Quilt Quest: The Game

 My first idea for our Boustrophedon theme was to represent a grocery store, where I wander up and down the aisles in boustrophedon fashion.  But then I got the idea to do a game board like the classic Chutes and Ladders game, but based on art quilts.

So here it is: "Quilt Quest"!

Playing pieces.

The playing pieces were taken from a child's souvenir blouse from Greece, circa 1965. 

Spinner made from vintage napkin, coaster, bobbin, buttons, and toy propeller.

 

There is a spinner to tell you how many spaces to move.  You start at bottom left and proceed to the right; then the next row goes right to left, etc.  But just as in Chutes and Ladders, you may land on a space that gives you a short cut forward, or takes you backward.

When you get a good idea -- "Eureka!" -- you can proceed directly to "pull fabric."

But if you land on "tension problems," you have to go back to "consult Internet."

When you get to the "messy middle," you must spin.  If you get a 1 or a 2, you must start over.  But if you spin a 3 or a 4, you get to "power through" and keep going with your project.

Here our Greek dancer gentleman has powered through the Messy Middle of his project.

 There are a few places you can lose momentum and have to sit out for a turn -- whether you land on "embellish" or if you land on the dreaded "SQUIRREL!"

And if you make it through all the hazards, you open the red envelope at top right to receive your prize:

Your prize -- a chance to nourish your creativity by going through the whole process again!

I think this game should be played with a timer going, because in real life knowing that the deadline is approaching determines a lot of our choices!  I wanted to do much more embellishment on this piece but I ran out of time.

As always, I think of these challenges as something to spark creativity, and I love the process. If I were ever going to submit one of these projects to a show, I would start all over and do everything neatly.  I loved the ideas that sprang up while I was in the process of working on the spaces and the possible paths through the game.  

And if you would like to read the complete list of game squares, please visit my home blog, Deep in the Heart of Textiles.