ProjectQUILTING - Season 16.1 - Mythical Creatures

Mythical Creatures

Welcome to The Joyful Quilter!!  And... Welcome to the wonderful world of Project QUILTING hosted by Kim Lapacek @ Persimon Dreams!!  This is my 5th 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.  I'm not sure if I will be dragging along my friend LeeAnna @ Not Afraid of Color for this season, as she has had some trouble with her machine recently.  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 16.1 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:

PQ 16.1 Mythical Creatures

Around the globe – wherever people meet to share stories – you’ll find legends of mythical creatures. Tales of bloodsucking fiends, warnings of a boy who flew too close to the sun, and unconfirmed sightings of a thirty-point buck entertain us, bond us, and even teach a lesson.

And, while these stretch-of-the-imagination beings may not be real, they’re a huge part of our cultural landscape. You’ll find gargoyles in cathedral eves, gods and goddesses in public fountains, and an animated hero for kids of all ages.

This week, let’s find quilt inspiration in mythology. I am – once again – giving you creative permission to take that prompt in any direction you wish. Maybe a bag with mermaid-scale texture, a fire-breathing dragon quilt, or how about a horror-themed wall hanging for Halloween? Just follow the basic rules, found below!

Step Two...

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

Do you have an appropriate fabric, Joyful???

Surely, I have something that will work.  Would it be breaking the rules to start with that and add a few orphan blocks?  I don't think so, since still have to design a quilt top using the pieces and parts.

Step Three...

Gather supplies:

I reached for my PINK 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:  Find inspiration in a mythical creature.

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 5, 2025, and linked up by noon Central Time January 12, 2025.

Each piece must stand alone as DONE to count.

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.

Incomplete or unfinished does not qualify. Every challenge piece must be a FINISHED project seen through from INCEPTION to COMPLETION during the challenge timeline.

Step Five... Any ideas, Joyful???

1. A small quilt using the Rainbow Scrap Challenge Color of the Month and this "dragon scale" fabric I found in my stash:

2. A small quilted item made using the same.

Step Six...PLAY!!!

Every quilt begins with a background, doesn't it?  I dug into my light neutral scrap baskets to find some white-on-white squares for background or sashing:

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.)

Within an hour of the challenge's posting, this is the general layout, IF a quilt is the goal:

Where to next, Joyful???

 

That's a good question.

Keep reading...

I tested out a few layouts, first this way:

Then switched the variables around:

I think I've hit on the winning layout:

One final iteration with a larger center square proved to be the true winner:

After work on Thursday...

With just less than 3 days until the deadline, I stitched the quilt top together:

With more time remaining before dinner, I selected a backing fabric and a scrap of batting...

On Saturday morning...

I really didn't want to re-pin the center square, but since the top was placed sideways on the backing it was necessary:

Here's a closer look at that center square:

Things happened quickly from there and before I knew it, the time had arrived to apply the binding.  That's exactly what I'm doing in the photo shown below:

Wonder of wonders...

With nearly 22 hours to spare, I present my completed entry for PQ 16.1 out on our snow covered deck:

This is the backing that I selected from a bundle I received in my friend Dee Dee's recent destash:

Thank you, Dee Dee!  These flamingos felt just right for this little quilt.

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

... And this time, it was because I wanted to prove to myself that I could quilt with a broken finger still in a splint.  (I broke it 5 weeks ago and there are few splinted weeks remaining.)  Alas, I could only do straight line quilting, as my hand refused to provide enough pressure to move the quilt for free motion.

There you have it...

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

Follow THIS LINK to the Season 16 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 5 hours remaining until the deadline.  Yay, me!  :o))

Here is my Mythical Creatures entry hanging on the galley wire in my studio:

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 planned out shortly after the prompt was announce but was finished with fewer than 24 hours until the deadline.  I managed to link up with more than a few hours to spare.  Quite a departure from many of my PQ 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.)