Journey of Quilting

Tide Pools {a bowtie quilt}

Steve lovingly refers to this quilt as the "dog bone quilt". He's so creative. ;) I have always called it Tide Pools so that's what I'm going with.

This was one of my longest standing UFO's and I really have no idea why. I talked about quilting the top but then it sat for nearly a year. I finally basted it and it sat for another two months. I quilted a few lines but then I started feeling bad. The process for this quilt has been a long one but it also make the finish that much more rewarding.
The fabrics are all from Heather Ross' Mendocino line. It was actually the first fat quarter pack that I ever purchased. The fabric is so soft and so it sat on my shelf for a long while because I was too afraid to cut into it.

I have always loved the traditional bowtie block and the dramatic difference in light and dark values made this block perfect for this line of fabric. I rotated the blocks to create a "pool" effect and I'm really happy with how it turned out.

I added some improvisational piecing at the bottom of the quilt to mimic the rocks found around tide pools.

The quilting came to me while I was on a conference call one day... inspired by the fabric. I guess it's technically free motion quilting but it's not stippled. I kept the vertical lines 1"- 2" apart so the quilt has a sturdy yet soft drape still. If you are scared of free motion quilting, this would be a great way to ease into it!

The quilt is backed with a vintage sheet that I've been saving for quite some time. Love it.

The binding is a departure from the norm for me. I typically use a contrasting binding but this time I wanted something neutral and sand-like so that the quilt and design stand out the most. I was nervous but I'm happy with my choice now.

I went with rounded corners {my tutorial is here} which I love when there are strong angles in a quilt. I also love how the rounds compliment the circular pools...

Thanks for following along today! I'm still on vacation and can probably be found on a lazy river somewhere.

See you tomorrow with another Stitchin' Summer pattern...

Oh, and I'm linking up with Gex X Quilter's Summer Fair Quilt Show!