Project QUILTING - Season 14.1 - The First One

The First One

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 the next 12 weeks.

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 I have for the past two years, 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?  

BEWARE:  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 14.1 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:

PQ14.1 The First One

Let’s revel in the “firstness” of January 1 for this week’s challenge theme and look at the number one.

• Number one could be the winner. The “first” to reach a summit or achieve a position.
• But sometimes one is the loneliest number; a single with no one around.
• And sometimes it’s just math. In any event, let’s carry the one this week!

Step Two...

Put on my thinking cap to come up with an idea that meets the challenge.

Why, Joyful???

It's an obscure prompt.  I had NO IDEA where to go with it.

Step Three...

Gather supplies:

I reached for my Dark/Bright BLUE Quilted Scrap Basket, as Angela from the Rainbow Scrap Challenge called that for January's Color of the Month.

Tutorial for these baskets can be found HERE.

Step Four...

Review the rules:

RULE ONE: Your project this week must somehow use the theme of “one.”

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 1, 2022, and posted by noon Central Time January 8, 2022.

Each piece must stand alone as DONE to count toward prizes.

Your project does not need to be a traditional quilt, but must meet at least one of these requirements: include patchwork, include appliqué, have 3 layers stitched together by hand or machine.

Step Five... Any ideas?

1. A quilt to serve as a backdrop for my 1st Place quilt show ribbon.

2. A new quilt for my Words and Phrases series.

Step Six...PLAY!!!

I needed a background, so I dug into these scrap baskets:

Here is a bit 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 came up with this background:

OK, but what are you going to DO with that, Joyful???

 

That's a good question.  Just wait!  With 4 days remaining until the deadline, I was ready to layer (with a batting off-cut) and quilt this background:

Then, as the clock ticked down...

The applying and stitching down of the binding was all that remained:

With little more than 36 hours until the deadline, I present my completed entry for PQ 14.1:

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

... And this time, it was because I gave away my bulletin board over the summer.  Say what?!  That might sound like a strange reason to participate in a challenge.  But with my bulletin board gone, I didn't have a way to display something important to me.  While I could have simply attached my ONE 1st Place ribbon (circa 2010) onto my gallery wire, I thought it might be more fun to have a little quilt to display it against:

There you have it...

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

Follow THIS LINK to the Season 14 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. I'm pleased to have joined the Link Party with 4 hours remaining until the deadline.  Yay, me!  :o))

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 36 hours until the deadline.  Even so, I will link up with only a few hours to spare.  (I just couldn't stay up until midnight in order to join earlier.)

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.)