As a writer and voracious reader, I am very cognizant of words and meaning. Some words are heavier than others and carry a lot of baggage. One word I’ve been mulling over lately is challenge. We are all familiar with the hard side of challenges and many of us face challenges as part of our daily experience. But what about the opposite side of the ubiquitous bad challenge, perhaps the less familiar upside of the word. What about a good challenge?
Congruently with my examination on the positive side of challenges is also learning about the benefits of exploring a new skill – without any expectation in the outcome. As adults we have lost the ability to see learning as playful and we believe that the product of our lessons/work should be immediately outstanding. Especially for the recovering perfectionists among us. For the last year, I have been taking weekly Spanish lessons and it is humbling to learn a new language in middle age. As a former French speaker, my pronunciation is still at a very beginner level, even with daily exercises. But at the same time, all of the effort is worth it when I can pick up snippets of dialogue in my heavily Hispanic/Latino community. Any far fetched notion I had for fluency was quickly dispelled and replaced with a realization that this skill is going to take years for me to master, so I might as well enjoy the process.
As creative folks who are proficient in one arena, it can be incredibly daunting to try a new creative activity and know that your early attempts will not be easy, or pretty. Yet I’m seeing more creative folks espouse the positive side of challenging yourself by learning a new craft. Again, going into the endeavor solely for the experience, not the end product. I have always wanted to try pottery, especially hand molding and pinch pot making, so I recently took a hedgehog pinch pot class for ages 7 and up. Spoiler alert: I was the only one in the “and up” category that wasn’t a parent. And it was so eye-opening to see how differently kids tackle a new craft! During the instructor’s mini-lecture about “everyone’s pots will be different and we won’t be sad when ours don’t look like the teacher’s”, the girls were already pinching away and in thrall with what their hands could make. One went rogue and turned hers into a unicorn, while another proudly boasted how hers would be painted with rainbow polka dots and stripes. There was excitement and enthusiasm and it was pure fun. Yes, this is EXACTLY what I needed to do and learn.
I carried this “why not” philosophy back into my sewing room for my latest creation. The impetus for the Jack O’ Diamonds quilt was the 10x10x10 juried art show at my favorite local art space in darling Tieton, Washington. Every piece, in all mediums, must be 10 inches. For a quilter, 10 inches is a common size for a quilt block, not an entire quilt. Cue up the good challenge here! When I sat down to create, I knew that I could easily bust out an improv pieced block that was 10 inches. However, here was my perfect opportunity to try something totally different – to create a pattern that I would normally make into a human-sized quilt and shrink it to 10 inches. So I grabbed a scrap bin, pulled out the smallest pieces and got designing.
The Jack O’ Diamonds is made of one hundred finished sized 1 inch blocks, each block made up of 4 half-square triangles. Yes, even the all-black blocks are pieced half-square triangles. To accomplish this feat, I cut oodles of 1 7/8” fabrics to make my pairs, with one black and one print. The scraps come from 14 years of quilts I made, each fabric of significance to me. Due to the strict size limit of my entry, I had to be ruthless in my exactness meaning all tiny blocks were trimmed to size, my ¼ seam allowance was near perfect, and all seams were pressed open. Bonus that I survived without iron burns or cuts on my fingertips! The irony of this mini quilt is that it probably took me the same amount of time to make this as it would have to make a person-sized blanket. Working this small flexed some creative muscles I hadn’t used in a while, and while at times daunting, it was also incredibly fun. I had no idea what my final design would be and the way it evolved felt very organic and intuitive.
I am proud to share that 10×10=100! (the quilt’s official name, with the exclamation point) was accepted into the show and will be hung among works from artists around the world! To say that I am honored is an understatement. We visit the Mighty Tieton space often so to know that this little guy is going to be in that hallowed space is well, it is amazing. Did I say how honored I am? And how unexpected this is for me? We will see at the opening reception if other textiles are also in the show. More fiber in art shows, please!
When my block design and layout was finalized, the old-timey folk tune Jack O’ Diamonds immediately popped into my head. No subtly in my subconscious here! According to my sources on the interwebs, it is a Texas gambling song about a man who loses his fortune in a card game. It is part of a musical history of tunes that originated in the British Isles (likely, Scotland) and made their way into American folk music. Jack O’ Diamonds is very closely related to the song “Rye Whiskey”, which is a familiar standard to those of us who listen to older blues and country music. The version that planted itself in my head space is by Jimbo Mathus and Andrew Bird on the beautiful album These 13. I love some rocking Jimbo Mathus tunes, but this less raucous album really speaks to my heart. Maybe it is because both of these musicians are so talented in their own right and their history in the Squirrel Nut Zippers showcases how well they play together. However I think that why I adore this album so much is because it has that living room/backyard gig after a friend potluck kinda vibe. Really there should be a sub genre of music called the living room album. I nominate this record for the new category!
Now back to the good types of challenges. In a world full of difficulties, making the effort to embark on a positive challenge is a counterweight to hardship. My trials with new challenges and no (or lower) expectations has yielded beautiful lessons and enjoyment. And just like those little fearless kiddos in my hedgehog pot class, we can recapture the fun in our daily lives. Even if you don’t know what the end result will be, it is a worthwhile endeavor and journey. Have fun, try new things, experiment with your current craft and enjoy the ride.
Quiltunes 