Changing the Rules Mid-Game

Today was the CCCQ monthly meeting, whereat I provide an update on the annual Quilt Challenge. I've posted several times about the inception of this challenge and my progress:

January:  Stepping up to the plate

February: Introducing the Challenge to the Guild

March:  My "Big Book" about the challenge: Milt

Sew...what should I do next? I thunk, and I thunk, and I thunk a bit more.

Then, I discovered/realized that we would be meeting on April Fool's Day. I could have some fun with that!

When it was my turn to speak I said something like this:  

"Ladies,  I have received some feedback from others. Some folks are saying my "Challenge" isn't much of a challenge. Heck, a person could take a quilt they made 10 years ago that had tan and green in it and declare that it was a quilt representing New Mexico because it has tan for the desert sand and green for the cacti." 

I went on to say:

"I received some suggestions that I provide a fat quarter of fabric (for the uninitiated a fat quarter is approximately 22" X 18" - it's a 1/2 yard piece cut in half on the fold) so I hunted for something that would work fairly easily with everyone's projects. Something that's....oh, how do you say it?..."

"Oh, yeah. Something that's kinda "neutral". Something that would go with any color. Oh, and by the way, since I had to use some of my budget to buy the fabric,  the prize money will be changed a bit. Instead of $75 for first place, that will now be $45. 2nd Place, instead of $50 will be $30 and third place will be $15 instead of $25."

Maybe they weren't too happy about the prize money changes!

Then I rummaged in my bag and brought out the length of fabric that I brought with me, which would be rather ugly in most quilts. It's a Route 66 themed material that I have on hand to make some journal covers for a Route 66 trip we are taking later this year.  As I held it up I explained,

"It has every color in the rainbow; red, green, blue...and oh yeah, it has some highway signs and sections of maps. It's perfect!" I said as I walked around the room showing the fabric. 

There were only a few ladies who were laughing.

Everyone else was less than impressed!

I explained that I wasn't able to get enough of that one cut of fabric, but found another with similar colors that would work just as well, and participants could pick which fat quarter they preferred. 

That's when I rummaged in my bag and pulled out the next piece:

Our guild president is in the background, laughing,

As were most of the ladies in the room by this time!

(Thanks to my bff for suggesting the sign!)

It was all fun. No harm. No foul. 

Now my only problem is...what can I do next month to inspire, instill enthusiasm, keep folks interested in participating? If you have any ideas, I am open to suggestions!