said...

I love the way you've arranged the cupboard with all the blue. So pretty.
Amalia
xo

Jen Kershner said...

So much beautiful color and pattern in your photos. They make me happy! Your quilt turned out so lovely.

Frances said...

Your lovely quilts will continue to remind you of the range of Cornish blues that you've recently seen. Helen, like the idea of using the dark blue thread for the circular quilting stitching. It is a great detail that adds a distinctive touch to your creation.

Cooler air around here is encouraging lots of knitting and long walks. It's a great time of the year. xo

Carole Willamson said...

Gorgeous quilt as always Helen. Isn't blue and white a lovely fresh colour combination in pots/china and fabric too.

Love from Carole in Rossendale xxx

cristina said...

I love your new quilt, Helen! How very well you've mixed these blue colors! and hand sewn !!!! you are a great artist! and an inspiration to us all! Helen congratulations and thanks for sharing! a huge kiss!

Jo said...

Your new quilt looks fabulous. I am starting a new one today too. Jo x

Unknown said...

Hi. I met you and your husband by the wall overlooking Porthmeor beach. I enjoyed our chat and as you can see, I've found your blog. I really enjoyed looking at all the things you have made- especially the St Ives quilt- the colours are perfect. I feel inspired to make something-probably start with a small patchwork cot quilt which I can hide away for the future- fingers crossed. I'll start when I get back from another visit to St Ives next week- can't wait. Judith Dean

♥ Mary Janes TEAROOM said...

Happy Weekend dear Helen!...Your quilt is beautiful...such pretty shades of blue...I love the addition of the circular stitching too and how lovely, bright and colourful your studio looks...The weather is definitely cooler in our corner over the last few days so you're definitely inspiring me to get out my sewing machine and start a new quilt! Love your photographs x
Susan x

janice15 said...

O my this one is so beautiful.. I'm a big fan of blues and I just love it... With love Janice

Thimbleanna said...

Well, on this post, everything still looks beautiful and summery. I LOVE the blue and I LOVE the way you quilted the circles on the quilt!