Throwback Thursday: A Wedding Quilt

These first Thursdays really come around fast don't they? On this cold, snowy day, I'm thinking it might be fun to look back just a little bit to October 2012 and a quilt with a sunny, warm weather theme I made as a wedding present for my niece and her new husband.  

I had no idea of what kind of decor the couple would end up with. They were on the move quite frequently finishing up their schooling. But I knew they'd be in California for awhile. I also knew I wanted to make something "modern," which to me at the time meant lots of white negative space and maybe some wonky blocks. I looked through pictures on Pinterest, and a pillow popped up that attracted my attention. I think it had originally been on an Etsy site that is now closed. Anyway, the designer was Neressa Bennett, and you can see the pillow on this website. 

I immediately liked the color scheme, and it fit my idea of modern, but I decided to add lime and coral to the teal and yellow. I was going for a beachy (California?) feel. I got to work making lots of wonky square-in-a-square blocks. It was a real challenge for a planner and measurer like me to make sure that my blocks were actually wonky. But I enjoyed it. 

I had shamelessly copied someone else's idea, but I figured that was okay because it was a gift within the family. However, I wanted to add a little something extra of my own that would also make it personal for my niece and nephew. At the time, they were both surfers, so as a symbol of their interest and their beginning marriage I designed a little block with two surf boards in the sand. Here's the pattern I made:

I think I used a combination of foundation paper piecing and freezer paper piecing to construct the block. Those curved seams were a real pain, but I was determined stubborn, and persisted in sewing them together even though in hindsight, applique would have been a much better choice. I also fussy-cut the water at the shore line to kind of resemble waves. 

That corner looks wonkier here than it really was. I think.

I was still a hand quilter when I made the quilt. I liked the way the pillow had been quilted, so I pretty much copied the style and kept the quilting minimal. Here's the back:

Judging from the size of the surfboard block (4 1/2 inches finished before adding a little background edge), I'm guessing that the blocks were about 5 inches and the quilt measured about  31 by 41 inches overall. 

I've forgotten what the colorful fabrics are but I'm pretty sure the background is Kona snow. The batting is probably Cream Rose cotton by Mountain Mist.

My niece no longer surfs, but she still likes the beach; she's a rower now. And her sister is getting married this summer. Time to think about another wedding quilt. 

And Neressa, I don't know if you are still out there in Quilt Land, but if you are, or even if you aren't, thanks for the inspiration when I was just beginning to try "modern."

I'm linking up today with Jenn at A Quarter Inch from the Edge for Throwback Thursday. What are you sharing for Throwback Thursday?