Challenge Rules

The premise for this challenge is to create a quilt (including binding or other edge finish, but not backing) that utilizes five yards of Ricky's hand-dyed fabrics. Additionally, the goal is for Ricky Tims Inc to kit the winning quilt using only five individual yards of fabric.

When creating your design, you are urged to work with under 3/4 yards of each fabric so that the kit fabrics allow for others to have extra fabric in the event of a mis-cut or mistake. 

Please consider wide-spread appeal, ease of patterning, and basic construction methods when creating your design.

1. Design must be totally original and all entries must be completely finished when submitted. The quilt must be three layers, front, batting, and a back layer.

2. Fabrics

a. Five fabrics must be used for the quilt top and binding - no more, no less. 
b. No more than one yard of any fabric can be used.
c. Backing may be any fabric - commercial or otherwise - and not included or counted in the fabrics used for the front design.
d. Fabrics can be from the Caveman series or the Rhapsody series of hand-dyes - or both.
e. Fabrics from another company or individual may not be used.
f. If you are unsure whether or not a fabric is a Ricky Tims Hand-dyed fabric, it would be advisable not to use it. Entries using fabrics other than Ricky Tims Original Hand-dyed Fabric will be disqualified.

3. No alteration to the fabric by any means is permitted. Over-dying, bleaching, painting, inking, or any other means of altering the original fabric is not allowed.

4. No embellishments in the way of beads, attachments, sequins, etc. are permitted.

5. Designs based on traditional blocks as well as contemporary art quilt designs are all eligible.

5. Construction techniques should be patchwork or applique or a combination of both.

6. Dimensions are as follows:

No wider than 44"

No longer than 60"

No smaller than 36" (Height of Width)

7. Submission will require listing the names of fabric colors used in your design - for a complete list of available fabrics and their names - click here.

8. Quilt must be made entirely by one person - from start to finish.

9. Quilts can be made by hand or machine or a combination of both.

Challenge Prizes

1st Prize - $500 cash*

2nd Prize - $250 shopping spree at the Ricky Tims Online Store

3rd Prize - $100 shopping spree at  the Ricky Tims Online Store

* Winner agrees to allow Ricky Tims Inc. the right in perpetuity to pattern and/or kit their design and make it available for sale through Ricky Tims Inc. and its affiliates, distributors, or other outlets. Winner retains copyright to their design. Winner's name will be listed as designer on written descriptions, patterns, and kits.

Purchasing Your Fabrics

You are welcome to use previously purchased Ricky Tims hand-dyed fabrics. If you do not have fabrics and you wish to participate in the challenge we urge you to utilize our new buy five hand-dyed fabric bundle for $100.00 and save $25.00 off regular retail price. To purchase fabric click here

Submission Information

You will find this information listed at www.rickytims.com under the EVENTS menu.

Cost for submitting is free.

Entries must be submitted online between March 15 and March 31, 2013.

You may enter as many times as you like, but each online submission is for one entry.

Entry requires mid-to-high quality digital photo images.

The entries will be judged by photo submission.

A well-photographed submission enables your quilt to receive the best evaluation.

Two images are required per submission: one flat full shot including borders and binding (or other edge finish treatment) and one flat detail shot.

Images must be standard jpeg images no larger than 8mb.

The submission button shown above will become active on March 1, 2013 and will become inactive at midnight, Pacific time, on March 31, 2013. Once the link is inactive, the submission deadline has passed.

Call for Entries

Ricky Tims' Scrap Bag Challenge is a challenge designed for you to make something from nothing but scraps contained in a Ricky Tims Scrap Bag (plus maybe a bit of black or white if necessary). All entries must be made from fabric in our 15oz. of scraps or less. Finalists and winning entries will be chosen by Ricky Tims.

Scrap Bags in our online store are limited. Entries will be limited to only those individuals who have previously purchased a scrap bag or who purchase a scrap bag before they are gone. When the website says 'notify me' they are gone. Click here to purchase a scrap bag.

 

Prizes

All finalists will be featured on The Quilt Show Daily Blog and Ricky's I'm Just Sayin' Blog.

Winners and Finalists will be also be featured in Ricky's July 2012 Newsletter.

1st Prize $250 Shopping Spree at Ricky Tims Online Store

2nd Prize $150 shopping spree at Ricky Tims Online Store

3rd prize $50 shopping spree at Ricky Tims Online Store


Submission Rules

  1. Quilts must be made ONLY from contents of the scrap bag except plain white or plain black may be added - no prints.
  2. Over-dyeing or bleaching is not permitted.
  3. Inking or painting IS acceptable.
  4. Embellishments of any kind are acceptable.
  5. Quilt top and edge finish must be only from scrap bag.
  6. Backing may be any fabric.
  7. Size is limited only by what can be made from contents of the scrap bag plus any black and white fabric added - no minimum size.
  8. Entries must be completely finished (quilted and edge finished).
  9. No submission limit.
  10. Entries may be pictorial, abstract or traditional. Original designs only.


Entries must be submitted online.

Entry DEADLINE IS MIDNIGHT ON JUNE 25th, 2012.


Submission for 2012 are closed.
Start working on your 2013 challenge!

The 2011 Five Fabric Challenge is complete. Jan Magee, Editor in Chief of The Quilt Life magazine judged the entries (along with Ricky) and selected a winning quilt which will be made into a pattern by Ricky Tims Inc. Each quilt entered had to be an original design and made entirely by the designer.
Congratulations to Michael Michalski from Brooklyn, New York. His quilt, Prairie Window is the winner. The quilt is 57" tall and 42" wide. Here is what Michael had to say about his winning entry.

This quilt design is part of my double drunkards path series, in which the blocks contain overlapping arcs centered on opposite corners of the square. Cathedral Window style motifs serve as fill and a flange is used to outline the arc. I chose colors that spoke of the western prairies, which brought to mind a Frank Lloyd Wright type house, so I added sashing to represent leading and made it into an Arts and Crafts stained glass window. I used a double rayon thread and long stitch in quilting to give the feeling of stitching found on leather goods, as the fabrics remind one of suede. Twin needle channels in the background and stippling some areas give further dimension. This challenge pushed me to add to my skills, the final quilt surpassed my original vision.

 

Winning Entry: Prairie Window by Michael Michalski
Full view of Prairie Window
Detail of Prairie Window

 

The quilt selected as Runner Up (2nd place) for the 2011 Five Fabric Challenge is Oh Beautiful For Spacious Skies by Karen Preston from Hesperus, Colorado. Karen says:

The quilt is taken from several pictures taken in the Arizona desert Jan. 2011. In addition a lake was added to the sunset pictures (the water is there northeast of Mesa!!) The plant images are Ricky Tim's fabric with thread painting added for detail and color. I am fairly new to landscape quilting using my own images rather than kits. This was a real challenge for me since I usually use more fabrics than just five.

The quilt selected as 3rd place for the 2011 Five Fabric Challenge is Field of Flowers by Kari Grese from St Charles, Illinois. Kari says:

Paper pieced half square triangles that were then pieced into an s-curve. Half the quilt was machine pieced while the other half was hand appliqued. All s-curves were created using Sharon Schamber's glue and starch tecnique. EQ was used to design and print the paper templates.


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