Challenges — Pittsburgh Modern Quilt Guild

Quarterly Challenges

PghMQG engages in challenges, anywhere from monthly to yearly, to stretch the skills of our members and to engage them in growing as makers.

These challenges earn tickets to a drawing at the January meeting.

Stay tuned for an updated Challenge page with this year’s challenges. This is being revised to address loading issues with so many submissions from our prolific membership!

The Challenges for 2025 are

Quarter 1 - Alternate Grids

Blocks are arranged in ways that diverge from standard rows and columns. Alternate grids were the featured technique for Q1 at The Modern Quilt Guild. Your membership to our guild grants you membership to the national guild, which includes their resource library.

Quarter 2 - Foundation Paper Piecing

FPP involves sewing fabric to a printed pattern on paper resulting in sharp points and uncommon shapes. An alternate method involves folding the foundation paper pattern back and sewing next to each line, as taught by Becky in our meeting.

Quarter 3 - Nostalgia

Looking back on items from our past inspires these quilts. Your theme is anything from the past that you look back on fondly, whether it’s toys, music, books, are games. It could be from your younger days or your childhood (or even before your time). How do you want to look favorably back on the past?

Quarter 4 - Land of Good Intentions

More to come! Will be announced in more detail at a member meeting.

Q4 2024 UFO

Lists of UFOs (un-finished objects) were submitted earlier this year. Members are bringing their quilts to any meeting between now and Jan / 2025, or submitting photos via the Members Only Content > Submit Show and Tell or Challenge.

Q3 2024 Color Challenge

We challenged our members to make a quilt using the Color Card Deck.

Q2 2024 Scrappy Quilts

Scrappy quilts for our challenge use leftover fabric, and a maximum of one new fabric.

Q1 2024 Temperature Quilts

Temperature quilts are a visual representation of weather data from a specific date, location, or meteorological event. Various organizations record this information and provide a means to look it up. Quilts typically include a key to demonstrate the range of data being represented.

Q4 2023 Weaving Challenge

Weaving is the formation of fabric by interlacing threads, according to a quick Google search. In this quarter’s challenge, members were asked to include weaving in some shape or form in a completed project. #pghmqgweaver

Q3 2023 Limited Palette Challenge

Color theory can be one of the most challenging parts to creating. Studies tell us that colors can be emotionally charged, and any physical limitations that interfere with your relationship with color makes creating that much more challenging. Too many choices from the color spectrum can overwhelm even the most seasoned quilter. This challenge asked members to make a quilt (any size) with just 3-5 total colors. #pghmqgltdcolor

Q2 2023 Pre-Cut Challenge

The quilting industry provides fabric lines in certain shapes and specific sizes. These bundles come “pre-cut” from the manufacturer and will include at least one piece of each fabric in the line. From the tiny 2.5” square “mini charm packs” to the 18”x24” “fat quarters”, pre-cuts will often have patterns designed exclusively for their use. Members were asked to create any size quilt using pre-cuts. #pghmqgprecutchallenge

Q1 2023 Sew Small Challenge

Each member was asked to “Sew Small” and to interpret how they chose. Some considered small to mean small pieces of fabrics, while others felt small meant small-scale projects. Small might have meant small impact, using upcycled materials and even small equaling quick finishes, a “small” investment of time.