Hoffman Challenge 2007

OK, I admit it, I'm hooked on the Hoffman Challenges. I first participated in the early days of my current quilting era, 1999, used a pattern (*gasp*) and didn't win anything (no surprise) and the quilt came home. Lesson learned: get original.

I next ventured in 2006 and decided to do something original (I'll post that one in the next blog, gotta take a decent picture of it first!), and lo and behold, I made it in to the traveling show. Lesson learned: do something that has nothing to do with the print selected as the challenge fabric.

When the 2007 fabric was announced, I honestly realized I would walk on by if I saw it in the quilt shop. Flowers, sunflowers, butterflies. But hey, that's the challenge. So with the above lessons learned, I started paying attention to shapes and concepts. And during that observation period, I started talking with my massage therapist about walking a labyrinth. Hmmmmm, a labyrinth. And that's where it started.

This design is from the Amiens Labyrinth in France, an 800 year old design, paved in the floor of the noted cathedral. Like the Chartes labyrinth, this is an 11 circuit labyrinth, but with straight paths instead of curves. With assistance from the Labyrinth Company http://www.labyrinthcompany.com/, I drafted the pattern for foundation piecing. The center features a machine embroidered asian lily. Machine pieced and free motion quilted.

I'm very grateful that the Hoffman Challenge has chosen my quilt, Caerdroia: Castle of Turns, as part of their traveling exhibit in Trunk A, which will show at Houston this year.