Tuesday 12 October 2010

My favourite Quilt (for Amy's Quilt Festival)

I started blogging in order to join in Amy's Blogger's Quilt Festival last May, but I was too late, so this time I am going to be organised and early! Thank you so much for arranging this Amy - I love looking at other people's quilts and blogs, and hope that people enjoy looking at mine

The quilt I want to bring to the festival is this one ...














that I made for my Great Aunt's 90th birthday earlier this year - It is the family's summer house in Oslo harbour as seen from the sea. This yellow cottage and the two red cabins are a familiar landmark to anyone leaving Oslo by boat.










The cottage is much loved by my Great Aunt and the rest of the family. This was my first landscape quilt, and my first real attempt at free motion quilting, I loved making it, partly for the memories it brought back, partly for the joy of creating and partly for how much I knew she would appreciate it. 10 months on, mum and I still get random phonecalls to tell us what another friend said when they saw it, or that she has noticed some new detail!

An Uncle asked if I would be able to make him one for his 70th, but I think he will have to wait for his 90th!

Details in detail:

The sea wall, the tulips, the sea and the sand with free motion
quilting (FMQ)










The cabins and the cottage were done my machine embroidery:
designed from a photograph they were added to the quilt after
all the detail had been finished - a bit nerve wracking hoping
nothing would go wrong!











The flag was made on my embroidery machine as a free standing lace design (stitched onto water soluble stabiliser). it was stitched down along some side only so it could 'flap'. (It is missing from the photo of the whole quilt, no idea why!)

29 comments:

  1. Your quilt is beautiful Benta, I love it. It is so special as well.

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  2. Benta ... this is just wonderful. What a great gift!

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  3. What a beautiful quilt! And I would LOVE to live in this yellow house! :-)

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  4. It certainly is a wonderful creation. You did such an elegant job portraying the scene.

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  5. My aunt will be 90 in January - hmmm what can I do for her? She's 100% Swedish-American! I've been to Oslo - what a beautiful, beautiful place! Happy Birthday to your Aunt! She is very lucky to receive such a beautiful quilt - you did a wonderful job!

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  6. what a great job. Love Lois

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  7. I love your work. Am rather envious of what you can do.

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  8. Love all the close up shots of your wall hanging.

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  9. I love the composition of this quilt--it bounces you around from the colors of the buildings to the background and the water. Spectacular! Thanks for sharing your quilt's story :)

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  10. BRILLIANT - this is just amazing and I really love it! Picture quilts are my favorite!

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  11. totally am smitten! for a long time I have wanted to do something like this...am adding the link to my inspiration file!

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  12. This is amazing! What a treasure for your aunt!

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  13. Great detail! Love the tulip patch. This is a fun quilt :)

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  14. What a truly lovely quilt - I love it!

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  15. Love the quilt! As for the location? I want to go there!

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  16. What a cool landscape quilt. Can't believe it is your first attempt--great job.
    Thanks for sharing.
    Come see my antique 1890 schoolhouse quilt
    http://utahquiltappraiser.blogspot.com/
    or my black/white/pink scrappy miniature
    http://starleyquilts.blogspot.com

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  17. This is fantastic! I love it and all the details you have made so perfect!
    Also the story for your quilt is lovely!
    Best wishes Teje

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  18. What a lovely quilt! Great job! :)

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  19. How cute! It's truly adorable and meaningful.

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  20. Your quilt is lovely...and a great gift!

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  21. what a wonderful quilt. I love the flag. :)

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  22. Awesome quilt! What a great way to preserve a little family history.

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  23. in the 2nd photo under "details in detail" i thought i could actually see the water lapping against the stone wall just a bit!
    such a great capture of a wonderful place and a wonderful time.

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  24. wonderful quilt. love the family history aspect. have done something similar years ago and it was so satisfying and family loved it too. thanks for sharing and have a great day

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  25. A Girl Called Pete20 February 2014 at 21:27

    Did you dye your own fabric for the water or how did you find such a perfect fabric pattern?!

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    1. Thanks Pete (you're No Reply) I had the project in mind long before I started, so I bought the perfect fabrics. I was really pleased with both sea fabric

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