2/1/21

The Endeavourers Reveal: Blue on Blue

It’s been so long since I finished this quilt, I’ll bet you’d forgotten all about it. I posted a peek some time ago, when I’d taken the last stitches on the binding. Finally, the day has come when I can show it to you. Thankfully, I had it all finished before I broke my arm. When the theme was announced for the next challenge, "Memories," my immediate thoughts were of family and travel. Fairly quickly I dismissed the idea of making a memory quilt related to family and turned my thoughts toward travel. 

If you’re a relatively new reader, I’ll give you a little background. When Mike retired in 2017, we took a trip we'd dreamed of for decades around the perimeter of the United States. We left our home state of Oregon in September of that year, reaching home again on March 30th of the following year. There were quite a few items on our "bucket lists," including seeing the manatees that live in Florida. It wasn't easy to find them. Even finding them, it wasn't easy to see them in the murky and dark waters where they live. We finally found them at Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park in Florida.

We saw the most delightful prairie dog town at Caprock Canyon State Park in Texas. I like doing animal collages, and so these guys got some serious consideration.


I'll admit this albino squirrel from Florida was tempting too.


Some of our most desirable bucket list items were to be found in New York State. For example, we really wanted to see Niagara Falls:


Another item high on the list was the Statue of Liberty. A friend and native New Yorker encouraged us to take a ride on the Staten Island Ferry for the best view of the Statue of Liberty, and he wasn't wrong. It was thrilling to see Lady Liberty for the first time.


More soberly, we wanted to see the rebuilt World Trade Center and the 9/11 Memorial Museum.


As I looked through my pictures, I came across this image of the one commissioned work of art in the memorial museum. It was created by American artist Spencer Finch. When I saw this image, it inspired me to attempt to recreate it in fabric.


For his work, "Trying To Remember the Color of the Sky on That September Morning," Finch hand-painted 2,983 squares of Fabriano paper — one square in a unique shade of blue for every person killed in the September 11 attacks and in the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center. 


To create the quotation, I first chose a font and font size, and then printed it onto paper.


That was traced onto a tan solid and hand embroidered using Perle cotton and a stem stitch.


Then I cut ninety 2-1/2 squares of fabric, selecting as many different colors of aquas and blues as I could find in my stash. I'd hoped to make them all different, but some of them are repeats.


When it was all sewn together, I quilted it with a straight-line diagonal grid. This sky fabric was also in my stash, and it seemed the right choice for the quilt back.


When the quilting was finished, it was ready for binding.


Here is my finished quilt, inspired by my original image taken at the museum during our visit. It ended up at 19 x 19 inches.



Here's how it looks from the back.


I enjoyed making this quilt, and was glad for the excuse to take another tour through the many images shot during our travels. When friends asked us where we were going, I told them we were driving east until we reached the Atlantic Ocean. Then, we turned right and drove to the Gulf of Mexico, where we turned right again. Then we drove to the Pacific Ocean, and turned right again, reaching our home in Oregon, and the end of our trip. It was a journey of over 10,000 miles, and packed with memories. I hope you like my quilt. 

To see what other members of our group have done for this challenge, click right here to visit The Endeavourers blog.

17 comments:

Carole @ From My Carolina Home said...

Lovely quilt. That white squirrel is not an albino, it is a relative of the eastern grey squirrel with a genetic mutation for white fur. We have a lot of them here in Western NC. Their eyes are brown, and an albino would have pink eyes. There is even a summer festival in Brevard, NC for the White Squirrel. And one lives near our property as we see it from time to time.

Quilting Babcia said...

Perfect little quilt for this challenge. I need to remember that quote.

MissPat said...

I wasn't following your blog at the time of your trip, but remember reading about your visit to Sharon Vrooman on her blog. A trip of a lifetime for sure. A lovely memory quilt, for sure.
Pat

Magpie's Mumblings said...

Wow - talk about a Grande Tour!! That must have been the most amazing trip with so many wonderful memories. Your quilt was worth waiting to see. Such a wonderful tribute to both those who died in 9/11 but also to the art by Spencer Finch. Well done!!!!

Cathy said...

I really enjoyed your trip right along with you and learned so many things through your writings and pictures (thank you for that!). Your quilt is beautiful and such a thoughtful remembrance and tribute to the artist and the victims. You chose a great subject and did it proud.

Judy1522 said...

Your quilt turned out beautiful. Great picture of the white squirrel, it's tail looks like a feather to me.

mangozz said...

Nice job on the quilt! The backing is perfect too. I had never seen a white squirrel before.

Kathy H said...

Beautiful memorial quilt. I remember enjoying your travel time when you made this trip.

Christine said...

I think I caught up with you just after you had left home . . . . loved travelling with you . . . . still do.
That quilt is gorgeous, brilliant replica of such an emotional memorial. Well done.

piecefulwendy said...

You had so many good memories to choose from on that trip, but I think you definitely chose the right one. Can't wait to hear about the next challenge; I'm ready!

kc said...

Quite an emotional post...so very honored that you were able to spend some time in our backyard, quite literally! Hubs and I both enjoy traveling along with you and your Resident Engineer and they kitties.
Stay well dear friends!

Joni said...

Your quilt takes my breath away. Such a powerful memory and you captured the original art installment beautifully. That trip was such fun to follow along with you via your blog.

QuiltGranma said...

I loved, vicariously, traveling with you around the USA, and this mini memory trip today as well. Nice quilt to remember the time!

Nancy in IN said...

I loved going with you around the US. It was nice to see places I had heard about but not visited. Great quilt.
Enjoy your trip this week.
Stay safe.

Celtic Thistle said...

Such a moving art installation and a very fitting quilt homage Barbara, lovely memory of an amazing trip too.

Dorothy said...

I ride along on all of your trips--hanging onto the back bumper :-) And this trip I remember well. Your little quilt does it justice. Will be going over to see the other challenges

Dorothy said...

So I went there to see all of the others-yours is the best--I think yours brings us together