It's a challenge, all right

Last night was the quilt guild meeting, and it was the first time I've been in a couple of months. Apparently, I missed a big fiesta in July, along with some sort of controversy about the amount of food that was available and some rude people who took food home to their aunts, uncles, kids, and grandparents -- it was one time I was glad my Spanish isn't all that great, because I didn't exactly catch what was going on!

A few months ago, there was a scrap bag challenge issued, and I had seen the other scrap bag quilts at the show that was here, and they were cool, and I thought it would be fun to make one. Basically, you get an empty bag that only has a number. You take it home, fill it with fabric, embellishments, and other stuff (batting, thread, whatever) and then take it in. You then get a bag back from someone else. You don't know whose bag you get or who gets your bag. You make a quilt (I believe they are 24" square, but need to check that) using the materials in the bag, which then goes back to the person whose bag it was at some set point in the near future (no, I can't remember when that date is, either). So basically, you fill you bag with fabrics and things you'd like to see on your quilt when you get it back. Here is the stuff that was in the bag I received last night:

My Challenging Scrap Bag

As you can see, lots of "country" themed stuff in here. Not really my thing. But, okay, it seems she is going for a garden theme. The garden fabric, plus the greens and browns. I see it. You can also see that she included lace (clouds?), a doll (scarecrow?), some batting (how thoughtful! I didn't do that :-( ), thread (my favorite brand, too), some cute buttons, a hat (hanging on a fencepost?), some sticks (tiny signs? scarecrow pole?) and -- did you catch it? -- a tiny rosary and some screws.

Some of the embellishments in my scrap bag

Now if anyone -- please, anyone! -- has any ideas how to work screws and a tiny rosary into a garden quilt, I'm open to suggestions. I asked esposo if I could take the rosary apart and just use the cross (put it on a fencepost or something), he said no way. While he is no longer Catholic, he grew up in the church and if anyone would know what to do with a rosary, he would. Any other ideas? No, he had none. Great. Obviously, she wants the rosary in there somewhere, but I'm sorta stuck on what to do with it. Not being Catholic and all... Can the scarecrow wear it? Doubtful.

On another note, I won one of the raffle prizes last night. The last one of the night, actually! It's a BEAUTIFUL quilted hand towel. (I'll take a picture later -- esposo and son have just absconded with my camera). Wow, I can't believe I won something! This makes twice now. How lucky am I? Well, this means I need to bring something to the next meeting. And I really need to do a charity quilt this year.

p.s. Here's the hand towel -- nice, huh?



p.p.s. Check out that link to the other grab bag quilts -- you won't be disappointed!