Still time to send us your staycation postcard, but hurry!

Kristine Lundblad — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 12:15:00 GMT

Here in the Northeast, fall has arrived. Temperatures are still pleasant but it is cooler and the air is crisper. Summer is over, as is traditional vacation time.


Participants in our Staycation Postcard Reader Challenge are eligible to receive some of these hand-dyed fabrics.

In the June/July issue of Quilting Arts Magazine, our theme was staycation and the fun things you can do with your fabric and art supplies without traveling far from home. We challenged our readers to create a staycation postcard - because who doesn't like getting a postcard from a friend or family member when they're on vacation? - and send it to us.


	Bonnie Sabel's postcard features real shells and "sand" fabric.

We have been so impressed with and happy to see all of the staycation postcards that have come to our offices so far, and I am featured two of them here in this blog.

Our readers are so creative! One mom and her two children each made postcards about the fun they were having this summer, while other readers used techniques—like Diane Savona's under-the-surface embellishment from issue 58—they had read about in the magazine. Other postcards feature photo imagery, intricate stitch work, beading, hand-dyeing, and more.

There is still time, if you work fast, to get your staycation postcard into us before the October 1, 2012 deadline. Be sure to check out the rules for this and our other ongoing reader challenges.


This playful art by Dawn Ruminski features a 3-D sea turtle swimming with hand-painted fish.

All of the postcard challenge participants will be entered into a drawing to receive a selection of parfait ice-dyed fabrics we created during our "staycation dye party" in the spring.

I look forward to seeing your postcard!

Kristine

"What's your Signature Color?" Reader Challenge

Vivika DeNegre — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 18:45:00 GMT

Whether you love hot pink or cherry red, deep navy or aqua blue, you probably have a signature color. The folks at Pantone® have decided that 'Tangerine Tango' is the 2012 color of the year, but maybe your personal palette leans towards a different hue. Some of our contributors in this issue have chimed in with their favorites. Maria Elkins says that cobalt blue gives her a sense of peace and joy. Jane Dávila claims that robin’s egg blue is her favorite, while Lynn Krawczyk craves the burnt orange of her 1970’s childhood. My own go-to shade of red is present in most of my creations. So what color makes your heart sing? Inquiring minds want to know!

We are challenging our readers to make a small 8" x 8" art quilt using their signature colors in any way they desire. You may choose to make a freeform pieced canvas and embellish with sequins and beads like Karen Loprete’s fine example in this issue, or create a map of your neighborhood in the style of Alicia Merrett’s profile quilts. Maybe you’ll explore the language of color with a quilt that is green with envy or red with desire. Whatever your choice, we want to see how your signature color reflects your personality. We’ll show some of our favorite entries in the October/November 2012 issue of Quilting Arts Magazine, online in our editors’ blogs, and possibly even exhibit some at upcoming quilt shows.

Here’s how to enter:

Create an 8" x 8" art quilt based on your signature color. The entire quilt, including binding, must measure 8" x 8". It must be three layers and quilted, either by hand or machine or both; it must be bound or zigzag stitched closed and have a sleeve on the back.
Any embellishments must not protrude more than 1/2" from the quilt.
The entire quilt must weigh no more than 1 lb.
The quilt may be made with alternative fibers (such as paper), but it must be quilted, consist of three layers, and be either bound or closed along the edges.
Your entry must be free of any text or images that are protected by copyright, unless you have the expressed written permission from the person or institution that holds the copyright and you provide that written permission with your submission. (It’s a good idea to steer clear of commercial imagery.)
To be considered for the challenge, send two low-res (each less than 1MB) images of your entry (one of entire quilt, and one of a detail of the quilt) via email by Monday, June 25, 2012, to challenges@interweave.com, with the words “Signature Color” in the subject line. Please include your name, email address, phone number, and a brief explanation of your piece.

Note: Please do not “zip” your files and be sure to send jpegs.

7. On Friday, June 29, 2012 Assistant Editor Kristine Lundblad will post the finalists on her blog at quiltingdaily.com.

8. If accepted as a finalist, your artwork must be in our offices no later than July 13, 2012, along with a flat shipping and handling fee of $15 (U.S. and Canada) or $25 (all other international). This fee, which must be paid in U.S. dollars, covers the shipping costs, packing materials, and handling for the return of your entry.

9. The entire piece and all of its packaging must weigh less than 5 lbs. and fit inside a standard shipping/mailing box (no larger than 12" x 4" x 14") or padded envelope.

Finalists should mail their entries to:

Quilting Arts Magazine/Interweave
Attn: Signature Color Challenge
490 Boston Post Road, Suite #15
Sudbury, MA 01776

Note: By submitting your reader challenge entry, you are authorizing Interweave Press LLC to publish your project in upcoming publications and promotional materials, on our website, and in other Interweave e-media, as well as to possibly display it at shows. Interweave Press LLC will not be held responsible for loss or damage due to circumstances beyond our control.

We reserve the right to keep and display your “Signature Color” pieces until the week of January 14, 2013. We will be shipping the quilts back during the last two weeks of January.

If you have questions about the “Signature Color” reader challenge, contact Kristine Lundblad at klundblad@interweave.com.

We look forward to seeing your work!

Reader Challenges : Embellishment Techniques

Still time to send us your staycation postcard, but hurry!

"What's your Signature Color?" Reader Challenge