This has been a great thread...our guild is doing a mystery block quilt...has been fun, but downside is that the program committee has done a lot of planning and work before hand.

What wonderful ideas! How about something you wish your guild had done but they went in another direction?

Peckish, I remember seeing your ugly fabric. I love it. I like crazy fabrics like that. My former guild did an ugly fabric challenge. We had to use a certain amount of it in a wall hanging. You couldn't cut it too small. I used the back side of the fabric which was a weird green. It made great leaves. I also used a lot of the front. It won viewers choice.
I like the idea of the shape challenge. I will have to keep that in mind for next year for my guild.

The guild challenge has been one of my favorite things about going to quilt guild!

We did the magazine challenge. Everyone was given a magazine as they came into the room. Then someone drew a number out of a bag, and we had to make a quilt that represented whatever was on that page.

Another year, I did the "Master's Challenge." I let everyone choose a card with a famous painting. I used the game "Masterpiece," for most of the cards, but printed more from what I found on the internet. Some examples are The Monalisa, Starry Night, Pink Girl and Blue Boy, American Gothic, etc. Here's a link with some famous paintings. http://www.madisonartshop.com/20-mos...-all-time.html

Another year, we were given a bag with two coordinating fabrics and had to make a quilt that used both fabrics and contained at least 24 4-patches.

Hot air balloon. This theme should inspire creativity for both the background and balloons. Quilts can be used for children or hall hangings.

How about everyone put one yard of their personal "ugly" fabric (usually an impulse buy or gift) into a brown paper bag, tape closed, and put numbers on them as the members arrive at a meeting, and at the end of the same meeting draw numbers to take home and use in a lap quilt. You could set rules such as at least half of the yard must be used, may use only a certain number of additional fabric, all of the yard must be used but half must be used on the front and the rest used on the backing....etc.

Me too! I wonder if I can find one to join up. Is it too late to enjoy the games?

I compiled a list from all your wonderful ideas and presented it to my guild last night. They loved them! Thank you so much for your input. We will be voting next week but the "ugly" fabric ideas got the most nods I believe. It has been done at least 10 years before, but the few that participated in the past really seemed to enjoyed it, so thank you.

Peckish, I like the fabric that your group labeled ugly. Good thing there is room for all of us in the quilting world. :)

Dina