May 1, 2014

How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?



I'm not a person who deliberately chooses to enter quilting challenges. I am a person who has so many challenges in her life, already,  that she doesn't need, or want, any more!

So, when I decided to deliberately enter a quilt challenge for my local Mid-Valley Quilt Guild, it was only because I instantly had an idea for the project and I was beginning to think that I had super human abilities from my constant sleep deprivation....lack of sleep will do that to you ;-)


The rules were that the quilt had be under a total perimeter of 120", had to use the colors black and yellow, and it had to be based on a song from the "The Sound of Music."

Having seen the original screenplay dozens and dozens of times (my youngest daughter played one of the von Trapp children in the play in high school, and I was a costumer. Meaning, I saw the play during staging, tech rehearsal, every single dress rehearsal, and all of the performances.

And who hasn't seen the TV version, over and over and over, as well?

All of that, plus my middle name is spelled Maria, and while I usually pronounce it that way when asked, just to help them spell it. But mine is actually pronounced  'Mar-eeah' after both my French Great-Aunt, (the formidable Tante Maria who spoke 3 romance languages and taught French in a prominent New York University.)  Co-incidentally, it was also my Finnish Grandmother's middle name and while from a totally different country, pronounced exactly the same way, 'Mar-eeah'

I usually tell people 'one l' Michele and pronounce my last name almost like the color, just stretch it out and leave out my middle name if at all possible.  No one remembers any of my name in the end and I get introduced by every variation in the book, even if they do.

If I send an email to correct the spelling of  Michele, to one 'l' and not two 'l's,  I am told it's already correct (when obviously it wasn't or I wouldn't have been complaining ;-)..even when they'd already published it incorrectly, four times in a row.  People like to be right and they like to argue with people who appear to be problems ;-)

But no argument here, with my challenge quilt.  You can just look at this quilt and know which song, which theatre play/ and movie, and which song title it's all about....



But tell me this: "How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?"

That, no one can answer.

Not the nuns in the Abbey, not Maria's Guardian Angels, and let's face it...not even Maria, herself.


And I guess, that the same can be said about me ;-)


* * *

And here is a collage of the other challenge quilts from our guild. Aren't they just wonderful? !!



I'm happy to have finished it, been part of the challenge, and move on to bigger and vastly more important challenges in life...even if the person in charge did forget to capitalize all of the words in my title....  ;-)

Michele Bilyeu blogs With Heart and Hands as she shares a quilting journey through her life in Salem, Oregon and Douglas, Alaska. Sewing, quilting, and wildcrafting, with small format art quilts, prayer flags, and comfort quilts for a variety of charitable programs. And best of all, sharing thousands of links to Free Quilt and Quilt Block Patterns and encouraging others to join her and make and donate quilts to charitable causes.   Help us change the world, one little quilt, art quilt, and prayer flag at a time!

10 comments:

Karen H said...

Well maybe it wasn't Mar-eee-ah that was the problem but rather everyone else! Just like the problem isn't your name but how others spell it! All that aside I love your challenge quilt!

Michele Bilyeu said...

Hahaha. Thank you, Karen! Now, I do like your way of looking at things as well as your gift with quilting!!!!

carla said...

HI!!!! Wonderful quilt with a lot of meaning!!!!!

Michele Bilyeu said...

Ah, thank you and welcome, Carla!

Paula, the quilter said...

After years of Spanish classes, it was, and still is, easy for me to roll my r's from the tip of my tongue. French, oh my, caused me endless problems with my r's. I had to find a word with the r in the center. Maria worked very well. I practiced and practiced until I could get that guttural r at the back of my throat. So which is yours? Front of the tongue or back of the throat? :-) Love your little quilt, it suits you.

Michele Bilyeu said...

No curling tongue or rolling arrs. You learned both French and Spanish. Goodness, it's all I can do to remember how to speak and make sense at the same time and my husband isn't sure which would I am focusing on at any given time!

Annie said...

That is just a marvelous piece! What a mind you have. Coupled with the quilting skills, it can't be beat.

My name is Anne and I am forever correcting the spelling since so many people want to omit the final 'e'. Plus I go by "Annie" so it's doubly confusing! I get it.

stitchinpenny said...

Love your quilt. I sympathize with the name problems, but it seems to be very common. Name thing I suffer - my nickname is Penny, my cousin who is obnoxious is Peggy. About 75 percent of the people I meet call me Peggy and I truly dislike it, mispronounce my last name misspell my given name - all okay, call me Peggy and I am unhappy.

Cher said...

nicely done and of course I can relate to misspelling and mispronouncing as well. So glad you enjoyed doing it despite the errors by those in charge..good thing you can chuckle about it as we know it is not personal!

Nemo said...

Lovely quilt - I really liked it! :) Great challenge.