Saturday, January 14, 2017

Updates: 150 Canadian Women and Quilt Challenge

#30quiltdesignschallenge2017

(I know, two posts in one day? Like what's with that? This was the planned one; the Q1FAL list had to get whipped up and posted in time for the deadline.)
There were 32 designs in the challenge on Instagram as of 7 pm Friday night, January 13.  That is fantastic!

I had www.tintup.com choose the winners and they were:
1.  $15 gift certificate to The Red Hen Shop
2.  fabric from moi
3.  fabric from Lisa at Sunlight in Winter Quilts
Thank you so much everyone who has joined Lisa and me in this design adventure.  Here are the ones I have entered so far:

The challenge continues until March 15 remember, so there is lots of time to hop in the pool with the rest of us.  Bi-weekly prizes of $15 gift cards are ongoing and Lisa and I will add a prize too here and there.

Guess what arrived today in my mail?!
EEEEP!!  I am both excited and a tad nervous at having this (again) in my hands.  I had EQ4 years ago when we had our first computer, a PC Seanix.  Have we come a long way baby!  However, think: exhilarating, time-eating, and frustrating all in one?  Now I played a bit over the past few days with Quiltography, an app for iPad which is pretty darn cool and at $13 a bargain for your dollars.  EQ7 I bought with some money my mum gave me for Christmas.  She is influencing my life a fair bit at the moment: I brought down with me a few of the books she has given me over the years, have read two, The Camel Bookmobile and Beatrice and Virgil, and am currently reading and thoroughly enjoying, A Walk Across France.  Thank you Mum!!  There also just may be some fabric bits 'n bobs working their way into a quilt in celebration (belated, sigh) of your auspicious 80th birthday...  Anyhow, onwards and upwards to the designing end of quilting.

Scraps Upon Scraps :  150 Canadian Women project

May I just say I am in LOVE with this ongoing (for a year!) project?  I am in LOVE with what I am learning about my country's kick-ass, bold, and quietly brave women.  Why is this not taught more in our school curriculum?  Right...we learn about Louis Riel, but not about his mother or his grandmother and their contributions and brave accomplishments.  That's wrong!  Anyhow, thank you Next Step Quilt Design, specifically Kat, for this project.

Sidenote: heard that Hayley Wickenheiser has just announced her retirement as of yesterday, Jan. 13.  Five-time Olympic gold medalist, she has done INCREDIBLE things for women's hockey.  And, at age 38, she said she doesn't want to put off going to medical school any longer!  Love her, hope there's a block for her, but if not, remind me to make on as a tribute to her, okay?

Here are this week's three blocks:
#25 Madeleine Parent - she studied sociology at McGill University and fought for the underdog, fighting against horrific working conditions,  a 55-hour work week and child labour in Quebec's cotton and woolen mills; #26 Thérèse Casgrain - she is the epitome of the Japanese proverb "Fall 7 times get up 8" because she ran in politics 9 times unsuccessfully, BUT she ended up being elected as the first woman leader of the NDP, a national party; #27 Dame Emma Albani - first Canadian woman to become an international celebrity; performed at Covent Garden for 24 years running; a favourite of Queen Victoria, she sang at her funeral.
Just wow.  Again.  I used French text in the background for Thérèse, and for Emma, red fabric with crowns because of Queen Victoria, and stars because of her global stardom.  Here is the collection of 27 so far.  Love!
I have a plan for the sashing pieces that is pretty exciting!  Once I have my hands on my fabric, I will reveal my plan.  I think the additions of pinks here and there is brilliant, and I am using low volume backgrounds from whites to creams to a bit of greys.  At this point I am just loving the way all these scraps play together.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch...

I am not loving so much the way my scrap vomit vortex fabric scraps are playing ...uh, together?  Please help:
These were just thrown up willy-nilly on the design wall.  I kind of like the diagonal line happening from the lower left...

I am at pretty big and medium slabs now.  These are about half of the lot.  Put 'em together as is or try to make them into a standard size, say 12X18" and contain some of the chaos by sashing the blocks?  Right now it's uncontrolled chaos which is kind of compelling but kind of nauseating to me.  Having never done this sort of thing I need opinions and suggestions please.  It's going to be a good size, or perhaps even two medium sized quilts?  and the scraps have not gone down a whit, but seem to have increased...wabbits....



13 comments:

  1. 32 designs...that's a great start to your challenge. Congrats. What's your review of Quiltography? I heard about Hayley, but kudos to her for making the decision. Have fun with EQ. Your blocks are looking great.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I enjoy seeing your designs. :) Your Canadian women blocks are gorgeous! As for your vortex quilt, I suggest doing something to tame the chaos. My first vortex quilt didn't have as much contrast. My second one was very chaotic. I made big chunks then cut them down to 12 inch blocks and added sashing. http://quiltkisses.blogspot.com/2016/02/chaos-controlled-finished-quilt.html Cynthia just put big black borders (with a little twist) on hers and that tamed the chaos as well.

    ReplyDelete
  3. The 150 blocks, and the ladies that go with each one, what brave, adventurous, talented and clever girls. I am still cutting out numbers from 7 onwards, but so enjoy the stories each Tuesday. Your deep burgundy, that is rich and beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Woohoo!! Thank you and Lisa for running the quilt design challenge and I am very happy to be a winner! Have fun with the EQ7 :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. How did I miss the150Canadian women quilt? How do I sign up? Do I have to buy the fabric or can o use my stash. How big are the blocks? I need information as this would be the best thing for my major quilt project this year.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have to reply here because you are a no-reply blogger and your blogger profile has no email or website on it. Just go to https://nextstepquiltdesigns.blogspot.ca/ to sign up for their newsletter and you will get the blocks delivered to you each Tuesday in your email. You can use scraps, as I am doing, or you can buy a kit they sell. You will have to purchase the first 24 or so blocks because they are only available for free for a limited amount of time but there will be 150 blocks so these will keep you busy now! The blocks are 6" finished. Hope this helps.

      Delete
  6. Thanks Sandra and Lisa for doing the quilt design challenge. I am enjoying myself playing with ideas. Have fun with EQ, it can be challenging in itself. This challenge is helping me to learn more of what EQ can do...but I still have moments of wanting to pull my hair out. Love all your 150 Canadian women blocks.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Love those Canadian women blocks. Now, as to the scrap vortex ... no help here. I have thought to try those now and again but stopped because it was always looking awful. Yours looks better than mine ever did, though.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Our Mum is just the best! 😍
    Love those Canadian women too, they rock!
    I love the scrap quilt, could look at all those bits of fabric forever, so many colours. BUT as we all know, shame, I'm not a quilter lol

    ReplyDelete
  9. I see nothing wrong with your scrap vortex... It looks great in my book!
    I want to get EQ7. I don't know why I am waiting. Probably because once I get it, everything else will go by the wayside!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Congrats on EQ7, you'll have so much fun with it. I get started on it and it sucks me down the rabbit hole - I could spend hours (that I don't have!) Your blocks look great, good job keeping up with them. I agree that your scrap quilt needs taming. There's nowhere for the eye to rest, so maybe a small sashing is just what it needs.

    ReplyDelete
  11. With EQ7 there will be no stopping you now
    And I love how your Canadian woman blocks are coming along

    ReplyDelete
  12. EQ is both fun and maddening. I couldn't quilt without my copy, it's nice to be able to mock up the blocks and see what you are getting into. Your Canadian Women project is coming along beautifully!

    ReplyDelete

I wholeheartedly appreciate you taking the time to leave a comment, as they make my day! I answer every one by personal email. :-) Unless... you are a "no-reply" blogger, which can occur for a few reasons. You can get around that by writing out your email within your comment so that I can answer you.