Mi Barca

A few months ago, during a service at our church, we sang a song called "You Have Come Down to the Lakeshore." The song was originally written in Spanish by Cesareo Gabarian and is often referred to as Pescador de Hombres (Fisher of Men). This is not a song from our denomination's tradition (although it is in our latest hymnal in both Spanish and an English translation by Madeleine Forell Marshall), so I was not familiar with it. But the service and the gentle tune and lyrics of the song, calling everyday people to follow Jesus by serving others with love and commitment would not let me go. I knew that one day I would make a quilt inspired by it. I had a vague idea of what I wanted to make, based on the line, "On the sand I've abandoned my small boat." (In Spanish: "En la arena he dejado mi barca," which is how I hear the line in my head). Then a few weeks ago, I found out that there is going to be an art show at our church in mid-May to coincide with a local art festival. Suddenly, I knew that I had to make the quilt now. I set aside my Hands2Help quilt and was completely consumed by a new project. Let me show you first, and then I'll tell you how the idea went from idea to reality.

I grabbed a piece of scrap paper and made a quick little sketch.

Then I collected a whole lot of pictures of boats on Pinterest and found a tutorial for how to draw a boat. I can't access the site now but I drew the boat based on the pictures on the pin

 I traced it and cut out part of the boat to audition some possible fabrics.

Old calculators make good paper weights.

Then I drew another simpler boat.

Next I made a colorful little sketch on a notepad

and multiple little colorful boats to play with based on some fabrics in my stash.

I tried different boats out on the sketch.

I chose my three favorites and made a freezer paper pattern. I figured this would be the most complicated part of the design, and since I wasn't sure what fabrics I was going to use for the rest of the scene, I decided to make all three boats and then pick one from those.

I love this kind of piecing (learned from Ruth B McDowell's books). Just like putting together puzzles.

I liked each of these for different reasons, but knew that whatever I chose for the background would determine which boat I'd use.

Next I went through my fabric stash and auditioned fabrics.

Surprisingly to me, the boat I was beginning to like the best was the mottled brown one--the one I thought was my least favorite.

I bundled the fabrics I had, and headed out to the fabric store to find others that might blend in. 

I went to the solids section of the store first because I was intrigued by the modern look of the solid boat. But I wasn't successful. The stores near me seem to all stock the same set of "standard" solid colors, and there just was not enough range to do what I wanted. So I ended up in the batiks and tone-on-tones--a treasure trove in the store I went to.

I was able to get a pretty good idea of how the scene would look just stacking the bolts on their edges. And that confirmed my choice for the boat. 

I started auditioning fabrics on the design wall

and then on the floor because they got really heavy. 

I used the backs of some fabrics to get the values the way I wanted them. After making all those layers, I realized that it would be easiest to draw the strips on a pattern to control the sizes, keep from getting confused as I took the layers apart to sew them, and keep the lines horizontal. I started with a simple pattern in a piece of newsprint 24 by 18 inches. 

Look closely to see the lines added here.

During the sewing process, I made several of these patterns as I cut them up or covered parts when planning each section. I pieced the water first using the paper as a foundation (easier than measuring and cutting strips). I used freezer paper piecing for the distant hills, and then pieced the sky on the foundation paper. 

Before sewing the sand section, I sketched a quick plan on a grocery list (yeah, old school in this techy age--but I also have grocery lists on my phone, so go figure) in the car while waiting for my husband to do some banking--yes, this quilt had me completely, and no scrap of paper was safe while I was making it.

I overlapped the sand with the boat just a smidge to nestle the boat instead of just having it float on the sand.

I used a layered machine applique "accidental landscape" technique that I learned from Karen Eckmeier's work for the sand. Here's how the three sections looked before I joined the sky, lake, and sand/boat together.

When I basted the quilt, I taped my backing to my 2- by 3-foot cutting mat so that I could use the grid to keep everything square. I used a scrap of Quilters Dream Select Cotton batting, which was just the right size. Then I carefully stitched in the ditch along all of the seam lines. I considered adding some wavy lines in between, but decided l liked the simplicity of the quilting as it was. For once, I resisted quilting something to death. After trimming the quilt to size (the scariest part of the project for me for some reason), I embroidered a few blades of grass--again restraining myself to keep it simple. I had also planned to embroider oars and a chain, but eliminated those as well. I made a sleeve from a scrap of backing and then bound the quilt with a medium blue fabric from my stash. I added my initials and the date, and it was done. And, yes, the song was still running through my mind, a sweet meditation.

Here's the front again, hanging temporarily and a bit clumsily in my living room where I usually have another quilt: 

And the back:

And some details. (Doesn't look squared, but it is!)

I took some photos outside, too. The color is more true, but for some reason this one isn't  as sharp. I guess my phone liked the concrete better.

Oops! Why do I never see stray threads until I take photos?

I enjoy making donation quilts; they are meaningful to me. But they are usually quick and easy. Sometimes I need to indulge myself in the kind of sewing I did this month. It's a passion for me that is hard to explain. I love the challenges involved as I try to translate an idea into an image, working within the confines of materials available. I'm looking forward to displaying this quilt in my church's art show, and then I might offer it for a fundraiser for the teenagers' upcoming summer service projects. 

As you know, I still have two boats left. It would be a shame not to use them somehow, so there may be more art quilts to come...

Although I knew I was going to make this quilt sometime, I didn't know I was going to derail some other projects and work obsessively until it was done--and with several weeks to spare before the show, too! So I think it qualifies as a DrEAMi project (Drop Everything And Make it), don't you? I'm linking up (tomorrow) to Sandra's linky party at mmm! quilts for those squirrels that just don't let us go. I'm also linking up to Confessions of a Fabric Addict for Can I Get a Whoop Whoop and Wendy's Quilts and More for Peacock Party.

Okay, gotta go. My Grands will be here any minute. What's got you obsessed this week?