This Year's Quilt Challenge

I stepped up to the plate to run our quilt guild's 2026 challenge. I'm excited, as are several of the other members.

This is the blurb that will be in our newsletter explaining the challenge:

This year’s quilt challenge is “The challenge of the States” in honor of our country’s 250th anniversary! Participants are asked to pick the name of one of our 50 states from a hat. They will have the opportunity to research that state.

• What is the state’s flower?
• What about the State bird?
• Is there a State quilt block or quilt?
• Are there colors associated with the state?
• What is the State song or motto and what designs does that inspire?

From there, participants will create an entry for display and judging (by attendees) at the annual  Christmas party. 

Entries may be any size and may be created using any quilting/fabric technique. 

I had so much fun introducing the challenge to the group at yesterday's meeting. I began by playing the music from this video:

After explaining the challenge, I closed my presentation by playing the music from 'Mission Impossible'.

 

There were smiles all around.....until it came time for the ladies to pick a state. Unbelievably I heard the following:

• Illinois is boring.
• I can't do Alabama.
• Is Mississippi a 'red' state? (I was very tempted to pull up a map on my phone to show her what color it was in the illustration 😂)
• I won't do Kansas, (and as she threw the state back into the hat), I'm not gonna do this unless I get a state I like. 
• Yay! I got Texas! (She said as she pulled her hand out of the hat with nothing in it!)

Do you believe the sass I got from ladies who are all of an age they should know/act better? Yeah, I guess you do believe it!