Have we the title for the first 2012 challenge?

I was wondering had we the theme/title for our next challenge. It is not that I am ready to start it but I like to have the challenges floating round in my mind. I find it is amazing when dwelling on something how often I come across references or events that seem to relate to it. Ideas suddenly pop into my mind, they seldom evolve from sitting with paper and pencil, my meandering thought processes is how I arrive at my ideas.l

I hope you all had a great Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all.

Having been away unexpectedly for 5 weeks in the autumn I have had a lot of work to catch up on. The main thing being to finish my Events of 2010 as all 25 year quilts go on exhibition from Feb. I am not curating it but I did need to get the quilt completed, normally last year's quilt is not finished until March of the following year. Fortunately once Christmas was over there were not too many calls on my time, and the outside is taking care of itself

I am wondering do many of you display your small challenge pieces, I am presuming that most of you do make pieces to small formats, say under 15 inches square. If you do, how do you present them, do you supply a small hanging rod through a sleeve, mounted on a canvas or how?

All the best Irene MacWilliam

In other words.......

Sorry, I got the title wrong. Mine is rather late due to my telephone and internet being out of order since just before Christmas. Hilary has very kindly let me use her computer to post my quilt.

I have used the phrase "Size doesn't matter". The fabric has first been sponged with Setacolor Opaque, then overwritten using a black marker pen. On top of this I have printed using some children's wooden letters. Over this has been laid a piece of sheer voile which has had free machine embroidered letters added. The voile has then been cut out using a soldering iron. Buttons in all sizes have been sewn onto the surface.

Whew! Just under the wire!!

Well....almost at least. It does not have the binding yet but as it will be the same sand color it won't make much difference in the look anyway. And at 10pm here I'm not trusted with sharp instruments so the binding will have to wait until tomorrow! 

Title:  Five Smooth Stones

Concept: This was the first idea I had when I read the theme for this quarter. (OK, the second idea!) Anyway, I thought of David and Goliath. Truly size was not the determining factor in that confrontation. So I decided on the five smooth stones that David took to take to the battle along with the type of slingshot the used back in those days (and still do in the Middle East I believe).  All the fabrics are my own hand dyed fabrics, the slingshot is made of a very soft leather, the leather straps I've had for years (no clue where they came from now).  The straps by the slingshot are bound with a speciality yarn I had in my stash. I did minimal quilting because I used the two colors of "sand" fabric to create the undulation of the sand. Also, I sprayed the two sand fabrics with a textured spray paint called "Stone" Not sure if you can see that in the photo.

Five Smooth Stones

Now I'm anxiously awaiting the next theme!

And while I'm here.....HAPPY NEW YEAR to all of you! Hoping 2012 will be filled with art and creative challenges!!