Tomorrow is our Worldwide Quilting Day challenge exhibit, so I can show you my entry now. It took me several weeks to get this done as there is a lot of detail in it. When we got the challenge fabric, I had an idea of what I wanted to do. Now, understand that I am on the committee and had a say in the challenge fabric. I thought the print of hats, presents and balloons would go great with the challenge of “It’s My Birthday!” The first person to get in line made a big stink out of the choice, saying she couldn’t do her plan with it. My response was “well, that is the challenge, isn’t it?” My first two ideas didn’t work either. I thought I would do an applique of my birth month flower, chrysanthemums, in a pot with the the challenge fabric as the seat cushions on a garden chair. But the print motifs are too large for the size of the applique. The whole piece had to be under 120 inches total perimeter. Then I thought about doing a gemstone quilt in topaz gold, but I couldn’t figure out a way to work the challenge fabric in. My third idea was the best one. My favorite cake is French vanilla with dark chocolate frosting. In past years, I would get a small bakery cake like this one.
Last year, instead of a whole cake, I got a cupcake so I wouldn’t have so much sweet stuff left over. I am hopeless when it comes to cake with chocolate frosting. This cupcake became my inspiration for the challenge.
I began by searching all the embroidery sites for an appropriate candle. When I found this one, I bought the file and then stitched it out.
Previously, I showed the square blocks with prism shapes that would represent my birthstone citrine or topaz. I added the candle square and began assembly of the base.
I stitched out “It’s My birthday” on a longer piece of fabric and placed it on an angle. The colors in both motifs were matched to the challenge fabric.
Stitching the rows, the squares are turned on point, like a brilliant cut gemstone.
I placed the embroidery, cut it to size on one end and sewed a gemstone block to it.
I added the triangle corners and loaded it on the longarm to quilt. It is 17-inches square, well within the challenge parameters.
I should have used a ruler to make the lines crisp and straight. But I had decided to freehand it. This I regret, but I wasn’t going to pick it out and start again.
I bound the quilt with the same gold color, then I pleated the challenge fabric and pressed the folds to sharp creases. I pinned it to the base for hand sewing. It is going to be a paper wrapper for my cupcake.
I added vanilla color wool for the cake part.
At the guild meeting in January, I was talking to a friend about needing to go to the fabric store for some dark brown fabric, something that would have a satiny sheen or texture. Amazingly, exactly what I needed was on the freebie table that day!! I nabbed it, and began to work out how to fold it to make it look like frosting.
It took a lot of fiddling and fussing, but I think I got it. Chocolate frosting! I pinned it everywhere I wanted to stitch it.
OK, everything pinned in place, it went it to the den for hand work while watching TV.
The cupcake paper part was stitched only on the base of the folds, making that part nicely dimensional.
I had to move the print and the brown out of the way a little at a time to get the wool cake stitched down.
I stitched the bottom edge of the brown over the white wool. Then I did just some tacking stitches to keep the folds where I wanted them and the overlapping edges together.
All done! It is a gemstone base, with my favorite birthday cake. On the card next to the entry will be a few sentences explaining the gemstone background, and the fact that as I get older, my birthday cakes are getting smaller.
If you live in the area, stop by the Blue Ridge Mall in Hendersonville, NC on Saturday March 15, 2025 between 10 am and 3 pm. You can see the 21 entries, and vote for your three favorites. The creativity is simply amazing, and I’ll have a report for you soon.
From My Carolina Home 
This is so cute, Carole. I think you met the challenge well!
I love your idea!! I do live in the area and will stop by tomorrow. Will you be there all day?
I will personally be at the show for set up and to get the volunteers going. I’ll likely be there until about 11 am, then I’ll leave for a while. I should be back around 2 to be there for the last hour of the show and then do the take down. Thanks for asking, and I do hope to see you there!
I’d say challenge met and beautifully executed. You are so creative. Good luck tomorrow! Can’t wait to hear and see the winners.
Great idea so well executed……congratulations on such a fabulous successful challenge piece!
Love the cupcake. The challenge fabric is perfect for the wrapper. Unfortunately I have another commitment on Saturday, so I won’t see the quilts on display at the mall. Is there a chance you’ll show them at the 2026 show or will you only show the new challenge?
No, we don’t display previous year challenges at the mall exhibit, only the current year’s challenge. However, at the main library in Hendersonville, there is an exhibit of last year’s winners in one of their display cases. I do not know if next year’s event chair will do that. Some of the entries may be displayed at the next show in May 2026, but it is up to the individual quilter to decide.
Oh, I love how this turned out! The dimension really adds to the project, and what a great use of the challenge fabric!
Awesome job. I love your background, it’s interesting and yet passive and would make an interesting quilt all by itself. The cupcake is over the top, as all Birthday cakes are!
Very Cute! Hope you win.
Your creativity has certainly come through on this challenge..way to go!
Remarkable! Fabric can do and be so many things.
very cute idea
I love 3D and you nailed it with the challenge fabric pleats. You’re quite clever with your ideas. I’m making mental notes for the fat quarter challenge fabric our snowbird group was given for our summer project.
This is adorable! I would never have come up with something so creative. I love how your mind works. Thanks for sharing!
That is really fun, Carole! I love how you made this 3-D. I imagine that for most challenges like this one, you have to come up with and discard multiple ideas before you settle on the one that works. And now you have me craving a cupcake with chocolate fudge frosting!
WOW! That looks really good. Really great use of the challenge fabric.
Hope lots of people come to the exhibition and enjoy your cupcake.
Mary :))
This is such a creative expression of the challenge! I love it!
Genius! I love your cupcake. However, It makes me want some real cake…
OMG, that is so clever!
Amazing that somebody thought fabric with party hats, presents, & balloons wouldn’t work for the challenge theme. Your idea is enchanting. Have a wonderful time.
Hi Carole – what a unique design idea!! Love 💕 your creative use of fabric!! Of course I have not seen the competition, but you get my first place vote!! Claire
Come by the mall today, Saturday March 15, and see the show!
So very clever! It looks good enough to eat.
Carole-that is very unique, clever and cute! I would never have thought of making the dimensional pleated fabric wrapper. The “chocolate frosting” is wonderful too! It looks good enough to eat and gets a first place vote from me!😀
You knocked this one OUT OF THE PARK! The lighted candle and the 3-d cupcake are GENIUS! Thanks so much for sharing this!!!!!
Beautiful creation!!
You did an amazing job making a 3-D cupcake, Carole!!! I vote for yours!!!!
Well done! Looks like a winner.
Alexandria
Oh wow Carole!! That is just fantastic!!! xx
Very creative way to make the theme come alive Carole!
That is just unbelievably clever. I love how you “see” and how you pulled that all together!
You do have a lot of very creative ideas.
This quilt fits the bill perfectly.