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!