The Rainbow Stash Buster Project 2024 brought together 26 members — 23 contributing artists — from across Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States, in a year-long exploration of colour, creativity, and connection.
Over the course of 12 months, makers responded to a “lucky dip” draw of two colours and an optional word prompt, creating more than 365 individual textile artworks, each an 8-inch square. The challenge encouraged artists to work from their own themes while interpreting the prompts in ways that suited their style, materials, and imagination.
Displayed together, these small works form an expansive visual conversation — a colour-field mosaic of texture, emotion, and story. The collection has been exhibited at major quilt and textile events across Australia, including the Australasian Quilt Convention (AQC) in Melbourne, Sydney Craft & Quilt Fair, and Brisbane Craft & Quilt Fair, where it drew crowds of enthusiastic visitors.
The Challenge
Each month, two colours were drawn at random — with black and white permitted sparingly — along with a single word to inspire creative direction. Words such as Weather, Passion, Future, and Landscape provided a conceptual thread for makers to explore technique, emotion, and meaning.
Artists were free to interpret these prompts literally or abstractly. Some followed the words closely; others focused purely on colour and composition. Across the year, individual “series” emerged — recurring motifs, narrative arcs, and technical experiments that reflected each artist’s evolving visual language.
A Showcase of Skill and Imagination
From delicate hand-stitched details to bold mixed-media surfaces, the exhibition celebrates both individual voice and collective harmony. Each piece, though created in isolation, finds its place within the spectrum — flowing seamlessly into the next through hue and energy.
The curation follows the order of colour draws throughout the year, creating a gentle rhythm of contrast and continuity. Visitors were drawn in by the sheer range of expression: painterly thread work, layered collage, abstract geometry, and natural forms — each square revealing a glimpse of its maker’s world.
Makers and Reach
Participants came from every corner of the quilting community, representing all levels of experience — from emerging textile artists to seasoned exhibitors.
Together they produced:
- 365 works (8” × 8”)
- 23 contributing artists (26 members in total)
- Makers from Australia, New Zealand, the UK, and the USA
This diversity added richness to the exhibition’s visual language. From the red-gold glow of Queensland’s tropics to the cool blues of English skies, geography and personality infused every stitch.
Exhibition Impact
Audiences at AQC Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane responded with energy and curiosity. The rainbow walls became a visual feast — a celebration of colour theory in motion and personal creativity unbound. Visitors delighted in identifying recurring series from individual makers and seeing how each interpreted the optional word prompts in fresh and surprising ways.
The exhibition offered more than visual pleasure: it sparked conversations about process, experimentation, and creative resilience. It showed how small, manageable projects can nurture sustained artistic growth and community connection over time.
At each venue, many of the participating artists attended in person, proudly standing beside their work. Their enthusiasm and stories added depth to the display — transforming a gallery wall into a meeting place for makers, ideas, and inspiration.
Continuing the Series
The Rainbow Stash Buster Project follows earlier initiatives — Workshop in a Box and Rainbow Stash Builder — designed by curator Brenda Wood of 2 Sew Textiles to encourage artistic exploration through accessible, community-based challenges.
In 2025, the journey continues with the Rainbow Stash Hero Challenge, expanding on the same principles of colour, connection, and creative growth.
For more information, visit www.artquiltsupplies.com or www.2sewtextiles.com.
