When I took the workshop with Caryl Bryer Fallert at the BTQG fall workshops, it was a two day workshop.  The second day in the afternoon, we learned how to design and sew together flying geese in a curved random pattern rather than a straight line. Once again, as the day before, I didn't get that far on the piece, since this was a half day workshop. So, I learned the technique, designed a row of geese on my own, and started the process of sewing it together. It was interesting that, in the fabric selection, we were to bring two color waves from dark to light. By this time, I knew what the other two quilts might be, so I chose brown and green, about 8 gradations from dark to light.  When sewing together we were to put the lightest of one color on one end and the lightest of the other color on the other end. That way the darkest met with the lightest and faded together in the middle for more of an impact on the row of geese.

I finished the geese row during the next few weeks, and once again, I thought what do I do with this!! I liked a quote that I had read, “The only treasures that really last are our memories and the love with which we keep them.” (Constance O’Day)  I used this wall hanging, again, to illustrate our memories. I chose memories of Hawaiian sunsets, tropical fish, sea turtles, lobster dinners, lots of water and NeNe (Hawaiian wild geese). Memories of which are the “real” treasures of any vacation.  Since it was a wild geese pattern, I chose to emphasize the NeNe.  To do so, I needed sky background, so I chose to make the wild geese strip, that I had made, the division between sky and water. I chose sky fabric that would  reflect the beautiful sunsets and sunrises that we saw, rather than a blue sky. I sketched out tiny little flying geese, like a pattern I bought from Caryl that I've never used. They were too small to applique details, so I chose a grey that would make them look like they were silhouettes flying across the sky. I added some more of the fussy-cut fish with bubbles for continuity to the other two wall hangings. Then, to continue with the "treasure" theme, I sketched a little sea chest, with "jewels" spilling out into the sea. That was fun. I brought eyelash thread to this quilt, also, for that continuity.

Once again, this was my second attempt at free-motion, and it isn't what it is today, but I had FUN!! (That's the way to learn, right!)  Again, I used free-motion quilting to illustrate sea weed growing and swaying toward the top. I made an arc at the time with "rays" radiating from it to represent the sunsets. I tried to use some free-motion lines to represent air flowing past the geese. I tried my hand to free motion a lobster (for the memories of the seafood meals we had), and a turtle for memories of an underwater shot we got of a turtle swimming past us. Caryl  had free motioned little geese in her wild geese triangles, and being brave, I thought I wonder if I can do that. So, I gave it a try.

I chose a dark teal water to go with the Whimsical Seascape quilt, greens to go with the Wanna Be Free quilt, and browns to go with the woods in the room I wanted to put the three quilts.