The Inspiration Behind Outer Banks
The Outer Banks quilt was inspired by one of my husband’s favorite childhood memories. While playing on the beach at Cape Hatteras one evening, he noticed the sand beginning to move. He quickly realized that it was a nest of sea turtles hatching. To his horror, the baby turtles began heading toward the street, so he gently scooped them up as fast as he could and placed them at the edge of the ocean. He was so proud of himself for helping the turtles get safely to the ocean.
A few years ago, we returned to Cape Hatteras so he could find that beach again. It was a sweet moment, reconnecting with a memory that had stayed with him all these years.
Charles in front of the Cape Hatteras Light House
When I decided to design a quilt based on his memory and our trip, I had the idea of little turtles scrambling in the sand to reach an ocean that sparkled in the moonlight. I wanted to create blocks that reflected the movement of the sand and ocean. I also wanted it to be a quilt that was accessible to beginners and used a few simple tricks to bring the blocks together quickly.
This is a great quilt for scraps because the more tans and blues you have, the better. I used 6 different blue fabrics and 5 different tan fabrics for my quilt. The raw-edge appliqué turtles, waves, and moon are simple shapes that are easy to add to the quilt. You can place them wherever you like to make the quilt your own.
I don't often do my own quilting, but this quilt was small enough that I thought it would be fun to add some free-motion elements. I quilted lines in the sand to look like sea grass and ripples, and even made it look like the turtles were leaving little marks in the sand.
