Challenge Defined

Something that requires thought and skill for resolution...

If you're a regular reader of my blog, you know that for the last year or so I have been part of a small art quilting challenge group (click here to see all my previous posts about it). This time around it was my turn to issue the challenge. So, here's what I came up with -- we were to create a piece that was monochromatic and had to be based on a color that started with the first letter of our first name. No other rules about size or design. Only one-word colors were allowed -- that meant we couldn't use Persian Blue if the name started with P or Hot Pink if the name started with H. 

The color I came up with was Asphalt, although when one of my quilting friends saw the fabrics I was using, she thought my color was Ash. Either one works.

Since this piece was due the day after my 54th (yikes!) birthday last week, I had the title for it before I had a design. Eventually, the design idea came to me. But of course, I waited until ten days before the deadline to start working on it! 

I call this "54 Shades of Gray" and the 54 pieces in it are all different and represent my natural hair color at age 54. Some of the pieces are the reverse side of fabrics...that's how I was able to come up with 54 different shades from about 30 fabrics. Simple flip-and-sew technique, so the quilting was done as soon as the pieces were all sewn together. Nothing else special or unique. 

I've been a bit concerned that most of my challenge pieces have been quite simple. But at this stage in my life I'm going to follow the wise wisdom of Henry David Thoreau who said: "Our life is frittered away by detail. Simplify, simplify."

That's my story and I'm sticking to it!