I was extremely happy when I recently got another interview in from one of my Project QUILTING - Season 1 Participants.  SarahB entered a little late in the competition but she completed some truly amazing challenges and even won some great prizes in the process!

What made you decide to join Project QUILTING?

I joined in a bit late, but I thought the challenge sounded fun! I hadn't ever done a sewing challenge before, and an online challenge and judging seemed a lot less scary than someone looking at my work while wearing a white glove.

What was your favorite part about Project QUILTING?

I loved that there were such a wide variety of projects submitted every week! Also, the challenges were so different week to week that it really gave different people a good chance to shine. 

Which Challenge in Season 1 (you can include the 2 pre-season projects) was your favorite? and why…

I had the most fun in the Office Supply challenge. I also lost the most sleep over that challenge! The Doodle Quilt is one I had always planned to do, although I always thought I'd piece it. I really love the final result!

Which Challenge in Season 1 (including the 2 per-season challenges) was your least favorite? and why…

I couldn't work myself up for the Black & White challenge because it's just not a color combo I'm a big fan of. I wasn't inspired and never came up with an idea I loved.

Which Challenges did you come up with your idea immediately and which took some marinating?

The Office Supply Doodle Quilt idea was pretty immediate. The Log Cabin block was within a day of reading the challenge and that was the 1st challenge I jumped in on. The Stars Over America challenge took a little more planning - I knew how I wanted to piece the stars, but the final plan for the piece took a while.

Did you try any new techniques for your projects during these challenges and if so, what were they?

In addition to the challenges as written I gave myself additional challenges of trying something new.  The Log Cabin challenge was my first 3-dimensional project, the Stars over America was my first with freehand drawing wonky paper pieced patterns, crazy-piecing and couching, and the Office Supply challenge was the first with "thread painting" or with a whole-cloth quilt.

How has Project QUILTING made you a better Quilter?

It's made me a lot braver! I tried so many new techniques and got better at working under a deadline too!

Did you find the judges comments beneficial, annoying, or inconsequential?  Why?

Inconsequential. Some comments were helpful, but I found the often the scores varied widely and didn't always seem to match up with the judge's comments. I was making all the pieces for myself and my home rather than for sale or for show, so it's more important that I liked the the piece since I'm the one who will see it everyday.

Do you think the judging format should be more structured, less structured, stay the same?  and why?

I'd like for the judges to elaborate a bit more each week. Possibly offer something they liked about each entry as well as a bit of constructive advise to help us all grow while still encouraging us to continue on.

What was your favorite piece that you created for the Project QUILTING challenge?

My Doodle Quilt is my favorite! http://www.flickr.com/photos/_sarah_b_/4826921815/in/pool-1401824@N21

What was your top three favorite pieces that someone else created for the Project QUILTING challenge?

Love Bug Studio's Downtown Chicago 3-d quilted map, Eco-Friendly? http://www.flickr.com/photos/34860663@N02/4872185712/in/pool-1401824@N21/

Love Bug Studio's Crooked House

http://www.flickr.com/photos/34860663@N02/4911326869/in/pool-1401824@N21

Kim's Crafty Apple - My Apple Tree

http://www.flickr.com/photos/33166641@N07/4736839946/in/pool-1401824@N21/

Is there anything you’d like to add or comments you’d like to share with me and my readers?

I had a lot of fun in Season 1! I hope I can join in in more of the Season 2 challenges!

Season 2 starts THIS Sunday – January 9th!

When I first saw the Iron Craft Challenge I thought, “This would be cool but how in the world will I ever find the time for another thing?”  Well, a friend of mine kept on about it and so I checked out the first challenge.

I had a few thoughts in mind on what I could do but I decided that I’m not going to stress out about them – if it happens – fantastic.  Well, Cedi kept bothering me about making her ‘Pig’ that she got for Christmas.  I looked over the directions and saw that it was for 8+ (my daughter is 4)…great…  Well, it was using sculpey.  In the past, I’ve covered votives with sculpey to make some really neat candle holders.  Now it seemed as if fate was telling me that I had to make at least something for the first challenge.

So, I got out the newspaper and set both of us up side by side.  I got Cedi started on her Pig and went to work on my votive.  I even found my sculpey supplies relatively easily considering it has been years since I’ve last used it.

First…I want to show you the results of Cedi’s pig :) 

    Pretty fantastic, huh?

And, here are the two votives I came up with for the “Lighting the Winter Gloom” Iron Craft Challenge. The first one is triangular and pretty standard all the way around.         The second one is more rectangular and I used a couple of different sculpey techniques on this one… Now, I need your help – which one of these should I submit for the challenge tomorrow?  The Triangle Votive?  Or the Rectangular Votive?

Although I’m pretty much a wimp and avoid making goals at all cost I did make one this year…I want to design my own fabric.  One of my favorite things about quilting and sewing in general is all the amazing fabric I get to ‘play’ with – but not only play – manipulate to basically make a whole new fabric by combining all the different ones.

So, finally pulling out the Bamboo that my amazing brother got me for my birthday (yes, it was last April) and playing in Corel I was able to create some designs for Spoonflower.  I can’t wait to see what they look like in real life!

Here they are…can’t wait to hear what you think!   A.

B.

C.

D.

E.

F.

  G.

H.

I.

J.

    K.

So…what do you think?  Love?  Hate?  Have a favorite…likes…dislikes…I want to hear from you!

1. Shabby Ruffled Log Cabin - Kim's Crafty Apple Challenge, 2. Log Cabin Quilt, 3. StarsOverAmerica, 4. Finished Project - Angela Otte's Piece for Project QUILTING, 5. Close up of Emily's Table Runner, 6. Jungle Fun Quilt, 7. DSC06389-1, 8. The_Monkey_Who_Fell_Off_the_Bed, 9. Quilties - Batik Windmills 1, 10. Diamond Shaped Candle Mat, 11. Project Quilt , 12. QuiltingDiva's Project QUILTING Entry, 13. Easy Button - Project QUILTING Office Supply Challenge, 14. Project Quilting, Season 1, Project 1, 15. 023, 16. Happy Birthday America , 17. Karen's Crafty World sign, 18. eco7, 19. Tropical Rainbow b, 20. Checkers anyone?, 21. Eyes, 22. Log Cabin Cube (Season 1, Challenge 4), 23. patchwork side, 24. Tote Bag, 25. Today Is... Created with fd's Flickr Toys

I just had to make this – the above collage is one entry from each of the different TWENTY-FIVE participants for the first season of Project QUILTING. 

Diane Lapacek’s INTERVIEW:

What made you decide to join Project QUILTING?

Well, Kim is my daughter-in-law and she came up with this really awesome idea. She asked me to come up with the challenges and also be a judge.  What could I say?????  She's the mother of my granddaughters!!!!!

What is your favorite part about Project QUILTING?  

Seeing the wide variety of projects everyone comes up with and reading the stories behind each.  I consider the story an important part of each entry.  It tells the meaning of the piece and points out special details to look for.

What are you looking for when people complete the challenges?   CREATIVITY.  "It's Time to Think Outside the Square" is what Project Quilting is all about to me.  I like a project that doesn't interpret the challenge too literally, but uses the inspiration to create something unexpected.

Since we can't see the finished pieces except through your photos, it's important that close ups of special details are included.  Workmanship is really difficult to judge from a photo, but I still want to see a quilt that hangs flat and straight.  I look for quilting that complements the design of your finished piece.

How has Project QUILTING made you a better Quilter?  

It's made me realize that it's possible to create amazing projects in little time.  Sometimes you have to just BEGIN and see where the project takes you.

Just how difficult is it to critique someone's work?  Be honest.  

Very difficult.  I think the critique is very important to help everyone grow as a quilter.  My instinct is to find all the positives and none of the negatives so no one gets discouraged.  I'm going to make a conscious effort to add more constructive criticism in Season 2.

The quality of the entries in Season 1 was amazing.  I would go back over the pictures multiple times trying to decide how I wanted to score them.  Everyone should be very proud of their efforts.

What was your top three favorite pieces that someone else created for the Season 1 Project QUILTING challenges?

KimsCraftyApple Rows of Circles.  I love the way Kim used her visit to the office supply store and made a quilt that reminded her of the way items looked on the shelf.  Definitely not a literal translation of the theme.

Kathleen Quilts God's Grace  Although Kathleen did a very literal translation of Stars over America, it was still a very unexpected project and very creative in the way she made it flip-able.

Love Bug Studios Thailand   Beautiful. Love the way she cut up the good stuff, tried new techniques and let the project develop step by step.

Is there anything you’d like to add or comments you’d like to share with me and my readers?  

I hope we gets lots of quilters playing along with us this season.  Remember, you receive a critique of every entry and there are lots of random prizes AND Project Quilting will make you a better quilter.  Besides that, it's just plain fun.

Project Quilting - It's Time to Think Outside the Square.

New Years Resolution from HappyTownUSA

Happy New Years everyone!  Here’s hoping 2011 is even better than 2010!

The beginning of the New Year is always about resolutions. I am not a big resolution/goal person… I try to come up with some but usually fall short…I think the image above sums everything up for me pretty well.

I would love to hear what some of your resolutions are for this year!  Feel free to share in the comments!