Lessons Learned from Quilt Challenges

"I never lose, I either win or learn" - Nelson Mandela

I love this quote, especially as it relates to my participation in quilt challenges.  Winning awards & prizes is certainly a fun bonus, but for me, the bigger prize is all that I've learned from each and every quilt challenge.
 
Between the 60+ quilt challenge finishes, I've certainly picked up some new quilting techniques and tricks:  stack & whack quilts, slice and insert improvisational piecing, bias tape applique, mod molas, designing original quilts in Electric Quilt, trapunto, working with non-quilting fabrics and sew much more!!  My progression as a quilter is especially evident as you compare my first quilt challenge entry with my most recent challenge finish!!

Learning Progression From 1sts Challenge Quilt to Most Recent Challenge Finish 

There have been other important life lessons learned along the way:

• Time management (especially for those 1 week challenges)
• Working under pressure
• Creative brainstorming
• Photography
• Taking risks

Several of the challenges prompted considerable research and study on a fun range of topics including (top left to bottom right):

Interesting Quilts=Interesting Discoveries

• Learning how cotton is grown, harvested and manufactured into fabric for my Fields of Quilted Dreams entry into the American Made Brand Farm to Fabric challenge
• Researching the Human Genome Project for my DNA Mapping:  Our Past, Present and Future made for our guild's 40th Anniversary challenge
• Studying heraldry symbolism for my original, quilted shield design for the Hoffman Fabric Challenge
• Checking out retro television sets for my CREA-TV entry for the Be Creative! challenge
• Studying Adinkra symbols and african wildlife for my Circle of Life mandala quilt entry into Cherrywood's Lion King Challenge
• Reviewing Archery terms for my Always Follow Your Heart quilt (and that is after I spent an entire summer teaching Archery at summer camp!)
• Mastering 16 stylish ways of folding a pocket square for Project Quilting's A Well Dressed Man challenge
• Learning just how tricky origami folding really is, especially when you are using real United States $1 bills for my RE$I$TAN¢E entry
• Exploring the wonderful rhythm & blues of Louis Armstrong's music for my entry into our guild's Jazz Impressions exhibit.
• Examinining vanGogh's life, artistic development and body of work for Cherrywood's vanGogh Challenge

Thank goodness for Pinterest, Youtube videos and local libraries for providing me with invaluable information and insights for these fun research projects!!

I look forward to many more fun discoveries and developments as I continue my quilt challenge participation in 2018!!