The Challenge Quilt

Girl with a Pearl Earring by Johannes Vermeer.

O.K.  Here's the story...Last September in my quilt guilt I agreed to take a HUGE challenge.  The challenge was to design a quilt based on a work of art by one of the Masters and it would be judged at our meeting in May 2010.  After much squirming and procrastinating, I finally got started on it in March-ish.  There are lots of things I like about the painting {oh, and by the way, I picked the painting.  My youngest son and I both like Vermeer, so we just had to narrow the playing field down to one painting...of course, I narrowed it down to 3, not 1-until I actually started designing-in April.  Choices.  They are SO hard to make.  Sigh.}  To me the girl looks like a young teenager who is trying to look older and maybe even a little seductive.  I like that the painting isn't way colorful.  I like the mustardy tones with the blue band and the blush lips.  What I think of when I gaze at the innocent face is...flowers.  I challenged myself to use unconventional fabrics.  Soooo, because I wanted a textured, soft, black background, I used two different types of microfiber-along with the traditional cotton and also some wool.   AND don't forget the pearls!  AND don't forget the most important part...I used stuff from my stash.  So, once again, it didn't cost my anything!  Well, actually, I might have bought some stuff.  But I didn't end up using it.  So, it was still $0.  Right?   A little drumroll.......and here is my 3rd place little quilt......