Are You Ready for a {FLAMINGO} Challenge?

The whole idea of the challenge using Kona Flamingo came from the exhibit at QuiltCon East in Savannah for the 2016 Kona Color Of The Year (COTY) - "Highlight" - and how impressive it was. 

It was vibrant. It was cohesive. It was inspiring. 60 mini quilts, all the same size, all with one common element - Kona Highlight. Each of the 60 artists who received a pre-selected color palette, were asked simply to make a mini quilt. Creativity-wise, the sky was the limit. They could design, piece, quilt, embellish, etc. their mini in whatever manner that best spoke to them/represented them.

Looking at the exhibit, you saw minimalist quilts, modern traditional quilts, improv quilts, bold and graphic quilts, sweet quilts. I'll admit, some of the color palettes were easier on the eyes than others. But, each quilt wasn't there to be judged. It was there because it represented where the artist was creatively at that point in time.

Here is the best link to visuals of the QuiltCon exhibit. 

That's the idea with this challenge. Show us what you're made of. What's your piecing style? How do you like to quilt? Are you a free-form quilter or a pattern follower? It doesn't matter. Show us what you can do with a FQ or F8 of Flamingo Pink. 

These are our parameters for the Kona Flamingo 20" x 20" Mini Quilt Challenge:

1 - Must use Kona's 2017 COTY, "Flamingo". Use as little or as much as you want.
2 - Finished mini-quilt size must be 20" x 20"
3 - Any piecing style/design style is allowed. If using a pattern, PLEASE credit the pattern maker/designer.
4 - ONLY solid fabrics may be used. Ideally, ONLY Kona solids, but that's your decision.
5 - All minis must have a label on the back.
6 - Kona Flamingo is available for purchase at $2/FQ or $1/F8 today. (N/A)
7 - Minis are due no later than December 9, 2017.
8 - This is your mini to keep. At a later date and time, we will request permission to display it in a show format/public setting.
9 - All minis submitted are eligible to win a small prize. Random drawing at the December 9th meeting. 

We are so looking forward to seeing your minis, but also hearing a little bit about what inspired you.  Good luck!

Six Flying Geese Heading North - November Block Lottery

A tutorial from Maureen Howard.  Presented October 2017 for November 2017 Block Lottery.  Questions?  email maureen2.howard2@gmail dot com

GEESE:

Please use strong, saturated colors that will show up well against the background. Geese can be prints or solids. Feel free to use a mix of prints and solids in a single colorway; i.e., all geese made of tints and shades from the red-orange colorway. 

BACKGROUND:

The background fabrics should be black, grey, and white, or any combination thereof. You can use solids or prints as long as the only colors in the background are black, grey, and white. (Got it? Black, grey, and white!!)

You can have your geese flying straight up the center, as the orange and blue ones.  Or...

your geese can be offset to one side or the other, like the pink and green geese shown below.

CUTTING:

There are six units (rows) in each block.

For centered geese, cut:

(6) Left side background 2.5” x 4.5”

(6) Geese color: 2.5” x 4.5”

(6) Right side background: 2.5” x 4.5”

For offset geese, cut:

(6) Left side background:  2.5” x 5.5”

(6) Geese color: 2.5” x 4.5”

(6) Right side background: 2.5” x 3.5”

(If you want the right side to be bigger than the left, reverse the dimensions for those pieces.)

SEWING:

With right sides of geese fabric and background fabric together, mark a 45° angle on background piece, as shown. Stitch on your marked line.

Trim excess fabric, about ¼” from stitching line.

Press seam allowance towards background fabric. (Ignore that smallish green corner sticking out on the bottom. Oops. Oh well.)

Repeat this for the other side - (dark background fabric in this picture.) You will be stitching over the top of the first stitching line to make your geese point.

Trim excess fabric, about ¼” from stitching line.

Press seam allowance towards the background fabric.

Make six of these units (rows) for each block. Arrange units (rows) in the order that's pleasing to you. (Magic color change alert for the subsequent pictures.  :)

 

When stitching units (rows) together, put the side with the point of the flying geese on top so you can see where the point is.  As your presser foot gets close to the tip of the goose, ensure the fabric is aligned so that your needle sews exactly where the seam lines intersect.

This saves lives because you don’t chop the goose’s head off!

Your seam should look like this.

Give the block a good press, and you’re done! (Just as soon as you make 27 more blocks; geese need friends!  Just kidding.)