Guild Challenges for Fun and Nurturing Creativity!

I belong to Camaco Quilt Guild and they held a challenge last spring: to make something that is 90% rectangles and it had to be quilted. Easy enough you would think.  I've always wanted to make a friendship braid quilt so I looked around and saw some good tutorials and ideas I liked.  I cut some fabric using the binding tool as my guide and started sewing it together, nice long rectangles! Then I looked up the definition of a rectangle and they have four 90 degree angles!!!!! As I sewed the braid together I realized there are corners that AREN'T 90 degrees!! Uh oooooh!

This is the binding tool I used for cutting the "rectangles".  As you can see, there aren't four 90 degree angles.

NOT 90 degrees!

90 degree angles!!!

I also belong to Jersey Shore Modern Quilt Guild who participated in the Michael Miller Challenge at  the same time, they gave us fat eights of Michael Miller fabrics to use, you could add any solid or Michael Miller fabric to make something, it had to be quilted were the only rules for MQG challenge.

Michael Miller Challenge Fabrics 

I thought I could make one project for both challenges until I realized the 90 degree angle problem. I had plenty of fabric for the Michael Miller Challenge, so I decided to use the friendship braid for that and I used the rest to zip up a zipper quilt for Camaco's challenge. Whew!! So glad that worked out!! I love the brightness and the color scheme for both.

Table runners for my porch, nice bright summer colors!

A little straight line quilting.

I hope this inspires you to go make something!

Nini~

Good things come to those who wait.

Our guild's  first retreat project 4 years ago, I finished at our 4th retreat in January 2013 in Cape May, NJ. Still just a top, I'm holing out on quilting it until my skills with the short arm are honed a bit!

I am lucky to have a very inspirational quilt guild I belong to in South Jersey, CAMACO Quilt Guild. I've been a member since 2009. In that time I've learned so much about quilting and sewing. Many many times I've been ready to throw in the towel and give up sewing because things didn't quite go my way. Seams didn't meet, I sewed too many pieces together and have to rip out seams, I cut pieces the wrong size, you know, normal everyday things for a quilter. In all of that time, never once during my complaining did any quilter anywhere ever say...yeah, you're right, you should give up. Within our guild there are many little groups that meet to sew together and enjoy each other's company. I am really fortunate to belong to two different sub groups that have taught me all about quilting and most importantly how to be a good friend. Whenever we get together there's sure to be laughs among the hum of our machines.

I never imagined that my idea of the stereotypical quilt lady could be so wrong! I am happy to say my daughter Chelsey has joined the quilting revolution! So as time moves on I'm thrilled to report the "quilt lady" is being joined by throughly modern 20 somethings who are bringing a new twist to an old tradition. Welcome Chelsey and all the other young fresh creative people bringing a new vibe to one of the oldest crafts. I look forward to all the camaraderie and bright ideas you will breathe into a dieing craft.  I hope I can make your newly found obsession easier while providing guidance that isn't too stifling to your creativity! Also, thank you to my friend Helen from Til We Quilt Again! for her never ending support, inspiration and expertise you enlighten Chelsey with.

I have been deep in quilting and sewing since Christmas. I visited the Lancaster Quilt Show and gathered lots of inspiration while padding my stash! Here's a peek into my latest UFO(UnFinished Objects) since the new year started. I am making headway on my self imposed discipline to get my started projects finished.

Chickadee, started in 2012, I'm sewing the binding on now!

A Zentangle inspired Valentine's Day Project. Started in 2013, finished in 2013!(a new concept!) A presentation for the quilt guild.

A challenge quilt, I designed myself...using inspiration from Ann Maria Horner's Feather Bed Quilt Pattern.

Kaleidoscope Quilt from the 2nd quilt retreat! Started in 2011 finished in 2013! Just a top right now, waiting for the machine quilting skills to improve(yada yada yada!!).