a beachy quilt for my mum

Now that mum’s retired and all and living by the sea where it can be *very* *very* chilly, it was time to stitch her a beachy picnic quilt of her own.  Naturally, Christmas was the perfect time.

Most of the fabrics came from the stash but I did succumb to a few lovelies from Amitie – the dala horses, the amazing pink Anna Maria Horner fabric, and that bluey green right in the corner there – it has the most wonderful toile like turtles on it.  Very beachy.

The four floral centrepieces are liberated from a thrifted table cloth that had a churlish mustard background (bleh!) and I still have five more to play with (hmmmm …)

In beachy quilty tradition, I simply quilted round and round and round in straight lines …

… onto a pure wool Laconia blanket that was in an outside bin at the thrift store, marked $2 Dog Rug.  Oy!  Woollen blankets just do not receive their due respect here in Australia! And yet we used to be known as the country whose wealth came “from the sheep’s back” and every second country town had it’s own wool mill – let alone all the blanket mills.  :: sigh ::  Now all we do is dig dirt out of the ground and send it off in monstrous ships. What on earth shall we be left with once the dirt has gone (or the rest of the world moves further and further towards sustainable, renewable energy – hmm?!?!?!?)  Not much, that’s what!  Meanwhile, we buy cheap (or very overpriced) crappy doonas and acrylic “throws” from China.  And put our pure wool blankets out for dog rugs!  Bah! Rant! Rant! Rant! Rant! Rant!

Okay, I’ll hop off my soapbox now … back to quilts

There’s so much glowing warmth in this quilt – I know it will be perfect for the beach – summer days, stretched out atop with a floppy hat, comfy cushion and good book, and wintery days, wrapped up in it, watching for whales in the wild and stormy seas.

Mum, however, has it folded across the end of her bed where it does look beautiful against her white marcella bedspread.  Oh dear, some mothers are so disobedient, aren’t they.