2013 Free-Motion Quilting Challenge - Challenge #2 - AAQI Piece

Quilters from around the world, that are interested in free-motion quilting, are invited to join this challenge.  It is a follow-on challenge to the 2012 FMQ Challenge, where 15 FMQ Experts provided 16 FMQ tutorials to help quilters learn/improve their FMQ skills.  There were over 2,000 participants in the 2012 Challenge, from all skill levels.  Many are now applying FMQ to their own full-size quilts, some have entered their quilts in quilt shows, and the majority of the participants are continuing to learn/improve their FMQ skills by taking classes with FMQ Experts, watching DVDs,  reading books, and continuing to practice.

While it was not the intent of SewCalGal to replicate the 2012 FMQ Challenge in 2013, as there was interest in more challenges, there will be a few challenge a hosted in 2013 that will build on skills learned during the 2012 challenge.  This is the 2nd challenge to be released in 2013, and another 2-4 will be released this year.   In addition to having participants continue to learn/improve their FMQ skills, this particular challenge will also benefit the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative (AAQI)!

First, I want to share a few insights about AAQI as well as some beautiful quilts that various FMQ Experts have made and donated to AAQI in the past.

The Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative (AAQI) is an all-volunteer national charity.  Ami Simms is the founder and Executive Director. The AAQI has raised more than $894,000 for Alzheimer's research since 2006.  Sometime at the end of this year, AAQI should reach the $1 million mark for funds raised for research.  Funds are raised predominantly by the sale of small donated quilts. They can be purchased online (http://www.alzquilts.org/quiltsforsale.html), and at International Quilt Festival in Houston, TX  (Oct 31-Nov 3).

Quilters of all skill levels have made quilts to help raise funds for AAQI.  Here are some beautiful pieces made by FMQ Experts:

Diane Gaudynski designed and made "Joy Remembered" a 17.5" x 17.5" and this beautiful quilt raised $3,135 for AAQI.

Here are two closeups of the beautiful FMQ in this quilt.

Diane Gaudynski designed and made "Mourning Too Soon" a 30" x 32" and this beautiful quilt raised $1,810 for AAQI.

Susan Brubaker Knapp designed and made "First Green" a 23" x 41" and this lovely quilt raised $190 for AAQI.

Sue Nickels designed and made "Red Wings" a 16" x 16" and this lovely quilt raised $710 for AAQI.

Sue Nickels designed and made "A Bouquet For You" a 33" x 33" and this lovely quilt raised $1,011 for AAQI.

Sue Nickels designed and made "Golden Feathers" a 18" x 18" and this lovely quilt raised $1,200 for AAQI.

SewCalGal's FMQ Challenge

Push your FMQ skills to create a small piece that shows off your FMQ workmanship and challenges you to create at the same time.  Your Challenge piece needs to incorporate learnings from one or more tutorials shared in the 2012 FMQ Challenge, or insights found in any of the following:

Books published by Diane Gaudynski:



Books published by Sue Nickels




Books and DVDs published by Susan Brubaker Knapp

Here Are The Rules - from SewCalGal

• Your Challenge piece needs to meet the rules set by AAQI for Priority: Alzheimer's Quilts (e.g. no larger than 9"x 12").  Read the rules here:  http://www.alzquilts.org.paq.html
• Pay special attention to the part about written permission for designs other than your own:  http://www.alzquilts.org/permission.html
• All Priority: Alzheimer's Quilts must be registered before they are donated.  This is not an automated system and registration can take 7 to 10 days.  Plan ahead.   Read the registration form before you start so you know what is required: http://www.alzquilts.org/register.html  Register your quilts here no later than July lst, 2013 August lst, 2013.  You will receive shipping instructions with your confirmed registration.
• Create your FMQ piece, using insights from any one or more of the 2012 FMQ Challenge tutorials, or books/dvds published by Diane Gaudynski, Sue Nickels and/or Susan Brubaker Knapp.
• AAQI does require quilters to obtain permission from Designers to use their designs, when submitting pieces to AAQI.  SewCalGal has obtained approval for participants in this Challenge to use designs in the books/dvds  by Diane Gaudynski, Sue Nickels, and Susan Brubaker Knapp for purposes of making a quilt for AAQI.  For use of general quilting designs, this is not an issue, but if you copy a specific design, such as the Flowers in Sue's "A Bouquet For You" or the bowl and feather motif in Diane's "Joy Remembered" you need to include a Designer release form when you send your quilt to AAQI.  Please let SewCalGal know if you are doing this and I can provide you copies of such release forms, granted for this particular challenge that benefits AAQI only.
• Once your quilt is finished, complete the registration form with AAQI http://www.alzquilts.org/register.html  (no later than July lst, 2013) and follow the shipping instructions.
• Your Priority: Alzheimer's Quilts  Registration number will be used when you enter this challenge.  Bloggers will need to incorporate that number in their blog post entry and non-bloggers will need to include it in the description when they upload their photo entry to the flickr group.
• Only registered Priority: Alzheimer's Quilts are eligible to enter this challenge.

If this challenge sounds too challenging, step back and look at the tutorials from the 2012 FMQ Challenge by Susan Brubaker Knapp and Diane Gaudynski.  Try to check out their books and DVDs, as well as those by Sue Nickels.  On paper, sketch out some design options until one catches your interest.  Then stitch it out on your quilt sandwich, or transfer your design with a fabric marking tool to your quilt sandwich.  Do remember to make your quilt sandwich larger than the finished piece needs to be for AAQI, so that you have room to place your hands on your sandwich as you quilt. You can always cut it down, after you have finished your FMQ, to meet the size requirements for AAQI.  And, remember it is ok to stitch your design idea(s) out on practice sandwiches before you create your final piece.  

For bloggers:

Please post your entry on your blog, which shares insights you are participating in this challenge and donating your finished piece to AAQI, including your registration # . To clarify, you can include as many photos of this tutorial exercise in your post, but you can only add one link to the linky tool below.  You may inspire others to want to join this challenge too!

For non-Bloggers:

1) You will need to have a Flickr account (www.flickr.com). 
2) Upload your photos for this month's challenge to Flickr, batch organize, send your photos to groups, select "2012 FMQ Challenge". While Flickr, limits the amount of text you can share in your description, feel free to share your perspective on this exercise and/or your past FMQ experience, if you wish.
3) After your photos have successfully been loaded to the "2012 FMQ Challenge" group, click on your best photo in that group, ideally one that shows the stencil and how you quilted using that stencil. Copy the URL link to your particular photo entry. Add that link to the linky tool above, to officially enter this show.

TO CLARIFY, IF you make more than one AAQI quilt, for this challenge, please add links for each entry that you get a registration # from AAQI.  The more FMQ quilts you make for AAQI, the more entries you get in this challenge!


SewCalGal's Challenge Entry Form:

By entering your quilt in this challenge you acknowledge you are donating your quilt to help raise funds for AAQI, and using your FMQ skills to pay it forward.  After all, many FMQ Experts have made beautiful quilts that helped to raise funds for AAQI and we all enjoyed the tutorials from FMQ Experts provided in the 2013 Challenge.

Please remember this challenge is more about learning and improving your FMQ skills, so don't rush thru the exercise just to enter. Take time to think thru your Challenge piece, before you stitch it out and enter it. There is plenty of time to plan your design, practice as well as to stitch out your final piece that you'll donate to AAQI to help raise funds.