under the sea

When Daddy is a scuba diver and Mama's favorite neutral is teal it takes this quilt maker about a minute to decide to use Elizabeth Hartman's Awesome Ocean pattern and make some creatures who live Under the Sea.  It takes a lot longer to get the song out of my head.  Not to worry, The Little Mermaid is my favorite Disney movie.  

Just look at the world around you

Right here on the ocean floor

Such wonderful things surround you

What more is you lookin' for?

I made one of each of Elizabeth's creatures and rearranged them into a horizontal quilt.  I like how there's a little space between them so they have more room to swim around.
I started with a fat 8th bundle of Heather Ross's Mendocino fabric then added a few solids and scraps of other prints. 

Down here all the fish is happy

As off through the waves they roll

Let me introduce you:

Tony the turtle, Mr. Manatee, and Puffy...

Angelica...

Salty the seahorse... (my favorite!)

Preppy the whale, Octavian, and a couple Chuckles!

We got no troubles

Life is the bubbles

Under the sea

My little bundle of Mendocino had just one piece big enough to fussy cut this pair of mermaids.

And I had enough yardage of the blue fish print to piece a backing. 

Darling it's better

Down where it's wetter

Take it from me

I quilted this with my walking foot and a stretched out serpentine stitch.  I used my Hera marker to make lines then stitched on each side of them to get the wavy under-water look.  
I was hoping to photograph this quilt with a beautiful lake in the background so I took it up north, twice, but the weather just would not cooperate.  Oh well - I should have known!

The seaweed is always greener

In somebody else's lake 

So, I'm settling for an aquarium in the snow! 

Now I'm wondering if you have a favorite Disney movie?  
Or a favorite Elizabeth Hartman animal pattern?

Under the Sea lyrics by Samuel E. Wright

I'll be linking up with: 

Vera @ Negligent Style for TGIFF

Crazy Mom Quilts for Finish it up Friday

Sew Fresh Quilts for Let's Bee Social

wrapping it up

Almost 2 weeks into the new year and I'm finally wrapping it up and sharing my December makes.  First up, a 30 Wood Forest to celebrate one of my favorite people in the whole wide world turning 30!  She loves the northern woods - in any season!

I used this tutorial by Amy Smart.  I originally intended to make this into a table runner but I couldn't work that out so I off-set the trees and made a wall hanging.  I added the borders "Log Cabin" style.  Who doesn't love a cabin in the woods?

The back is a map because everyone needs a map to navigate their way through a forest.

Especially when there are bobcats hiding in the trees! 😜

Next, rope bowls.  This year it was rope bowls for everyone.  Have you caught this bug?  Modern Handcraft has a video tutorial to get you started but be careful - they're addicting!

Finally, my top 9 Instagram photos.  This year I updated the collage to include my top 10 because...So. Many. Babies!!!  What a year!  Two new grandsons for us and many new friends for them!  The bottom row includes my favorite photos of major personal sewing accomplishments:  finishing this year's Summer Sampler, completing 100 blocks in 100 days (watch for that quilt to hopefully be finished this spring), and meeting Crazy Mom Quilts!  

17 has always been my favorite number and 2017 did not disappoint!  Thank you so much for sharing this fun journey with me. Your encouraging comments are so appreciated.

Wishing you all a Happy New Year!  

Keep warm!


I'll be linking up with Crazy Mom Quilts and Sew Fresh Quilts