Our Paint Chip Challenge

Posted on November 15, 2013 by prairiemoonquilts in Guild Stuff, Quilts

I’m a proud member of the Pecan Valley Quilt Guild in Brunswick, MO, and back in the summer, we were issued a “Paint Chip Challenge”.

We each got to draw two paint chips at random, and then were tasked with making a quilted project using those two colors. We were allowed to add in one extra color of our choice for contrast, if we deemed it necessary.

In my case, it seemed a bit necessary. These were the two paint chips I drew:PaintChips

Red Hot and Grenadine! Orange and red, so close in color they were almost the same! What to do, what to do?

I came home and pulled all the fabrics I had with those colors in them, and found a couple other pieces to purchase as well. One of the pieces had the yellow in it, so I chose that yellow as my third color to add some contrast to the piece.

Then, naturally, I let it sit all summer and didn’t do anything at all on this project.

However, our deadline was the November guild meeting, which fell on the 11th, so on the Thursday before, I came up with a plan, and did a little cutting. And so, I present — “Red Hot Grenadine”:RHGFull

On Saturday, I started to sew.

On Sunday, I finished the piecing.RHGBigCircle

Monday morning, guild meeting day, I added the big yellow appliqued circles, loaded it on the longarm, quilted it, then took it off and bound it.RHGSmallCircle

I finished with an hour and a half to spare, which meant that I had time to actually take a shower before heading out to guild meeting! I’m sure all my fellow guild members appreciate that part.

And best of all, I’m really happy with the quilt! I’m not sure I’d have ever made something quite like this without the challenge to make me think of it.

I used some dull yardage on the back of the quilt. I thought it needed something a bit calmer, since the front screams so loudly. RHGBack

I did a small all-over meander with orange thread in the orange parts of the quilt, and did some freehand designs with yellow thread inside the yellow circles. It measures 53″ square, now that it’s finished.RHGBackCu

And I hope someone else loves it as much as I do, because I’ve listed it in my Etsy shop for sale. If you’d prefer to make one for yourself in the colors of your own choosing, I’ve put the pattern for it up on my Free Patterns page HERE.

If you’ve never participated in a Paint Chip Challenge before, and you get the opportunity, I recommend that you jump at the chance (or just challenge yourself to one on your own) — it certainly makes you stretch out of your comfort zone and perhaps do something you might never do otherwise.

My sister made a challenge project, too, and I’ll be back later to show you hers.

7 responses to “Our Paint Chip Challenge”

  1. farmquilter says:

    Well done!! You did pick quite the pair, didn’t you??? Love how you handled the challenge – beautiful quilt as a result!! Almost record time for getting it done, from start to finish – impressive!!!

  2. Cindy says:

    Oh wow, I really couldn’t even tell a difference in those two colors, and then I don’t think I have anything with those colors in my stash. I would have been hurt. I like the yellow with it!

  3. Susan says:

    That’s a wonderful quilt. I’m shocked at how great it look with colors so close together! The yellow was a perfect foil for the reds.

  4. Michele says:

    I love it! You pulled off an amazing challenge.

  5. Jocelyn says:

    Now how cool is that!! Or rather, how HOT is that!! Very creative.

  6. Rose Marie says:

    You know you love red. There never was any doubt. I love it.

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