Last Minute Blogger's Quilt Fest Entry: New Orleans French Quarter Mini Quilt

Amy's Creative Side's Blogger's Quilt Festival was my first exposure to a "link up" a few years ago.  I thought I'd missed the deadline, but when I saw that there's still time to enter a quilt, I decided this morning to squeak in an entry of my New Orleans French Quarter mini-quilt.  I originally made this as a challenge quilt for Kim's Crafty Apple's "Project Quilting" architecture theme challenge.  We all made quilts based on an architectural element.

My quilt is based on the Creole Cottages and Shotgun Houses that are so much a part of New Orleans, especially in the French Quarter and older parts of town.  These houses, as well as so many others have floor to ceiling windows and doors to take advantage of cross ventilation in the days before air conditioning.  That means that there's typically another set of these windows on the opposite end of the house.  Many of these old houses have really tall ceilings.  The houses in the quarter that are more than one story often have beautiful balconies that are an iconic part of the French Quarter. 


The finished quilt is 30 by 40 inches long, and I used Kona solids for my fabric from a swap that I participated in with Annemarie at Gen X Quilters.  I used machine quilting for it, including stitch in the ditch and free motion quilting. 

Here, courtesy of my friend, Dan Martone, husband of travel guide writer, and friend, Laura Martone, is a few pictures of my inspiration:

They are doors in the French Quarter of New Orleans.  This style of houses, the "Creole Cottage" are scattered liberally throughout the French Quarter, where Dan and his wife, Laura Martone live. 

This little quilt also recently became a commission quilt for a client who saw it posted on my blog!  Here's a picture of the queen sized version, before I sent it off to its new home:

 If you're new here from the festival, welcome!!  If you haven't yet visited all of the beautiful blogger quilts at the festival, make sure you do!  There's also a nomination form that you can fill out and nominate your favorite quilts!