'Sardines Are Swimming' Mini Quilt

This is my new, favourite Mini Quilt!

It started, back here, with Venetia and Maria painting the background fabric and then lots of different patterns on some muslin - which became the fish. I just sewed these on raw applique style. You might remember, all my mini quilts have a quote or words of some kind. This one reminded me of a song I used to sing at school when I was quite little - 'Apusski dusky'. It's from a song book called 'Apusskidu'. I picked up an old copy of the book at a charity shop a while back, and we all like lots of the songs in there (Michael Finnegan, Bananas in Pyjamas, Lily the Pink, She'll be coming round the mountain, Yellow Submarine, Morningtown Ride, I whistle a happy tune, Frog went a courting... Are these ringing a bell with any of you? Maybe you sang them at school too?). I don't know why the 'Apusski dusky' song has always stuck with me, it's not one of the better known ones, but it has. Here are the words to it:

In middle ocean,

Sardines are swimming,

Apusski dusky, appuskidu.

A boat sails over,

Down comes a net.

Apusski dusky, appuskidu.

One wise old sardine

Flicks out a warning,

Apusski dusky, appuskidu.

Swift through the water

They dart away.

Apusski dusky, appuskidu.

With tails a-flashing,

Sardines are swimming,

Apusski dusky, appuskidu.

So full of joy that

They're swimming free.

Apusski dusky, appuskidu.

Anyway, I picked a line from this for my words, added a few swirly, bubbly lines of quilting, some sequins for eyes and that was it. Not at all complicated, but I really do love it.

Maria and I took it to the beach today for photos. Unfortunately it was quite a grey day, and extremely windy. Maria tried very hard to hold it up for me to photograph, but it was tricky...

That wind was just a bit too gusty! We finally gave up and laid it out flat.

I love how the paint splatters, which the girls just flicked all over the background fabric, work so well with the bubbly, watery, ocean effect.

And it's hard to get the effect in a photo, but I also love how the sequin eyes sparkle in the light.

This one just feels, to me, the perfect combination of fabrics, design, words, feelings and memories. And even better for being a collaboration with the girls. It makes me happy! Have I said I love it yet?!

Have you got any art work up in your house, either made by yourself or someone else, that makes you happy? And do you have a favourite song from your childhood?

Sally.