FOLLOW YOUR ARROW
Welcome to The Joyful Quilter!! And... Welcome to the wonderful world of Project QUILTING hosted by Kim Lapacek @ Persimon Dreams!! This is my 6th year of participation in the Challenge. Trish Frankland @ QuiltChicken is the creator of the crazy challenges that participants will face during the next 4 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?
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 16.5 can be found at THIS LINK:
Step One...
I ponder the possibilities. There are a number of directions I could go with this.
Step Two...
Read the instructions to see what is required of the fifth challenge. Here's what Trish had to say:
16.5 Follow Your Arrow
This week’s challenge invites you to explore arrows.
As a motif or shape in quilting, arrows were there from Day One.
Chevrons can be a very modern, streamlined arrow shape.
You can find lots of patterns for arrowhead-and-feathered-shaft Robin Hood style arrows.
She went on to say the following:
... And of course tons of very traditional blocks create dramatic arrow shapes across your quilt
Your “arrow” can be simple and literal or deep and introspective (well, only as deep as a one-week deadline allows!).
Step Three...
Search for any arrow shaped items in my studio to see if they will sway my direction one way or another.
What are you thinking, Joyful???
My first thought went to my stencil stash, as I know I have an arrow shaped stencil, but I also recall a skirt that I made for a friend a number of years ago. I'm fairly certain there must be a scrap of that in my Light GRAY Quilted Scrap Basket. There are also some fun ways to piece arrow shapes.
Step Four...
Head up to the studio to decide on my supplies:
Spoiler Alert! The arrow fabric was nowhere to be found so the next stop was my yellow scrap basket. Whatever I make will most likely incorporate at least one scrap of YELLOW fabric. After all, that's the March Color of the Month for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge:
| Tutorial for these baskets can be found HERE. |
Step Five...
Review the rules:
Rule One: Your completed project must include an arrow shape.
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 March 2nd, 2025, and linked up by noon Central Time March 9th, 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 Six... Get to work!!!
I'm on the project fast track this week, so by Sunday night, I'd already chosen the scraps I would be using for my blocks and searched out a number of Arrow blocks to use.
Here I am testing out my favorite of the arrow blocks on Monday evening:
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 got to work on my design after deciding on blocks in two sizes:
More blocks followed the next morning:
When I got home from work on Tuesday afternoon, my quilt top came together:
On Wednesday afternoon, the quilt was layered...
And quilting had begun:
The center portion was basically done by the time I needed to go make dinner:
Thursday morning found me finishing the borders and after my Weekly Quilt Group meeting, I finished quilting the center...
With the binding made, applied and stitched down, I'm am pleased to present my completed my completed entry for PQ 16.5:
There is usually a reason that I participate in these challenges...
... And this time, it was thanks to Laura @ Sew Very Easy on YouTube. She shared a fun arrow pattern called Always Chasing Rainbows from Benartex. Of course, my project looks nothing like the pattern AND there is also the fact that I shrunk the block size (TWICE!!) without ever seeing the actual pattern! Thank you, ProjectQUILTING, for giving me new ways to stretch my creativity with every challenge prompt!
Sunshine This Way
10" x 12"
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.
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 the same day the prompt was announced and was finished with about 2.5 DAYS to spare! My post was ready for release shortly thereafter and this time I'm releasing my post early, as I don't know how I will feel Sunday morning since I'm having surgery tomorrow (Friday). Off to join Kim's Link Party now so that I don't have to worry about being awake to join on Sunday like I normally would.
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.)
