15th Brother International Quilting Contest
The 15th Brother International Quilting Contest is currently open for entries and the theme is Eco. Brother Australia have asked me to make a quilt for the competition and chronicle my adventure in doing so. No pressure, right? Lucky for me I’m not eligible to enter (less pressure on getting my stitches perfect) but you can totally enter and I hope that by seeing what I’m working on you’ll get inspired to trust yourself, believe in your skills and enter.
When I was in Sydney for the Quilt and Craft Fair I was lucky enough to be able to get up close and personal with last years quilts and they’re all amazing. Nothing like being intimidated by checking out the work that others have done before you. But, I realised while I was standing there looking at the quilts that all of them were art quilts and I’m totally not known for my art quilting. Now, I could have used that as an excuse as to why I couldn’t make a quilt to fit the competition but that’s not in my nature and besides… means there’s more of an opportunity to make an impact by doing something unexpected.
The finished quilt has to measure 70cm x 70cm, which isn’t a massively big size (handy for quilting on my domestic machine). It also means that I can have some fun with smaller piecing and not have to worry about making something on a large scale. You can also include all sorts of decorative elements if you’re so moved. (I’m actually starting to think about how to bling it out!) (Find out more about the entry requirements by clicking here.)
I’ve started an inspiration board on Pinterest as a place to keep all of my ideas together. I’m not really sure how I’m going to approach it, but I’ve got some ideas percolating. The theme of Eco is so broad and there’s so much that can be done with it that I think I’m just having trouble getting all my ideas down into one concrete idea. There’s worse problems to have then too many ideas.
Some of the ideas that I’ve been thinking about involve different techniques for using fabrics. I’ve been toying with dying my own colour palette, finding environmentally sustainable fabrics and recycling materials to make my own fabric. I’ve also been thinking about printing on fabric using a variety of techniques. There’s just so much possibility.
Normally I don’t go into embellishments for my quilts, but that’s probably a reflection of the fact that most of the quilts I make are for beds and that I’m not very confident with using embellishments. This quilt is only going to be a wall quilt so it’s the perfect excuse to get outside my comfort zone and try something new and exciting. (Can you say bedazzle?)
I’ve been lusting after the work of Wendy Williams (Wendy works with felt, embroidery and beading to create amazing quilts, bags, cushions and more) and this could be the perfect opportunity to take a class with Wendy and learn the technique for myself. (Can you hear me justifying the trip into Sydney and cost of class and materials in my head because I might use it in this quilt?)
This is the part of the process that I find equally thrilling and pant-packing. It’s the world of possibility that lays before me and trying to decide on just one course of action. It’s invigorating and crippling and it’s part of the reason why I adore it so much.
Over the coming months I’m going to be sharing with you all my design process, making the quilt, finishing the quilt and then the outcomes of the competition. Who knows I may even be able to justify a trip to Japan to see the quilts hanging. (I’ve started working on HUBBY already and I gotta say things are looking promising… he hasn’t said no yet!)
Entries are due by 31st October and I’ll be revealing my finished quilt the first week in October, so I’d better get cracking!
This competition is fabulous (not only will you win $2400 in Brother prizes but the top 10 of the Australian quilts will travel to Tokyo and may hang at the Tokyo Quilt Festival which is something on my bucket list!) and it’s a great opportunity for those of us that might not ever think about entering these type of competitions to get out there and rock the boat a bit. So, what are you waiting for? Go, download the entry form and get your creative pants on!
You can find out more about the 15th Brother International Quilt Contest by clicking this link.
You can join the GnomeAngel’s Super Fabulous People of Awesome Facebook Group by clicking here and hang out with super fabulous awesome people who are also working on their quilts, thinking about quilts and just generally being awesome.
Disclosure: Brother Australia are financial supporters of GnomeAngel.com. All opinions expressed are my own and have not been influenced by the businesses involved. For further information about my disclosure policy please click here.
