‘Snow Buddies’ by LIsa F

I call it Snow Buddies. I enjoyed the process of this quilt more than any of the others because both of my kids had their hands in the creative mix.

My 12 year old son designed the quilt on a piece of scratch paper at a restaurant and then selected all of the fabric. He carefully chose just the right owl from a piece of fabric to include. He originally wanted a snowman army like in 'Calvin and Hobbes.'  He was willing to compromise with one snowman having a snowball fight with friends.

My 8 year old daughter helped to do some of the quilting. It started with her on my lap as I quilted, but eventually she convinced me to walk away and let her work. She was also my critical designer eye when telling me just where to put the snow on the tree branches and determining how to make the scarf.

The snowman, snow angel, and snowy owl are having fun in this snowball inspired quilt just like I had fun with my kids while making the quilt.

by LIsa Foslien

“A Dichotomy” by Anna M

"A Dichotomy"

A tribute to all those things I thought about long and hard, but just couldn't complete in a timely fashion due to one thing or another. 

Well thought out and hasty.  All at the same time.

xxo!
Anna Montgomery

‘A Snow Bird’s Chance’ by Charlene Waggoner

This project is called A Snow Bird's Chance. I bought the fabric for it while on vacation in Florida. It was absolutely going to have several snowmen made using the yellow fabric... but that whole yellow snow thing slowed me down. Then it was going to have snow men in white with blue snowball cornered waves and beach... but that whole snowballed corner thing really slowed me down.

Once I found this @urbanthreads design, I knew that rather than a snowman this one had to be a snow bird. A snow bird wishing she could fly South and get out of the snow.

“Challenge in Review–Done in Ice Blue” by Sandy H

This is  my "Challenge in Review - Done in Ice Blue" .  Combining all the blocks that have been a part of the Focus Through the Prism Challenge in one 20" quilt. 

This has been so much fun -- looking forward to the new challenge each month. Going to miss checking out what the new block will be on the first of the month.    Thank you. 

Sandy Huovinen,

~~~

‘Milestone Memories’ by Roxy A Pike (GranRox)

"Milestone Memories" by Roxy A. Pike (GranRox)

Each of these vegetables depict milestones from my husband's 41 year career at Texas A&M U. I created the design as a memory quilt for him. 

Leonard M. Pike was a Horticultural Research Scientist/Professor and developed these four vegetable varieties, plus others, using traditional plant breeding methods to create more attractive and tastier vegetables with natural plant disease resistance, better nutrition, and fitting certain marketing windows.

The onion is "TX 1015", a large, single center, sweet onion. Noted for its large size and mild flavor, it contains more of the naturally-occurring chemical in onions that M.D. Anderson scientists report prevents colon cancer, provides larger/more onion rings per onion and is grown around the world. The pickling cucumber is "TX Triple Cross" and was developed for once-over mechanical harvesting. The orange carrot is "TX Gold Spike" and noted for its deep orange color, sweet taste, long, slender shape and used for "baby" carrots sold in cello pak. The maroon/purple carrot is named "BetaSweet" because it is high in beta-carotene and has a sweet taste. When sliced into "coins", they reveal a bright orange center.

I made one large Snowball block to frame the visuals and I hope it reads orange.

~~~~~

‘O Tannenbaum’ by Liz M

November challenge - Snowball Block.  My color is purple / violet.
Made by Liz Mandelkow

O Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum!

It has been snowy with lots of hoarfrost. This quilt is a picture of the trees outside our widows!

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree
You give us so much pleasure!
How oft at Christmas tide the sight,
O green fir tree, gives us delight!
O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree,
You give us so much pleasure!

~~~~~~

‘Give a Snowball a Chance’ by Linda Syverson Guild

Give a Snowball a Chance

Linda Syverson Guild

This has been a fun challenge and definitely made me think on the fly.  When I saw that this month’s block was the Snowball and I had orange to use this month, my thoughts shot to autumn and the cast of characters who inhabit this time of the year.   It began with the Jack-o-lantern because the day before the challenge was announced was Halloween, then came the requisite turkey and the snowman (it is a snowball challenge). But then I began cast a wider field of vision and I thought about snow globes and all of the activity that could be captured within and then the owl began hooting in the woods and the wise one completed this collection of orange snowballs.  All of which are set against an orange sunset.

When this project began I was delighted to find the opportunity to create a collection of mono-colored quilts. Which is something I had always wanted to try.  Six of the seven colors are used (yes I missed the flying geese in September—but hope for my own satisfaction, to finish it in December).  This has been a challenge that has forced me think about the personality of a color, how it is perceived, and what story each one tells.

“The Monkey’s Off My Back But The Circus Is Still In Town” by Nancy L

"The Monkey's Off My Back But The Circus Is still In Town!"
By Nancy LaPorte

I left my least favorite color for last. I just couldn't figure out how to work it into my self-imposed Halloween "sub-challenge". When Kim picked the snowball, I knew I had it covered!

~~~~~

‘Joy’ by Debbie Silva

I call it Joy.  The snowballs with pineapple centers made perfect ornaments. Blue is obviously my color.

Thanks so much for hosting the challenge. It's been great fun

by Debbie Silva

~~~

‘Tears for Paris’ by Laurel H

'Tears for Paris'.  The terrorist in Paris occurred while I was working on this piece.  I was trying to invoke an image of stain glass which reminds me of Paris.  The horror of the tragedy is represented by the tears on the right side of the quilt dropping down.

I have enjoyed this challenge - love working with a deadline, it helps keeps me focused on finishing projects.  Can't wait to see what's next.

by Laurel Hewitt

~~~~

“The End of the Rainbow” By Audrey M

Here is "The End of the Rainbow" since I had violet left and it is our last challenge.

I found several examples of this concept on Pinterest, but I decided I liked it so I went pretty traditional. Thanks for the challenges, it was really a lot of fun!

by Audrey Manning

 

~~~~

Two Steps Forward & One Step Back by Wendy B

Two Steps Forward & One Step Back

by Wendy Blanton, GA

November 2015, Snowball Block

This is the 7^th and final month for the Persimon Dreams/Cherrywood Fabric Challenge. The block this month was a snowball block.

I wanted the background to be ghost blocks with something you’re not sure if it’s there or not. Using different shades of gray, the blocks are blended together except the Cherrywood corner stones. I wasn’t sure how to accomplish this look so it was a lot of experimentation. This quilt is named Two Steps Forward & One Step Back because I did a lot of “reverse sewing” and re-cutting of blocks.

~~~

Aurora by Sharon Scott

This is my November entry for The Focus Through the Prism Challenge. It is called Aurora after input from my FTTP friends. I loved the ideas about the wind turbine and the box fan but Aurora tied all those ideas together. I spent 35 years teaching Middle School and while working full time I earned my Master's Degree in Education from Aurora University and it " propelled" me forward in my career. It was quilted by Marcia Wachuta.

I have really enjoyed all the challenges. This was my first experience with a challenge and I  enjoyed  the comradery and support from kindred spirits. I loved working with the Cherrywood Fabrics as well as fabrics from my stash especially those that I had purchased at The Stitching Post in Sister's Oregon and those that were purchased at the Paducah quilt show. Thanks everybody for a fun time.

~~~~

Snowball by Zeeda M

No one appreciates snow more than snow people.
I tried to incorporate the snow ball theme with the quilting of snow ball shapes.

This was a fun challenge, however, there is a bit of relief knowing this was the last deadline.

by Zeeda Magnuson

~~~~~

#ad

‘A Snowballs Chance’ by Evelyn L

  Meet “A SNOWBALLS CHANCE”.   As soon as I heard that the snowball block was our focus I couldn’t think of anything else.

by Evelyn Larrison

~~~

‘Snowmageddon’ by Nancy H

As a native Michigander, I celebrate the first snowfall. as a transplanted Georgia ( with Nathan Deal for the current governor ) , I Fear snow covered roads ,Snowmageddon  2014, which left elementary school children stranded on buses since Our governor chose not to treat freezing icing interstates ; has changed my opinion of driving in to work as a hospital based  RN.

by Nancy Hutchinson

~~~

‘Snowball Daisy Flower’ by Sherri M

Snowball Daisy Flower

Inspired by a quilt I made last year named "googly" it was 3 snowballs in one block.  I figured it could be a flower with a few additions. It's been fun! 

by Sherri M

~~~

‘Remembering Willow’ by M. Leana McCutcheon

Remembering Willow by M. Leana McCutcheon. Roxbury, NJ

Carol's chosen spiritual name was Willow.  She had a knack for getting everyone around her to see and believe in the beauty of life.  Even while she was enduring multiple surgeries and treatments for the cancer that was attacking her body, she was traveling internationally with friends and having parties to celebrate life. 

I chose a heart-shaped labyrinth for this final quilt in the series because Willow embodied pure love and joy.  I like to think of her in the center of this labyrinth with waves of violet love pouring over the world from her crown chakra.

~~~

‘Spot’ by Betsy Vinegrad

This last challenge was done at a guild weekend retreat. Packing the violet, a small stash of cherrywood scraps, a 24" square of backing, batting and a variety of thread, I challenged myself to start and complete it there. It was fun auditioning ideas with the group of 20+ quilters.

When the top was hanging on the wall, one of the members said it looked like a tipsy dog. Hence, the title, Spot. Using a walking foot, the snowballs were quilted in a spiral with 12 weight violet thread.

The backfill is an elongated #4 wavy stitch on a Bernina using 50 weight thread.

When I brought it home, my son annotated it with ears, mouth and tongue.

Created by Betsy Vinegrad

~~~

‘Snowballs and Snowflakes’ by Karen Golden

The grand finale. 
I will call this snowballs and snowflakes.  I was running dry on ideas and just going thru my purple fabrics ...found this pretty silvery snowflake stuff and said yes!

by Karen Golden

~~~~

‘Why Do Elephants Paint their Toenails?” by Sue Johnson

Why do elephants paint their toenails red!

So they can hide in apple trees.
Have you ever seen an elephant in an apple tree?

Sue

‘'Bella Snowflake’ by Vicky Anda

Pattern idea is from Barbara Brackman. Name is from the winter storm affecting the country this day!

I feel it would be more dramatic in at least a foursome, but I have determined I cannot work in miniature . Necessity is the mother of invention.... I could not figure out how to do the elongated diamond, so appliqué. Then did not like the large open space in the center, so using the childhood technique of making snowflakes was used with fabric.

by Vicki Andas

~~~~

Red, Red Rudolph by Pat DuBois

 

by Pat DuBois for the Project QUILTING Focus Through the Prism Snowball Challenge.

~~~

‘Indigo Buntings’ by Cheryl Snellgrove

My Focus through the Prism for the last month, November. I knew I wanted to do the blue buntings so when the block for this month was the Snowball block, I was stumped as to what to do. The only thing I could come up with was to make the blossoms on the pussy willows as snowball shapes.

Accomplished! I then decided to highlight the buntings by framing them with an indigo border. Another snowball ! I saw this image by Patrick Clark posted in April on FB. I'm calling my piece simply "Indigo Buntings."
Cheryl Snellgrove

~~~

4 days of Black Friday sneak peeks - early deals on craft supplies!

‘In His Hands’ by Leslie Carmichael

‘In His Hands’ by Leslie Carmichael for the Focus Through the Prism snowball challenge.

My remaining color was orange and it didn't seem to fit with
snowballs. I had been wanting to make a quilt with the man holding the
world. If you use your imagination the snowballs with the orange
cherry wood and batik fabric make the circle look like a globe.

This challenge has been a lot of fun. I have really had to think to
make the color and the block fit into a quilt. I look forward to more
challenges.