Project QUILTING – ‘Catalog It’ Off Season Challenge Entries

I have to apologize for how long it has taken me to get this blog post up. I had it mostly written and then of course, didn’t save it so I lost it all. So – here’s try two (and yes, I’m saving – often – this time).

I am so in LOVE with the challenge from Crystal S of FrivolousNecessity presented to me and my readers.

I was actually just “inspired” by a photograph from a mail order catalog for a future quilt idea and thought that might be kind of fun – everyone picks their own “inspiration” ad photo from a magazine and explains how that created the idea.

~Crystal S.

In fact, I love it so much I think I’ll be making a series of quilts from ‘ad-spirations’ (well, I’ll start once apple season is over anyway…)

Here’s what we all came up with for the challenge:

Quilter 1: Marcia’s Crafty Sewing & Quilting

Denim Shirt Project

This is my entry in the Project Quilting Off Season Challenge – Catalog It! Your inspiration was to be from an ad.

I was inspired by clothes ads. Many times we thumb thru’ catalogs and order clothes. Then they come in the mail and they don’t fit us correctly. They just hang in our closets. Since this has happened to just about everyone I know, I decided we could all relate!

I was inspired to create a quilt from an unusable clothing item — a denim shirt that didn’t fit me!

I posted about each part of the process on my blog:

#1 Cut the shirt —- Up Cycle this Denim Shirt
#2 The Process — My Vacation Project Continues…
#3 The Binding — A Fringie Raw Edge Binding
#4 Hot Pads — Made from the Scraps
#5 Completed Project –—

Marcia Wachuta — Marcia’s Crafty Sewing and Quilting
Boscobel, Wisconsin

Quilter 2: KimsCraftyApple

Adspiration – Electrolux

Project QUILTING Catalog It Challenge Entry:

I saw an ‘Electrolux’ ad and used it as my inspiration for this piece. When I saw all the clothes stacked neatly I immediately thought STRIPES! I also loved the element of the circles from the washing machines in contrast to the stripes.

So, I randomly chose striped fabric (and one solid Kona piece) and made two nine patches. I cut them up with the disappearing nine patch pattern and re-pieced them once more. Then, I added a simple black border and appliquéd three circles onto the quilt.

Once that was done I used a orange thread to free motion bubble quilting onto the piece.

The function of this piece will be an oversized mug rug. I am super happy with the end result!

Approximate Dimensions: 17″ x 9.5″

Created by Kim Lapacek in Poynette, WI

Quilter 3: Aunt Cindy’s Attic

Grungy T-Shirt & Jeans Quilt

I love the ad where the Fons & Porter women make a quilt with George’s (one of their husbands) flannel shirts and you see him wearing a shirt with a square cut out of it.

Since seeing that I’ve wanted to make a flannel and jeans quilt. When I was in college (I mean, uh, middle school… because I’m not that old!) grunge was big. I had a meeting with my dorm’s radio exec. board where everyone showed up in jeans, tie-dye t-shirts and flannel shirts.

Jeans are upcycled from our personal collection, as are the flannel plaid fabrics. The t-shirts are new and hand dyed by me. All that I dyed were used in the making of this quilt, much to the disappointment of my 5 year old daughter.

The pattern was based on this website: www.straw.com/equilters/library/jeans/jeans_gallbaros.html I thought it was a nice way to make a jeans quilt without just making squares. I’ve used a version of this method before with typical quilting fabric.

The quilt is approximately 5ft x 6ft.
Created by Aunt Cindy of Aunt Cindy’s Attic, Crawfordsville, IN

To sweeten the deal for this challenge, Crystal agreed to allow everyone who enters the challenge to be put into a drawing to win a pattern of your choice from Crystals shop FrivolousNecessity.

So, I plugged 3 into the random number generator and…

Marcia is the lucky winner of a fabulous pattern from FrivolousNecessity.

Thanks to everyone for ‘Thinking Outside of the Square’ with this challenge!

Project QUILTING – Guest Judge QUILTDAD!

I am super excited to have some fun new guest judges this season! The first is one that I’ve been watching on Twitter – QuiltDad! QuiltDad will be the guest judge for the second challenge going on NOW!

Here’s his bio:

John Adams is a husband and father of 3 who enjoys sewing and quilting in his spare time.

Inspired by the growing number of crafting blogs and the emergence of vibrant, modern quilting fabrics in the textile industry, John convinced his wife to teach him how to use her sewing machine in 2004 and hasn’t looked back. He started his popular blog, www.QuiltDad.com, in 2008 to share his love of patchwork with others.

Since then, John has become very active in the online quilting communities. Today, he applies his modern quilting aesthetic by designing quilt patterns for both fabric designers and companies and contributing frequently to creative blogs, books and other collaborative endeavors. John is also a co-founder of the popular e-magazine Fat Quarterly.

John and his family live in Cary, North Carolina.

Quilt Dad has also just started BlockAPalooza on his blog – check it out ASAP and join along! I hope too 🙂

Project QUILTING – Season 2 Update!

WOW! Happy December everyone! I hope this finds you all well and gearing up for Season 2 of Project QUILTING. As promised – it’s going to start up in January!

Here is the Season 2 Schedule:

January 9th – Challenge 1

January 16th – Challenge 1 due by NOON, Judging/Voting Begins

January 23rd – Challenge 2

January 30th – Challenge 2 due by NOON, Judging/Voting Begins

January 31st – Diane’s Birthday (Challenge Maker & Judge)

February 6th – Challenge 3

February 13th – Challenge 3 due by NOON, Judging/Voting Begins

February 20th – Challenge 4

February 24th – Capri’s Birthday (my daughter will be 3!)

February 27th – Challenge 4 due by NOON, Judging/Voting Begins

March 7th – Challenge 5

March 13th – Challenge 5 due by NOON, Judging/Voting Begins

March 19th – National Quilting Day

March 20th – Challenge 6

March 27th – Challenge 6 due by NOON, Judging/Voting Begins

Yup, we’re cutting down the season to 6 challenges instead of 8. I hope everyone is happy with this little change.

Between now and then I hope to get up more interviews of participants from Season 1 so you can have a little ‘look back’ at the first season.

I also am interested in seeing if anyone is interested in being a permanent judge for season 2 and/or a guest judge.

Other things I’m looking for – sponsors! Part of what helped make season 1 so exciting what all the fantastic prizes there were to look forward to weekly and at the end of the season.

Please just shoot me an email at lapaceksorchard@gmail.com if you are interested in judging and or sponsoring any prizes.

Season 1, Challenge 6 – Office Supplies

You are all continuing to amaze me with the wonderful entries during the busy summer season. If you haven’t tried one of these challenges yet, be sure to check out the prizes at the bottom of this page. You don’t need to enter every challenge to have a chance to win really great prizes.

I’ll quickly summarize the prizes for THIS challenge:

The winner of the PUBLIC vote will receive 4 fat quarters (their choice) from FabricAlaCarte AND a $10 gift certificate to the Fat Quarter Shop!

The winner of the JUDGES Choice will receive $15 to FabricFascination AND a $10 gift certificate to the Fat Quarter Shop!

One randomly drawn participant will receive $9.99 to FabricNQuilts, a second randomly drawn participant will receive a copy of the book Pretty Little Mini Quilts published by Lark Books from PennyFabricArt, and a third randomly drawn participant will receive 1 cup of needle sharpener emery sand for pincushions from Nakpunar.

Don’t forget! Everyone that enters can decide if they want their name entered in a drawing for $50 off the 2010 Quilts by Barb Quilt – Papercraft – Scrapbooking Getaway Weekend!

I have to thank all the sponsors AGAIN – you help make this challenge even more exciting!

1. Your inspiration for Challenge 6 will come from a visit to an office supply store. I’d love to take you all as a group, but, unfortunately, an internet challenge has its limitations. The visual impact is greater at a brick and mortar store, but visiting an internet store can work, too.

2. Choose at least 3 different items to be your inspiration. You can use the actual items in your quilt, but are not required to do so. Be sure to tell us about the items and how they inspired you.

3. Maximum perimeter of your quilt is 120 inches. If your entry is 3 dimensional, measure around it at the largest part.

4. POST your entries with a description of your creative process, including where you are (ie, I create in Madison, WI)and the size of your project by Sunday, July 25, at noon, CDT, to this flickr group – Project QUILTING with KimsCraftyApple: http://www.flickr.com/groups/1401824@N21/ OR email a picture/description of your completed project to lapaceksorchard@gmail.com with PROJECT QUILTING in the subject line.

5. If this is the first Project Quilting challenge you’ve participated in, please email Kim at lapaceksorchard@gmail.com with PROJECT QUILTING in the subject line so that Kim can send you feedback from the judges and keep you updated on the behind the scenes going-ons.

6. Just like last week…I have created a Project QUILTING WIP Group on Flickr:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/1430386@N24/

This group has been created so you can post your Project QUILTING WIPs (Work in Progress) mid-week to get feedback from the public. This gives you an opportunity to get some ‘Tim Gunn-like’ advice to help you proceed. This is completely optional. The judges will not be looking at these until after they have completed their score sheets.

Now, Kim is going to quickly summarize all the amazing prizes for the Season 1 of Project Quilting GRAND PRIZE Package:

FatQuarterShop – $50 Gift Certificate

FabricsNQuilts – $50 Gift Certificate

FabricFascination – Bali Pop

TessaAnn – A Set of Handmade Buttons

FabricAlaCarte – $20 Gift Certificate and copy of the book ‘ROLLING Along’ by Nancy Martin

StashedCache – Spider Web Quilt Starter Kit

QuiltsbyBarb – $30 Gift Certificate to Long Arm QUILTING and a potentially 8 chances to be entered into a drawing for $50 off the 2010 QuiltsbyBarb Quilt Retreat Weekend.

Kim & Diane – A selection of original patterns and yardage of hand-dyed fabric

This prize package is OVER TWO-HUNDRED DOLLARS worth of amazing items! I can’t wait to see what happens this season! Thanks to all these great sponsors for their generosity and support!

I have also begun to put together a RANDOM prize package for the end of the season. These are all awards that will be chosen (out of a hat, first Cedi will pick, then Capri and repeat – as shown here:http://kimscraftyapple.blogspot.com/2010/05/project-quilting-rectangle-winners.html) Every time you complete a challenge for Project Quilting your name will be entered in the drawing for RANDOM prizes (this will exclude the Grand Prize Winner as he/or she will already have AMAZING things!)

Sponsors for the Random Prizes:

Karol from FabricCandy is donating a set of Five Fat Quarters of the Ava Rose Collection.

RainbowFabrics is Donating $25 to her etsy shop.

Thanks to ALL Sponsors for Project QUILTING for your generosity and support!

Good luck with this weeks challenge!
Don’t forget…
It’s Time to Think Outside the Square!

Season 1, Challenge 5 – Stars Over America

My congratulations to all of you for your great entries again this week. I know it’s not easy to fit this into your busy schedules, yet you continue to come up with really amazing, creative projects.

Since this challenge starts on Independence Day and this is always a really busy time, I decided to keep this week’s challenge simple…..at least I think it’s simpler than what I really wanted to do. (You’ll see that next time.)

1. The theme is Stars Over America.

2. You can use red, white and blue, but must include at least 1 other color. NO, you do NOT have to use red, white and blue.

3. Something new this week…I have created a Project QUILTING WIP Group on Flickr:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/1430386@N24/

This group has been created so you can post your Project QUILTING WIPs (Work in Progress) mid-week to get feedback from the public. This gives you an opportunity to get some ‘Tim Gunn-like’ advice to help you proceed. This is completely optional. The judges will not be looking at these until after they have completed their score sheets.

Hope this helps!

4. POST your entries with a description of your creative process, including where you are (ie, I create in Madison, WI)and the size of your project by Sunday, July 11, at noon, CDT, to this flickr group – Project QUILTING with KimsCraftyApple: http://www.flickr.com/groups/1401824@N21/ OR email a picture/description of your completed project to lapaceksorchard@gmail.com with PROJECT QUILTING in the subject line.

5. If this is the first Project Quilting challenge you’ve participated in, please email Kim at lapaceksorchard@gmail.com with PROJECT QUILTING in the subject line so that Kim can send you feedback from the judges and keep you updated on the behind the scenes going-ons.

PRIZES TO BE WON!
The winner of the JUDGES Vote will receive 4 fat quarters (their choice) from FabricAlaCarte AND a $10 gift certificate from the FatQuarterShop!
The winner of the PUBLIC Vote will receive a pattern with instructions for the complete ‘Maggie’ doll, hair and clothing from Carolee Creations – SewSweet Dolls AND a $10 gift certificate from the FatQuarterShop!
A RANDOMLY Drawn Participant will win a pattern for Barb‘s Where’s the Point Quilt and second drawn participant will win the pattern for Diane’s Prairie Star Quilt.

Don’t forget! Everyone that enters can decide if they want their name entered in a drawing for $50 off the 2010 Quilts by Barb Quilt – Papercraft – Scrapbooking Getaway Weekend!

Now, Kim is going to quickly summarize all the amazing prizes for the Season 1 of Project Quilting GRAND PRIZE Package:
FatQuarterShop – $50 Gift Certificate

FabricsNQuilts – $50 Gift Certificate

FabricFascination – Bali Pop

TessaAnn – A Set of Handmade Buttons

FabricAlaCarte – $20 Gift Certificate and copy of the book ‘ROLLING Along’ by Nancy Martin

StashedCache – Spider Web Quilt Starter Kit

QuiltsbyBarb – $30 Gift Certificate to Long Arm QUILTING and a potentially 8 chances to be entered into a drawing for $50 off the 2010 QuiltsbyBarb Quilt Retreat Weekend.

Kim & Diane – A selection of original patterns and yardage of hand-dyed fabric

This prize package is OVER TWO-HUNDRED DOLLARS worth of amazing items! I can’t wait to see what happens this season! Thanks to all these great sponsors for their generosity and support!

I have also begun to put together a RANDOM prize package for the end of the season. These are all awards that will be chosen (out of a hat, first Cedi will pick, then Capri and repeat – as shown here:http://kimscraftyapple.blogspot.com/2010/05/project-quilting-rectangle-winners.html) Every time you complete a challenge for Project Quilting your name will be entered in the drawing for RANDOM prizes (this will exclude the Grand Prize Winner as he/or she will already have AMAZING things!)

Sponsors for the Random Prizes:

Karol from FabricCandy is donating a set of Five Fat Quarters of the Ava Rose Collection.

RainbowFabrics is Donating $25 to her etsy shop.

Thanks to ALL Sponsors for Project QUILTING for your generosity and support!

Good luck with this weeks challenge!
Don’t forget…
It’s Time to Think Outside the Square!

An Interview with Tisha Sandberg – Instructor of the Papercraft/Scrapbooking Portion of the QuiltsbyBarb Getaway Weekend

As well as being able to learn some fantastic new quilting projects on the 2010 QuiltsbyBarb Getaway Weekend you will also have an opportunity to learn from an artist on some Papercraft/Scrapbooking techniques.

Meet the instructor – Tisha Sandberg

I asked Tisha a few more questions about herself and her art so we could find out even more. And here’s what she had to say:

***All Images shown are examples of Tisha’s work***

When did you first start creating things?

I’ve always loved making things; Halloween costumes, Valentine boxes (I’m seriously dating myself now!) really anything that involves working with my hands. I grew up around lots of boys, so I also built things with wood, used tools and did lots and lots of yard work, which I think can also be creative…digging, planting, growing.

What were the first things you created? and how did your creativity progress from there?

My first serious art experiences were in Jr. High School. I had an incredible teacher who exposed me to things like printmaking, sculpture and other forms of art that, in retrospect, were pretty amazing for Junior High. I also lived in a college town and was able to take classes in the summer. A friend and I took a class one summer and there was a nude model. When my dad picked us up we didn’t say a word for fear we wouldn’t be able to take classes any more.

My early art experiences really stuck with me but I didn’t get back to art seriously until about 12 years ago. I turned a room in our house into a studio and it really changed my life. Everybody needs a workspace of their own….even if it’s a tiny one!

Where do you find your inspiration?

Everywhere! I love design and texture and look to everyday things for inspiration. I take a lot of photographs and also carry a notebook with me all the times. I’m also drawn to primitive, African and Indian art and like to browse through books with images of cave art or the designs on clothing, etc..

What is your favorite medium to work in? I really can’t think of many things I don’t like to work with, but paper and fabric are probably my favorites.
Do you still dream about making other things? If so, what? Absolutely! But as I get older I’ve realized that I just can’t do everything that I have a desire to do. I’d rather do a few things well than lots of things in a mediocre way.

What’s your favorite variety of apple?

Honey Crisp, but I buy Empires because they keep so well.

What are your favorite shops on etsy? Why do you like them? I love printmaking, so love all the sites that have silk screen and relief printed items. I also love handmade books and cards because they can be really unique, funky, beautiful, etc., and still have a functional use. There are so many great shops it’s hard to pick a favorite.

see more of her fantastic work

So now that you’ve ‘met’ the instructor let’s find out MORE!

What will we be doing?

We will be having a special area with lots of room for scrapbookers, card makers and papercrafters to share ideas and enthusiasm for the things they love to do. We may even find some things to do with all those beautiful leftover scraps of fabric!

projects

• handmade books that can be used as photo albums or scrap books

• handmade cards and creative packaging ideas for giving them as gifts

• templates and instructions for making gift bags, boxes and photo/music CD cases

• rubber stamp carving

• other instructional information ***Information will be presented on photo editing/altering, printing your own papers, using materials you won’t find in a scrapbook store and much, much more. There’ll be plenty of time for you to share your own creative ideas as well. So come and join us!

I am personally excited about this addition to the quilt retreat weekend! There are some great lessons being taught that can be incorporated into creating amazing OOAK fabric (rubber stamp carving) and art quilting! What fun and what variety!