Welcome to Season 8 of Project QUILTING! Today’s the day you’ve been waiting for – the very first challenge is issued right here.

Before we begin, a reminder: please read through the rules – read all the way to the bottom of this post –  and make sure you understand them. Feel free to ask questions, and we’ll do our best to answer quickly. Note that photography of your finished project must be linked at the bottom of this post in order to be eligible for prizes and for the Viewer’s Choice voting next week. (Maybe if you’re unsure about the posting this first time, don’t wait until the very last minute? THANKS!)

I just want to remind everyone that these challenges are meant to be inspirational and FUN!  If you are feeling stressed just take a minute to look back at the “Words … “ post I did before the season started. Every week that you enter a piece for the challenge you are entered into a hat to win one of the amazing prizes from our sponsors!  Be sure to check out THIS post for all the prizes up for grabs this weeks and to thank our awesome sponsors!  There will also be a special prize for the ‘Public Vote’ winner of the week.   AND, if you finish the challenge in the time allotted your name will also be added into the final hat at the completion of the season for an opportunity to win the GRAND PRIZE!  Inspiration, quilting, fun AND Prizes!?  Can it get much better?

The theme for Challenge 8.1 is: Eight is Great!

In celebration of year eight for Project QUILTING, the first challenge will deal with the number 8. Will you make 8 or 88 of a favorite block? Will you be inspired by dice, cards, or billiard balls? Math? Music? Or something more??

The rules:

1. Your project must somehow involve the number 8.
2.  Incomplete or unfinished does not qualify. Every challenge piece must be a FINISHED project seen through from INCEPTION to COMPLETION during the challenge timeline (January 1 through January 8, 2017). Each piece must stand alone as DONE to count toward prizes.
3. Please remember that these projects need to be created during the week of the challenge (started on or after January 1, finished by January 8).
4.  Your project does not need to be a traditional quilt, but must meet at least one of these requirements:

1. Include patchwork.
2. Include appliqué.
3. Have 3 layers stitched together by hand or machine.

5. Link up a blog post, flickr image, instagram post, or public facebook post to the linky at the bottom of THIS PAGE by Sunday, January 8th, 2017, at noon CDT. Alternately, you may email the picture and description to {lapaceksorchard at gmail dot com} with PROJECT QUILTING in the subject line by 11am on Sunday, January 8. Yes – that deadline is one hour earlier, because it requires more work for Kim.
When you create your PQ entry’s blog post or instagram or flickr image, please include:

• a description of your creative process, 
• the overall size of your project (it’s so hard to tell in a picture!)
• where you are (ie, I create in Madison, WI) and .  If you decide to just directly upload your image to the link up party please email me this information so I can share it with everyone else.

Social media linking:

• Please use the hashtag #pqSeason8 when posting on social networking sites to help spread the word.
• Share progress pictures on Facebook, Instagram, and your blog – seeing your process and how you get to the final project is part of the fun! 
• If you can, post your project to the Project QUILTING Flickr Group because that’s how I make mosaics and it’s fun to see them grouped together there.
• Make sure you like Project QUILTING on Facebook.
• We  have created a ‘Challenge Quilts’ Facebook Group for you to share your thoughts, questions, and friendship on PQ and other quilting challenges. Just ask to join.

With that – good luck to everyone!

Please be sure to post your FINAL project just below HERE.  VERY IMPORTANT!