The Modern Quilt Guild Challenge

I just added a Button on the sidebar over there >>>>> for The Modern Quilt Guild Challenge.   For a long time I have had an Art Quilter inside of me trying to get out.  My Son the Artist (that would be Aaron) has been telling me for ages, "You can do this, Mom."   Basically, though, I am not a very brave person (THAT is an understatement!) so I have all of these art quilts bouncing around in my head making me crazy, and I need to get them out of there and into fabric.

I was browsing other quilt blogs this morning and came across this post at SewJournal.      PROJECT MODERN may be exactly what I need to encourage me to play a little with my quilty ideas and get something fun made.   It's a series of four quilt challenges running from September 2010 to September 2011.  The first challenge will be announced on September 1st.  I am committing to at least trying to make something for the first challenge. (((gulp!!)))

I've only done a few art quilts in the past, and they weren't usually from my own ideas.  The first one, Eye-Boy, is copied from Aaron's artwork.  I enlarged one of his drawings then hand-appliqued and hand-quilted it.  I entered it into a local quilt show, and one of the judges said it was "too cryptic" and would look better on its side.   I guess she didn't see the face.  Oh well, judges.......

Here's a close-up of the hand work.

The second one, Black and White Abstract, is from one of Aaron's doodles that I enlarged then hand-appliqued and hand-quilted.  In this case, I actually put it on its side by mistake.  I think I disappointed Aaron when I didn't see that it was a dragon's mouth, but it's already hanging in my house so I guess I didn't see the face this time!   I must not have the artist's eye that I thought I had.

Nightmare on Quilty Lane was for a Keepsake Quilting Halloween Challenge.  I was required to use the fabrics they selected and added the gray and the black.  I didn't even receive judges' comments on this one.  It looks nice in my sewing room, though.  And I really like my tree!

 

I have lots of photos and ideas and sketches in my "inspiration" file.  I've bought fabric paints, embellishments, beads and all kinds of specialty threads.  So, I am throwing down the gauntlet for myself.  No more excuses.  The Challenge is on!

Gavin's Knights and Castles Quilt

Little boys.  Ya gotta love 'em!   Gavin got his last quilt from Gramma in 2006.  After that, every time I made a new quilt for someone else he claimed that it was "his turn" again.  When I asked him what color he wanted for his next quilt he said, "I don't care, Gramma.  I love ALL your quilts!"   Awwwww.  Do you think he knows how to play me, or what?  

Last summer it really was his turn again so I asked what kind of quilt he would like.  He was huge into a Medieval phase so he decided he wanted something with knights.  I found some great prints by Timeless Treasures and with no plan in mind I bought some ---- a lot.

I normally don't like working with panels, but these knights were so cool, and since I didn't know what I was doing with them anyway, I bought some. 

I cut the panel into squares and started planning.

Now, I have to tell you that the Electric Quilt program for planning and designing quilts is very, very cool.  Hubby bought it for me years and years ago.  Even though I have upgraded twice to newer versions, and talked him into getting me a laptop so I could take an EQ class, and then have taken a couple of classes I still plan my quilts this way.............

Yah.  I know. 

But, even though I designed it my own way, it turned out great, and I just love the backing fabric.

My friend Angela at QuiltedJoy.com did a beautiful job quilting it for me.  (I decided Gavin had been waiting long enough, so I didn't want to take the time to quilt it myself.) She used a pattern called "Funky Fleur de Lis" and blogged about it here.

I mailed the quilt to Gavin last week, so I don't have a photo of him with it..........yet.  Here's a picture of him without the quilt.  (Gotta show off the grands whenever you can, right?)

Oh, and one more thing.  Gavin has since moved out of his Medieval phase and into his Greek Mythology phase.  But, I'm not worried about that.  He loves ALL my quilts!