Quilt challenge

For some odd reason, even though I have a slew of unfinished quilt projects (18 and counting if you must know) I insist that a friend participate in a quilt challenge each year. The rules vary from year to year but basically we are to use a new technique, use a fabric choice we normally would never use etc.

To participate in a quilt challenge is insane for me as I hand piece and I know I will never finish anything in 365 days yet every January I optimistically assume that I will. Case in point – for our 2014 challenge we were to each use a selected piece of modern quilt fabric. I used a cute Riley Blake raccoon fabric and my friend got a print with large pineapples on it. I then decided I would further challenge myself by making an autobiographical sampler quilt with my raccoons. So, for example, I put in Dutchman’s puzzle as my mother’s family come from Dutch stock, there is a Colorado star for my birthplace etc. I should mention that I am still working on this quilt as hand piecing takes forever. My friend wisely chose a big block pattern and machine pieced it. I don’t think she has quilted it down yet so we both are not yet technically done but still…she is so much farther ahead than I am. I’m closing in though – just have to put on some borders….

Even though I never complete these things on time I do learn valuable lessons. For example, I learned two things from the 2014 challenge: the first being I should have really thought out my complementary color palate before starting, and after having figured out the palate to sticking with either solids or smaller prints that read as solid; the second being that working with different sized blocks can be very frustrating. I also probably shouldn't have used such traditional blocks but I'm on the fence about this. Other modern quilts do use traditional pieced blocks but on a smaller scale. I can say that I grew as a quilter from having participated in this particular challenge but I can also say that I probably won’t repeat trying to work with different sized blocks unless I have a predetermined pattern on how to use them. I will definitely try working with modern quilt fabrics again though but with a little more thought put into it this time. In the meanwhile I'm posting the quilt pre borders/sashing. I hope to have the completed quilt top posted soon.