A Reader Challenge Published!

I was getting a bit concerned. I had sent numerous emails about my subscription renewal, but was re-assured they had received my payment and there would be no interruptions in delivery. Then friends told me they had received their copies. I saw evidence on blogs that people had their issues. Someone told me they had picked up a copy at a newstand. Every day I checked my mailbox. Finally I sent yet another email and learned that my subscription was suspended due to an undeliverable address. But, I haven’t moved! My address hasn't changed! Sigh.

So, I drove to three different newstands and finally found and bought the June/July issue of Quilting Arts magazine. 

And here is my work.....right smack on the Editor’s page! 

To be honest, just last month I remember thinking about how being the Table of Contents girl might kind of suck because everybody wants their work visible and in the context of the article. Or, that’s how I feel anyway. Then a friend mentioned she had seen my piece and the photo was re-e-eally small. But, she was quick to assure me, you could see it and my little write-up was included!! I have to admit, I was a bit deflated. I had already noticed on a couple of other blogs that some pieces had received a full page - pretty heady stuff when you consider the audience this magazine reaches. But, the editor did single my work out in comments in her editorial, so I am honestly pleased with that. 

The idea behind these pieces is that the magazine issues a Reader Challenge with a theme and guidelines and then opens it up to their readers. You send in photos of your interpretation of the theme and the editorial staff chooses a varied number to publish in an upcoming issue. So there is lots of room for having fun and getting creative with an idea!

This piece is based on a photo my husband took of myself and my son when we were travelling in Guatemala. We are on a sloping road in a little village on the beautiful Lake Atitlan, checking out our bearings. Neither of us had any idea we were standing back to back with those puzzled looks on our faces but Rejean captured the moment! To be fair, Gabe is now actually a very good navigator, but he had a lingering virus that entire trip and felt pretty lousy most of the time. I have no excuses. I am generally pathetic with directions, but am an enthusiastic traveller and am willing to follow anyone most anywhere! It just takes me longer. Anyway, the photo makes us laugh every time we see it. 

I used a lot of my photos printed on fabric for this piece, as I am so often apt to do. I printed a map of Guatemala for the back and my label is a photo I took of a beautiful beach, the Playa Blanca, on the Caribbean Sea a short boat ride out of Livingston. If you ever feel the urge to visit Guatemala, go for it!! We were so charmed by this country that we plan to return to visit areas we missed and volunteer, most likely with Trama Textiles. 

The little worry dolls I stitched onto the quilt are ones my son had when he was just a wee boy. My Mom had purchased them at a Ten Thousand Villages sale and they came in a little handwoven bag. I really hadn’t paid attention that they were Guatemalan until we travelled there and I saw lots for sale. Kind of serendipitous, in a full circle kind of way, I think. Anyway, we were so sure we would eventually find our way that we really didn’t need worry dolls that day, though in my experience, it is always good to have a backdoor plan! Just in case.....