Alaska Here I Come

Hello Everyone,

 

It has been nice to string a few days of quilting together to work on the quilt that I'm teaching on the cruise to Alaska in July.  The following blocks are called Aurora.  Did you notice the background fabric has stars?

 



Each Aurora block has a beautiful center.  I think the Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights, is the crown jewel of the heavens, so each block begins with a gorgeous center, the crown jewel.

I key off the colors in the center when I'm selecting the rest of the fabrics for the block.

My blocks alternate in value to make it look like they are twinkling or undulating.  I know it's a real stretch of the imagination. Maybe I'm spending way too much time up in the woods!

 

 The next blocks in order of appearance are called Eagle's Nest.



 

 

Then I have Black Spruce.  Do you see where I'm going with this theme?  I'm starting at the heavens and working my way down to earth.  Now you know there are going to be some flying geese passing through!

 



 

Aurora, Eagle's Nest, then Black Spruce.  Each block is going to feature components directly out of my Patchwork Math book. More blocks to come as the theme continues.  I am really excited about this quilt!  So excited that my sewing room looks like a bomb exploded.  I've sequestered myself away for days selecting the perfect fabric for each block.

 

 

My vision has been focused directly down my nose to the needle on the machine.  Mr. Joe thought I needed to focus on the "Alaskan" landscape outside for more inspiration.  He packed up a picnic lunch along with Mazey, and we headed to Lake Alpine.

You can walk for hours along a groomed snowmobile trail.  This is Highway 4 which goes over Ebbetts Pass and is closed for the winter.  Mazey LOVES to go on this walk.  She runs in the snow for hours.  I guess she is practicing for the Iditarod with her best mushing skills to pull me along.  The elevation is about 7,500' and the air is thin and cold.  The wind was blowing through the trees and we were bundled up.

Lake Alpine is the flat white surface in the distance.

 

Today I'm switching gears away from Alaska to prepping for my Country Sunshine class at In Between Stitches this Monday.  Mazey, the ham, loves to pose for me.

 



It's fun to quilt in sunshine or in snow.  I hope you all get to play with fabric this weekend.  I'm off to straighten my sewing room up just a bit......only to mess it all up again!

 

Soon,

Lynn