Take It Further Challenge

The Take It Further challenge, beginning in 2008, is a fiber/paper project I am involved with. Before announcing the first month’s TIF theme and colors in January, I decided that all of my monthly projects would be small 16-inch quilted projects with an unifying theme of my own. By the time I began to grow my January challenge, though, I had already realized that the wall quilt I was designing would not be 16-inches square….there was simply too much to convey in that challenge and size became a restriction. I’ve now abandoned the size restrictions to make these challenges more manageable.

My unifying theme for each monthly challenge will include some form of a three-dimensional addition to the surface of each project. There will be no limit to what these 3-D surface additions will be, nor what each of these additions will be composed of. Hopefully, the 3-D elements will contribute to the overall thematic design of each monthly challenge project.

Another personal goal with my own TIF challenge will be to construct each project using what I have: textile fibers and fabrics from my stash and my scraps, or found items in our household. Nothing will be purchased. (I am continuing on with my frugal mindset.)

Regular blog entries will be easy to track with a “Take It Further” category – I’ll use the category for entries that references the TIF challenge. If you are following my progress and/or if you are in the TIF challenge group, please post a comment and share your own ideas and blogsite. Part of the fun in this challenge is to make new friends and watch others create. Here’s to a fun year with an interesting year-long challenge!

JANUARY The TIF challenge for January was announced here at In A Minute Ago. As Sharon explained, “The key concept for January is a feeling we have all had, the feeling of admiration for another. Ask yourself who do you look up to and admire? Why? What is it you admire about them? This is a the first Take it Further challenge in 2008. Take the idea, develop it into a resolved design during that month and apply it to fiber or paper.”

My January TIF will represent the concept/theme of ‘admiration’.

FEBRUARY The TIF challenge for February was announced at In A Minute Ago and the concept involves what we remember — in other words, our personal life experiences. Sharon asks participants, “stop and think what are you old enough to remember? You do not have to declare your age - but simply what you are old enough to remember?” Sharon continues on with some examples of her own life experiences as she strolls back Memory Lane and offers a bit of her world as seen through her eyes.

Another fantastic concept: what we remember.