Birthstone privilege

 

Sapphire 

Fabric ball - approx 3"   February 22, 2025 

For Project Quilting 16.4: Birthstone 

The challenge this week is to create something inspired by our personal birthstone. I'm a September baby, so mine is Sapphire. I've been really busy with other (secret) projects,  so I created one of my fabric balls - I've been making these colorful, beaded, embroidered balls as 'in front of the TV' type handwork.  So far I have a whole bowl of them in various sizes. 

For project quilting, I'll say they 'qualify' because they are made of layers,  that are stitched together by hand. 

They start out as socks that are headed for the rag basket, which I stuff with fabric and batting scraps.  

Then I start wrapping with fabric strips (usually selvage edges, rescued from the trash)

The final layer is strips of a single color, as I'm enjoying these as jewels. 

Then I embroider them to hold down the edges of each strip and add beads, buttons and decorative yarns. 

 
Here are a few more, a big green one, and a few small blues: 

  

 

What a privilege to live in a society where we all know our birthstone; where we are not lacking basic food, safety, civil liberties; where the fact of our birth in the USA confers us with citizenship and all that comes with it. Or, like me, because my family arrived 'the right way' or at the right time, I was allowed to become a naturalized citizen.  We are living in a time where citizenship and birthright are being questioned, where some humans and their life experiences count less than others.  Yet, like these fabric balls, its the diversity of fabric and found objects that makes each one unique.  Let's consider the beauty in each unique human who makes it to our shores.  Let's welcome them and find out about them and the culture they have to share.  The current political climate is NOT the way forward, is NOT the makings of the wonderful diverse community that has been and could be the United States of America. 

Let's do better. 

Peace, 

Paula