I have to apologize for how long it has taken me to get this blog post up. I had it mostly written and then of course, didn’t save it so I lost it all. So – here’s try two (and yes, I’m saving – often – this time).

I am so in LOVE with the challenge from Crystal S of FrivolousNecessity presented to me and my readers.

I was actually just "inspired" by a photograph from a mail order catalog for a future quilt idea and thought that might be kind of fun - everyone picks their own "inspiration" ad photo from a magazine and explains how that created the idea.

~Crystal S.

In fact, I love it so much I think I’ll be making a series of quilts from ‘ad-spirations’ (well, I’ll start once apple season is over anyway…)

Here’s what we all came up with for the challenge:

Quilter 1: Marcia’s Crafty Sewing & Quilting

Denim Shirt Project

This is my entry in the Project Quilting Off Season Challenge - Catalog It! Your inspiration was to be from an ad.

I was inspired by clothes ads. Many times we thumb thru' catalogs and order clothes. Then they come in the mail and they don't fit us correctly. They just hang in our closets. Since this has happened to just about everyone I know, I decided we could all relate!

I was inspired to create a quilt from an unusable clothing item --- a denim shirt that didn't fit me!

I posted about each part of the process on my blog:

#1 Cut the shirt ---- Up Cycle this Denim Shirt
#2 The Process --- My Vacation Project Continues...
#3 The Binding --- A Fringie Raw Edge Binding
#4 Hot Pads --- Made from the Scraps
#5 Completed Project ---

Marcia Wachuta --- Marcia's Crafty Sewing and Quilting
Boscobel, Wisconsin

Quilter 2: KimsCraftyApple

Adspiration - Electrolux

Project QUILTING Catalog It Challenge Entry:

I saw an 'Electrolux' ad and used it as my inspiration for this piece. When I saw all the clothes stacked neatly I immediately thought STRIPES! I also loved the element of the circles from the washing machines in contrast to the stripes.

So, I randomly chose striped fabric (and one solid Kona piece) and made two nine patches. I cut them up with the disappearing nine patch pattern and re-pieced them once more. Then, I added a simple black border and appliquéd three circles onto the quilt.

Once that was done I used a orange thread to free motion bubble quilting onto the piece.

The function of this piece will be an oversized mug rug. I am super happy with the end result!

Approximate Dimensions: 17" x 9.5"

Created by Kim Lapacek in Poynette, WI

Quilter 3: Aunt Cindy’s Attic

Grungy T-Shirt & Jeans Quilt

I love the ad where the Fons & Porter women make a quilt with George's (one of their husbands) flannel shirts and you see him wearing a shirt with a square cut out of it.

Since seeing that I've wanted to make a flannel and jeans quilt. When I was in college (I mean, uh, middle school... because I'm not that old!) grunge was big. I had a meeting with my dorm's radio exec. board where everyone showed up in jeans, tie-dye t-shirts and flannel shirts.

Jeans are upcycled from our personal collection, as are the flannel plaid fabrics. The t-shirts are new and hand dyed by me. All that I dyed were used in the making of this quilt, much to the disappointment of my 5 year old daughter.

The pattern was based on this website: www.straw.com/equilters/library/jeans/jeans_gallbaros.html I thought it was a nice way to make a jeans quilt without just making squares. I've used a version of this method before with typical quilting fabric.

The quilt is approximately 5ft x 6ft.
Created by Aunt Cindy of Aunt Cindy's Attic, Crawfordsville, IN

To sweeten the deal for this challenge, Crystal agreed to allow everyone who enters the challenge to be put into a drawing to win a pattern of your choice from Crystals shop FrivolousNecessity.

So, I plugged 3 into the random number generator and…

Marcia is the lucky winner of a fabulous pattern from FrivolousNecessity.

Thanks to everyone for ‘Thinking Outside of the Square’ with this challenge!