Final Post for My Mapping Journey

DH and I were talking a few weeks back

and I mentioned needing to finish up

my map challenge project.

He asked me what I meant

so I explained the challenge.

He grabbed his sketch pad

and drew what he thought of 

when he considered a "map." 

And I knew what I would do 

for my final post of this challenge.

This black and white neighborhood fabric

was just too perfect for the background.

And I found eight different brightly striped fabrics

in the stash for crosscut inserted roadways.

I even pulled out a yard of Keiko Goke log cabin print

to use for the backing . . . but then things stalled.

Which honestly seems to have been 

my overall reaction to this particular challenge.

Lots of ideas and lots of stall-outs.

It's a worthy challenge but it just hasn't resonated enough

to make we want to cut into my fabrics and make a quilt.  

* * *

To see what has been going on during year fifteen

please visit my blog and use the various 2018 labels 

in my sidebar including AHIQ, RSC, and finishes.

***

Now that I consider my Maps and Mapping Challenge done,

I'm looking forward to the two new challenges in 2019.

Quiltdivajulie

Gamble or not? A few thoughts about my quilting

Those of you who know me, know quite well that I tend to be “all over the place”
when it comes to my quilting. Those words in quotes because they may describe
me, but it’s more of the way others describe me. In my thinking I’m just me.

In the last couple of years I have ventured into exploring my interest in visual art, art quilting and quilt paintings. The more I explore, the more I want to try something new or different. It’s as if I want to learn for the sake of learning, not particularly because I want to have a skill that I’ll use again and again. I just want to know the skill, prove to myself that I can do whatever I’m interested in at the moment, then drop it into my quilting toolbox and move on. When I need it, the skill is there. Sort of like my guys have screwdrivers, hammer and nails, etc. in their toolboxes. (The sizes of which prove that one needs everything available, just in case.)

So I’m not a very consistent quilter. I’m not surprised. At all. It’s just how I’m wired.

For example, I devour books when I’m reading. However I can go months without reading anything

beyond a few blogs (hey, chickies!) and whatever magazines happen to come to the house.
Devouring those in an hour. And I’m not particular about the topics: Car Trends,
Popular Mechanics, AARP whatever, etc.

So what’s my deal? I don’t know.  Surely anything else would have me bored out of my mind. Of course, there are downsides: I don’t think I’ll finish that book I’d love to see published. I am bad about agreeing to doing something that I easily lose interest in. Then I have to MAKE myself keep to the promise. (No fun in that!) I make rash decisions. And act on those decisions without thinking them through. Thank goodness there’s a guy in my life who is all about negativity and provides every rationale that would get past me. Yes that would be every rationale. Guess I should just stick to learning skills and playing. It’s one of the best parts of being

retired. I can play, practice, and fill my silly head with all manner of ideas. Then show
them to Richard when someone else takes the gamble and wins.

On a side note: This week I visited every blog on the side bar but ran into a few issues.
My security app (Webroot Secure Anywhere) gave me a warning saying your site is "A
High Risk Site." If you don't have a comment from me from this week, then most likely
your blog is one of the problems. (I suppose I should have made a list.) If you want me
to try again, email me at mary.marcotte@gmail.com or comment here and I'll check again.

Year Fourteen (2017)

In 2017 I made Metamorphosis

in response to the AHIQ Coins challenge.

I also made Words to Live By

in response to the AHIQ Words on Quilts challenge.

Words on the front and words on the back -

be sure to click through to see more photos.

I also participated in the online 

Gwennie-Inspired Medallion QAL.

Scrap Happens features 

the first four prompts/challenges -

baskets, childhood, log cabins, and stars.

For the fifth prompt/challenge - Something Fishy,

I created this small wall quilt since

Scrap Happens was already just the right size.

The center elements of "fishy" were created in a class

with Lynn Carson Harris at AQS Chattanooga.

This quilt features my first work with solids.

This two-sided quilt is named RETIRED.

It was created using dress shirts 

from my husband's closet

that were no longer needed 

after his long-awaited retirement.

I love this quilt for so very many reasons.

The leftovers were pieced into a second top

which I named Retired, Too

in honor of my 2014 retirement.

That one is still waiting to be quilted.

* * *

I'll admit that I've thought about 

abandoning this retrospective

several times over the past few months.

With only one more year to go,

I will finish what I started with one more post

near the end of the month.

Kaja asked me about my take-aways from this effort.

Here are my top three:

One - I am glad I saw this through instead of stopping.

Two - It is good to look back at where we've been

and what we've done - it's too easy to overlook

the progress we've made, 

the things we've learned about ourselves, 

and just how many gift/donation quilts we've actually made.

Three - I am more certain than ever that I truly am

a liberated, eclectic, scrappy, colorful quilt maker -

and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Quiltdivajulie

Mapping Challenge, done for now

I've finally finished this top.

If you want to know more, here's the link to my blog post.

Once I get over the sheer relief and joy of having reached the finish line I will try to find a moment to reflect on what I have learned in the process.