Colour My World Yellow

30Apr
by Janine @ Rainbow Hare

This month’s colour for the Colour My World Challenge with M-R at Quilt Matters is yellow, which I expected would be quite seasonal. Here are some very yellow photos I took in April last year…

April in Pictures 2011

…but what has happened to Spring this year? I took these two photos yesterday…

April 2012

 

April 2012

 

 

Yesterday was my birthday and I don’t remember ever having a birthday before so bare-branched and early Spring looking. Tomorrow will be Beltine, May Day or what you will. It is meant to be full of lush pasture and early Summer!

So, as I was pondering what I could make using just yellows, all this unseasonableness got me thinking about Persephone and Demeter and I chanced upon Hymn to Demeter. It is an interlinear translation with copious notes and I really couldn’t recommend it more highly.

I considered (very aspirationally!) the possibility of an amazing goddess image – something along the line of Jen Delyth or Emily Balivet…or perhaps of doing something with this image – maybe a Mycenae earring lying amongst corn stalks.

Image from Hymn to Demeter
So I started with corn stalks…
8 1/2 square of random width yellow strips

 

close straight line quilting, using variegated thread

But, having spent so long reading/procrastinating I was running out of time so I decided I’d better simplify and use this image instead…

corn goddess pewter pendant
And, as it turned out, that was more than aspirational enough! I attempted to make her 3D by sewing her onto wadding in pieces and then appliquéing everything down.

 

corn goddess in progress

Some parts worked better than others. I was reasonable pleased with the bottom half but the wadding was quite tricky to work with. I wonder if felt might be better as it would be more stable?

The top half is very clunky and lumpy at the edges though. I really must take a class or get a book that describes how to do this sort of thing properly :(

She has definitely ended up looking more like a corn dolly that corn goddess.

But she is yellow, I’ve met the colour my world deadline, I’ve tried something new, the seeds are starting to grow and, at least for the moment, the sun is shining.

spinach
tomatoes
climbing beans
I am linking this post to:
Colour My World Challenge with M-R at Quilt Matters and going to see what else everyone has been making in yellow!

 

22 thoughts on “Colour My World Yellow”

  3. Issabella The Cat

    Happy belated birthday!
    I'm in denial about Beltine being tomorrow it's too blinking grey and bare! we'll still be headed out though just with wellies and winter coats on :D
    I think your goddess looks lovely and vibrant, just whats needed given the weather!

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  4. beaquilter

    this is GREAT!! where are you at since you didn't get flowers yet, I'm in NC-USA and we had NO winter, so flowers bloomed early then we got a night of frost a few weeks apart in april and some plants died, this week is supposed to be 87 except today which will rain….. NC weather is so ODD!

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  10. MC

    She looks great and Happy Birthday! I love the hand quilting on the corn cob bottom. I planted some flowers last week, but it snowed on top of them… can't wait for spring to really hit!

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  17. Celtic Thistle

    Belated happy birthday. You certainly gave yourself a challenge and met it! You are always so good at providing details of your inspiration too, I thoroughly enjoy reading your posts. Thanks

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  20. Kate R

    I love this! So cute – and love your inspiration photos too. I don't love yellow myself and don't often use it in quilts except in combination with others, but this could convince me to change my mind! So happy :)

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