Yule Glow, or You’ll Glow!
This blog post originally ran in October 2019.
This is Yule Glow, my latest design for McCall’s Quilting and their Nov/Dec ’19 issue, on newsstands now.
Yule Glow, designed and made by Diane Harris. Appears in McCall’s Quilting Nov/Dec ’19.
I wish I could tell you that when it’s time to design a quilt, I sit down and lightning strikes and then comes something wonderful.
But that’s not what happens.
Today I’m letting you in on a secret. I’m going to show you some of the evolution that Yule Glow went through to find its eventual finish. It was a circuitous journey.
I can only credit “Julia.” I wish I knew more, because this is brilliant.
An illustrator named Julia drew what is above and oh how I wish I knew who she was, because this is brilliant. Was anything ever more true? Anyway.
Here’s what happened.
I’ve designed a handful of pictorial quilts with giant features, like Prancer’s Peppermints and Welcome.
Prancer’s Peppermints
I thought it might be fun to design a quilt with candles, and I was thinking giant candles like the huge peppermints. Big enough to cover a twin-size bed.
I design in EQ8 from The Electric Quilt Company. Here’s how it went.
1. Big candles.
2. Better greenery.
3. Add a snappy border.
4. Add interest to the background because the flames look lonely.
5. An idea seed is planted with what I’m seeing in the background!
6. Could I create a glow around the flames?
7. What if I made it in the shape of traditionally pieced stars?
8. Create more contrast.
9. Play around and play around some more.
10. Hit upon a winning combination.
11. Cue HALLELUJAH CHORUS.
Months later, the issue arrives. It’s on newsstands now!
(Somewhere in there I realized that the candles would be more charming if they were not monstrous. But I still have giant Christmas items up my sleeve for next year.)
Yule Glow.
I can’t help it, I keep thinking of it as “You’ll Glow.”
Get your copy of McCall’s Quilting Nov/Dec ’19 while they last, on newsstands now. Yule Glow is 28″ x 34″ and it’s part of my Jingle Bells Trunk Show of dozens of Christmas and holiday quilts. I’d love to bring it to your quilt guild!
Tags: christmas quilt, electric quilt company, EQ8, jingle bells trunk show, quilt design, yule glow
LeAnn Frobom
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Thank for the glimpse into your creative process!! I love the final version!
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Shasta
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Each of the designs are so pretty, and you hit on the right combination.
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Kaye Mattson
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Thanks for sharing your design journey. Yule Glow is really pretty and I like it sized as a wall
Quilt. The glow around the flame adds alot. Congrats on a beautiful design!
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Carol Weber
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Diane, I love it! You’ve motivated me to go pick up a copy of the magazine!
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Nann
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Thanks for the insights into the story of the design — which I admired when the magazine arrived a couple of weeks ago. Do you always save each draft of a design? (A good thing here so you could show the steps). And you have another pattern in the new Quiltmaker with an intriguing block design.
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Diane Harris
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Hi Nann! I usually have many versions of a design that are leftover in EQ. They can number into the dozens when you take into account all the color auditions that didn’t make the cut. I used to think that designers came up with something striking on the first try, just like magic. But now I know better! And thank you for your kind words. I’m glad you like it! The new QM design is another rendition of the Baby Windmills of which I am so fond. 🙂
Robin
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Thanks for the pattern and the insight to designing. What would designers do without EQ? Back to color pencils and paper. 🙂
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