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Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Atoche Es!

Huge news I couldn't wait until my typical weekend to post - Atoche is finished!!   I really am tickled with it, even if I do say so myself. What do you think?


Let me explain some of the details, because as has always been my way with this piece, one change usually brought up others that fell in line with it.  First of all, at the top....


After scratching my head and thinking about it for awhile (thanks so much to those who made suggestions!)  I decided the date of the shipwreck really needed to be there in full, not just the year.  Jim had the idea of stitching it in Spanish, since Atoche and its fleet were all Spanish ships.  As luck would have it, the spacing for that fit perfectly on the line above the year.  That left what to put above it?  The original Prairie Schooler design had those cool waves on either side of the lower text line, but the Spanish date was quite a bit longer than the original wording.  I really did want to keep those waves - somehow, it just wouldn't say "Florida" without them.  Fortunately, there was enough room for them between the little stone crab and the letters of the date.  And best of all, the blue shades really do make them look like the surf off Key West.  I love it! 

Next comes the guardians of the treasure....



The mermaid.....


...and the serpent.   When Atoche sank, it was carrying a cargo hold full of emeralds and gold and silver bars out of Havana.  I was really hoping to capture that somehow, but wasn't sure how I could do it until after the date and the waves went in.  That little space at the end of those rows was just enough room for a bit of shiny sunken treasure.  And how fitting is it that the space happened just in front of the guardians?


The poor cow nosed ray began his life as a gray seal, then morphed into a light brown ray.  That original tan color just wasn't sitting right with all the other blues and grays, so it came out one more time.  The final ray is now the palest silvery gray, which actually isn't too far off from what they really are out in the Gulf..  I couldn't resist adding my finish date in Spanish as well.


Full sail, out of Havana.  Notice the waves are picking up?  Anyway, I had soooo much fun with this piece.  It really captured my imagination as well as all that inspires my stitching. 

I do want to give a shout out to those of you who left such wonderful comments about my Mom and her quilting in my last post.  Reading them  was so nice and she appreciated them very much.  What fun, I came home from work this week to find she'd sent me a little surprise - new place mats!  In the exact shades of my kitchen. 

  
I really do have the coolest Mom in the world! 

Thanks again for taking time out of your week to stop by for a look.  I think I'll spend a few more nights on Ann Grimshaw, and then settle in to something else new and fun on Sunday..  Here's hoping the rest of thw week finishes as well as the begining started out!

13 comments:

Margaret said...

Wow! You did such a fabulous job with this piece! All the personalization is just marvelous! Love the sunken treasure in front of the guardians! And the placemats from your mom -- wow! You really do have an amazing mom. Congratulations on that stunning finish!

Catherine said...

I absolutely love your finish and the personal touches you added to this piece! Congrats!
Love the placemats your mom made ~ you are a lucky girl!

Ranae said...

OMGosh!! What a fantastic finish
I love it
Super nice placemats from your cool mom

marly said...

Wow. You really made this so special. Very nice work.

Elizabeth said...

I think your use of Spanish is a great idea! I love the colors in this piece - fantastic finish!

Krista said...

Fantastic finish Mary! Love all the personal choices you made to make it your own, they really enhance it! Love the sails on the ships and that mermaid is so sweet with that crown. Great placemats from your Mom, very pretty!

The Inspired Stitcher said...

Congrats, Mary! It's wonderful!!! You really should write this story down and put it in an envelope on the back of the frame. It's so fun to know what inspired your choices on this one. Very nicely done! Yep, you do have the best mom too!

Penny said...

Lovely from start to finish, Mary! I really love all of the colors and different motifs in this! And I love the sails too! What a lovely surprise from your mom - very pretty! :)

Carol said...

Such a stunning finish, Mary--the Spanish wording is perfect for it, too! I love studying all the little details--what a fun piece :)

And what a lovely gift from your mom--it is so nice that you both share a passion for needlework!

Lois said...

Wonderful finish Mary and with your own personal touches it makes it such a unique piece. What lovely place mats from your mum. I'm behind (again!) with my blog reading but have to mention your mum's quilt. It is beautiful.

Grit said...

Wonderful stitching. Looks so fantastic.
Grit from Germany

woolwoman said...

Mary being a florida girl born and bred - this sampler is just so special. Love all the special touches - the date of the shipwreck in spanish is great - it is just smashing. Congratulations on your finish. isn't the 450th anniversary of the spanish settling florida this year? I live near St Aug and they are having loads of celebrations coming up maybe it is next year but they are prepping and YOU are ready with this fantastic sampler. OMGosh - the quilt your mom won with in Paducah is unbelievable - it is so gorgeous and so is she. I bet you are very proud of her and her accomplishment. Cheers Melody

Lynn said...

Wow, what a fabulous finish!! Congrats!