The Challenge of Challenges…..

A few months ago, our guild speaker made the comment that quilters should NEVER… ..EVER…..participate in a challenge!!

Her contention was that the challenges put too many parameters on the quilt, meaning that it funnels you into one direction.

I don’t know about you, but I COMPLETELY disagree with this comment.

In my 35+ years of quilting, I have participated in over 60 challenges and mysteries and I have learned SO much from them. So let’s start on a journey of Challenges….talk about the successful ones as well as the unsuccessful!!!

The FIRST challenge that I ever participated in was back in 1987!! We had just returned to the US after spending 6 years in Australia and were living in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. I was only 2 years into my quilting career and was excited to join the “River City Quilters”!!

Not long after I arrived, they handed out a small packet of fabric and challenged us to make a quilt from it. I don’t remember all of the details but I remember being so excited as I looked at the fabrics and let design after design pass in front of my mind!!

Unfortunately, my ideas were greater than my abilities but I still played with the fabrics and came up with my FIRST completely original design……

This was made before I was machine quilting, so I did a minimal amount of arc quilting….BY HAND!!

My stitches are actually pretty even and small but I will say that the batting is SUPER thin so that helped!!

Now….would I have EVER tried to design this quilt without the push of a challenge???

The answer is a resounding …..

I believe that this first challenge DEFINITELY propelled me down a path that I might not have tried before and that is why I do challenges!!

Next week I will show you my SECOND challenge….it is interesting I promise!!

Do you like challenges?? Why or why not??