Sea Breeze Quilt

Sometime around May or June in 2009, my best sewing buddy (and especially good friend) M and I decided to make 4 blocks of McKenna Ryan's Sea Breeze.  We bought a collection of the "right" fabrics and added balis from our stashes - mainly hers.

At our retreat that year (August)  I worked on the raw edge appliqueing  - by the end of it I was getting reasonably good at it!

I had a quilt in mind - to go in the family room - but with only 4 blocks it needed more and I didn't really want to just make the 9 and put them together in a 3 x 3 combination.

They sat for a bit... and a bit longer...

I developed a vague plan but I had no way to know how to get started on the journey.

Then I discovered that one of the quilt shops in Brisbane had a Saturday session where arty crafty people met and created masterpieces with all sorts of FMQ techniques.  It wasn't a class but most of the ladies were very helpful and I discovered wash-a-way stabilisers and how to make things like sea weed.  And bought fabrics never seen before in my quilting collection - organzas  netting, polyesters  [shock horror!!!].

Then the shop stopped those days - alas!!! and I was just starting on the journey. . . .
Along came other things . . .
and there my little turtles, sea horses, dolphins and clam shell sat.

Then I finally finished the fuchsias from In Full Bloom also by McKenna Ryan.

Amongst all the commenters was Beatrice - she was one of my early blog contacts - she said
"I have Storybook Farm, because it reminds me the landscape and life where I live...these patterns are wonderful but...expensive. Finally I have to take the plunge and finish it like you ...and sell or swap my pattern :)  - What other designs have you ? it could be a great motivation !!!"

So, a few emails later I started a group blog where people could show their progress on McKenna Ryan quilts or blocks...but I have been very neglectful of that blog too.

I now have a new idea for my Sea Creatures and although it was on my 2014 To Do List- it didn't get done - so now its on the 2015 -"Really want to Finish" list., but that didn't happen...so now it's 2016 project....don't want to rush these things....maybe 2017 is more likely.