50 weeks of desperation

It all started last year when I had an insane idea to challenge myself to design 50 – 8″ blocks in 50 weeks. I also asked 50 guest bloggers to join me and together create a total of 100 new blocks for everyone to enjoy.

Block designs would be drawn on the back of serviettes in a coffee shop or on scraps of paper when waiting to pick up the children from after school activities, then transferred into EQ7 for manipulation.

The blocks were a menagerie of different techniques, using mainly fabrics from my scrap bin, with a traditional, modern/contemporary theme. When I could, I would show how the blocks would look in different settings and colour ways. The designs were based on things that were part of my everyday life as a stay at home mum running a small business.

This was not a traditional quilt-a-long but a quilt-if-you-like-along, where the participant could pick and choose which blocks they would use in their projects. There are some blocks I really liked and one day will make quilts using the single block or a combination of a few.

Here is the collection ( not in order ):

1. DHWQ Week 21 – The Star, 2. DHWQ Week 12 – Diamonds in the Rough, 3. DHWQ Week 11 – Kiss Kiss, 4. DHWQ Block 10 – New from Old, 5. DHWQ Week 9 – All washed up, 6. DHWQ Week 8 – Board Games, 7. DHWQ Week 7 – Salt n Pepper, 8. DH6 Week 6 – Phillip Screwdriver, 9. DHWQ Week 5 – Flower Power, 10. DHWQ Week 4 – Bar Jello, 11. Desperate Housewife Block 3 – Evolution, 12. DHWQ Raindrop – Block 2, 13. DHWQ Block 1 – Eight Squared, 14. DHWQ Week 15 – Chocolate Box, 15. DHWQ Week 14 – Venetian Blinds, 16. DHWQ Week 13 – Umbrella, 17. DHWQ Week 16 – Caught in a Web, 18. DHWQ Week 18 – Reflective Surface, 19. DHWQ Week 17 – Swing me around on the Hill hoist, 20. DHWQ Week 20 Talkin’ Turkey, 21. DHWQ Week 22 – Ornamentallist, 22. DHWQ Week 23 – Light the Candle, 23. DHWQ Week 24 – Wreath, 24. DHWQ Week 25 – The Sad, Little, Elf Decoration, 25. DHWQ Week 26 – Christmas Lights, 26. DHWQ Week 27 – Four Makes Two, 27. DHWQ Week 28 – Super Nova, 28. DHWQ Week 29 – Painted Road, 29. DHWQ Block – Week 30 Heartfelt, 30. DHWQ Week 31 Layer up Layer upon Layer, 31. DHWQ Block 32 – Shattered Pane, 32. DHWQ Week 33 – Crown, 33. DHWQ Week 34 – Dream Weaver, 34. DHWQ Week 35 Simple, 35. DHWQ Week 36 – Mowing the Lawn, 36. DHWQ Week 39 – Crosses

37. DHWQ Week 38 – Beans, 38. DHWQ Week 37 – Foofy Frills, 39. DHWQ Week 40 – Drip, 40. DHWQ Week 41 – Tiles, 41. DHWQ Week 42 – Linked, 42. DHWQ Week 43 – Three Leaves, 43. DHWQ Week 44 – Sharp, 44. DHWQ Week 45 Mesh, 45. DHWQ Week 46 – Topiary, 46. DHWQ Week 47 – Petal, 47. DHWQ Week 48 Barbed Wire, 48. DHWQ Week 49 – Start Jumps (Version 1), 49. DHWQ Week 50 – Hair, 50. DHWQ Week 19 – Lightning

And here are the 50 blocks made by guest bloggers ( not in order ):

1. DHWQ Week 22 – Guest Blogger Melody, 2. DHWQ Guest Blogger Sharon – Nameless, 3. DHWQ Week 19 – Guest Blogger Lauren – Burst, 4. Week 20 – Guest Blogger John Adams – SpinOut, 5. Guest Blogger Ros – Week 18, 6. Guest Blogger Melissa – Brady Bunch, 7. Guest Week 12 – Linked Squares, 8. DHWQ Guest Blogger – Week 11, 9. Guest Blogger Week 10 – Inspired by Peacock Feathers, 10. Guest Blogger Week 8, 11. DHWQ Guest Blogger Week 6 – Perspective, 12. Guest Blogger Week 7 – Rolling Divide, 13. Guest Blogger Week 5, 14. Guest Blogger – Week 4 Quasar, 15. DHWQ Week 9 Guest Blogger – Lazy Susan, 16. DHWQ Week 23 Guest Blogger – Pat Sloan, 17. Guest Blogger Week 2 – Funky Flower, 18. DHWQ Week 13 – Paint Chips Lynne Goldsworthy, 19. DHWQ Week 24 Guest Blogger Charlie Scott – Snowflake, 20. DHWQ Week 24 – Guest Blogger Sue Belleli – Scrappy Tree, 21. DHWQ Week 25 Guest Paloma – Broken Dishes, 22. DHWQ Week 26 Guest Blogger Belinda, 23. DHWQ Week 27 Guest Blogger Siobhan – Spots and Stripes, 24. DHWQ Week 28 Guest Blogger Benita Skewed Heart, 25. DHWQ Guest Blogger Shruti – Cathedral Windows, 26. DHWQ guest blogger Danielle – Round the Twist, 27. DHWQ Week 31 Guest Blogger Tammie, 28. DHWQ Week 32 – Guest Blogger Jamie Elfert – Amor, 29. DHWQ Week 34 Guest Blogger Monica – Funky Wrench Nut, 30. DHWQ Week 35 Guest Blogger Jan Lanak – Roller Coaster, 31. DHWQ Week 36 Guest Julianna Gasiorowska, 32. DHWQ Week 40 Guest Blogger Charlotte – Katherine Wheel, 33. DHWQ Guest blogger Week 37 – McKenna Powell, 34. DHWQ Guest Blogger Shirley Week 42 – Twisted Triangles, 35. DHWQ Week 44 Guest Blogger Laura – Apple, 36. DHWQ Week 45 guest blogger Jess Frost 37. DHWQ Week 46 Guest Kat Soper, 38. DHWQ Week 47 Guest blogger Debbie Grifka- Pebble Path, 39. DHWQ Week 48 Guest Blogger – Chevron Fly, 40. DHWQ Week 49 Guest Hollie – Shattered Glass, 41. DHWQ Week 49 Guest Mary Anne – House for Sale, 42. DHWQ Week 50 Guest blogger Tracey – The Thrifty Housewife, 43. DHWQ Week 32 Guest Tonya – Pastel Stripes, 44. DHWQ Week 43 Guest Toni – Recycled Denim Daisy, 45. DHWQ Week 50 Guest Blogger Kate – Killers don’t wear aprons, 46. DHWQ Week 5- Guest Blogger 4 Patch Fancy, 47. DHWQ Week 50 – Guest Blogger – Button Bug, 48. DHWQ Week 50 Guest Blogger – Wonky Churn Dash, 49. DHWQ Week 50 Guest Blogger – Tumbled Rose, 50. DHWQ Week 50 Guest Blogger – Peach Blossom Perfection

Hard to find good help these days.
The boys were too impatient to let me straighten the quilt.

This quilt is made using all the blocks. I chose the freeform look (laying it on the floor and cutting 3″ strips to be randomly placed around and between each block ) I chose greys, charcoals and a text print as a background filler to subdue the vibrant colours in the blocks. These blocks were never supposed to be made into one quilt, I just wanted to collate them into an ‘Album’ as a memento of the challenge. My dilemma will be how to quilt it!

My assistant

I hope those who visited my blog each week to view the blocks enjoyed it as much as I did making them. I am so appreciative of all the guests who made their wonderful blocks to share with us each week.

Now on to some unfinished projects.

14 Comments

Hope

Jun 17, 2012 at @ 4:01 Reply

Thanks for giving us so many wonderful blocks. I am not at all keen on paper foundation piecing, but one of your blocks tempted me into it anyway.

Good luck with the quilting design. 🙂
Patchwork and Play

Jun 17, 2012 at @ 4:08 Reply

That was a marathon! Congratulations on making it very successfully to the end!
Anita

Jun 17, 2012 at @ 6:21 Reply

Looks great! I think quilting each block individually as its own masterpiece would be the way to go 🙂
Jess

Jun 17, 2012 at @ 7:24 Reply

It's amazing Jane. I'm still a bit stunned how talented you are!
Katy Cameron

Jun 17, 2012 at @ 9:46 Reply

It looks great, and love how you laid it all out in the end
Ullhärvan

Jun 17, 2012 at @ 9:54 Reply

The top looks amazing!
quiltmania

Jun 17, 2012 at @ 14:48 Reply

Wow, what a wonderful collection.
Talin's Corner

Jun 17, 2012 at @ 15:01 Reply

Wow, that looks fantastic. Are you thinking of an overall design when quilting? Or do you think you will quilt each individual block? Good luck.
Modern Male Homemaker

Jun 17, 2012 at @ 15:25 Reply

You are a rock star! And using shades of grey between the blocks was exactly how I had planned on putting mine together. Of course, yours turned out much better than I could ever pull off, with your genius mind and all 🙂
Jodi - usairdoll

Jun 17, 2012 at @ 19:40 Reply

WoW! Tons of talent! Lots of great blocks and what a neat challenge. I think your quilt looks great.
Lori

Jun 17, 2012 at @ 20:37 Reply

i had lots of fun following your blocks and the guests. Thanks for all the hard work you all put in. I have had fun learning new blocks.
quilting dash lady at comcast dot net
Danielle

Jun 17, 2012 at @ 22:14 Reply

So interesting that the blocks are all so different but you have managed to tie them together so well. Simply stunning!
Laura

Jun 17, 2012 at @ 23:28 Reply

I'm reallly looking forward to the 50 week True Blood challenge running concurrently with the 50 week Glee Challenge…
kitblu

Jun 18, 2012 at @ 0:35 Reply

Amazing work!!!! There are quite a few I want to make. Thank you (and the other quilters) so much for sharing what your creative minds have conjured.