Wednesday, August 06, 2008

Quilting Olympics

Four years ago, knitter and blogger-turned-author Stephanie Pearl-McPhee (aka Yarn Harlot) came up with the brilliant idea of participating in her own knitting olympics while the actual olympics were on tv. Her challenge back then was to choose a challenging knitting project (because, after all, the olympics are all about pushing oneself to accomplish one's best feats), cast on during the opening ceremonies, knit during event-watching, and finish by the closing ceremonies. The whole thing became quite the knitting event, with international "teams" starting up all over the place. And yes, I managed to get sucked in and indeed knitted a lace shawl during the process...The first and last one I shall ever, ever knit.

In any event, with the China Olympics starting just days from now, I've decided to embark on a Quilting Olympics project. I'll be working with batik scraps (of which I've got many)and I'll sit in front of the tv hand-piecing tumbling blocks. You know, these:



I know, it's not an extreme quilting sort of event. But it's all about endurance --c'mon, HAND piecing? I'm a machine lover, through and through. So I figure this is like the marathon run. I'll be hand-sewing all those Y-seams for miles and miles and miles.

Wanna join me? If you do, then figure out what you're going to work on during the Olympics, and post a comment here (or link to your blog) and we'll see what happens.
Let the stitching begin!

11 comments :

  1. This sounds like a fun event. My swimming daughter will be here and we will be into the olympics, big time. I have to think about what I can do that is not hand piecing.

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  2. I'm thinking hand embroidery. I've seend some amazing pieces that are just filled with line after line of running stitch. That might be fun. We'll see.

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  3. That sounds like a great idea. I've decided I am going to challenge myself to complete (ha! in my dreams!) my cross stitch UFO. We'll see!

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  4. This could be fun! I'm going to think about it!

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  5. Count me in! I have a floral stippy quilt in mind which might be just the thing, if I don't think of something entirely different before the opening ceremony - it doesn't have to be handstitching though, does it?

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  6. Me too!! I have some advent calendar bags to do for my children... And for some reason, I have decided they should have one of the houses from Piece'o'Cakes "Welcome to the North Pole" on them.... That'll be a lot of hand appliqué! So if I could get just one of them done during the olympics that would be soooo great!

    Are you going to make a button??

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  7. Ooh a button is a good idea. Does anyone want to volunteer to make a button we can post?

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  8. Fab idea. I love the olympics although I am afraid I will miss some this year due to obsessional attendance at Festival of Quilts! When I am watching I shall work on my very first hand embroidery project bought from African Folklore Embroidery. I will not be in the medal running but hey, 2012 is our year here,right?! I reserve the right to make many many mistakes when my heroine Paula Radcliffe tries to overcome injuyry to get the gold marathon medal she so deserves. 'Come on Paula! (Ahem)

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  9. I have posted a suggestion for a button here: http://craftymathea.blogspot.com/2008/08/quilting-olympics.html
    It's not a very sophisticated one, so don't worry, if someone comes up with a better idea, I'm all for it! :-)

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  10. Yes, I needed a push like this, since I certainly will be sitting in front of the TV.

    My project will be to start and finish knitting a pair of socks (for ME)from Kaffe Fassett pre-striped yarn. I first need to finish the second sock of my second pair ever--and that pair is actually coming out to look like a PAIR! Amazing. Should get that done during the Opening Ceremonies.

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  11. oh i wish i had seen this post before the olympics started, and that i was actually watching them!! hehe i will watch your progress instead i guess

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