Morocco with Victoria Findlay Wolfe

I'm not sure how over a year has passed since I last wrote a post, but my trip to Morocco earlier this year with a group of quilters and artists is the perfect reason to jump back in. What could be more appropriate for this blog than a textile focused tour of one of the world's most colorful countries?

I will start with a shout out to Amazigh Cultural Tours for organizing such a terrific trip and to the talented and kind Victoria Findlay Wolfe for generously sharing her artistic insights, guidance and encouragement.

We visited so many places that I wouldn't do any of them justice were I to cram it all into one post. So I will start with the end product: my memory quilt. At our initial get together Victoria presented us with the idea of making a memory quilt, a small stitched piece that would incorporate scenes, motifs, colors, or ideas from our trip that we found appealing or meaningful. We each started with the same small package of fabrics in a few solid colors, orange, blue, green, brown and tan, and a selection of colored threads.

Here is my finished piece. It measures 14" x 18." 

This scene from the medina in Marrakech was my main inspiration. There is a kind of magic to these doors. Behind each one is a shop, and when closed there is no clue as to what is inside. But when open the colorful wares, fragrant spices, or smiling shopkeeper draw you in to explore. 

I entered countless shops, looking at carpets, leather goods, 

spices and soaps,

pottery, woodcarving, jewelry, and more.

Cats are everywhere in the medinas so naturally I had to include one in my piece. 

Rugs, for which Morocco is well known, are often displayed like this, so I made a small one to hang up on the wall of my memory quilt.

The top of my quilt depicts a view of the Atlas Mountains from a rooftop within the medina, complete with a little Moroccan flag, and the bottom is a facsimile of the cobblestone streets.

Looking back at my photos as a whole I realize that doors are one of the main themes that caught my imagination, perhaps because they beckon you in or present the mystery of what is on the other side. 

Beautiful doors are everywhere in Morocco! Often they are the only indication that you have arrived at your destination as most walls facing onto the streets and alleys are solid and windowless. 

This trip perfectly combined travel, needlework, and photography, made immeasurably better by my fellow travelers, our patient and knowledgeable guides and by all the lovely people of Morocco who welcomed us so warmly.

I am grateful to all those people who made my trip so enjoyable and I am grateful to have my memory quilt to keep the beauty of the country and the mysteries behind the doors alive for me.