I searched "vintage fish illustrations" on google and found some great fish. I made screenshots of three that I liked, then cropped and printed them. Then I cut them out to help decide which to use.
They are a little too big for the block but I decided that I could cut on the lines and when I turned the edges under, the fish would be about the right size.
I deliberated which fish to use and finally decided on the first one, above at the top, with the upturned tail and mildly astonished expression.
So I chose fabric -- something that's been in progress since the beginning of the month. Plaids or prints or plain? Browns or greys or sea-weedy greens? Or maybe some other color I saw in the vintage illustrations on google? I kept leaning toward greens but couldn't commit. I finally chose this greyish-green and black check for the body and added the other fabrics.
I like this little fish a lot but somehow it doesn't strike me as primitive. Tomorrow I will make a pattern of the middle fish of the three, use different fabric, and see what I think. To be really primitive I suppose I should just draw a fish free-hand.
I believe it has always been true that I must see it before I can decide, and sometimes I must also see a photo of it before I can decide, and occasionally I must look at it and the photo of it for days before I decide. Oh, to have an artist's vision!
Having a fish in this quilt captured my heart. Isn't fishing one of those great American pastimes? When I was a child my father bought a wooden boat in need of repair. After some months of work it was ready and he took me fishing several times a week for four or five summers. Sometimes we caught nothing, other times we pulled in a fish each time the line went into the water. Those were the days we didn't want to go home! It's one of my treasured summertime memories. You can read a post about it on my other blog if you're interested.
I'm looking forward to seeing how the other fish turns out and which one becomes the fish-vane.
Do you go fishing?
I'm linking this post to
> Finished or Not Friday at Busy Hands Quilts
> Friday Night Sew-In at Sugarlane Designs
--Nancy.
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I think your fish pursuit is very creative and imaginative. Maybe doing just a silhouette would make it more prim? It does have all that lettering and can be fairly plain to show the Liberty word off.
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Deletegone to the beach
I like that little fish, Lizzy, but I decided on a simpler fish without so much detail. I'm going to put the fish about the middle of the block and add the letters below. At least that's the plan at the moment. I still have to cut letters and hope I can applique such small pieces!
Deletethere is a codfish weathervane on the state house in boston that hearkens back to colonial times....for many years it was the mighty cod due to its plentiful-ness...home of the bean and the cod...
ReplyDeleteHi, Grace. Thanks so much for visiting and leaving a comment. I researched that cod a bit and found that he is no longer on the state house but, I believe, is now inside. No matter where he is, he looks great! It's fun to get the history of a fish weathervane.
DeleteLove this fishin' for a fish post, Nancy. I'm pretty sure Cheri would have said just draw a fish- for it to be primitive as such. Meanwhile, it seems you have learned lots in the pursuit of the perfect fish and I have learned too that you can download in this way from the internet. I really like the fish you have pieced.
ReplyDeleteMy Newfoundland fraternal grandfather was a fisherman as his livelihood...fishing of all kinds is very popular in my family and also here in Ontario. Son in law even goes ice fishing.
Thank you, Jocelyn. I agree with you about what Cheri would have recommended. So I half copied, half drew the fish I'm using.
DeleteHow fun that you have such a fishing heritage in your family. Do you fish?
I'm loving watching your progress on Liberty. Thanks for the idea of doing a google search. If you do a search for vintage fish weathervane, you come up with some really nice ones too.
ReplyDeleteWe did a lot of fishing when I was a kid too. Great family fun. I'm from Nova Scotia and there were tons of place to fish close to the city.
Thank you, JeanInMaine. I did see some fun fish weathervanes after you suggested search. There was a wooden one I love....
DeleteHow fun not to have to travel far from the city to fish. Family fun for sure!
What a clever idea! The fish you made is sweet.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sue. I decided against using that fish in this block though it do like the fish quite a lot. I'll have to use it in some other quilt.
DeleteYour fish is delightful, but only you can decide whether he suits you for your block. I love him! I want to make a fishing quilt and seeing your fish makes me realize that I ought to include some appliqued fish in some of the blocks. Thank you for the inspiration and for including the link to your fishing post on your genealogy blog...I loved it and it made me cry. Best thing I've read in a long time!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Karin. I love that little fish but not for this quilt. So I made a new one. I'll look forward to seeing your fishing quilt when you make it.
DeleteThank you, too, for your kind words about the post on my gen. blog. You are really too kind!
I'm loving following your progress on the Sweet Land of Liberty quilt. You're doing a fantastic job. As to your question about fishing, I used to go with my husband but he insists on fishing from sun up to sun down and doesn't even want to jump into the water to take a cool-off break. I'm just not into fishing that much, I guess.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Susie. Your husband sounds like a die-hard fisherman for sure! I don't think I'd be into fishing that much, either. Maybe I would take along a little quilting/applique and a book....
DeleteI grew up in a fishing for fun (and supper!) family, so lots of my childhood memories involve sitting in a boat or by a pond/lake with a fishing rod in hand. Happy times!
ReplyDeleteLove reading about your fabric fish quest! I think if you end up with rejects, they would make a dandy quilt all on their own!
They were happy times, weren't they, Gayle. It's great to know another person who fished when she was a girl.
DeleteI have more than one rejected fish (poor fellows) and I was thinking the same thing, that they could go into another quilt. It's not a high priority on my list but I will keep the rejected fish handy.
I don't go fishing, but I don't mind sitting with a book while someone else does! I liked your first fish, but I also thought the middle one was more like the one on the original block.
ReplyDeleteTheoretically, and depending on the kind of fishing one does, fishing and reading a book could be done simultaneously by the same person until there's a fish on the line. But I can understand preferring reading to fishing, especially as an adult.
DeleteI like the little flip of the tail of the first fish, Susan. It seemed to give some movement, but I realized soon enough that it didn't fit into a primitive quilt. I agree that the middle one looks closer to the one if the quilt. In the end, I used that fish (more or less) with a few changes. I think it works and have already started stitching it down. (It better work!)
Thanks for sharing your thoughts about the fish. I appreciate them.
Isn't it fun finding patterns to make this quilt? I have enjoyed it so much. I did a Buggy Barn pattern for my fish because it was easy. I LOVE your fish!
ReplyDeleteThank you, DQ. It has been fun to search out patterns though sometimes challenging and time-consuming, too.
DeleteI looked for your fish on your blog but couldn't find it. Have you posted it already?
Oh my yes, did we go fishing. Those memories are very dear to me also. Your little fish are so winsome and charming, cannot wait to see what else you come up with.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Gypsy Quilter. I changed the little fish....
DeleteI'm happy to know there are a few of us who loved going fishing and have happy memories of those times.