Friday, January 30, 2009

Fabric purchase!

I bought fabric today toward my first 2 quilts for this challenge! I have in mind to do 3 or 4, since they're little. I originally wanted to just make a quilt with blocks that reminded me of things or people from the books, but the more I thought about it I couldn't think of a way to do that and decided instead of one quilt it needed to be a mini-series. And the challenge was born.

I'll bet you can't guess what or who my 2 quilts will represent, just from looking at the fabric!

See if you can!


Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Off to a "Sweet" Start

I am following a "Quilt Block (almost) a Day" calendar. Today's block was a stupid appliqued penguin. Who needs that? But in keeping with the spirit of the block (if not the letter), I made an appliqued Snowball block of Sally Sweet, Transvestite Extraordinaire. LoL. Here is my drawing of the prototype, alongside the block in its finished state. It is 6.5" square and is just one of the surprises I think I have up my sleeve for my mini quilt. If I am as clever as I think I am, LOL.

Monday, January 26, 2009

Bumbling Bounty Hunters Miniature Quilt Challenge

This is a challenge inspired by the Stephanie Plum series of books by Janet Evanovich. I love those books and have recently met a lot of other quilters who do too. I was thinking, "I wish I had a way to kind of incorporate the characters from the stories into a quilt." Here is my solution!

The rules for this challenge are easy. The main idea is to think outside the box, explore and create and have FUN! Since it is a miniature quilt challenge the finished quilts should be between 14"x14" and 24"x24". You may make them rectangular, square, oval, circular, star shaped, etc. However it is you want to do it. Take one character from the book and turn them into a mini quilt. For instance, maybe Lula reminds you of bold colors and animal prints--run with it. Or maybe Ranger is army camoflage or a quilt made with lucisous chocolate brown velvet.

You can use traditional blocks, applique (hand or machine), paper piece, etc. Quilts may be embellished with sew on accents (like beads, etc).

Use any character from any book in the series, which include but are not limited to:
  • Stephanie Plum, lingerie buyer turned bumbling bounty hunter. Jersey girl.
  • Lula, ex-hooker and current file clerk at bonds office, likes shooting people, spandex, loud colors and animal prints.
  • Connie Risolli, bonds office manager, very Italian, related to the Jersey Mob.
  • Vinnie, owns bonds office, pervert, likes farm animals and Joyce Barnhardt
  • Grama Mazur, mid-70s, free spirit. Likes purple sweatsuits, her .45 long barrel and giving Stephanie's mom a hard time.
  • Ricardo Carlos "Ranger" Manoso, bounty hunter extrordinaire, Cuban-American, does security, dresses in black, mysterious.
  • Joe Morelli, very Italian, vice/homicide cop, owns a red Ducati and Bob the dog
  • Bob, reported Golden Retriver, huge, orange, dumb, eats furniture, watches ESPN, poops mountains
  • Joyce Barnhardt, totally nasty, wears black leather everything, has red hair teased to the sky, finds mysterious mountains of dog poop in her yard all the time
  • Diesel, in the between the numbers books, large blond guy, has special powers kinda like a super hero
  • Sally Sweet, tall hairy Italian guy, musician, transvestite, drives a school bus
  • Mooner, total stoner
  • Albert Kloughn, Stephanie's sister's boyfriend, lawyer, reminds people of the Pillsbury Doughboy
  • Valerie, Stephanie's once perfect sister, has a baby by the Clown (Albert Kloughn)
  • Mary Alice, one of Valerie's daughters, thinks she's a horse.
  • Angela, one of Valerie's daughters, perfect child
  • Some other ideas: Donuts, Birthday Cake, Cluck-in-a-Bucket, Heavily Armed (everybody!)

    The deadline for your quilt's completion for this challenge is December 31st 2009. You have almost a whole year to be creative! Also, bear in mind that it's not a swap so no pressure. No one will see your quilt but you, and us if you chose to share pictures!

    If you want in on this challenge, just leave a comment with your e-mail address (in the format of soandso AT somewhere DOT com) and let me know. I'll add you so that you can post on this blog with pictures of fabric choices, quilts in progress, finished projects, etc. You can make one quilt, or many! Whatever floats your boat.

    If you are interested in watching the progress of the challenge, or just LOVE the Stephanie Plum books, or are just plain nosy... feel free to follow this blog with NO obligation to make any kind of quilt whatsoever.

  • Also, feel free to take one of the graphics from the side bar to add to your personal blog as a link back here so that others may join in!

    Blog Rules:

  • No cursing
  • No offensive material
  • No advertising. Upon your quilt's completion, if you own an online shop and wish to make your quilt available for sale, you may say so. Otherwise advertising is a no-no. When you join the challenge a link will be added to the right with your name and either the title of your blog, personal website or shop (your choice)... just let me know.

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