Joann Fabrics "Quilt Your Colors" Quilt Contest 2011

I entered the Joann Fabrics "Quilt Your Colors" Quilt Contest last year and made the cut of 22 finalists and I mailed my piece to the Joann Fabrics headquearters for judging. Unfortunately it did not make the top 10 where all the prizes/money were. I was bummed and said I wouldn't enter the next year. The size requirement was a minimum 36" x 36" which I thought my quilt measured. It actually shrunk in the quilting process and was not the minimum size and maybe that's why it didn't make it any farther than it did. So after 6 months of thinking about it I decided to give it another try for the 2011 contest and go bigger with my entry. This is my quilt named "Sapphire and Topaz" and is 51" x 42." I wanted to explore the color combination of blues and oranges. This was a challenge using Joann Fabrics fabric because they did not have a lot of prints with both colors together in the fabric. I went to three Joann stores-Madison WI, Green bay WI and Escanaba MI, and finally was satisfied with my collection of fabrics for the project. I have a secondary theme of circles in the quilt-circle print fabric, circle appliques, circle echo quilting in the background and circle shaped felt buttons and sequins. I found a fun blue and orange metallic knit in the Hallowee section which fit nicely for part of the hair. I kept the face quite simple because the hair was the emphasis. There are also beads and buttons sewn to the quilt and a bit of fabric paint.

I received a phone call last week to let me know of 900 quilts mine made the cut of 22 which now are shipped to their headquarters for judging!! That made my day!! I sent my quilt to Ohio on Monday and the judging starts after April 1st and by the second half of April we find out who the winners are. The top 3 quilts are photographed and are featured on-line on Joann's website and in an upcoming sale flyer. So it's a waiting game now but I love this quilt-the oranges make me smile!!

No Brainer and Big Concentration Projects

The photo above is the no brainer project. I love making these strip pieced and raw edged fused appliqued fabric postcards. I have made many and was in the autumn mood and plan to send a few to my friends with fall birthdays. I found the fun felt buttons in a leaf shape at Joanns. They came in three colors and I sewed one of each to the postcard for a bit of texture and dimension. I added some  orange glitter/glue to the eyes and to make it look like a nose piercing.

Then the other photo is a teaser of my entry in the 2011 Joann Fabrics Quilt Challenge. It is the huge brain buster project that I only do 2-3 times a year because i want it perfect for a conpetition. I was one of the top 20 last year and my goal is to be in the top 10+. The rules for the quilt size is 36" x 36" minimum and this one is horizontal at 53" x 43." I have this attraction to orange since gardening season began and it's overflowed into my quilts as well. I wanted to work in the blue and orange color combo and it was a "challenge" finding fabrics that I liked at Joanns that had  prints with these two colors in them and finding enough batiks to do at least the face. I also was trying to find florals in blue-not easy! I went to the Madison East, Green Bay and Escanaba MI stores and finally felt like I had enough fabric selctions to work with. I'm used to going to my stash and/or purchasing extra at the local quilt stores and not relying on just Joann Fabrics for my fabric choices-perhaps that's part of the challenge!! I have all the applique pieces stitched in place and I am quilting the orange background in a circular "bullseye" pattern at the moment. I have plenty to do but the deadline isn't until January 2012 so I'm good. I setnit aside and do the no-brainer sewing. I plan to make another hat soon and more cards and the list never ends...!! I am never bored and that's a good thing