Watercolor Crosses, a finished quilt in Bonifacio

Greetings, from sunny Corsica! My vacation here is almost at an end. It’s been amazing, and I’ll share lots of pictures soon. But first, would you like to see what I finished just before catching that plane?

I quilted Baptist fan all over my Watercolor Crosses quilt. Those smooth, echoing curves are a nice foil to the tipsy, slashing crosses. And, of course, I took my finished quilt along with me to Corsica (a French island in the Mediterranean) to photograph her on my trip!

Ta da! She’s a scrappy quilt with scrappy binding, and I do love how she vibes with the ancient streets of Bonifacio!

Bonifacio is a medieval city which sits prominently on the southern tip of the island of Corsica. With existing parts of Bonifacio dating back to the 9th century, the city has loads of charm. When viewed from the sea or from cliffs facing the city, it is pure drama.

descending the Stairs of King Aragon

Aart and I carried a bag with my quilt and camera all over Bonifacio one day and photographed her in a bunch of places. The most exotic was a photo session along the rock pathway beneath the Stairs of King Aragon, which are 187 steps carved into the rock face and descending almost to the sea.

Here is the quilt backing which inspired it all, sourced from Dragonfly Quiltworks.

From this vantage point you can appreciate the rock face and the scrappy binding ;)

But my favorite photo is this one, taken on a random side street in Bonifacio called Place Carrega. I love the texture of the peachy-brown walls, the rough external wiring and rusty iron bannister, accented by white wooden shutters and palm fronds. To me, the messy, urban vibe of this spot suits the quilt perfectly.

Gosh I love this quilt! She was so fun and fast to make. I tried to work mostly with softer tones, while allowing for strong contrast in the improv crosses. The combination is more spunky than sweet, more wild than cultivated and positively buzzing with island energy.

I have listed Watercolor Crosses in my Handmades shop today. She’ll come home safely with me in my suitcase and with any luck be winging her way to a final destination with one of you real soon!