I am fortunate to have just returned from a vacation to the Iles de la Madeleine (Magdalen Islands, a part of Quebec, Canada). I must say I have never been to a more consistently scenic place. Around every corner there was a wonderful view. There were long stretches of red cliffs in various formations, huge sandy beaches, sand dunes, lush green hills, the ocean, boats, birds ... It quickly became a family joke to say "Gasp" every few miles as we drove along exploring -- as in gasping at the amazing natural beauty. My five-year-old son said "Gasp" for every beach, with good reason. -
But in addition to all this natural beauty, was a contribution by the people of the islands. House after house was painted in cheerful bright colours. Lime green and pink and red and purple and turquoise and orange ... Yes, this is where the quilting of my own souvenir comes in. Some of my inspiration is in the collage below.
I knew I had to make a quilt about five seconds after our arrival. I decided I would make very simple squares representing actual combinations of house main colours and trims. I started photographing houses so I would have enough accurate colour pairings. -
Then of course the borders would be grass, sand, cliffs and water.
On the (five hour!) ferry ride back to PEI, I sketched out a little design as a starting point. I have since modified it some, but the plan is still to keep it basic and let the colours show off.
I have an obliging husband who drove us a bit out of our way so I could go to a fabric shop on PEI before crossing the bridge and heading back to New Brunswick. It was a nice big store called Bargain Fabric Outlet in North Bedeque, PEI. I was very pleased to find it. I was also very pleased to see a good selection of Northcott Papillion solids. I bought the colours shown above. These are the first solids I have ever purchased.
These giant scissors were hanging above the cutting area in the store. They were really big. Just look at them compared to the florescent lights. My kids got a kick out of them so I told them I'd take a picture for my blog. Voila!-
So, until next time ... when I should have a start on my Iles de la Madeleine inspired quilt ...
