Sunday, January 3, 2010

Project Neighborhood

These are my last 4 finishes of 2009, my color coordinated neighborhoods. Can quilts make a social or political statement? For me they can and sometimes they do. These little quilts represent the concept of neighborhood. You know, houses near each other, with people and families that we get to know. Neighbors we reach out to in good times and depend on in times of need.

I had my first experience with a gated community on a recent trip to visit family in California. Gates around the community, gates to each house, and to top it off walls around each home. Not welcoming gates, gates with spikes. Ominous, forboding gates. I know that there are evil people in the world, but I didn't feel comfortable surrounded by walls and 'protected' by gates.

These little houses are each on their own piece of land connected to the house next door. No barriers, no gates, just an opportunity to say hello and be a neighbor. That's how I choose to live.

The winner of the Joy in the New Year Challenge will get to pick their choice of these four quilts. I know which one I'd pick.




Some of my blog friends have donated some fabulous prizes for the challenge winners. Tomorrow I'll compile all the entries and post the winners as soon as I get it all done. Be sure to get your entry in by 8 a.m. Central Standard time.

I thought you might like to know what you could win.
1. I'm donating one of the Neighborhood quilts.
2. Kathy of Pink Chalk Studio is donating 5 $20 gift certificates to her fabric shop, Pink Chalk Fabrics.
3. Becca and Peg are donating a $25 gift certificate to their etsy fabric shop, Sew Fresh Fabrics.
4. Valerie is donating a set of silk fat quarters and matching thread from her shop. (a $40 value!)
5. Adrienne and Dominic are donating a gorgeous ring from Dominic's etsy shop. You need to go see these rings. Simply fabulous!
6. Krista of Poppyprints will make you a custom pin cushion/threadcatcher. Who doesn't need another pin cushion, especially cute ones!
7. Penny, of Sewtakeahike is donating a Summer in the City Tin Box Sampler and 3 fat quarters of coordinating prints.
8. Jodi, of Pleasant Home is donating a goodie box of fabric packs and templates.

9. Em, of Em's Scrapbag made this amazing journal cover. It's me and her, and you!
10. Anina, of Twiddletails is donating this set of Sent With Love fat quarters from her store, just in time of Valentine's Day projects.
11. Michele, of Calicodaisy machine embroidered and made this 14" pillow cover. (Do you recognize this...it's on the Joy in the New Year Challenge button.) I made a set of pillows from Michele's embroidery too.
12. Vicki, from Sew Inspired made this friendship bag for one of you. Cute, isn't it!
Tune in tomorrow for the winners!

25 comments:

Stephanie said...

What great prizes! Your quilts are all beautiful, I love the thought behind them.

Anonymous said...

Amen on the neighborhood thing... the Challenge winners are getting some awesome prizes for all their hard word...YAY!

Crystal Hendrix said...

Those are some wonderful prizes!! I hope I get a chance to win something! Also I had trouble with some of the links, the ring one and I think Number 2. :D I don't know if it is me or the link

Thanks again for doing this wonderful challenge!

calicodaisy said...

One of your neighborhoods is top on my list of wants!

9patchnurse said...

LOVE LOVE LOVE those quilts!! I want to try something like that soon. Great prizes, I'm so sorry I didn't get in on that challenge. Good luck to everyone.

Poppyprint said...

Jacquie, just in case you draw my name, I'm going to give you some advance warning that I would choose to live in the pink neighborhood (and I think that would be okay, because I have a feeling you would choose red/aqua). You know, not that I wouldn't LOVE to live in the same neighborhood as you (cos then we could have stitchy mornings together), but the pink one is SOOOO sweet!!! You're very generous. I'm looking forward to tomorrow.

Rene' said...

I love your idea of neighborhood. I so agree. Great prizes offered. I did not participate in the challenge but enjoy seeing what others accomplished. Congrats to the winners.

driftwood said...

gorgeous quilts and generous prizes xxxx

Sequana said...

Very nice prizes! Good rewards for a job well done.

btw...if anyone wants to see my five finished projects, they are the first five that pop up in my flickr account:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sequana/

I love to have visitors there.

CJ said...

WHY oh WHY did I procrastinate so on those labels?? I started them late this afternoon and both of them are made and applied to the quilts. 3 days late to be extra entries though. Serves me right for being a big ol' procrastinator. :(

julie said...

What a grand booty you have for the challenge participants. Generous friends there. Best of luck to you all.

Abby and Stephanie said...

Darling and welcoming neighborhoods done Jacquie style, which I love. Fantastic prizes donated for your challenge.

patty a. said...

I didn't have access to e-mail on the 3rd - darn. The quilts are great and the prizes are wonderful. I did get 19 quilts finished between Nov. 14 and Dec. 16. I sold one at an art fair at the art museum. Now I have a great stash of baby quilts now for those last minute gifts.

Suzanne said...

Thanks to you, Jacquie, and all of the prize providers for such wonderful eye candy!

Julie said...

Thank you to all the sponsors! Those are great prizes -- that journal cover is to die for!

Rachel said...

Those quilts made my day just a little bit brighter! I loved looking at the different styles and colors of each house and trying to decide which one I would chose as my favorite!

Rachel Ellington said...

Lovely house quilts! And super cute prizes!

Ashley said...

absolutely gorgeous quilts! i'm totally in love with the red/aqua one. fingers crossed!

Rebekah said...

love all of your neighborhood quilts! I'm not a big fan of gates either...I like being able to roam free.

silversmith said...

sheesh...i should have played along! but i didn't have toooo many WIPs this past month. only a few and i'm still working on 2 of them.

congrats to all the super-lucky winners - these are awesome prizes!

MightyMom said...

I'm so sad I didn't have any finishes so I can enter.

Needled Mom said...

I love the neighborhoods!!!

Cheryl Arkison said...

I know which one I would pick too! Crossing my fingers, when I'm not trying to go for another finish!

Anina said...

Wow! That's a lot of wonderful prizes!
I love house quilts. I know which one I'd pick too.

em said...

I am speechless at the wonky houses!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! thank you for your inspiration!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!I am going to have to try one!!