a friendly challenge

As promised, I am ready to reveal the outcome of the Great 2009 Posse Pass! Let me explain:

Along with my good friends, Nancy, Maggie and Leisl, we were once dubbed the Posse, I think it has something to do with the fact that we have a habit of traveling in a pack and taking charge when given the chance! We even have star badges! For several years, we have had a little Christmas party and exchanged gifts with each other. This year someone came up with a bright idea as a substitute for the usual gift exchange. In the spring, we each constructed a large applique block using the design and fabric and colors of our own choosing. We aimed for something like 16"-18" in size. Then we each tucked our center block into a bag along with some coordinating fabrics, and so the Pass began. Every 2 months or so (sometimes the deadlines got a little stretched) we moved the bags along to the next taker, and each one of us was responsible to add some kind of a border onto the ever-growing center blocks. And the rightful owner didn't get it back until last night, when we gathered for dinner and dessert and the Big Reveal! What fun to get the bag back and peek into what had been created along the way! Here are all 4:

And now for the details--Nancy's style is sort of primitive and her quaint house and darker colors reflected that. Leisl added the little triangle border, Maggie the wide applique border, and I put on the finishing touch with a stripe all around the outside. Maggie's applique includes "Big Swan Lake" because Nancy's home is there.

Next, Maggie created a large "M" with flowers and vines intertwined. Nancy sewed on the 9-patches, I added the scallops, and Leisl finished it up with pinwheels.

Here is Leisl's project, starting with some 3-dimensional flowers sort-of cherry blossoms. I added the shaded strips in border #1 (really dug into my batik stash for those), then flying geese by Nancy and finally Maggie added corner applique flowers like those in the center.

Then last, but not least, is my own. I made an applique basket of flowers for the center. Maggie heeded my request to make it into a rectangle instead of a square and figured out the right combination of square-in-a-square blocks. Then Leisl added an applique border, reducing the flower shapes that were in my basket (and I heard she nearly broke the bank buying just the right fabric which is perfect, by the way) and to wrap it all up Nancy added 2 skinny borders with tiny triangles. It is all FABULOUS!

It was a very interesting challenge, involving a lot of thought and consideration as to what would be just the right touch to enhance the overall look. It helps that we know each other very well and can trust our instincts. I know we were all very pleased with the results, and now the challenge is on to get the quilting and binding finished! And what shall we do for 2010?