Sometimes I find myself scrolling through my own quilt gallery. Does anyone else do this with their own work? I feel like the answer must be yes — it’s both a fun trip down memory lane, and a nice way to assess my creative work as a whole.
Recently, as I was looking back over my work from the last few years, it suddenly struck me that fabric and design challenges have had a huge impact on my quilting. I knew I enjoyed a challenge, but as I started counting, I was surprised at how many I found.
In fact, many of my most successful quilts have been the result of a challenge!
The Modern Quilt Guild runs challenges once or twice per year, usually one in the fall as part of QuiltCon and one in the spring. The four shown above — Backyard Chatter, Spring Training, Palmdale, and Notes to Self — are from the last 4 years of the fall challenge. Several years ago I also made items for the spring challenge — Pentagon Star and this cathedral windows pillow.
My guilds (Gulf Coast MQG and Houston MQG) have also hosted informal challenges. We’ve had three GCMQG challenges — Alison Glass fabric, then “ugly” fabric, then curves — that resulted in my Geometry of Circles, Mini Maze, and Emission Spectrum quilts. I also participated in a couple HMQG challenges this year that led to my All That is Gold Does Not Glitter and Clair de Lune mini quilts.
Curated Quilts hosts another popular mini quilt challenge in support of each issues, and I’ve enjoyed making three minis for those so far — Shattered, Subtract by Snips, and Hyperspace.
I’ve also made challenge quilts for the Cherrywood Challenge (Bob Ross Rainbow) and the Pantone challenge (Beauty Burst and Greenery). The Pantone challenge didn’t happen this year, for covid reasons I assume? I hope it happens again next year!
This year I’ve enjoyed the challenges presented to the Aurifil Artisan group, which led to my first wholecloth quilt (Geometric Rosette) and a fun Texas-themed embroidery.
And while I didn’t make these two quilts alone, I designed and led the effort for two of GCMQG’s charity quilts — Patchwork Waves and One Small Step — which also had to fit within certain parameters such as size and color palette.
After counting them up, that’s 21 (!!!) quilts that have been made in response to some sort of quilting challenge! Wow! And several of these have been been displayed at QuiltCon or International Quilt Festival.
Clearly I’m a person who can’t resist the motivation and competition of a good challenge. I’m excited to see what challenges 2021 will bring!
p.s. I’m doing a 31 day blogging challenge.
assetdesigns says
WOW!!!!!
aquilterstable says
That IS alot! I feel like I have been strongly influenced by challenges as well. And yes, I do scroll thru my own makes now and then. 😉
Stephanie says
I think it’s because you’re motivated by deadlines.