Once Upon a lily PQ challenge 2

Project Quilting Season 8 Challenge 2: Carolina Lily

Have you taken the process pledge?  When I was a reborn quilter in 2010 I came across a button called the Process Pledge.  You can see it on the side bar of my blog.  Its about writing about the creative process to share, teach , and inspire others.  Also to document the creative process.  Check it out.  Mostly I overgram on instagram.  But Im going to to try to summarize all my big or important finishes this year in blogs.

Sooo I started with two of my favorite reference books.  Carrie Hall's The Romance of the Patchwork Quilt.  Mine is the newer 1930's edition.  Great reference when looking up block names or looking for inspiration from the past.  And The North Carolina Quilt book with the Carolina lily on the cover.

Then I made lots of sketches in my graph notebook.  Nothing inspired me.  Sunday night laying in bed and I thought...FABRIC!!!

SO I pulled my stash of Heather Ross Far Far Away fat quarters and scraps.  I have wanted to make something with them for me.  I have done a few small things in the past but If could not be inspired to draw out a design plan then I would let the fabric speak to me.

Using the lilies I sketched out in my design notebook I put together a fabric plan and sewed three lilies using the three snail print color ways, three unicorn print colorways and the green unicorn print colorway.  The I decided to fussy cut the princess and the pea to use as well.  The I let it simmer for a couple days. 

 I decided I needed to fussy cut two unicorns in different colorways.  And a frog.  I needed a frog.  The I fussy cut the frog and lily pads from a color way I hadn't used.  I pieced it all together and was stuck again.  So I let it simmer some more.  I wasn't sure where I was going now.  Was it going to be a wall hanging for my seasonal spot in my living room?  A pillow?

The I was started googling images of fairy tale characters, objects and I saw a wolf...mmm...wolves are bad....Bad wolf!  Yes fairy tale and Doctor who is a win win !

I used some scraps of heat and bond and free hand drew out the letters.  Then looked for a howling wolf picture and drew out the wolf head.  I added a strip to square up the bottom. Added the 4" background strip to the side, fused everything, and free motion sewed everything.  I also added a vine and leaves to the bottom with fusible.

Now I was ready to turn it into a 20" Pillow!  I need to get rid of some pillows on my comfy chair and have one IKEA pillow form left.  They are the best and cheapest! 

 First I layered the top with batting and quilted free motion different ways. Then I picked two fat quarters- a snail and a rose print from colorways I had not used yet and made the envelope back.  And its done!

title:  Once Upon a Lily

size: 20x20

made by:  me

pattern: original based on a Carolina lily block

inspiration:  Heather Ross Far Far and Away fabric

keep dreaming...Colleen

Me and this cutie got to spend the day with mom for her birthday Monday!

My Project Quilting Creations over the years

Memories have been popping up on Facebook, I've been organizing my photos in flickr, and cleaning out my sewing room.  All of these have prompted me to do a Project Quilting recap over the seasons I have participated.  

What is Project Quilting you ask?  I first learned about it during a weekly quilt tweet chat years ago.  Every other week a new challenge would be given with one week to finish to be eligible for prizes. I LOVE a challenge! It pushes me and my creativity!  I often used it for specific purposes I had in mind.  Click on title of each piece for more details. So here is the review, I hope you participate in the upcoming challenges.

This year, 2017 season 8,  challenge 1: 8 is Great!

title:  On the 8's

pattern:   original

size:  54 x 54

2016: Season 7

Challenge 1: Confetti

title: Snowflakes fell like Confetti

pattern:  adaptation of Gina Allen

size:  table runner (gifted)

challenge 2: Seasons

title: Seasons of change

pattern: original

size: 28x28

Challenge 3: All About Thread

title:  Helical Ridge

pattern: original

size: 28x20

Challenge 4: I Need a Vacation

title: Into the Woods

pattern: Adaptaion of Quick Curve Ruler trees 

size:45 x 57.5

Challenge 5: Through the Eyes of a Child

title: Eye Spy Peanut (gifted)

pattern: original

size:36 x 43

Challenge 6: A Goose in the Monkey Wrench

title: Hello Peanut (gifted)

pattern: original

size: 35 x 35

Season 6 Challenge 1: Trees

title: Rainbow Forrest

pattern: original

size:  32 x 32

Challenge 2: Sunrise/Sunset

title: Sun Colors

pattern: original

size: 28 x 32

Challenge 3: Orphan Blocks/UFOs

title: Sewing Chair II

pattern: original

size: 6x4

Challenge 4: Have a heart

title: Kitten Love (swapped)

pattern: original

size: 28 x 28

Challenge 5: My Favorite Fabric

title: Starlight Garden

pattern: Gina Fornecker

size: 56 x 64

Challenge 6:  Isn't that Charming

title:  Charming patchwork

patterns:  original

size: 16 x 20

Sesaon 5 challenge 3:  Sweet Treats

title: Candy Dreams:  Red Wax Lips & Pixie Stix, Rock candy Dreams

pattern: original

size: 35 x 35

Challenge 4:  Across the Universe

title: Totality of Existence
pattern: original
size: 20 x 20

challenge 5: Triangles

title: Crafty Baby (gifted)
pattern: orginal
size: 39 x 39

Season 4:  Challenge 1 Square in a Square

title: square square dot dot
pattern: original
size:18 x 60

Challenge 3: Annie's Vision

title: heart wishes
pattern: original
size: 8.5 x 7

Challenge 4 Wish Apon a Star

title: Texas Star
pattern: original
size 20 x 20

Challenge 6: Hurry Spring

title: Spring Tree
pattern: original
size: 20 x 20




keep dreaming...Colleen

Adaline and her cousin Natalie enjoying on of her quilts (she has 5 now!)

TMQG July meeting

Tonight is the August meeting so I need to post the July meeting before that.  Still trying to get caught up on postings.  Here are quilts from the show and tell.

This is an I-spy quilt.  It is pretty cool as each row represents a different memeber of her family with each fabric having significance in that persons life. 

Paiges pink and orange quilt.  The back was pink and oragne and white.

Becky using hand dyed precut squares.

I'm back form vacation!

Well Im back from my happy place!

Gull Lake in Canada is my favorite place on earth!  It is wild and peaceful and the cold lake i full of great fish to catch!  Our days kind of went like this for two weeks-wake up late, eat breakfast, go fishing/kayaking, eat lunch, nap, go fishing/kayaking, eat dinner, go fishing/kayaking, eat a late night goodie snack, and go to sleep. Sometimes Dad would take me out with my kayak on the back of the Sylvia Jane and drop me off.  Then I would paddle back.  One day I portaged up into Quebec Lake, 

another I paddled back a creek and over a beaver Damn into Deer Lake, and last I paddled up Hsband creek.  After I did the special paddle, I would paddle the 4 or so miles back to camp.

  I would snack along the way and usually be dead tired.  Especially when I would have to paddle against the cross winds. I LOVED IT!  

My musical timeline

1978 Copacabana by Barry Manilow
I remember riding on the center hump between my Grandmother and Grandfather in their old yellow Datsun singing it at the top of my lungs. We were going to dig fish worms for Canada from under the leaves on a hillside along the road.

Delta dawn
Easy
Jack and diane
Live like you were dying
Highway to the danger zone
Pretty in Pink
Da Do Run Run
Like a virgin
closer i am to fine
mexican hat dance
open arms
unknown
shaes of gray
sslt snd epper
violent femmes
flowers are red

Im NOT going to QUILTCON!!!

Ok.  Just had to get that out of my system.

On a more positive note its a SEW/SNOW day!!!!!

My yummy snow day breakfast!

So Im going to do some recap posts to catch up on all the finishes and exciting happenings from the past couple of weeks.

************

So I participated in Doll Quilt Swap 13 aka DQS13.  

I have previously participated in DSQ10 where I made this lovely expressing my angst with my past quilting life meeting my new quilting life.

and received this lovely view on a lake

And then I participated in DQS11 and sent this beauty

and received this beauty.

So I had the lovely   at   . And made her this awesomeness.

I have to make myself one.  I still have a scrap that says Quilt or Die.

And I received this amazing quilt from  .  Perfect for me in color fabric and design!

Look for my next blog on my experiences this week with Melody Miller!!!

Keep dreaming...Colleen

Rainbow brick swap haul!

Project Quilting season 8, challenge 1: 8 is great!

Wow! I havent blogged since March!  You can find me almost daily at instagram @cyarnell.  

Today I am sharing with yon a new quilt I designed and made in 6 days!  While working!

title:  On the 8's

size: 54" x 54"

designed and made by:  Colleen C. Yarnell

where:  Lewisville, NC

pattern: orginal

inspiration:  The challenge was 8 is great!, I had a pile of collected Christmas prints come almost vintage and a desire for a cozy winter throw.  I started with a design on Sunday.  I sketched it in one of my graph notebooks.  Though this layout later evolved.

Monday was a holiday so I sorted out fabrics and started cutting and sewing blocks.  I decided to make 8 sets of 8 different blocks.

I modified the design and made it up as I went along.  I stuck with an 8 by 8 grid of 6" finished squares.  I cut out a set of 8 green and 8 red charm squares.  8 four patches, 8 fussy cuts, 8 half square triangles, and 8 square in square. 

 I used my Quick Curve ruler to make 8 curved blocks.  I also made 8 wonky trees.  I looked at various tutorials but decided to cut it my own way.  

The overall layout is a play on a snowflake with a symmetrical orientation focused to the center.  One square in a square block it rotated 90 degrees but I decided to leave it.

I had the top assembled Monday when I realized it only finished at 48"square!  I think when I designed it Sunday I had planned to do 7" blocks.  Oh well.  So I planned a border.  Of course it had to be based on 8! I decided to use a gray on white snowflake print I had just bought on clearance from Joann's and a cute Santa cat print that looked like Sofia!

It added enough to make the quilt 54" square.  Perfect!  I added the borders on Tuesday after work.  Then I had to figure out backing.  I went to Joann's after work Tuesday thinking I would get a wool batt to make it extra cuddly.  But they had none.  So I remembered I had bought some blue/ green/white plaid flannel the week before to make some flannel pillowcases. 

 It was the perfect back!  I was short so I took a precut snowy flannel I was going to use for another flannel pillowcase.  It made the perfect batt.  Then it sat until Friday.  Snow was predicted Friday afternoon into Saturday.  I ran errands after work.   It started snowing and it was about 7:00 before I started basting my quilt.

I clipped it to one of the boards I used as design boards until Sofia clawed them down.  It makes it easier to baste when I don't have floor space.  

After basting I was ready to quilt.  I overcame the tiredness of the day and I think the excitement of the snow kept me working.  

I stopped about 9:00 to check on the snow and everything was covered in white!   I kept on working.  It was after midnight when I attached the binding.

At 1:00am I had it finished except for the hand binding.

I put it on my bed to sleep under and then went out to play in the snow!

I went to bed at 2 am!  Then got up at 5:30 am to take more pictures, measure, and watch it snow.  This is the second best use for a quilt ruler.

I spent the morning inside watching the snow and sewing the binding streaming A Place to Call Home on Acorntv.

We ended up with 9" Saturday. It made a perfect picture taking environment.

I finished up the binding and the sun came out for some great pictures of the finished quilt!

keep dreaming...Colleen 

This cutie has been a blessing!