Yes, you heard correctly. We are having a challenge. Together with C&T Publishing we will be choosing 14 quilts that will go to the International Quilt Festival in Chicago. These quilts will be made by you using block patterns from one or both of my books “Quilts for Scrap Lovers” and “Rainbow Quilts for Scrap Lovers”. Here’s a photo of a quilt that I made as an example. You can follow this example. The instructions are below. Or, you can make up your own quilt using the block patterns in the book. The rules are posted on this website.
This is only the top. I don’t have it quilted yet. But, since 2018 is just around the corner, I really wanted to get this thing rolling! So, the sign up deadline is November 1st, 2017. The deadline to have your picture of your completed quilt to me is January 1, 2018.
What you will do is this: Decide that you’re going to do this! Fill out your entry form and get it in. Then, go through Quilts for Scrap Lovers and Rainbow Quilts for Scrap Lovers and develop a plan. You can uses multiple blocks from one book. You can use multiple blocks from both books. You can choose to use just one block or copy a quilt from the book. None of these choices will affect the judging of your quilt. But, what will affect the judging is posted in the official rules.
You will want to use as many scrap combinations as possible. That will make a difference. You will want to use some of those hard to use fabrics in a meaningful way. That will make a difference. What you don’t want to do is use multiple prints from just one artist or just one line of fabric. If you’re one of the 14 chosen, you will receive the honor of having your quilt hung in Chicago at the International Quilt Festival. Also, if you are one of the top 5 you will receive a fabulous prize! We’re working on getting prizes from some pretty awesome companies right now.
Here is the link to the entry form: www.bungalowquilting.com/quiltchallenge
Here are the rules:
Rules for Quilts for Scrap Lovers Challenge
- Rule #1 have fun!
- Quilts must be a minimum of 70’’x 70’’
- Quilts must be made using a pattern or combination of patterns or blocks from either or both “Quilts for Scrap Lovers” or “Rainbow Quilts for Scrap Lovers”. You can combine blocks from both books into your quilt. There will be no winning advantage to the number of blocks or combinations that you use, but they must be from one or the other or both books.
- Quilts must be made from scraps.
- You may use the same scrap more than once in your quilt
- You may use more than one piece of fabric from a complete line of fabric by a particular artist, but no more than 2 from a line.
- The background can be made using a single fabric. The background can be scrappy but that is not a requirement.
- Quilts may be machine quilted or hand quilted.
- Quilts can be free-motion quilted or with a computerized design or pantograph. There will be no winning advantage to one method or another.
- Quilts can be made with just one color scrap (monochromatic) or multiple colors.
- You may use coping strips and setting blocks and setting triangles of any size.
- You may develop your own block or design for your quilt by using the Fast 2 Cut Templates (3 ½, 4 ½, and 5 ½’’ templates), but no other sizes of templates will be allowed.
- If you choose to create your own block using these templates, they can only account for part of the design. The majority of the design of the quilt should be based on using the blocks from the books.
- If you are creating your own block or blocks using the templates, you must provide a written description and photographs of the step outs during the creative process for the block.
- Quilts must have a label sewn onto the back
- Provide a one paragraph bio of yourself and what some of the scraps in the quilt mean to you.
Deadline for submission of entry form is November 1st, 2018
Deadline to submit photos of quilts is January 1st, 2018
Points will be given for quilts that:
- Place difficult to use fabrics strategically within the quilt. Definition of difficult fabrics include but are not are not limited to
- Fabrics with large prints
- Fabrics with multiple colors in them
- These fabrics should be used strategically and points are not given based on the number of difficult fabrics, rather than the creative use of them.
- Aesthetic Quality -Using blocks from either one or both books in a creative way that is pleasing to the eye.
- Creative use of color
- Degree of interest in the quilt
- This refers to the engagement quality of the quilt—is it something that someone would look at for a long period of time? Are there features in the quilt that draw the viewer in and create interaction between the viewer and the quilt?
- This is most easily achieved by using a broad number of fabrics from many different genre of fabric.
- Use of fabrics that may be older and dated in a way that looks fresh and relevant for today.
- Accuracy of work and workmanship
We will choose 14 quilts from the pictures that we receive. These quilts will be exhibited at the International Quilt Festival in Chicago in April of 2018.
The numbers will be tallied, and the top 5 scoring quilts will win prizes. We are still negotiating and awaiting word from various companies about what the prizes will be. We are getting very good responses and will post the prizes soon.
Those with quilts that are chosen will be notified by email and instructions will be given at that time regarding shipping your quilts or delivery of your quilt to Chicago.
Insuring your quilt in transit will be the responsibility of the quilter.
This is the quilt that I made for the competition to give you an idea of what type of presentation uses multiple blocks from both books. You can use one block from one book and many from another. Use your creativity! Use all the blocks from one book, or just recreate one of the quilts in the book. That’s acceptable too. Go wild with it and have fun. Here are the instructions for the quilt pictured above.
Challenge Quilt for Quilts for Scrap Lovers Exhibit (Just an example of one type of quilt you could create!)
Finished measurement 72 1/2’’ x 72 1/2’’
All seam allowances are 1/4’’ unless specified
- Following the directions for House Divided on page 60 of Quilts for Scrap Lovers, create 9 House Divided Blocks.
- Place these blocks together in a 3 x 3 arrangement as shown in the photo.
- Cut 2 coping strips for the top and the bottom measuring 2 1/2’’ x 24 1/2’’. Stitch these to the top and bottom of houses.
- Cut 2 coping strips for the sides measuring 2 1/2’’ x 28 1/2’’ and stitch to the sides of the unit.
- Create the Tulip Border
- 4 tulips can be created as follows
- Using the Fast 2 Cut Templates, cut three colored squares 5 1/2’’ x 5 1/2’’ and one background square 5 1/2’’ x 5 1/2’’.
- Lay 1 colored square right sides together with one background square.
Draw a diagonal line from one corner to the other. Stitch 1/4” away from the line on both sides of the line.
Cut along the line. This will yield 2 half square triangle units. Press both units open, pressing the seam allowances to the colored side.
Lay each half square triangle unit right sides together with one of each of the un-pieced colored squares. The un-pieced squares will be larger than the half square triangle units. Center the half square triangle units.
Draw a diagonal line from the corner of the background fabric to the corner of the colored fabric.
Stitch 1/4’’ away from both sides of the diagonal line.
Cut on the diagonal line. Repeat for the second unit.
Open units out and press.
Lay the 4 1/2’’ Fast 2 Cut Template over the unit and trim the entire unit to 4 1/2’’
This will yield 4 tulip blocks that measure 4 1/2’’ x 4 1/2’’.
3. Make a total of 32 tulip blocks. Stitch 7 together as shown in the photo for the top margin and 7 for the bottom margin of the House Divided Unit. Stitch 9 together twice for the left and right side.
4. Stitch the tulip blocks around the House Divided Unit at the top and bottom and around the sides.
5. Make 16 House block units following the directions on page 27 of Quilts for Scrap Lovers.
6. Stitch 8 together in a row twice. From the background fabric, cut a 1 inch coping strip and stitch to the top of each row of houses.With right sides together, stitch the house rows to the top and the bottom of the House Divided/Tulip Block unit. Make certain that they are oriented as shown in the photo.
7. Create 16 Cracker Blocks as in Snap, Cracker Pop on page 84 of Quilts for Scrap Lovers. Stitch 8 of these blocks together in a row using the orientation shown in the photo. Repeat this one time. Stitch each row to each side of the previously constructed unit.
8. Using the instructions on page 81 of Rainbow Quilts for Scrap Lovers, create 10 Large Arrow Blocks.
9. Following the orientation and layout in the photo, stitch together 2 arrow units for the top, and 2 arrow units for the bottom.
10. Sew a 2’’ x 8 1/2’’ rectangle of background fabric to each end of the paired arrow units.
11. Stitch the paired arrow units to the top and to the bottom of the quilt.
12. Following the orientation and layout in the photo, stitch together 3 arrow units for the left side and 3 arrow units for the right side of the quilt.
13. To the ends of each of the 3 arrow units, sew a 1’’ x 8 1/2’’ rectangle of background fabric.
14. Stitch the 3 arrow units to the left and right side of the quilt.
15. Layer with batting and backing, quilt and bind as desired.
