Challenge: Ridiculous

Let's get to it then, shall we? Thank you again for your enthusiasm for a Ridiculous Challenge this summer! I'm pretty excited. I was thinking we could keep this fun but informal - I've created a Flickr group for you to post your inspiration photos and finished objects, and I'm putting together a prize package for the end of summer (more on that below). But in the meantime, a little recap of the challenge.

Challenge: Ridiculous is all about taking your craft to zany and unexpected places. Maybe it means taking on a "stretch" project that pushes your comfort zone - venturing into whimsical prints if you're usually one for whipping up basics, trying out a new technique you've been eyeing for ages now, pouring gobs of time into getting the details right if you're usually a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants type of crafter, or drafting a pattern for the first time ever. Or maybe for you it's about bringing the spontaneity back into crafting - she saw! she coveted! she plunged in without a second thought! - which could be the perfect antidote for us overthinkers out there (ahem). Great! That's exactly what the Ridiculous Challenge is all about! There is nothing Too Ridiculous or Not Ridiculous Enough. But if you ever catch a thought that begins with, "I really shouldn't be doing this ..." then 1) Go do it, please! and 2) consider it Ridiciulous Enough!

Whatever it takes to keep you feeling like a rockstar!

We'll keep each other updated through our blogs and through the Flickr page. Upload your inspiration, write rambling posts about your thought process. Do share with us what worked and what didn't! Improvisation and going off the deep end are both part of the creative process, and this here is about celebrating those together.

At the end of summer, I'll put up a post asking for nominations for Ridiculous projects that deserve an award (or at least to be showcased in a most Ridiculous fashion). We'll interview the Inspired Ridiculous Crafters about their inspiration and why this project was particularly Ridiculous for them, and crown a winner! I'm still figuring out prizes -- so if you wanted to contribute a prize, let me know. It would be fun if we could have different categories (Most Ridiculously New Technique Tried, Most Ridiculous To Wear To A School Reunion, So Ridiculous I'd Stalk You For An Autograph, etc.)

For my part, I'm planning a series of Ridiculous projects for you this summer. First up, a plan to convert this fabric into a summer dress ...

But if you're looking for some Ridiculous inspiraiton, please look no further than Sigrid, who has already stitched up a stunning example of Ridiculouslry. She deserves an ovation, that woman.