Sewing Buddy 2012 Challenge #1

Whipstitch has this wonderful thing every year called the “Sewing Buddy Project” where you’re (seemingly randomly) matched with another participant and they’re your “buddy” for the year. Somehow I’ve gotten matched with a buddy from Georgia for 2 years in a row!

This year there are going to be challenges for buddies to complete jointly – the first one ended today.***ETA: it looks like it’s been extended until Monday!*** The challenge #1 was to create 2 projects, one a “boy” version and one a “girl” version. Since children’s clothing is pretty much out the window for me, we had to come up with something else that could be portrayed in a “girl” and “boy” fashion, but that was still obviously connected.

We decided on a self-contained picnic blanket in the greenhouse apple chevron print. I did mine in flannel and laminate – she chose to go with cotton instead of flannel for the heat factor! I love that these designers are producing on so many different types of fabric, it really allows you to be some much more flexible with what you can create!

So anyways (I finished it at close to midnight last night so I couldn’t take it outside for pics, but it’s been raining here anyways.) I chose 4 solid flannels to co-ordinate with my apples. She provided the pattern (which I managed to screw up anyways) and I came up with a block scheme for the pocket.. well, 2 schemes. I couldn’t decide on just one.

I decided that since both sides of the pocket show, that I’d do one on the inside and one on the outside.

What do you think? Does it look like the sketches at all? You might notice that the middle row is on top and the top row is in the middle. And please don’t look at the puckers where the designer flannel didn’t stretch and the cheaper solids did stretch. Just gaze in awe that in the first try at assembling it, it all ended up fitting inside the pocket!

But what they say about quilting is true… you really have to love the fabric that you’re working with. And at the end of it I still love all of the fabrics!

i WON!

This is just so exciting, I had to share!  I was poking around at Nova’s place, drooling over her cute little “quillow” and I entered the giveaway for Laurie Wisbrun’s new Pooches and Pickups fabric… and I WON! Can you possibly think of anything more exciting? Except, perhaps, when the fabric arrives and I get to play with it!!!

PS, I first starting loving Nova when I saw her entry for the Umbrella scraps project… which I also just loved. Apparently everyone else loved it too, because she won!