Project QUILTING - Season 13.2 - In Silhouette

In Silhouette

Welcome to The Joyful Quilter!!  And... Welcome to the wonderful world of Project QUILTING hosted by Kim Lapacek @ Persimon Dreams!!  This is my 3rd year of participation in the Challenge.  Trish Frankland @ QuiltChicken is the creator of the crazy challenges that participants will face during Season 13.

Sassy @ Farm Quilter got me started at the beginning of Season 11 by inviting her readers to join in the fun.  I accepted her invitation and the rest is history.  As was the case last year, I will be dragging along my friend LeeAnna @ Not Afraid of Color again this season, as she enjoys having a reason to stretch her creative wings.  Would YOU like to join me in this creative journey, too?  

FAIR WARNING:  It's a wild ride, but oh SEW rewarding!

Challenges are given and start to finish you have ONE WEEK to complete your project.  PQ 13.2 can be found at THIS LINK.

Step One...

Read the instructions to see what is required of the first challenge.  Here's what Trish had to say:

... this week’s challenge focuses on contrast and design.

The word silhouette defines an outline of something: perhaps the shape of a landmark backlit against a dawning sky, or the traced outline of a child’s profile projected on the wall behind.

But it doesn’t have to be all shadow and darkness. Remember grandmother’s cameo brooch? I think that’s an interesting way to approach the silhouette without it being a dark form.

I’ll also recommend inspiration from multi-cultural papercrafting – look to Germanic scherenschnitte (#ad) and Mexican papel picado (#ad) for some ideas and techniques you could adapt. Kim and I also once took a class doing papercuts learning Japanese notan (#ad) – an artistic approach to balancing dark and light that has great application here.

You can interpret this challenge in many ways, but I’d like to see you explore the idea of a simple, contrasting image in your work.

Step Two...

Emit a LOUD groan!!

Why, Joyful???

Well, this challenge was going to be a challenge with a capital "C".

Step Three...

Gather supplies:

RED scrap basket here and hope for inspiration!!

Step Four...

Review the rules:

RULE 1 – YOUR PROJECT MUST SOMEHOW INCORPORATE A SILHOUETTE – THE OUTLINE OF AN IMAGE.

You have one week to meet the challenge. Every challenge piece must be a FINISHED project seen through from INCEPTION to COMPLETION during the challenge timeline – that is, started on or after January 16th, 2022, and posted by noon Central Time January 23rd, 2022.

Step Five... Wrack my brain to think of what to make!!!

I contacted my friend Kathy S., as I thought about her Ohio quilt, but that was a bit too involved for a one week turnaround time:

Photo courtesy of Kathy @ Kathy's Quilting Blog

Then, found a photo I took of the Junior Quilter and her big brother after a trip to the local-ish Science Museum a couple of years ago.  I would love to interpret it in fabric, but felt that I wasn't up to that detailed cutting this week:

Finally, I remembered seeing the "Insert Your State Here" HOME decorative items that were all the rage several years ago.  This MIGHT work!  When I googled it, THIS TUTORIAL by Kelly @ My Quilt Infatuation came up.  I remembered contemplating a project back then, but never got around to it.

Here is a sampling of my construction process...

(Scroll down to the bottom of the post NOW, if you don't care to see a blow by blow of the making of my quilt.)

I started by searching for a map of my state, which I found at Sun Catcher Studio FREE for personal use.

Then...

I traced the outline of North Carolina:

Finally...

I decided a gray solid, opting to use spray adhesive to stick it to the printer paper over tracking down the fusible I normally use:

I cut our the "easy parts" with my small rotary cutter...

... And finished up with one of the only pairs of scissors I could find, cutting the heart freehand:

Next, I auditioned backing fabrics...

First, a gray on this gray dot:

Then, I considered upcycling an old pillow case:

(Even though the lighting in my new studio doesn't show it...) The gray dots won hands down:

It didn't take long to find a batting scrap to use:

Choosing an acceptable backing was a little more challenging:

After dropping in a few pins, my PQ 13.2 entry was ready for quilting:

Drum roll, please...

The Janome was powered up for the first time since the move:

The heart is RED, a scrap from who knows whom and a nod to my participation in the 2022 Rainbow Scrap Challenge:

 

With more 12 hours remaining until the deadline, all that I had left to do was apply and stitch down the binding:

Only 3 hours before the deadline, I decided on scrap of binding fabric and got to work on finishing my entry:

With just over an hour and a half until the deadline, I present my completed entry for PQ 13.2, displayed here in the powdery snow...

... And an indoor photo:

There is usually a reason that I participate in these challenges...

... And this time, it's because a special someone just bought her first house.  I thought this little quilt would be a nice housewarming gift.  Hopefully, she agrees.  Congratulations, L!

There you have it...

Process, product, and the REAL reason for accepting this Challenge.

Follow THIS LINK to the Season 13 overview.  Check back on the Challenge release days (or sign-up to be notified automatically) and there may be one that YOU just can't resist.

It's a SHORT turnaround time!

Depending on the size and complexity of your project, that doesn't HAVE to be insurmountable.  With a little creativity and a few evenings, you really CAN do this!  My project was begun shortly after the prompt was announce but was finished with only 2 hours until the deadline.  Even so, I will link up with only an hour or so to spare.  I'm SEW looking forward to checking out all the other entries.

Until next time...

Challenge accepted!!!

Remember:  If I can do this, YOU can do it, too!

(Plus, there's a spot to post your completed Project QUILTING inspired projects AFTER the deadline for any of the challenges.)

Sharing with Alycia

for

Finished (Or Not) Friday

and

With Cynthia

for

Oh Scrap!