Purchase Floating At Dawn Pattern
I live in the heart of wine country in Northern California where balloon rides are quite common. In the early morning, when we go out running at one of our local parks, we can see them rising up one by one.
Of course, I had my trusty camera with me to take a few photos of the balloons dotting the sky.
Floating toward the rising sun
Pretty much all of my quilt patterns are inspired by life around me, and photography is a huge part of that. As you know, I love it enough to be taking one photo for every day of the year. I am hosting the monthly Wandering Camera event around that. I also love to paint those pictures with paper piecing. Once I had taken these photos, I just had to make a hot air balloon quilt pattern.
I started off with one large balloon above the mountains for a vertical wall hanging. Then I decided to add another, smaller balloon in the distance.
The two balloons and the mountains are standalone pieces in the pattern. They can therefore be made individually for different projects, or together. I drew the mountains in a way that I could make multiple copies and join them together to get one continuous piece.
Purchase Floating At Dawn Pattern
I played with a few colourways after drawing the initial design.
The whole piece was very easy and quick to sew. The pattern is in shop if you would like to get a copy for yourself. Floating At Dawn finishes at 24″ x 20″.
Purchase Floating At Dawn Pattern
I am outside around dawn so I can run in the cool morning air. That’s why I chose an early morning theme in the end.
After picking out a pale pink fabric for the sky, I got a bright red fabric for the up-close balloon and a faded blue for the one further away.
At that time the distant mountains in the east are still in the shades of greys and blues. We call them “Misty Mountains” and we hope never to encounter any nasty creatures. I randomly quilted zigzag lines around them.
For the sky, the quilting had to be a wavy air stream. ( I have gotten a little addicted to wavy quilting ever since I quilted The Dancing Wind that way. )
I was a little stumped about the binding. Finally I ended up using a starry sky fabric, as if the dawn is spreading out into the surrounding dark sky.
The design was completely inspired by photography. I am not a morning person, so this will serve as a good reminder to get up and enjoy the morning hours.
-Soma
I am also linking up on Photo Friday, Life Thru The Lens, Through My Lens along with with other linky parties on my sidebar.
28 thoughts on “Floating At Dawn”
susie July 4, 2016 at 16:16
I LOVE your photos of the hot air balloons ! And I adore you newest pattern! How cool is it that you can create a design and make a special photo come to life in fabrics!!! Your Hot Air balloon mini quilt is gorgeous!!
Susie
Kate July 2, 2016 at 07:28
Love the balloons! That’s a project on my bucket list, to make a quilt with balloon blocks.
Super Mom - No Cape! July 2, 2016 at 05:27
What a gorgeous wall hanging! I loved reading about how you can to design the balloons and the mountains! It’s always such fun to know the story behind the creation of something.
Puppilalla June 29, 2016 at 06:44
The baloons are stunning. A very beautiful piece indeed.
Beth @ Cooking Up Quilts June 29, 2016 at 05:46
Seeing those balloons is a sight I would never tire of…..simply beautiful. I love that you made a pattern using the balloons as inspiration. Thanks for sharing your photo’s and for linking to MCM!
Kim Sharman June 29, 2016 at 02:36
Your mini quilt is truly inspired from those gorgeous photos, isn’t it. It is fabulous. I am always amazed as to how you dream up the cleverest of patterns from the beauty you capture with your camera.
Paula Budinger June 28, 2016 at 19:01
A wonderful quilt and so nice that the pattern can be adapted. Brings back memories of balloons we saw flying over house east of Seattle in the early morning. So special and awesome. Congrats on a great project. I found you on Sew Cute Tuesday.
FVITH June 28, 2016 at 17:48
The photos and your mini look great!
Janine June 25, 2016 at 09:30
I love your photo of the early morning balloons. Your wall hanging looks great and I enjoyed learning about your creation process and the the rationale behind your fabric choices. Next time I drink Californian wine I will remember the balloons and drink a toast to you and your husband and, of course, your cars :)
Wendy Gontier June 25, 2016 at 06:36
Love the hot air balloons. I’ve had a couple of finishes during the week and have blogged about one and am happy to link with you today! Have a great weekend!
Brooke of Passport Couture June 24, 2016 at 21:56
I love how your photographs of the hot air balloons were transformed into a quilt pattern. The pattern looks so detailed and has such great shapes in it. Lovely results!
Kathleen June 24, 2016 at 13:37
The balloon pattern is beautiful Soma!
rosa June 24, 2016 at 13:20
Great photos and projects.Those balloons are fantastic.
Jayne June 24, 2016 at 08:09
I love your photos of the hot air balloons! They are beautiful and I especially love that you took that inspiration and made it into a quilt!
Alycia June 24, 2016 at 06:54
Your ballons are beautiful – both in real life and in your quilt! Amazing!!!
krislovesfabric June 24, 2016 at 05:24
Very pretty…you have captured a beautiful morning scene…now isn’t there a quote about red in the sky and sailors expecting a bout of bad weather?
Patty June 24, 2016 at 04:52
Love the balloon quilt. I went on one just like it many, many (many) years ago on our honeymoon. Your HP QAL sounds intriguing.
Leanne Parsons June 24, 2016 at 02:40
What a great job with the pattern and with your quilt! I really love the design on the balloons. Thanks for hosting this week :)
Ruth June 24, 2016 at 01:30
There is something magical about a hot air balloon – always pulls me in every time!
Kim June 23, 2016 at 23:11
Beautiful balloons, Soma, there’s such a tranquility to that early morning scene. And, can I just add……for a ridiculously long period of time, when I first heard the acronym TGIF, and in fact first saw it on the crazy bright socks favoured in the 80s, I thought it meant Toes Go In First!!!!!!
Lynne June 23, 2016 at 22:16
Congratulations on hosting TGIFF for the first time. I’ve hosted it before; but not for a couple of years.
What a cute wall-hanging.
I love how you use your logo as the watermark on your photos — I would love to be able to do that; of course, first, I’d need a logo! ;-)
another finish – Never too hot to stitch! June 23, 2016 at 22:10
[…] post links up with Thank Goodness It’s Finished Friday which is being hosted Whims and Fancies this week. Why not check out what other people have […]
Jess @ Quilty Habit June 23, 2016 at 19:30
Yay for hot air balloons! Your quilting is beautiful. Ironically, my finish features them this week, too! :)
Susan June 23, 2016 at 18:30
This is the best paper pieced hot air balloon pattern I have seen. They look like real hot air balloons.
bettyl-NZ June 23, 2016 at 18:29
That is a fantastic quilt!
Mary June 23, 2016 at 17:53
That is such a great pattern. I absolutely love seeing the beautiful balloons rising in the cool mornings so this piece really speaks to me. Your balloon designs are fabulous.
Nancy Seitz June 23, 2016 at 17:04
I love the balloons. They look like those over Rio Rancho in October, 1998, the year I was helping after grandson was born. The kites are very real like. Thank you.
Izzy June 23, 2016 at 16:27
This is such a fun pattern! And your photos are absolutely stunning. Thank you so much for hosting TGIFF! :-)