2023 Welcome

All of our Annual Challenges & Galleries are here on this site.

(Click the year dates in the TABS line above)

All of the books for each of the challenges can be found on the BOOKS tab above.

There is a 'comments' area at the bottom of each entry, so please leave a positive message for the artists to let them know that you like their work. 

Our fiber artists can reply to you there too.

To find out more about The International Free Form Fiberarts Guild (IFFFG) you can click on the tabs at the top of this page.


We have a Facebook group here.
And a Ravelry group here.

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Copyright

All photos, text and poems have been provided by the Artists. 

Permission for the IFFFG to publish these photos was granted by participation

 in the IFFFG challenges.

The individual artists hold the original copyright to the photos and poems that they have provided.

     Please do not abuse the copyright law.     

2023-Valerie

 Valerie 

Bangor, N Ireland. 

 

Up for the challenge? they asked.

Up for the challenge? I agreed.

On went my thinking cap,

Out came the wool.

Here a stitch, there a stitch.

My mind is all over the place!

Up for a challenge?

And so a cushion was formed.

2023-Renee Bova

 

Renee Bova

The Garden Wall

When starting this challenge I decided to work in small scrumbles.  After being dissatisfied with the aesthetic, I disassembled the pieces and the shapes brought to mind shapes in nature.  Flower Petals, fungi, even a bird, and stems.  I then connected small pieces together, added additional color pieces, beads, buttons, chain stitched random vines.

All pieces are freeform, no direction no patterns.

 

2023-Pauline Fitzpatrick

 Pauline Fitzpatrick

 Derbyshire, England

 

The inspiration for the freeform crochet was the blues and greys of the north sea. 

After they were stitched to canvas, the stitching became more of a fantasea.

2023-Lisa Doherty

 

Lisa Doherty

Wake Forest, North Carolina, USA

https://lisaviolinviola.wordpress.com

My intention was to do much more for the Game of Chance Challenge, but other commitments got in the way. 

This little scrumble, though, was exceptionally fun to make. 

I tend to be project focused, so I curate materials, stitches, and techniques in my freeform practice. Working with the elements of chance in this challenge reminded me how good it feels to be more playful and experimental with freeform.

2023-Karin Stahl

 Karin Stahl

Bethanga, VIC, Australia

Some games transport us into a different reality. The rules of this challenge took us on a journey of randomness and chose the yarn and stitches for us. It determined how the basis of this freeform would look like. 

Apart from the different yarn I used buttons, beads and fabric to add extra interest. 

I was inspired to turn the freeform into a game as well. The first photo shows the finished piece but if you look deeper and open the different doors, you discover another layer of interest (photo 2). 

2023-Karen Richrdson

 

Karen Richrdson

Prince George BC Canada. 

This is my first time joining this type of freeform challenge. 

My scrumbles are made of various acrylic yarns. I arranged them, started stitching them to the bag, then decided hold them together with stationary clips. Then I used single crochet & chains with different yarns to link them together. The final piece was hand stitched to the bag and tacked in a few spots to prevent it sagging. 

The scrumbles wanted to cover this thrifted insulated lunch bag after seeing other people do similarly. 

I'm really happy with the results, thank you for sharing the challenge for everyone to find and participate!

2023-Judith Horsman

 

Judith Horsman 

Bridlington, UK

Ravelry - judithooker

Facebook - Judith Horsman

Box of Games

 

Recently I have had a passion for re-using and covering boxes of various shapes and sizes.  For this challenge I chose to cover a box that will contain a pack of cards and dice.  Chocolates may also be included as prizes for winning a game.

 

Although I started with good intentions to follow the instructions by selecting bags of different yarns spread all around me, I have been freeforming for so many years my inner creative spirit took over and I just went with the flow.

2023-Jenny Whiting

 Jenny Whiting

Sydney, Australia

Instagram: @JennifreeDesigns

My work reflects life’s endless variety and contrasts. Life is working with, and making something special from, what has gone before: that is also the challenge of freeform and what I love about it. Shaping the piece, being guided by what is already there, is an evolutionary process, creating an individual history held within its stitches.

This shawl uses wool, cashmere and silk yarn, felt balls and merino tops. 

It is all crocheted apart from little bits of needle felting and woven-in tops.