Friday, April 12, 2019

Marrakesh - An April Quilt Finish!

I put the final hand stitch in the binding of Marrakesh this morning, and wasted no time getting a few photos while we had dry, partly sunny, and very windy weather.  Warning, photo-heavy  post follows!


Marrakesh is destined for the annual benefit auction for the church camp, held over Labor Day weekend.  After washing it measures 72x70 inches.


These photos were taken before washing out all the stencil markings, so some might still be visible to eagle eyes.  A bit closer look at the stencils used for the central portion.


The back.

Though I used stencils for most of the quilt, the outer border was quilted with freehand feathers, three on each curve.  Barely visible on the front, you might be able to see the quilting on the back a little better.


Moving outside, we were experiencing strong wind gusts all day, though the temperature rose to the low 70s!! Since it wasn't snowing or raining, some outside photos seemed like a good idea even though the yard was a tad muddy and more than a little drab.

Second attempt at keeping it over the rail until I could snap a picture.


Ha! Caught mid-fall.  Couldn't resist posting this one!

My favorite tree in the back yard.


We (the quilt and I) wandered back by the creek.  A lull in the wind made it fairly safe to shoot a couple quick photos on the rocks left by the winter floods/ice jams.  Every spring it's like a new shoreline along the creek, with plenty of new fossil rocks for the finding.  We have yet to find an arrowhead or any evidence of earlier Native American occupation here, though it seems like it would have been a great hunting area with all the wildlife, especially deer, that we see on a frequent basis.


And some miscellaneous photos of every blooming thing I could find while hiking the fields.


Snowdrops at creek's edge, no doubt replanted during a flood some years back.  Thinking of moving them closer to the house when they finish blooming.  This spot was covered with remnants of last winter's ice jam just a couple weeks back.

The beavers aren't far away.

Looking across the creek, more beaver damage to three adjacent trees, this one being the worst.  Between beaver damage and that mountain spring/stream cutting into the soil at it's base, we will no doubt lose it in the next year or so.  Nature rules!

After a soaking rain this afternoon, we're hoping for another partly sunny day in the mid-60s tomorrow.  I for one sure hope the snow has left for the season! 


Linking with Wendy's Peacock Party

18 comments:

---"Love" said...

Your quilt is beautiful! The contrast of the blocks makes it sing. I'm sure it will do well at the benefit auction. I really enjoyed all your pictures of the flowers, etc. The one of the quilt slipping down is hilarious; glad you caught that one. ---"Love"

Lizzy D said...

Marrakesh is stunning , so graphic, then that lovely exotic reverse. Beautiful quilting too. Good try with the outdoor photo shoot! I often want to photograph large quilts on the beach and of course it's hopelessly windy.

Your crocuses and snowdrops are so sweet, great photos. Terrible that the beavers do such damage to your trees tho.

lizzy

Lizzy D said...

PS Keep looking for those arrowheads! My dad found a beauty in his potato patch, much to his surprise, on Cape Cod. Plowed fields after a big rain are good places to look. I envy you, finding fossils!

lizzy [again].

Debbie said...

Just beautiful! You could not have gotten that falling photo if you had tried...priceless. The quilt is striking and should be a good fund raiser. Those snowdrops are beautiful. I would scatter them around the deck areas even.

Barb said...

Wonderful quilt! The purples are such a great touch. Loved seeing all the photos of the early spring flowers.

Barbara said...

Well, I love this quilt. Beautiful colors. And flowers! Yay!

Jocelyn is Canadian Needle Nana said...

This piece is striking as well as beautiful. I am envious of your blooms...heard the first frogs today so we are finally starting spring!

QuiltGranma said...

No froggies here yet, the creek is higher than we have ever seen since moving here in late 2013. I remember when we lived in the Walla Walla area that beavers had started working on some of the trees near Rooks Park. The corps of engineers surrounded the trees with strong hogwire fencing to stop the damage. If they attack other trees that are still salvageable as trees that might be a consideration.

Quilting Babcia said...

Sorry you're showing as a no-reply commenter so I can't answer personally. Thanks for visiting and leaving your kind comment. The spring peepers are going strong here, practically deafening when I take the dog out for his last walk-about at night. Saw our first daffodils in bloom today, in front of the church. Ours are a couple weeks out yet - higher elevation.

Quilting Babcia said...

Sorry you're a no-reply commenter. I think a couple of the trees are probably not salvageable at this point since they're also being eroded by that stream coming down off the mountain behind us. It's interesting to watch nature at work though!

Wendy @ Wendysquiltsandmore said...

What a lovely quilt. And so interesting to see the beaver damage to the trees. We don't have beavers in New Zealand, but they must have mighty teeth to do that much damage. Thank you for linking up to the Peacock Party.

Needled Mom said...

That is a really pretty finish.

Linda H said...

This is a stunning quilt. I'm sure it will do well at the auction. Lucky the person who succeeds in getting it! Isn't it wonderful to finally see signs of spring? The winter has been toooo long! I'm visiting from Wendy's Linky Party, I hope you'll stop by to visit me too...

Wendy Caton Reed said...

It is gorgeous! The back is almost as pretty as the front. Beautiful!

Rebecca in AK said...

Marrakesh is beautiful! I am sure it will do very well at the auction. How to you get the backing so straight! I would never attempt to use the fabric you did, it would be all crooked. Love seeing the Spring flowers!

Kyle said...

Your quilt is beautiful, both front and back. I'm sure folks wait every year to see what you bring to the auction. Thanks for sharing your spring flowers, not many blooming here yet.

FlourishingPalms said...

Oh, such great pictures! Of course the quilt is lovely (so big!), but your outdoor shots are the best. Love seeing Mother Nature in action, and those crocus (?) and snowdrops are gorgeous. How nice for you to have a creek nearby. I think I'd be walking around on the property a lot, if it was mine. Perhaps that comes from having no backyard where we live now. Happy for you to have another quilt finish. It's a really pretty design, and I can imagine how good it would look in bright colors too.

audrey said...

Fun picture of the quilt falling! Perfect timing! It's a great looking quilt and the quilting adds wonderful texture.:)