2011 All Guild Challenge--Trying Something New
Pattern Ideas Please click for pattern ideas and web-sites
These 2 beautiful quilts were made by Kathie
Anderson and Martha Henrichs
Historically, there has been a Quilt Show Challenge in which individuals purchased a 'challenge' kit with a small amount of several fabrics and would then create a 'challenge quilt' using 2 or more of those fabrics.
The Directors at Large, Quilt Show Co-Chairs, and Community Services Committees would like to try something different in 2011. Rather than members creating individual challenge quilts, this year's challenge will be a group or 'community' challenge project for our entire guild consistent with the theme of this year's quilt show which is "A Community of Quilts and Quilters".
The 2011 Quilt Show Challenge will be for the DMAQG to make 150 patriotic quilts by the time of the quilt show, with the quilts being donated to the residents of the Veterans Home in Des Moines. (Several of the Veterans Homes in Iowa have been closed and consolidated to Marshalltown or Des Moines). We want to have a quilt to give to every veteran living at the Des Moines Veterans Home, with the timing of donating the quilts being between our show and Veterans Day in November. All of these quilts will be displayed at the show. None of the quilts will be entered in the show but they will be displayed at the show, similar to how the kids charity quilts were displayed last year. We'll soon provide more detail about this challenge and the process for turning in your completed patriotic quilts.
The quilts should be no smaller than 48" x 60" and go up to twin size (approximately 60" x 90"). This 48" x 60" minimum size ensures the quilt is long enough to cover the lap and legs and wide enough to tuck in around legs or across the bed. We ask that the quilts be some combination of red, white, blue, and/or gold. Because these quilts will be used and laundered in an industrial manner (probably hot water), it's important to prewash or thoroughly test your fabric for colorfastness. When you select the fabrics to use in your veterans' quilt, keep in mind that 90-95% of the residents are men.
To help some of you get started, we will: (1) have a number of pre-cut kits available for simple quilt patterns, and (2) have directions for 4 or 5 simple quilt designs available for members. Members can also use whatever other quilt pattern they'd like. We encourage members to work together to create a patriotic quilt in keeping with the 'community of quilters' show theme. Consider working with a couple of members you don't know to make a veteran's quilt: you will expand your 'community of quilters' and you will be recognizing the service of veterans.
We realize 150 quilts sounds like a large number. But, if every 3 members worked together to make a quilt, we would exceed our 150 quilt goal. The staff at the Veterans Home is very excited about this project and the quilts will be so appreciated by the veterans who receive them. Together, we can say 'thank you' to 150 or more veterans this year!
You may also check out the following web-sites for more ideas:
