Advert Challenge Quilts & Wanganui Quilt Show

Last weekend I was a merchant at the Wanganui Quilt Show. What a lovely weekend it was, with beautiful weather and lots of people about. As part of the exhibition Cotton On Quilters had an Open Challenge to anyone in NZ for a quilt "Inspired by a Magazine Advert". I made 2 entries as I found this a fun challenge. As long as the advert was not from a quilting magazine it was acceptable. The quilts could not be square or rectangular. I went through the NZ House and Garden magazine and found heaps of ideas. I made one quilt, didn't like it so started another and then had an idea to finish the first one, so ended up sending both. I didn't win but it was fun to enter.
Here are my entries -
This first one entitle "Elements" was based on an advert which had coloured ovals inside ovals, so I had a play with it. I machine quilted the entire background first and then fused the appliqued ovals over this. I decided to machine satin stitch in black around each one to define the colours and add a little punch. It didn't quite work so I put aside, did the other and then thought about adding the fabric beads for embellishment which I feel it needed. The fabric beads are strips of fabric about 1" wide by 3" long which are rolled around a wooden satay stick and sealed with a strip of Vliesofix fused into place.

Here is the next one -
This is based on an advert for the Rhododendron Festival in New Plymouth. The ad had a lovely lime green backrground and flowers over it. I decided to put all my lime green fabrics in a pile and cut and stitch randomly. I did not rotary cut these or measure them, I scissor cut and sewed together and then joined the blocks, eyeballing sizes. I only used the rotary cutter when I got to the inner black and white border. This was a very relaxing (and freeing) way to sew. I drafted all the flowers to shapes I like and fused them into place then free motion quilted and appliqued through all 3 layers to attach them just using a straight stitch, as if in a drawing.

Here are some shots of my stall

Thanks Cotton On Quilters for inviting me to be a merchant and share your exhibiton with you. I had a lovely time, sold lots and met lots of people.
Dianne