Sewvivor - Challenge One - Nautical

So yeah, summer blogging is pretty scarce around these parts. But for those that follow me on Instagram (@snippets101) you all know what i've been up to.  You'll remember my last post was my audition for Sewvivor over at Family Ever After, well... 

I GOT IN!!! I'm absolutely floored that i made it and have been nervously waiting to reveal my first challenge piece, which was to be anything we wanted as long as it was quilted and nautically inspired.

So without further ado...

                                 may i present, Hold Fast!

My first thoughts on hearing "nautical" go to two things - Peter Pan and his Neverland Pirates and old sailor style tattoos. We can all see what direction i took with this challenge! I love old ships with giant mast's full of sails, despite not being able to stomach being on any form of ship, or small boat, canoe, rubber dingy... who am i kidding, even the conveyor belt in the grocery store make me nauseous! So this was a chance for me to make the tattoo that i would love to have if i were a sailor pirate! (come on who doesn't want to be a pirate!)

I opted to use mostly applique for this mini, i like the look that it creates when layering piece after piece on top of one another. And i think for things like the waves it was the perfect application to use. I used all shot cottons for the waves, i love the way the colours change with shot cottons and wish it was something that you could see in photographs!
The roses (which i cut from my last piece of Anna Maria Horner's Social Climber print) were also another piece that i wouldn't be able to get the effect i wanted using another method.

I embroidered the hold fast banner with 12wt Aurifil in brass, my all time favorite colour! And doubled up the fabric (Essex linen in natural) so i could get the folded look of a scroll.

For those that don't know, the term Hold Fast (when used by sailors) means to bear down, grit it out, and stay the course. Such an appropriate term when working on a deadline!

The quilting was varied throughout. The waves were all hand stitched with a chunkier stitch in 28wt Aurifil in teal, i think the chunkier stitch gives great texture and movement. In addition to sketch stitching the ship and sails i also hand stitched a few stars in the sky (Lizzy House Twinkle Twinkle in black). And the brass band around the whole thing, that was done with my zig zag stitch with the length set just a hair over 0. You have no idea how long it took to make two laps around the whole thing!! Forever!

The rest of the quilting consisted of radiating lines in turquoise and brass 40wt Aurifil from behind the medallion, which were doubled up in the corners and center lines.
Backed in another of Lizzy House's prints, Constellation in teal and bound in the same Twinkle Twinkle i used for the sky.

This little mini finishes off at 27.5" x 35" and i have to say, for my third mini ever... i quite like it! 

High fives for all my awesome competition this round! It's been so much fun getting to know you all!

Good Luck to all of you!

xo nicole

Make sure to pop on over to Rach's to see the rest of the entries, and vote for me! Or you know, someone else... but really, you should vote for me ;) Just kidding, I've been watching the sneak peaks on Instagram and let me tell you , the competition is tough! So many amazing bits and pieces, so while i'd love to make it to the next round, vote for the project that you love most and if it happens to be mine, thanks ;)