I just spent an amazing 9 days on vacation. Well- technically 6.5 of them were amazing…2.5 were spent in the van…but that really wasn’t too bad either. Our family rented a little house about a block off the beach in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. This is the first time we’ve taken this long of a vacation since our honeymoon almost 8 years ago! I highly recommend this to ANYONE! It was incredible! I would wake up, walk the beach in search of shells and to see the dolphins playing. Head home for breakfast and then we’d bring the girls’ out to the beach for the rest of the day. We had a few day trips but overall once we were there we didn’t drive. I promise to share with you the ‘best of the best’ photo’s from our trip…I may have taken over a thousand in the week there…but today I’m going to show you a few non family photo’s to see what has inspired this months off season challenge…

Texture

Texture is seen everywhere! I feel that texture can add such a beauty to every day things that it’s worth paying attention too.The waxy leaves on this bush/plant/tree help make the green deeper and richer. Don’t you just want to touch it!?By adding a metal fish cutout onto the top of this sign a new dimension is formed.

Different grasses waving in the wind look so soft and cuddly that it makes me want to take a nap on them…but don’t worry – I didn’t – there are snakes in there!

My childs’ foot prints in the sad makes my heart melt and will forever bring back amazing memories of our beach vacation to me.

Texture is everywhere! Each shell we fond had it’s own unique shape and texture. We found beauty in it all!

Your challenge – go and find texture that inspires a quilt from you. Incorporate it into your process and see how amazing your piece will be not only visually but texturally as well! We would love to see a picture of your inspiration if possible.

THE RULES:

Have FUN! These off season challenges aren’t about winning a prize – they’re about being inspired to create something you may never have created without the inspiration.

Please remember that these projects need to be created during the time frame of the challenge to qualify for the challenge.

Project can be a quilt, a garment, a bag, or any other item that is created using patchwork, appliqué or other traditional quilting techniques.

If you need advice/tips/help (or you just want to give us all a sneak peak) with your project as you work on it feel free to post pictures to the flickr group: Project QUILTING WIP: http://www.flickr.com/groups/1430386@N24/

POST your entries with a description of your creative process, including where you are (ie, I create in Madison, WI) and the size of your project by the end of the day Tuesday, July 2nd 2013, (yes – I’m giving you an extra day since I’m a day late posting this…) to this flickr group –http://www.flickr.com/groups/1401824@N21/ OR email a picture/description of your completed project to {lapaceksorchard at gmail dot com} with PROJECT QUILTING in the subject line and I’ll post your piece for you. (1 month to finish the challenge)

If you do want people to truly critique (the good and the bad) your project please post it to the Flickr Group: Project QUILTING – Critiques