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!