Fluffy Sheep Quilting: Hand Quilting at the Beach
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Today we have Cindy from Fluffy Sheep Quilting visiting to chat about the type of project she takes camping with her each summer. Cindy is from Pennsylvania but is now living in Galway, Ireland where she runs an online fabric shop also called Fluffy Sheep Quilting. Cindy and I got to know one another as bee buddies in the Modern Stitching Bee where we have a great giggle. Cindy was originally going to share about knitting, so I’m really surprised and excited to see her pretty hand quilted quilt!
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Thank you, Jennie, for asking me to join in your Summer series as a guest blogger. It has been great fun thinking about which projects might travel well during my summer camping adventures. I thought I might tell you (and your readers) about my first attempt at hand quilting.
I recently made this baby quilt top on a whim one evening. Luckily it’s the perfect size to travel.
As we were packing up the camper for a weekend at the beach, I thought I would baste it and draw chalk guide lines to quilt along while at the camp site.
As it is quite small, I could take a first stab at hand quilting while we were driving to the camp site. Thank goodness for the guide lines or I would have been all over the place!
We arrived and set up camp in the dunes next to the beach in Fanore Co. Clare. I won’t lie – it was freezing. Still, once you were bundled up it was an absolutely beautiful place for a walk.
Since it was so cold, hand quilting a small quilt was the perfect project to keep me warm at the camp site or next to the fire while also keeping my hands busy.
I generally found the process of hand quilting very therapeutic. It was a great way to focus and calm my mind. I was also pretty surprised at how readily you can see your progress, encouraging you to keep at it! What I did not realize was how nice it was to really look at your fabrics and notice them. This mis-spelling, for example, cracked me up:
Being only a small baby quilt, I could take it with us to walk on the beach while our pup had a play.
I have happily finished hand quilting this little cutie and have decided on finishing it off with a red floral print binding.
Sadly, though, I don’t have a photo of the finished quilt to show you! It is fully bound and washed, but with the miserable Irish weather it hasn’t dried in time to take a photo for you. If you’re at all interested in seeing the finished quilt, please hop on over to Fluffy Sheep Quilting and become a follower. Fingers crossed the sun comes out, the quilt dries and I have photos to share with you later this week!
Jennie, again, thank you. It was great fun thinking about how I can bring my quilting with me throughout our summer adventures. I wish you and your family well on yours!
This is like camping in the Adirondack Mountains! I brought my son’s snowsuit when he was tiny to use as a sleeping bag because the nights were so cold. Days are lovely, however.
After starting Clover and Violet’s Garden Steps quilt, I began taking the blocks along for embroidering while vacationing. Having something to embroider on the beach has become a near necessity! Had not thought about quilting, but it’s now on my list of possible traveling projects. Thanks!
Wow! I am not sure I would enjoy camping in cold weather. But, then again, I am not a camper. The little quilt is lovely.
What a delightful, bright quilt. Hope the baby loves it!
Camping in cold weather i do not miss! Glad you enjoyed the hand quilting – i love it!
This Quilt is amazingly beautiful. So in love with it.. Not sure I would be excited about camping when it is soooo cold but it looks like you’re well prepared and having a great time and the views are stunning.
I’m not a big camper, but it looks like you had a blast! I love how your quilt is coming along. The hand stitching is a great compliment to the star. xoxo
Your quilt looks lovely 🙂 I did my first hand quilting recently too and I thought the same about being able to so easily see progress. I thought I would get bored quickly, but I did it for a good while, four nights in a row and still enjoyed it!
What a wonderful quilt, and your quilting looks great! Your trip looks like it must have been fun, also. Thank you so much for sharing with all of us.
I just tried hand quilting for the first time, and so far I am loving it! Thanks for sharing!
Oh I love your ‘bisket’ fabric! It’s so cute:)
What a happy quilt! And a perfect take-along. Loved seeing your camping site and the area a bit too.
Super cute quilt and lovely hand quilting.!
I have always wanted to visit Ireland…..such a beautiful country! Not much of a camper but if I found a site as beautiful as yours I would definitely be there. I love your scrappy star baby quilt!
magnifique!
bonnes vacances!
à bientôt!
coccinelle.
I love that quilt and I love Molly! (I’m now slightly panicking that I’ve got the puppy’s name wrong…apologies if I have!)
Wonderful quilt, and what a cute little doggie. A lovely post, thank you.
Beautiful country and quilt! I have no plans to ever go camping again at all, much less in the cold. Kudos to you for finding something so nice to keep you warm and busy!
I love camping and always take some kind of hand work with me too. Love your quilt.
What a great photos.
Your quilt is lovely. You look very cosy, sitting there by the fire, quilting.
What a beautiful spot to camp! And I love the choice of red binding. 🙂
What a great little quilt! A little to chili for me to be camping, I would have been wishing for a larger quilt.
Loved the picture of you bundled up by the fire and quilting!! I don’t think you could have found a more perfect hand project to work on while camping.
Very brave – camping, quilting in the car, quilting while camping! A lovely project!
I love the “fireplace” in the tent! The quilt is looking great!
you look hilarious in this huge chair with an oven! !! in the tent. oh I have never ever seen that before. beautiful quilt!
How lovely isn’t that? This is what I call vacation. That quilt is adorable and I love the picture of you in the chilly tent with your hat on hand quilting away. That quilt warms up your lap while stitching away and only another crafter can understand the joy of it I guess. Beautiful. I’ll pop over to see your finished star quilt. Thanks for sharing this.
Annette
My Rose Valley
I love the look of hand quilting, beautiful. I wish I could sew in the car but it makes me travel sick (and is quite dangerous if I’m driving!)
I support our local quilt shop because I think it is tremendous that our little town of 1500 people has its own quilt shop. It has changed hands a couple of times, and each time the new owner brings her own personality to it and her own charm. Currently there is a miniature schnauzer named Millie who greets all the guests, which makes me happy from the moment I walk through the door. I follow you through GFC.
One wet puppy! But she looks like she enjoyed the beach!
Love the quilt, the quilting and the hat – you are a fluffy sheep Cindy!