[null, {"document_url": "http://www.heatherpearson.com/2010/04/needlework-tuesday_27.html", "unformatted_src": "http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_sN77i-WZDMI/S9cmBQzoXzI/AAAAAAAACKQ/E5cDSeomj-4/s320/challenge+fabric.jpg", "src": "http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_sN77i-WZDMI/S9cmBQzoXzI/AAAAAAAACKQ/E5cDSeomj-4/s320/challenge+fabric.jpg", "formatted_filename": "challenge fabric"}, null, {"document_url": "http://www.heatherpearson.com/2010/04/needlework-tuesday_27.html", "unformatted_src": "http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_sN77i-WZDMI/S9cliK62pQI/AAAAAAAACJ4/BdkyxIyrq5c/s320/challenge+A.jpg", "src": "http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_sN77i-WZDMI/S9cliK62pQI/AAAAAAAACJ4/BdkyxIyrq5c/s320/challenge+A.jpg", "formatted_filename": "challenge A"}, null, {"document_url": "http://www.heatherpearson.com/2010/04/needlework-tuesday_27.html", "unformatted_src": "http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_sN77i-WZDMI/S9clnDhHpjI/AAAAAAAACKA/eKT9JhgTwSg/s320/challenge+B.jpg", "src": "http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_sN77i-WZDMI/S9clnDhHpjI/AAAAAAAACKA/eKT9JhgTwSg/s320/challenge+B.jpg", "formatted_filename": "challenge B"}, null, {"document_url": "http://www.heatherpearson.com/2010/04/needlework-tuesday_27.html", "unformatted_src": "http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_sN77i-WZDMI/S9clxKRXozI/AAAAAAAACKI/Z-dskw3b6Zw/s320/challenge+bags.jpg", "src": "http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_sN77i-WZDMI/S9clxKRXozI/AAAAAAAACKI/Z-dskw3b6Zw/s320/challenge+bags.jpg", "formatted_filename": "challenge bags"}, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, {"document_url": "http://www.heatherpearson.com/2010/04/needlework-tuesday_27.html", "unformatted_src": "http://media.shelf-awareness.com/shelfcontest.png", "src": "http://media.shelf-awareness.com/shelfcontest.png", "formatted_filename": "shelfcontest", "alt_text": "Subscribe to Shelf Awareness and enter to win a free book!"}, null, null, null, null, null, {"document_url": "http://www.heatherpearson.com/2010/04/needlework-tuesday_27.html", "unformatted_src": "http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sqs0qc6TkhA/Tt65RakqfRI/AAAAAAAAEQA/P3pmqOVTjhs/s150/pumpkin%2Bsoup%2Bnz.jpg", "src": "http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sqs0qc6TkhA/Tt65RakqfRI/AAAAAAAAEQA/P3pmqOVTjhs/s150/pumpkin%2Bsoup%2Bnz.jpg", "formatted_filename": "pumpkin Bsoup Bnz", "alt_text": "Great Soup Recipe Hunt", "rendered_width": 150, "rendered_height": 112}, null, null, null, {"document_url": "http://www.heatherpearson.com/2010/04/needlework-tuesday_27.html", "unformatted_src": "http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_sN77i-WZDMI/TGderSmQogI/AAAAAAAACno/baqcw5ayS0Q/S150/cookbook+002.jpg", "src": "http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_sN77i-WZDMI/TGderSmQogI/AAAAAAAACno/baqcw5ayS0Q/S150/cookbook+002.jpg", "formatted_filename": "cookbook", "rendered_width": 150, "rendered_height": 112}, null, null, null, null, {"document_url": "http://www.heatherpearson.com/2010/04/needlework-tuesday_27.html", "unformatted_src": "http://ctg.greatergood.net/clickToGive/images/content/linktous_lit_medium.jpg", "src": "http://ctg.greatergood.net/clickToGive/images/content/linktous_lit_medium.jpg", "formatted_filename": "linktous lit medium", "alt_text": "The Literacy Site"}, {"document_url": "http://www.heatherpearson.com/2010/04/needlework-tuesday_27.html", "unformatted_src": "http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1129/4607999892_dbd62b1535_o.jpg", "src": "http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1129/4607999892_dbd62b1535_o.jpg", "formatted_filename": "dbd b o", "alt_text": "The Process Pledge", "rendered_width": 200}, null, null, null, null, null, null]
This is the tenth year of my local quilt guild The Elmira Needle Sisters.  At our celebration banquet in May we received a fat quarter of this challenging fabric.  It is blue, teal and a very light tan.  We were to make a small (48 inch perimetre) item that was to be displayed at last evenings meeting where we would vote for a viewers' choice.
The next two pictures show the 20 items that were completed. Quite the assortment of projects.  Though I have to admit, with the exception of a few, I found them very boring and un-inspired.  A few people attemped to liven their work up with colour, but most stuck with monochromes.  Blah!
I was at the craft store on the weekend and in the clearance bin were colour wheels.  I bought one for myself and took it home to play with.  I turned the wheel to select blue-green.  The triad colours for this are yellow-orange and red-violet.  With my colours chosen I had only to select my fabrics and start sewing.
At Christmas my mother had given me a pattern "Clutter Bug" by Sherri K. Falls.  I spent the day at my sewing machine, listening to an audiobook, and completed my challenge item.  I found it a challenge in two ways: I had to use a fabric that I probably wouldn't have bought on my own, and second, I put together fabrics solely on the basis of what the colour wheel said would work.  In other words, I stretched myself.  I am left wondering though, how many of the other participants stretched out of their comfort zone to complete their project. This final picture shows two versions of the bag.  The pink one on the left was made by my mother for my daughter, and mine is one the right featuring the challenge fabric.
I am curious if my readers participate in fabric challenges?  If so, do you play it safe or do you go out on a limb?
I am still stitching away on the star afghan.  I am on the final colour. Only left to decide whether to do one final pattern row and then purl a row and then cast off, or make the band wider with three pattern rows, then the purl row and finally cast off.  My hands and arms are getting tired as this is quite heavy now.  Also at almost 1000 stitches and round 123, it takes ages to complete one round.  If I finish tonight I will post a picture this day, otherwise you'll have to wait till next Tuesday.
For the curious mind, the audio book I am listening to is The Hummingbird's Daughter by Luis Alberta Urrea. Have you finished a project this week and you want to share it with the world, then pop over to Lit and Laundry and add your link to "Finished for Friday".
Posted by Heather at 14:22 
Once in a while I participate in our guild's challenge. This year the theme is "Out of the Box", which means we are supposed to go out on a limb. We'll see what people come up with!

27 April 2010 at 16:56 
Interesting thoughts...I would agree that most people are more comfortable playing it safe. The last challenge I participated in I really stretched myself in every direction possible and now have a piece of work that I would NEVER display. The experience was good but what was the point in the end..at least for me. Maybe the idea behind challenges should be not on the finished item but the process...I enjoyed the process but not the finished item. Your bag is sweet...thanks for the idea to use the color wheel next time I do a challenge!

27 April 2010 at 17:07 Eric James Soltys said...

I think your challenge fabric bag turned out wonderful! I would say your colour triad experiment was a great success.

27 April 2010 at 17:36 
I think your bag turned out great!

I also like to play with color combos. I've really been into the bright stuff for the past couple of years.

27 April 2010 at 19:05 
I used to do some similar types of challenges with different art materials through an on-line group years ago and those would vary a *huge* amount. I loved taking part because they would tend to make me stretch the range of what I was willing to try.
(Talking about stretching the range, I'm including a link I keep forgetting to send you. It's a quilters shop on etsy and they do these amazing versions of star maps. http://www.etsy.com/shop/stellarquilts
Your daughter said I should just post it this way so I'm doing it! :)

27 April 2010 at 20:57 
It never fails to amaze me just what work must go into all these things - done with love I'm sure, they are so beautiful.

28 April 2010 at 10:45 
Wow - your bags are beautiful! How fun that you could sit down in an afternoon and create these. I love to sew - but can only manage things with straight lines - lots of blankets for my boys!

28 April 2010 at 10:56 
Your thoughts on your guild's challenge made me think. I never use the colour wheel...I am going to have my own challenge and give it a try. You bag is great.

28 April 2010 at 21:48 
Interesting projects. I like the little sewing sampler and the trip around the world mini-quilt

Personally I would have added orange or red or something to the fabric. But I like my fabrics kind of loud. Your bag turned out great!

Thanks for joining in on Finished for Friday.

1 May 2010 at 15:57