Sunday, 25 January 2015

The Shape of Challenges



 With  the long awaited arrival of the latest CQ newsletter ( great job by Margaret)  the challenges for  2015 Journal Quilts and Foq were revealed. This will be my 13th  year of making JQ's - I had already been making them for a few years before  Contemporary Quilt started doing it.
The  rules this year are that they be 6" x 12"  and you choose portrait or landscape format and stick to it.  That will be the hard part for me!
When this size was last set in 2009, I didn't like it very much , especially after I'd so enjoyed the 12" square challenge  the year before. While  I did produce some nice pieces ( the  best  I've shown here) some were quite dreadful ( I'll spare you those!)

Now having made several 40 x 80cm portrait quilts  for International Threads, I've learnt to enjoy this format  and the new  CQ challenge 'Elements'  is  nearly the same at  45 x 80cm. So there is some advantage to using   portrait format JQ's as trial pieces and experiments( and probably more doors!) 
However,  making little books using the Fabriano Mediavalis cards  as the basis ,  I like the idea of a landscape  series ( even bought a panoramic sketchbook to take up to Rydal Hall retreat, in 5 weeks time ,inspired by the purchase of  Norman Ackroyd's  Shetland Notebook). Seascapes would probably feature again too.

So which format to go for? 

 UPDATE - thanks for all the comments, I decided in the end to go for Landscape.


 

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5 comments:

  1. Linda B.25 January 2015 at 19:14

    I've already had my orientation queried by our JQ organiser!!
    I've gone for portrait but am already thinking about using this year to capture glimpses of different landscapes - though I'll probably chicken out of this, again.

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  2. Sandy25 January 2015 at 19:16

    I was curious about the numbers chosen. 45cm rather than 50cm. 80 cm rather than 75 or 100.
    So hearing it is near to the other size you are working with does make it seem less random.
    Sandy

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  3. Uta Lenk27 January 2015 at 17:05

    I fully agree with you that the 40 x 80 is a really nice size to be working with. And I am using that one to try out things. I was also opting to go for the portrait one for CQ - but am having second thoughts now, whether I should really do it, or whether I am committing to too many things...? Kind of want to, but kind of afraid of jumping into the pool!

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  4. Maggi1 February 2015 at 11:30

    I really can't make up my mind this year. Portrait or landscape, to join or not to join!

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  5. Heather15 February 2015 at 20:37

    Do you have to choose a single orientation? If I had to advise a choice I would probably say landscape since you did portrait the year before, but I am perverse that way!

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