Kathy’s Fourth Challenge

SOL Challenge Day 9

After three challenges it was time for the ladies to get their fourth and final challenge.  This was given at the October meeting and would be due at the December meeting.  You might be wondering why there were only four challenges instead of six.  After all, if each one took two months to complete 12 divided by 2 is 6 not 4.  Even if you are not wondering I will tell you, (After all, it adds words to this post). Since many of the members of the guild are a bit seasoned in years and because meetings had been called off because of weather, the guild president decided the first challenge would be given out in April.

Anyway, getting back to the fourth challenge this time the ladies were told that they had to incorporate 25 buttons in their finished project.  Again, this did not need to be a quilt.  Kathy didn’t need to give this too much thought.  She knew that she wanted to make a necklace since she had seen a pattern on line for one.  She quickly found a large button that she wanted to use for the center.  She then found pairs of buttons she would use to flank the center one giving some symmetry to the piece.  I admit that she was entirely on her own for this.  I had no input. She showed me what she chose before she started stringing the buttons.  I thought it looked nice.  She was so excited because this project was done by the November meeting.  She wouldn’t have to worry about trying to finish in December.

She went to guild in November excited to share with some of her friends that her final challenge was completed.  When she came home, I could see that something was wrong.  Dare I ask what it was?  It seems that the lady in charge of programs for the guild decided that the December challenge had to have 25 different buttons.  This was not said at the October meeting.  Kathy’s necklace would not qualify because it contained pairs of the same buttons.  Suffice it to say that she was not very happy.  She was not alone because others in the group had their projects finished as well and they repeated buttons.

Back to square one.  Now what?  She thought and thought and finally came up with an idea.  She has an uncle who lived in Australia.  He had once told her that he celebrated Christmas at the beach since December is the middle of their summer.  She decided to piece some fabrics together to make a beachy kind of background.  She then appliqued a tree onto the fabric and used buttons as decorations.  Here is the result.

IIn September of this year the quilt will be holding a quilt show.  One part of the exhibit will showcase all of the projects the ladies made for these challenges.  I am looking forward to see what others have come up with to meet the challenge.