Caribbean Cruise Quilt

     These fabrics were taken from Hawaiian style shirts.    

     I adore Hawaiian style shirts and I guess you could say that I collect them.  It wasn't planned, it just kind of happened.  It all began when I found a pattern that converted a man's shirt into a sundress for a little girl.  It turned out so well that I made several and my girls wore those dresses for years. 

     Later on, I was redecorating my son's room and wanted to do a surfer themed quilt.  However, there weren't a lot of choices in tropical prints out here in the Midwest.  So, I bought more Hawaiian shirts.  After that, I kept buying them simply because I loved the happy colors and patterns.  Before I knew it, I had quite a large collection.  

     As I was digging through my collection one day, I noticed that a few of the shirts weren't Hawaiian.  One had a Cuban theme, another Jamaican, and one featured a large cruise ship in tropical waters -- which made me think of a Caribbean Cruise.  It only seemed natural to put them together in a quilt.

     The pattern was one I've used before and I like the way it showcases panels and large scale prints.  It also has smaller blocks that remind me of snapshots.

     Some other fabrics were added to help balance out the colors.  A scrappy border was needed around the middle block because it would have otherwise faded into the white sashing.   

     For the back of the quilt, I used some larger pieces of fabric from the stash, which included this green floral.

     My friend, Tina, sent me several yards and I love it.  It's totally vintage!  It was something her grandmother purchased back in the 1960's or 70's and never used.  I'm guessing that she was going to make curtains with it.  The colors in it were really bright.  When I turned it over, though, the colors were muted and that's how I used it.  This is how it looks when you compare right side with wrong side.

     There have been times when I go hunting for the right fabric but just can't seem to find it.  I may find something close, but a little too dark or too bright.  That's when I flip it over and take a look at the "wrong" side.  Sometimes, the muted or faded colors are just right.  

     For the quilting, I used a variegated turquoise thread and did straight lines.  You'd think it would be the easiest way to quilt, being just lines and all, but I find that truly straight lines are a challenge.  It's worth it, though, just look at that great texture.

     Likkle more!  (See you later!)

The Wrap Up

Name:  Caribbean Cruise
Size:  68" x 81"
Top pieces:  103
Back pieces:  5
Binding:  scrappy leftovers
Batting:  mid-loft poly
Finished:   2019