Ahoy!

Hi Fellow Quilters,

Greetings from the sea!  Last week we talked about our pirates and their mighty sailing vessel.  This week we’ll talk about the rest of the blocks in this adorable nursery quilt or wall hanging pattern!  I tend to draw designs that are pretty girly, so this is definitely a departure from my usual style.  What pirate quilt would be complete without treasure, maps, ship wrecks and palm trees?

Our pirates are really good at what they do, so they have an awesome collection of booty!  I chose to make my pirate treasure chest look like an old-fashioned steamer trunk, whereas Sharon chose a lady’s trunk (hence the purple lining) that was stolen from a wealthy woman’s luggage.  It just wouldn’t be a proper pirate’s booty without emeralds, gold, silver and rubies.  If you are feeling adventurous, you could add some bling!  Imagine strings of pearls and other rare jewels cascading over the side of your booty chest!

Our playful pirates would never be able to find their booty without a treasure map.  “X ” marks the spot for the hidden treasure on an unknown island far, far away!  Be careful of the mountains and snakes!  Others have tried, and failed, to reach the buried treasure but if you can survive the risks, then the rewards will be great!

As you cruise the high seas, keep a careful look out for that abandoned pirate ship.  Is this the deserted island where they hid their ill-gotten gains?  The mountains tell me that we are close to finding that buried bling!  I’m sure the shark will protect the pirates’ hidden treasure.

It has been reported that a mermaid was in love with a particular pirate.  We won’t mention his name because then you would know whose treasure we seek!  They would meet on a deserted island whenever he could get away for a few days.  Alas, the pirate perished from the effects of scurvy while awaiting his true love, and all that remain are his bleached bones on the beach.  The mermaid visits their island from time to time, in memory of her lost love.  I used a skull from purchased fabric with a cute pirate hat whereas Sharon created her own skull to make this a perfect island oasis!  If you look carefully, you can see that the mermaid didn’t want to be in our photograph and is swimming away!

Although we didn’t use these blocks in the pirate quilt, wouldn’t they be fun additions to make a bigger quilt?  This block is foundation paper pieced, and looks like a wave because of the fabric choices.  I used this snail’s trail pattern to create waves which were used in one of our under-the-sea quilt designs.

Pirates usually try to steer clear of a storm at sea, but this foundation paper pieced “Storm at Sea” block might be the perfect addition to your pirate-themed project!

Since GPS wasn’t invented yet during the Golden Age of Pirates, the mariners’ navigation was based upon observation of the position of stars in the sky, an astrolabe, and a compass.  This Mariner’s star foundation pieced block reminds us of a compass!

I hope you have enjoyed taking a closer look at the rest of the blocks that we used with our pirates.  Thank you for reading our blog; we appreciate you stopping by and would love to read your comments.

Ahoy mates and until next time, happy quilting!

Susan