Scottish Penguin Glen

Scottish Penguin In A Kilt Quilt Pattern | Whims And Fancies

 

Purchase Scottish Penguin Glen Pattern

 

On Monday I sat down very decisively to work on something happy.  Meet the newest member of my penguin fold – a little Scottish penguin named Glen.  When I shared the initial sketch, Kris asked what a penguin keeps in his sporran.  As I was sewing, I thought of a little story.

 

Glen had always loved wearing his kilt, but the other little penguins made fun of him.  Instead of changing himself to fit in with the others, he spent his days roaming the hills and dales alone, having his own adventures.  Although he was happy to go about on his own,  he sometimes wished he had a friend with him.  During one of his excursions, he found a new hill.  As he walked up the hill slowly – he was a little penguin after all – it started getting colder and darker.  Rain clouds covered the sun and very soon, strong gusts of wind started blowing him all over the place. 

 

Scotland | Whims And Fancies

 

He hurried up the hillside and found an old broken ruin there.  The hill was in a remote area and the entrances to the ruin were all overgrown with brambles.  He took a little knife out of his sporran to clear a path so he could get in without spoiling his clothes.  As he was cutting the brambles, something pink plopped down along with a few Thistle flowers.  He loved Thistle.  When he bent down to pick up the flowers and put them in his little sporran, he found a small pink stone among them.  By this time, big raindrops had started pelting down on him.  He hurried into the ruin to sit inside a big stone fireplace.  There he sat, thumbing the stone and looking at the sky, waiting for the rain to let up a little.

 

Penguin Quilt Pattern | Whims And Fancies

 

Purchase Little Penguin Polaris Pattern

 

A flash of lightning, and he suddenly found himself elsewhere, facing two other penguins.  One was dressed in woolens and the other in Viking clothing.  They were as surprised to see him as he was them.  After a little awkward introduction, Glen learned their names were Polaris and Olaf.  He also found out that they had been lonely penguins too, before they met each other. Polaris loved his matching woolens, he had quite a few sets.

 

 

Purchase Viking Penguin Olaf Pattern

 

As for Olaf, not only did he love his Viking clothes, he also insisted on having horns on his helmet even though he was told Viking helmets didn’t have horns.  He thought the horns made him look very mighty and formidable.  They both welcomed Glen with open arms.

 

Scotland Thistle | Whims And Fancies

 

Polaris gave Glen a little snowflake that sparkled in the moonlight.  Olaf gave him a little fire-stone which glowed in the dark.  Glen remembered the thistles in his sporran and gave each of his new friends a thistle.  He showed them his pink stone too.  All three wondered if rain and thunder somehow activated the stone and if there were more penguins like them.   For now though, they were delighted to have found each other.  Sometimes you just have to look a little farther to find what you are looking for.

 

The photos were taken by me in Scotland.  I took the photo of the Thistles in the mountains standing outside, buffeted by wind gusts of 40 – 50 mph.  It was quite a difficult task, and I feel like I brought a little Scottish spirit home with me captured in that photo.

 

Scottish Penguin Glen Quilt Pattern | Whims And Fancies

 

Purchase Scottish Penguin Glen Pattern

 

Glen doesn’t always like to wear his tie or his belt buckle.  So I included additional sections in the pattern for easier piecing without the tie and the belt buckle.

 

Since I always get asked about pattern links, here are links to all three penguin quilt patterns –

Scottish Penguin GlenThe newest member!

Little Penguin Polaris

Viking Penguin Olaf

 

Penguin Quilt Patterns | Whims And Fancies

 

They are a happy bunch, aren’t they!  I love them!

Have a crafty week,
-Soma

 

I am linking up with the linky parties on my Events And Links page.  Please pay a visit to some of them, they are a lot of fun!

 

 

 

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Cast In Stone

Red Telephone Box Quilt Pattern | Whims And Fancies

 

Purchase Red Telephone Box Pattern

 

I hope you are having a wonderful Spring.  My husband and I managed to sneak in a break together before he starts his new job today.

I have been going through some of the photos from last year’s England travel. Considering I made it to England twice within the last six months and am already planning my third visit to Scotland probably indicates how much I love the British Isles.  I try to not mention the turmoil of the world here because this is my happy place, but I could not stay away from that this time after reading the news yesterday.  My heart goes out to my British friends.

 

It is a beautiful country full of old history and lovely people.  A visit to Oxford was a must because of its beautiful architecture.  I fell in love with the vine- and plant-decked Oxford windows.  I had the idea of this Red Telephone Box quilt pattern for a long while now.  Browsing the photos rekindled the urge of designing this block.  So I added a Victorian street lamp along with a lit-up window – an Oxford window, if you will.

 

A few photos I took of the Oxford windows –

 

Christ Church College, Oxford England | Whims And Fancies

 

 Christ Church College

 

 

Christ Church College, Oxford England | Whims And Fancies

 

  Christ Church College

 

 

Exeter College, Oxford, England | Whims And Fancies

 

 Exeter College

 

 

Magdalen College, Oxford England | Whims And Fancies

 

Magdalen College

 

All these stone structures inspired me to work on this watercolour sketch of a crumbling stone castle in Scotland.  I was practising painting the texture of crumbling stones as well as loose-hand painting.

 

 

Crumbling Stone Castle Watercolour Painting | Whims And Fancies

 

Van Gogh Watercolour Paint

 

I enjoy playing with different brands of watercolour paints.  Van Gogh watercolour is a student-grade paint made by a Dutch company called Royal Talens.  It is not very expensive, so I was really surprised by the quality of the paint.  They come alive even with the smallest touch of water and the colours are intense.  The paints blend with each other wonderfully, enabling me to create new colours very easily.  They are also quite permanent.  Unlike most watercolour paints, I couldn’t easily lift off the colours once they were applied.  Something to keep in mind before I put paint to paper next time.  I found the included brush to be a bit too stiff and harsh on the paper.  I wouldn’t recommend using it at all.  However, I highly recommend the paintbox.  The colours are also available individually, in tubes.

 

 

Red Telephone Box Quilt Pattern | Whims And Fancies

 

  Purchase Red Telephone Box Pattern

 

I was working on this block around the same time I was dabbling with the Van Gogh paint.  Since I love stone buildings so much, I used Stonehenge fabrics for the background.  I lit the lamp and the window for a warmer feel.

I pieced the red grid on my red telephone booth.  However, for easier piecing, I also included pattern sections without the grid.  The grid can be added afterwards via a thick-width machine stitch.  The finished block is 12″.  The Red Telephone Box quilt pattern is available in my shop, if you wish to make one.

It was nice to take break from the Harry Potter quilt blocks and work on something different.  I need a new day/travel bag, this block will be prefect for that.

Stay well,
-Soma

Luckily this was also my one monthly goal, which I am happy to say I have accomplished.  I am linking up with –

Elm Street Quilts One Monthly Goal Finish March Linkup 

 

I am also linking up on Life Thru The Lens, Through My Lens, Our World TuesdayWednesday Around The World, and Friday Photo Journal along with other linky parties on my Events And Links page.

 

 

 

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