Shapely Challenge Revealed

The big Reveal finally arrived today at Pine Belt Quilters. My "Shapes On The Green" tied for first place and then came in second in the runoff. There were 20 awesome quilts--a real treat for all to see. They are pictured on the guild's website under the Guild Activities/Shapely Challenge tab.

Shapes On The Green 

The year-long challenge was to make 20 twelve-inch blocks using required shapes (four blocks every two months), using five fat quarters for beginning fabrics and adding any other fabrics desired, as well as setting as we chose. The variety displayed in these finished quilts showed a lot of creativity in our guild. It makes us know we will have a beautiful quilt show this October! Although I generally make art quilts, this returning to pattern drafting and selecting fabrics for blocks was surprisingly satisfying. Adding the scalloped edge and hand-sewing the bias binding were good reminders of skills I had developed over the years. The quilt is 81" x 89."
Here are the 20 blocks in rows. Row 5 is on top, then Rows 1, 2, 3, and 4. Row 1 shapes were only squares. Row 2 shapes were squares and half-square triangles (HSTs). Row 3 shapes were squares, HSTs and rectangles. Row 4 shapes were squares,HSTs and tri-recs. Row 5 shapes were squares and concave/convex (as in Drunkard's Path).

I added a 1-1/2" border to each block.

Before scalloped edge

Detail of quilting

Detail of quilting

Quilting the Shapely Challenge--With Help

My Shapely Challenge quilt is all assembled, bordered, layered and basted. Now for the quilting. This step really had me stumped. It turned out about 85" x 95" and I wondered IF I could handle the quilting myself and if so, HOW to quilt it. I have a Sweet Sixteen machine, but still worried about actually doing it. After much thought I realized that all the planning wasn't going to get the job done and I just needed to get started. Elizabeth is my constant companion and loves to curl up on whatever I am working on. Since it is important not to have anything restricting the movement of the quilt or dragging on the quilt, I kept moving her. When I would leave the quilt and come back, she was in another "more comfy" place.

Rah-Rah thought Elizabeth might be getting too much attention, so she joined her and got as close as she could.

After I was through she finally got to get under the machine head--where I wouldn't let her be while I was quilting.

Now for the binding. The reveal is at Pine Belt Quilters' March 9 meeting; I will post a full picture then.

Starting a New Year

New beginnings are always exciting. But I'm starting this new year by completing something from last year. And that gives a good feeling of accomplishment, too. My guild, Pine Belt Quilters, has had a "Shapely Challenge" in progress since March of 2015, with five steps given semi-monthly through November. We have until March 2016 for the reveal of our finished quilts. We drew for five fat quarters and could add anything else to make the twenty 12-inch blocks using specified shapes for the five steps (squares, half-square triangles, Drunkard's Path, etc.). I loved the fat quarters I drew:

These suggested to me that deep rose and various shades of green would guide the rest of my choices. After all, red and green are compliments.I selected several deep rose fabrics:

Here are some of the greens I used:

Of course, some neutrals to allow the roses and greens to be the main characters:

I had one yard of green E. E. Schenck Diawabo called Elite Gelato which I thought just right for setting the squares. Luckily, I found an Etsy source to buy more and discovered a neat blogger I will enjoy following, Tierney Hogan:

 Here are my groups of fabrics on the green background:

Choosing patterns for the five steps using specified shapes was like Quilting 101, and even though I have mainly transitioned to making art quilts, the challenge was interesting and nostalgic, and drafting and cutting templates was good to sharpen skills I learned many years ago. But the most fun was working with the colors and balancing them four blocks at a time.


I'm eager to post the blocks and the setting I have chosen--but since we are not to reveal our work for two months, I will wait.