Maltese Inspiration

Two main islands, Malta and Gozo
make up the country of Malta

Certainly a major benefit to living in Europe, is the opportunity to travel, and my husband and I (Kara) are trying to make the most of it. Last fall, we knew we wanted to plan a trip somewhere south and decidedly warmer than Germany in the winter. I scoured the travel blogs and came up with Malta for our end of March trip. While it wouldn't be hot, it would be warmer than where we were, and it looked like there were a lot of interesting things to do and see. When I told people where we were going, they usually looked at me with a strange look and said, "Malta? Where's Malta?" 

As with any place that either Teri or I visit, we always look for inspiration for future projects, and Malta was no different. What stood out to me was that no matter what type of stitching we might do—appliqué, landscapes, embellishment, or piecing—this tiny country had inspiration for it all. Please join me as I take you, through pictures, to the islands of Malta. 

When we walked into our rental—a renovated Maltese farmhouse—the first thing I noticed were the amazing tile floors. One of the bedrooms was filled with beautiful tiles, not just on the floors, but on the walls as well.

In the kitchen

It's hard not to see a quilt!

This will definitely be a block we make someday.

Notice the Maltese Cross in the upper left.

Rose of Sharon style.

Wouldn't this scene be beautiful done in either appliqué or embroidery?

There are so many ways this peacock could be interpreted in fabric.

Malta and the neighboring island, Gozo, are packed with stunning landscapes and interesting rock formations. If you are a landscape quilter, both islands are a feast for the eyes. 

St. Peter's Pool

The color of the water was stunning

Note the person on top for scale.

More of the amazing Mediterranean!

We visited this sleepy fishing village early in the morning.

The island of Gozo is famous for its bobbin lace. While we didn't get to see any lacemakers in action, we were still able to view some of their work.

So many bobbins!

Some of the different designs.

So delicate!

One of the places we visited was a museum built on the site of an original Roman townhouse. I was surprised to see that the Romans must have been quilters! Or, more accurately, some of our quilt designs may have come from their mosaics.

Tumbling Blocks.

A closer view.

English paper piecing?

That this Roman mosaic is still intact is mind blowing.

By now, my husband is quite used to me stopping in the middle of our walks to take pictures of flowers. I think there might need to be a "Flowers of Malta" project.

The color of these beauties is so intense.

These could be found blanketing the landscape.

I love the grey tones in the leaves.

Such beauty in rocks.

I can already see these done in silk ribbon.

Little yellow puffballs.

Malta was far more beautiful than I could have imagined—stitching inspiration was everywhere! Hopefully, you have enjoyed coming along with me on my visit to Malta and have been inspired by what it has to offer. 

Now, I think I am going to go and stitch one of those tiles...