“Only a Lily” – New Quilt From an Old Favorite

Each year I like to enter a quilt in The National Quilt Museum’s New Quilts From an Old Favorite contest.

This year the traditional block that our quilt was to represent was the “Carolina Lily.”

I was stunned when I received a call recently that my quilt “Only a Lily” had won 1st place. And then I got all giddy and had to call some family and friends and share my good news.

When my sister, Emily, started making some quilts using Gloria Loughman’s technique from her book “Radiant Landscapes,” I loved the effect.

Blue Bell

So, I bought a book too and studied it and decided to make a ‘lily’ quilt to practice for my entry. 

I was pleased with how “Lily” turned out and decided to use the technique for my entry.

So, I found a piece of fabric that I thought would work good for the background …

… and I cut red and green squares of 2 other pieces of fabric. I traced off a motif of the traditional Carolina Lily pattern onto the squares … 

… and cut them out.

  

When Emily saw my little bits of scraps left over she decided to make another small art quilt using them in the sky of her “Setting Sage” quilt.

I thought it marvelous and decided to change my background to the same yellow that she had chosen. But alas, it didn’t have the same effect that hers did.

  

So I went back to my original choice of background fabric and I loved what I saw.

Here, I have added a black border with slight curves.

Then I cut out ‘lily’ parts and laid them on the background. Deciding which lily I liked best was a hard choice.

When all the fusing was finished I was ready to quilt.

And after the quilting was finished the quilt wanted to wobble, ripple, and pucker up.

But that didn’t cause me too much worry as it all flattened out when I blocked it with lots of water.

And then I added the piping and binding and blocked it again.

Only a Lily

56 1/2” X 56 1/2”

“I am only … a  [humble] lily of the valleys [that grows in deep and difficult places]. … Like the lily among thorns, so are you …” –Song of Solomon 2:1, 2 (Amplified)

Detail

Don’t forget to enter my fabric giveaway HERE.

Finish It Up Friday

Farming, Guests, and Only a Lily

Life …

I pulled the bean header again, this time 30 miles. Quinten and Gabriel got a head start going down the road in the combines …

… but I caught up with them and followed them the rest of the way to Pickensville, AL.

Another day, Quinten needed a ride to the Oswalt Farm so I obliged him. He greased up the equipment …

… before starting his day of field cultivating.

Saturday, Miguel came to help set up the playground swings in the pines in the back yard.

He brought his sister Christine along and …

… they stayed for our pizza supper.

Teryn is growing so fast, it seems.

Paul enjoyed a little holding time.

Picking cotton and hauling it away kept Kirby and Ashton busy.

… as a Quilter

I was bequeathed all this fabric and blocks from Veronica from some unknown quilter in the parking lot at Joann's.

My “lily” quilt had lots of wobbly ripples in it when I got through quilting it.

But, don't worry! I blocked it and poured lots of water on it and it dried nice and smooth and flat.

It is finished, all the way down to the label and the hanging sleeve on the back.  I’m calling it “Only a Lily.”

Life and Quilt Lily

Life …

Quinten gives his boys an aerial view of our house.

Scott enjoys a ride in Gabe’s newly acquired sailboat.

And now, Gabe takes it out for a ‘spin’(?).

This load of mulch is for the grandchildren!

… as a Quilter

I’m working now on the borders of “lily.” I’m needing to come up with a name. Do any of you have a good suggestion?

Cleaning, Finishes, Setting Sage, and Autumn Maple Quilts

Before I get to the “finishes” I want to tell you about …

Life …

We had our fall church cleaning today. Veronica ran the sweeper.

Angie washed windows.

And we had lots of other help that made the job go fast. I got to clean the sewing closet. It’s a walk-in style and big enough room to have a small Sunday School class.

In the big closet is the smaller closet where we keep finished quilts and comforters, batting, a box of scraps to be cut into carpet strips, and then on the bottom right are the tubs we use for our  communion and feet washing service.

I like these shelves that hold the fabric, backings, and projects in progress.

And now, it’s all clean.

… as a Quilter

Perry and Emily came this week. Perry to help with bean harvest and Emily to ... sew with me?

Remember how she started this little art quilt HERE and HERE? She added a tree and then spooled out thread for the leaves and covered the thread with tulle and stitched over it. 

And now it is finished!  She is calling it “Setting Sage.” It measures 14”X12” and is for sale for $99.00.

Emily also brought along her “fractured chevron quilt” and today got it all pin basted and ready to quilt.

I continue to work on my “lily” quilt.

I’m still trying to decide what color of thread to use on my lily, so I decided to make a small art quilt with a sampling of the thread on the black fabric.

I’m calling it “Autumn Maple.” It measures 12 1/2” X 12 1/2” and is for sale for $75.00.  SOLD

The back has “fast finished triangles”  ready for hanging.

The label.

Dana finished all 9 wonky blocks and is ready to sew them together.

Her twin sister Sarah came for a friendly visit today. They both have bubbling personalities and they both love cats!