Monday, November 9, 2015

Thirteen: A Guild Challenge Quilt


 I've known what the challenge for the guild show was for at least a year.  The theme of 13.  I've had ideas for months.


I even drew out a pattern that I fully intended to make.

And then I did 800,000,000 things instead and suddenly it was time to make a quilt to turn in.

 Because a picture is worth 1000 words, and then I don't have to type up the rules for you.
 So I did a quick sketch based on my long ago idea, but an easier version.  I also pulled fabrics using my handy dandy Joen Wolfram color card. 
 And this is what I came up with.  13 stripes horizontal, 13 vertical, 13 circles in the middle and 13 on top and bottom.  We were given the dark green and the purple colors to start with.  I pulled the wine color and the pink.  I stitched the strips and quilted straight lines before we headed up north for 5 days.  I then created the circles while we were up there.  The circles are made of a circle of peltex, with a circle of batting, and then the fabric circle gathered around that.
I sewed the circles down by machine when we returned home and put on the binding.  If I had had all the time in the world, I would have hand stitched the circles, but I just really wanted to be able to turn in a quilt.
We were supposed to use 50% of each fabric.  I used all the purple and this was all that was left of the dark green.  I think I managed.
 I even found a color coordinating background.

The most surprising thing?  I got a third place ribbon.  I was quite surprised, and very pleased.  And honestly, I feel a little guilty because of how fast I put it together.

 (it got pinned through the other side, we fixed it after the picture)

3 comments:

OPQuilt said...

This is a fabulous quilt! I found myself counting the elements, seeing if they added up to 13 (of course they did). I love that arrangement of the circles in the middle--who knew you could make such an interesting symmetrical design from an odd number? And I like how they stand away from the quilt, adding dimensionality to our usual flat surfaces. Congratulations on your ribbon! It is well-deserved.

Nancy said...

Very creative. Congrats on the 3rd place. Hey, some of us just work better under the heat of a deadline. Thank you for telling how you made the circles.

Marge Martin said...

Thanks for the explanation of the ways the number 13 was in your quilt and how you made the circles. Very creative. I was amazed at what our guild members came up with. You did good and yes some people work better under pressure. Not me tho. Congrats on the ribbon.