Tuesday, January 15, 2013

New challenge: TEA TOWELS

Victoria's Vintage tea towel inspiration
  CHALLENGE:
Tea Towels as Medallion Quilts

The next Challenge here on 15 Minutes Play will be using Tea Towels as a medallion,
 to start a new quilt!   ( Meaning, Your Panel will be the MIDDLE OF YOUR QUILT) Do you have any vintage tea towels lying around?  I have a few, and decided this 1970 one was my cue to make a quilt just for me! Am I dating myself? Absolutely!  The year of my birth!  I have been inspired to collect these for a while, and even to spy NEW ones, that are "oh so clever!" Have you seen the ones at Spoonflower? Super cute! Ebay is another great resource, thrift stores etc...

Kathie sent me an email about her tea towel, and about Medallion quilts using them as well, so we thought,w hat the heck! Let's use them in a quilt! 

Kathie's Sewing machine Tea towel inspiration
Basic Rules: (easy stuff)
1. 
Gather a unique tea towel of your choice.
Post about it here or the Flickr page

2. 
Build a quilt of your own design 
around your tea towel. 
(actually USE the TEA towel)

The Challenges:
 Using the colors of your towel to guide you, And
The TEA TOWEL itself as your Starter MEDALLION of your quilt, Build your quilt around the TEA TOWEL.

Incorporate MADE FABRIC in to your quilt.

Find ONE new technique to add to your Quilters Toolbox.
(meaning, what is one technique, fabric, color that you don't do, use or avoid that you can add to the design of your quilt so your quilter skills grow)

Then, tell us about what you did "new" to your project.

Go as big or as small as you like.

Work at your own pace, 
but PLEASE show us your PROCESS here
not just your finished piece... 
We all love seeing how you get from point A to point B.
(If you have posting rights on this site, please post here,  
Do not link to other pages for us to see your process)

3. Post your work here. 
Or email me your post and I can post it for you.

4. Post at the Flickr page as well.
You can always check the posts over at the group
 to comment as well. 

6. 
PLAY!
Start now, 
Deadline for finished quilts will be March 29th, 2013


Comment here to join in.



33 comments:

antique quilter said...

73 days and counting! have to find the perfect tea towel as I just can't cut up the sewing machine one just yet!
Looking forward to having some fun with FEW rules!
Kathie

Brenda said...

Oh, I'm in, but I'm thinking I'm going to USE my tea towel instead of just being inspired by it. I have a huge collection of vintage tea towels and it's time to play with them. Still looking for one from 1961. anyone have one to trade for something else? I have towels from the mid-60s through the 1990s.

Victoria Findlay Wolfe said...

Brenda, We are using the Tea towel as a Medallion Style quilt, that is the basis of the quilt design... You are building your quilt around the Tea Towel. Using the Information of the tea towel (like colors) to help you in making choices about what goes into building your quilt.
Have fun SEARCHING for the perfect one! that's part fo the fun! ;-)

Shelly said...

I'm already kicking myself, but dang it! I want in on this one. I know I have the perfect towel hanging around here in a box somewhere, so it's time to dig it out and get going. Besides, with all the hubbub around here lately, I've missed playing and making fabric. Time to jump back in with both feet.

Helen said...

I have a tea towel printed with the map of Long Island somewhere in my attic. I always wanted to stitch on it and hang it. Will that qualify

Jane Holbrook said...

I'm in! My sister, Pam, invited me to do this, and I can't resist a quilt challenge. There are some awesome vintage tea towels on etsy.

Carol E. said...

I'll do it! Sounds fun. (1970 is the year I graduated from h.s.)

Unknown said...

OOOhhh!! Count me in! I love tea towels! Have made a medallion already with a union jack in the centre and army camoflage fabric for an soldier mad grandson, and my Mother in Law received a tea cosy for Xmas made by me from a Clarice Cliff inspired tea towel....so this is right up my street. You don't have to ask me twice!! Thank you Victoria!

Nina Lise@Mrs Moen said...

I am intrigued and I have vintage tea towels. Sounds like a match made in heaven If I can fit it into my schedule.

Kathleen said...

I love the idea! I'm in :) and depending on how it looks, I think my other tea towels will have a new purpose...

Sewing In CT said...

Wow! I love tea towels and have some vintage ones. I decided about a year ago to use them!!!
I found a gorgeous brand new vintage one from Sicily - the most fantastic colors! But I have others too! Oh the creative juices are flowing!
I'm going to think about it some more before I commit though...

Mego said...

I 'think' I'm in! I certainly have vintage tea towels! I LOVE them! Now to find them and then 'frame' them...OK I'm off to dig!

Miki Willa said...

I think I have a great towel around somewhere. I will have to look for it. It isn't vintage. Is that okay?

Anonymous said...

I'm ready for a fun challenge! So I'm off to Spoonflower + Ebay to find my inspiration!

Diane

patty a. said...

I am just catching up on my blog reading and found this challenge. I will go home tonight and find a tea towel and then move forward from there. I will email a picture of the towel to you tomorrow Victoria.

liz said...

I would like to do this. Now to find a tea towel

smazoochie said...

I'm in!!!!

LuAnn said...

I can't believe all of these calendar towels that I have sent off to Goodwill over the years. I think for me "the hunt" will be more fun that making the quilt! Maybe I still have one here........

Jennifer said...

Hi,
I have dish towel that's been sitting on my work table for months... wwas going to make a pillow... a quilt is better! How do I post a picture of it?

YankeeQuilter said...

I found one with a scotty dog so I am in!

Joy Manoleros said...

I really wanted to do this, but had no idea where I'd find a tea towel...well DUH! I found the perfect one for me on Etsy. :D

Can't wait!!

Anonymous said...

Can you post a pic of your towel? I found my searching the internet, including Etsy. It would be fun to see what you chose!

Diane

Anonymous said...

sorry - the above post was for Joy, I posted it in the wrong area!

electricdunce said...

Oh this sounds like fun, I've been hunting through my linen closet and was appalled to see what a wretched assortment I have. I found a Maine one ( I live in Maine) but it is so faded the colors are almost gone. I finally found a really goofy old one and it is in the wash now.

Cynthia Smith said...

I'm in! This will be my first quilt challenge. I was recently given a number of vintage tea towels and linens and didn't know quite how to re-purpose them.

Angela FlowersMoore said...

Joining this tea towel challenge. Looked for one today and found one I love and another solid tattered one I will use along with it. A bit late but will try to meet the challenge date.

Sheila said...

This sounds like fun , if I can find that vintage tea towel I stored away ;-)

Jane Holbrook said...

I posted a photo on flickr of my towel in progress. I added dresden plate 3/4 plates, using scraps and a new ruler. It is the EZ ruler from Wright, for Easy Dresden Plates. It has instructions included, and is super easy! All these years I have quilted, and this is a new skill. I have made mini dresden plates with all hand applique once, but this was fast and simple. Now I need to figure out what to add next to my tea towel. Any ideas?

Paulette said...

Watching others in this challenge has been so fun, and I was fine to leave it at that - until I stumbled upon an awesome vintage tea towel on eBay last week and simply had to have it. So I guess I'll jump in, better late than never, hope I can get it done in a month. Fingers crossed!

SeeLifeMarvels said...

Crap! I have vintage towels. I have scraps. I have vintage yardage. Do I have the time, as it's March 24th? Why do I procrastinate? Hmm....

Venus de Hilo said...

March 26th... can you say "last-minute"? What am I doing online, I need to go sew!!!

Quiltdivajulie said...

I have a tea towel - a calendar of 1975 (the year we were married). Won't be able to post anything here by March 29th (since it is now May 4) - but I will be using the tea towel in a quilt I'm creating for our 40th anniversary (2015). LOVE seeing how others have used their tea towels to create quilts . . . what fun!!

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