Group Challenge

Finished Challenge Quilt

A year ago, in early May, my small quilt guild held a retreat and each participant received a bundle of 10 fat eighths.  The challenge was to make something with the F8ths.  We could make whatever we wished and could add fabrics from our own stash to it.  I pondered the options for awhile and then came upon the brainstorm to try out some blocks from a book called, "Just Plain Nuts".  This is the second book by the same author, Liz Lois.  The first one is entitled, "Nearly Insane".   The books just have a diagram of the block with no instructions.  I had to measure each of the sections and add seams and cut out the pieces.  I made 9 six inch blocks and then added sashings, corner stones and borders.  The last border worked well with a piano key design using up all the scraps and bits and pieces of the fabric bundle.  It was a fun project and I finally got to using some of the patterns which have been on my shelf for many years.

I quilted the quilt myself doing each block differently....whatever came to mind.

Some of the pieces were crazy tiny!

Below are some photos of the blocks before putting into the quilt.  They are 6 1/2" unfinished. 

 At the retreat at the end of April this year, we had a parade to show everyone at the retreat what we made with our bundles.  Amazing how different everyone's projects were.

 

 

 

Postage Stamp challenge quilt

The Hearts and Hands quilt guild that I belong to makes comfort quilts for the chemo unit at our local hospital.  Someone donated a quilt to the cause which had 2332 little 1" finished squares in it.  On a whim, our chair challenged our members to make a quilt with at least that number of 1" squares in it and the challenge was due in January of 2020.  An amazing number of members jumped in and got busy ☺.  I decided to use Bonnie Hunter's trip around the world pattern and used 1 1/2" strips that I have been collecting for a long time.  It was a lot of fun making units that made up 1/4 of a block.  I added sashings and used more 1" blocks to make 4 patch corner blocks, since I didn't have quite enough.  After I had the top finished, there was one 1/4 block that really was too light so I made one more and replaced it.  I used the light block to make the label on the back which totaled 2440 squares. 

Since this quilt is going in the stack of lap quilts for my grand kids to choose from for their grade 12 graduation, I used a Science print for the backing.  And, I used my Westalee circle rulers to quilt circles in each square.  That worked very nicely.  I found the perfect striped binding fabric in my stash and had just enough to finish it.

(Click on the photo for a larger view.) 

Finished quilt

Circle quilting

Found a striped binding fabric

Science themed backing

label

 

Elgin Piecemaker's Challenge

Every year the Elgin Piecemaker's quilt group does a challenge.  This year it was a "Fold it - Snip It - Rip it - Pass it - Make it" challenge organized by Deb and Joanne.  We had to bring a yard of batik fabric to the October meeting as well as a pair of fabric scissors.  We stood in a circle and clipped our yard in half and ripped it, keeping one half and passing the other half to our neighbour on the right.  We continued doing this til we had 7 different fabrics, each half the size of the previous one.  There was only one rule:  at least one piece of each of the 7 batiks must be used in our project.  We could add any fabrics and make whatever we wished.  

I had a pattern in my to do box called "Fierce Ladies" by Eye Candy Quilts and decided to add lots of my batik scraps to make a colourful rendition of this pattern which was inspired by those riotously colourful Victorian houses set in the hills of San Francisco.  This pattern was the mini version and finished at 18" x 24".   (Click on the photos for a larger view.)

The original 7 batiks I received plus a white tone on tone batik I had in my stash which I used for background

Back of my wallhanging.  I bought these fabrics on a trip to PEI a few years ago.  Since the pattern was California houses, a beach theme was appropriate.

While spraying the white parts with water to remove the markings for quilting, the blue of this roof ran!  I got a lot of it out but added rick rack on a few of the roofs to cover it up ☺

The quilting suggestion was on the pattern

Our grand reveal meeting was held at the end of March.  Here are the projects that the other ladies made.  They were all amazing and the judges had a very difficult time choosing two winners!  And, we all had a hard time with our viewer's choice vote!!

Yvonne T's wallhanging

Pat P's wallhanging

Julie's bag (the other colours were in the bottom but somehow I didn't get a picture of that)

Chris's table runner

We wondered if Chris had not used all seven fabrics, but one was hiding on the back ☺

Gail made a bag to carry her handwork in while traveling

Joanne made fabric with lots of batiks added to her colours and made this sunburst of diamonds

Jacqui's  houses

Heather's sewing themed wallhanging has her original fabrics under the machine

Pat O's butterfly pillow

Anne's table runner or wallhanging

Diane's mini paper pieced mariner's compass

Deb burned the midnight oil finishing her table runner!

Our judges, Lorna and Heather holding up Beth P's appliqued fish

Diane won viewer's choice

Julie won runner up for her bag

Deb won 1st place for her lovely modern table runner. 

 We already have two volunteers to challenge us for our next challenge in the fall!  Can't wait to see what they have planned for us.

Elgin Piecemaker's Pillow challenge

The Elgin Piecemaker's guild does a challenge every year.  This year Julie and Joanne were in charge and they came up with a very appropriate challenge for Canada's 150th anniversary.  We were all given a 20" pillow form and a 10" piece of Kimono Maple Leaf fabric.  The challenge was to come up with a pillow cover that represents what Canada means to us.  We had to use the complete square of the maple leaf fabric.  

I had an idea almost right away as I was inspired by the neutral backgrounds with applique over it.  I could piece together a background with symbols and words that represent Canada and thought of appliqueing a maple leaf and a tulip on the front to reflect my Dutch heritage.  With three friends, I took part in the 401 Quilt Run shop hop in October 2016 in Eastern Ontario.  Visiting the 14 shops on the shop hop gave me ample opportunity to find appropriate fabrics.  Many of the fabrics represented my Mother's love of sewing and had sayings reflecting her values, love of family and gift of hospitality.  I even found a fabric with rings on it symbolizing my parents engagement by mail in January 1954.  My Dad had immigrated to Canada already with his whole family and my Mom followed about a year later.  We still have the envelope that the ring was sent in by registered mail :-).  

When I actually started the pillow, I ran stuck on the applique because I had to use the whole square of maple leaf fabric and could not think how to cut a tulip and a maple leaf out it!  So, I cut out a maple leaf and appliqued it on the back and put the frame on the front and then I added some tulips to the back as well.  I used up every mm of that maple leaf fabric LOL.

Last night, we had the grand reveal and Cynthia from Cherished Pieces and Jesse, one of our former members, were the judges.  They sure had their work cut out for them. The pillows were amazing!  Many of the backs were as nice as the front and the stories behind the quilts were very moving!  It was a great exercise in stopping and pondering this great country of Canada and what we appreciate about it. (Click on the photos to enlarge them for a better view.)

the Kimono challenge fabric

result of shopping excursion :-)

my pillow front

the back of the pillow

The group with all the pillows

This is the write up that accompanied my pillow:

My Canada

“My Canada” is inseparably linked to my parents’ immigration from Holland to Canada.  I chose neutral fabrics with symbols and words, each representing an aspect of Canada or a memory of my parents to whom I am grateful for my Canadian citizenship.   Word fabrics were chosen to describe my Mom’s life rules and talents and her love of sewing and hospitality. 

 

The iconic Canadian maple leaf was cut from the Kimono Maple leaf fabric and appliqued to the back of the pillow on tulip and bicycle fabric representing my roots in Holland. The remaining maple leaf frame was sewn on the front to create another silhouette of this great Canadian Symbol.  From front to back, I can rest comfortably in this great country Canada, which is my own.  This pillow will be proudly displayed in my home for Canada’s 150^th celebration.

The Learning Process of a Challenge

Joining a challenge really stretches us outside of our comfort zone and is a great learning experience.  It can be frustrating at times when you run stuck and cannot think of something that will work, but by tossing wild ideas at it, it finally does come together (usually LOL!).

I wrote about our 2nd Elgin Piecemaker's Quilt Guild challenge in this blog post.  Here are some photos of the process I went through to get to the final quilt.

We started with the mini charm pack pictured above - the 2 1/2" squares are all white background with bright little motifs

I bought a charm pack of solids to give me a kick start and variety of colours which I didn't have to cut into 2 1/2" squares :-)

The new to me tool I used for this challenge was a Drunkard's Path 2" patchwork template set from Matilda's own which I purchased in a quilt shop in Holland two summers ago.  The units are cut from 2 1/2" squares and I used this mini Fiskars rotary cutter to get around those sharp curves easily.

My first idea was circles within circles, but that reminded me too much of pac man.

playing with some arrangements and colours but not enough of the same colour

I took apart some of the drunkard's path units and added other colours.  Part of the challenge was to try to use as many of the 84 charm squares as you could so I could not waste a single one!  Making some progress on the colours.....

Change to black and white to see the values; needs some work!  the lack of symmetry is bothering me...I like things square :-)

Had the idea to set it on point and square it up...trying different colours

How about coloured squares around it?  No, that overpowers it!

Maybe grey corners with a yellow square in it?  Hmm...no like :-(

In desperation I turned it around...hmmm...maybe this will work.

I liked the lighter grey triangles now with a small border around it.  The turqouise binding would set it off nicely

I quilted it with lines echoing the round shape

The quilting on the back looks kind of cool

It won viewer's choice in the challenge!  I really like how it turned out.