No Prints Allowed Challenge

Thursday night was the big reveal of the Kansas City Modern Quilt Guild's "No Prints Allowed Challenge." Robert Kaufman donated charm packs in every color grouping. Participants chose a charm pack, used each color in the pack, and added any fabric as long as it was solid...no prints allowed.

I had such a hard time deciding which direction to take with my Brights Charm Pack. I sketched out a ton of ideas and kept changing my mind. The only thing that really stuck was the idea to use a circle. I had seen Paula do the 6 Minute Circle in a demonstration at a guild meeting and have been thinking about circles ever since. But I kept coming back to layering them and decided to try applique. 

In the end I used this as my inspiration. It's a paper book cover from Target's dollar bin that I gave to Jenna to color. 

I used this fusible web to create the circles. I chose the size circle I wanted, stitched on the solid line, trimmed on the dotted line and then turned it inside out through the cuts in the middle. When I first started, I thought I would only use circles but after sewing about two blocks it already seemed a bit boring. 

So I just started throwing and stacking different shapes up on the design wall (squares, circles, and rectangles) choosing the layers and color instinctively. I decided to just play and see where it would lead. Starting with the bottom layers, I fused and appliqued the shapes onto the charm square. I worked my way up to the top. The only thing I changed was to add an extra small layer on some blocks to include more colors.

I was left with four charms and decided to try incorporating them into a scrappy binding with a couple scraps from my stash. I love the look and it was super easy. The back was also from my stash. I just finished up by quilting a grid along the seams. 

If I had to do a project like this again, I would go with a circle cutter to get a perfect circle and use Wonder Under underneath it rather than the method I chose. I think I'd end up with rounder circles.

It was such a fun and inspiring meeting! We had record attendance of about 91 people (I think because of the Kansas City Star article on modern quilting) and it was great to look out into the crowd and see people of every age from teenagers up to great (great?) grandmas (and grandpas!). A couple of people used this challenge as an opportunity to finish their first quilts and received a standing ovation. I know I say it every month but I'm just so amazed at the talent in this group, at their willingness to try something new no matter what level of experience they're at, and the warm, sincere encouragement they give to new quilters. Every meeting seems like a celebration!

If you'd like to see some great pictures of other quilts in the challenge, visit Carla at Lollyquiltz. She stood at the back and got some great shots.

I'll wrap this up by asking for suggestions on naming this little quilt. It's a bit over 18 inches square and will be a doll quilt for Jenna. I'm terrible at naming quilts! Help!

No Prints Allowed Challenge

We had quite an exciting Kansas City Modern Quilt Guild meeting in December. Robert Kaufman donated 100 charm square packs of Kona solids to our guild for our latest challenge...The No Prints Allowed Challenge!

Here's the challenge:

Use each and every charm somewhere on the front or back.
Use any additional fabric as long as it's solid.
Share your project at March's guild meeting and via your blog/flickr.

I had a hard time deciding between the dark charm square pack and the bright one. I ended up going with the bright which seemed to be the most popular of the night. I've had this pack opened up and arranged different ways around the house. I wanted to be able to see all the colors at one time. Then they sit in one spot and each time I pass I consider ideas for using the charms. After a while they get shuffled and rest in a new spot. They are finally up in my sewing room and I think I have the beginnings of a plan. I'm still not quite ready to cut....but I'm close.

I can't wait to see what everyone comes up with. It was amazing to see the projects from the last challenge (Project Plume). We have some very talented quilters in our guild! Shea from The Empty Bobbin has a couple of great pictures of the last challenge and this is my table runner in progress and completed. I gifted it to my sister for her birthday and we were just talking the other day about how much we love the bird print on the back. 


Do you have a favorite solid?

Cherri House at KCMQG

 

I was so fortunate to hear Cherri House speak this month at KC Modern Quilt Guild. Cherri is such a genuine woman and her story of how her life has shaped her quilting was very moving. I picked up City Quilts the week before she came and got to know her quilt designs a little better. City Quilts focuses on solid fabrics and they are beautiful quilts. But I was just amazed at how vibrant they were in person. You'll notice City Green on the table. From a distance, all of the little squares look green. However, if you look closely, there are varying shades of blue and even some purples. Cherri's eye for color is just incredible. 

I've never worked with solids (besides white) and hearing her speak has opened my eyes to so many possibilities. Many of the guild members have been using solids and I love what I've been seeing during the show and tells. Isn't it wonderful what we can learn from each other. I can't get over how many talented people I'm sitting around every time a go to a Guild meeting!