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