Paint Chip Challenge and Drygoods Design Show

We’ve got a fantastic challenge and, from glimpses on Instagram and discussion in our MQG group, it seems like we’re all having fun and being challenged with matching our paint chips. Be sure to tag your photos with #seamqgpaintchipchallenge so we can see your fabulousness.

Show Details:

The show will be up the month of June at Drygoods Design, with an opening reception on Thursday, June 4th. This night also is the first Thursday Art Walk in Pioneer Square, so there should be a large crowd. The show will be primarily displayed on the large white wall seen from Occidental Square, with the mini quilts arranged in a grid to appear as if they make up one large quilt. There may be extra quilts that will be displayed elsewhere in the shop or in the windows. Quilts may be designated for sale, which is up to each individual member. The price should be the same for all quilts and will be somewhere around $75-$100. Drygoods Design takes just 5% of the sale price.

Challenge Quilt Details:

• Each participating member has randomly received a paint chip, which is either darker blues, teals, light blue-greys, or white-greys
• A small number of members randomly received a bonus paint chip with yellows that they must incorporate into their quilt. However, the yellow shouldn’t be more than roughly 10% of the quilt (no need to measure, just eyeball it). The idea is to have very small pops of a contrasting color in a few of the quilts
• Please choose fabrics that match the colors on your paint chip as closely as possible. You may use solids or prints, but the colors in the prints must match the chip
• It is okay if there is a small amount of white or a neutral color in your print, so long as the fabric primarily reads the color on your paint chip
• Each quilt needs to be 18″ square, with binding. If your binding technique increases the size of your quilt, you need to take that into account so the finished size is 18″ square
• The binding should also match your paint chip. However, you can also make a faced quilt if that’s a technique you prefer (Victoria Gertenbach has a terrific tutorial on her blog, The Silly BooDilly). The back can be anything, as it won’t be visible in the show
• Quilting thread can either match your paint chip or be a neutral color (such as white or off-white)
• Aside from the colors on the paint chip and the size, anything else you do with the quilt is up to you. Feel free to explore minimalism, improv, modern traditionalism, hand quilting, machine quilting, applique… whatever floats your boat! We just ask that your quilt fits a modern aesthetic, as this show is representative of the Seattle Modern Quilt Guild
• For hanging purposes, each quilt needs to have small tabs attached to the top that we can pin into to hang the quilts on the wall. The tabs can be made of fabric or twill tape. They should be attached to the top of the quilt 1″ in from each side and should extend 1″ above the top of the quilt. We will post a tutorial for this soon
• Each quilt needs to have a label on the back with the maker’s name. Please think about the permanence of this label if you are designating your quilt for sale (i.e. make it look nice if it will still be attached after selling)

Quilts must be submitted by the May general meeting on May 14th. They can be brought to earlier meetings, if they are finished earlier. Please submit them with an attached label, hanging tabs, and in a small bag. Please also designate whether or not your quilt will be for sale.

We gave away all 60 paint chips at the February meeting, but Keli says we can squeeze in a few more. I have 8 more chips to give out. Please get in touch with ara jane (arajane@arajane.com) or find her at the next meeting to claim a paint chip!

And please, if you took a paint chip, please make sure you make a mini quilt. Can’t you imagine how wonderful all these quilts will look on the wall at Drygoods Design?

Questions? Post them to the thread on our MQG group!