Deep Breath

Deep Breath for Christie

Embroidered flower lungs, with machine quilted background "breathe" - for my friend Christie

Approx size 10" x 10" - January 2017

I met Christie Logan when I started my graduate level work in Performance Studies / Communication Studies at CSUN in 2007.  I took a few classes with her, and quickly grew to respect her knowledge and experience, to love her energy.  Recently she had a lung transplant, and I thought she could use some good healing vibes. 

So on my trip to Punta Cana, I started working on these embroidered lungs, hoping it would absorb some of the beach/ocean energy, that I know Christie loves so much.


Here I am working on this piece with the rolling waves in the near distance.

Here is the piece with the hand embroidery complete:

This is Christie absorbing the ocean magic she loves so well  -  and here we are together, at a final lunch together before my move to New York in January 2015:

Christie brought Performance and Pedagogy to my life;  I really would never have taken those big leaps without her.   She taught me to look at issues on a continuum, in multi-dimensions.  She says "Its not either/or, its both/and."  She introduced me to the writings of Dwight Conquergood, bell hooks, and Anna Deveare Smith, and many, many others, and so much more.  I am a changed person.

I can only hope this small gift brings her a deep breath of ocean air.
Be well my teacher, mentor and friend.  I'm thinking about you from across the miles, breathing in the air of another ocean.

Peace

If not now, when?

Hand embroidered Hebrew letters that spell out the phrase, "If not now, when" arranged in a circle.  The background is machine quilted translation to English. 

Completed March 19, 2017
Size 13" x 13"




This quilt was made for the final challenge in Project Quilting season 8 - Time is up!  and is my response to the urgency I feel for participating in our political processes.  We are seeing some deplorable policies and words by the current administration, and I believe the time to act is NOW.

The full quote, by Hillel, a 1st century C.E Jewish sage, is  “If I am not for myself, who is? And when I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?”   

The first part, I understand to mean that we each have the right and responsibility to stand up for ourselves.  The second part, however, reminds us that we should not be selfish in our responsibilities;  we exist in communities.  And finally,  the time imperative.  Now.  Act now.

Using an arrangement I found online (by a company called Hebrew-Tattoos)  I drew the letters of the last phrase in a circle, which I felt also responded to the theme of time, in that its like a clock face.  Luckily, we had a snow day, so I had a full day mid-week to work on this project!  Here is my window/light box I use for tracing. 

Notice the snowy weather outside

I selected a course weave fabric, in a parchment color, to give a sense of the ancient text.  Then, after tracing the letters to fabric (adjusting some spacing I didn't like in my drawing) I selected 4 different dark reds that looked good on the parchment background.

Each letter is small chain stitch outlined then filled with decorative stitching.  The letters are about 2.5" tall.

Finally, I machine quilted closely around each letter, then background quilted the translation "if not now, when?" multiple times across the back  (this step nearly made me miss the deadline, as my machine stalled multiple times, reminding me that NOW is the time to get this baby serviced!)

Because the machine was being so balky, I hand bound this quilt.  Yes, I sewed the binding onto the front AND the back, by hand. 

Act NOW.  If you feel you need to stand up for yourself, do it.  If you feel you need to stand up for your neighbors, community, fellow citizens; do it.  And do it NOW.  The "time is up" for assuming that we are in the status quo, that things will progress more or less as they have in the past.  The administration inaugurated in January 2017 is showing their true and selfish colors.  They don't care about you or your neighbors.  Stand up.  now.

A Well-dressed Man is a Feminist

A Well-dressed Man is a Feminist - This quilt is in response to this season of misogyny in the White House.  There were many men walking in the Womens Marches all over the world on January 21, 2017, including my son in California who proudly declares himself a feminist, because he understands he is not emasculated by supporting women's rights. 

20"x20"

completed on March 5, 2017 

I focused on the pink pussy hat, that became the symbol of the Women's March.  The overview images of those marches all over the world, is a sea of pink dots - captured in this drawing and this typical photo:  

There are many images on the internet of strong men wearing the hat - including this one of a police officer.  Since the marches were peaceful, the police presence was relaxed and supportive.

This is specifically in response to the Project Quilting Season 8 - week 5 challenge theme: Well Dressed Man,  but I also want to create for Threads of Resistance project, which has a minimum size requirement of 20x20.  So I created the pieced background, using some textured grey linen, some soft shirting type plaids, and other grey fabric. 

I decided to create a minimalist face with just a mustache to indicate male, and then added the glasses, to represent a sort of 'hipster' male, looking much like my son, Sam, who marched in Oakland with his wife, Kelly.

The hat is hand embroidered in a tight chain stitch, meant to mimic knitting.  I embroidered it on a pink background fabric,  with a variegated embroidery floss, using the entire 6 strands, then I appliqued it onto the pre-quilted background. 

Likewise, the mustache was embroidered on another piece of fabric, and then added to this piece.  The result is they add some dimensionality to a flat work.

I'm so proud of the men in my life who support women's rights, and fight against the repressive, hateful words and policies of the current US Administration. 

Resist.

Peace.

Colored Computer

Colored Computer - This refers to African American women mathematicians employed by NASA in the 1950's and 60's before the age of machine computers.  They did all the calculations manually, which sent our first astronauts into space.  These women did amazing work, all the while burdened by Jim Crow laws in Virginia.  They are the brave, strong, smart women lauded in the current film "Hidden Figures." 

17"x19" 

completed on Feb 13, 2017

This is fused applique using a pack of bright fat quarters from Timeless Treasures Dash Basic, which I just happened to win at a quilt guild meeting last weekend, and machine quilted with some 'hand-me-down' variegated thread from my friend, Teri Lucas!  

This quilt is made for Project Quilting Season 8 - week 4 with the theme: Brighter the Better.   I just saw the film "Hidden Figures" a few days ago, and knew I wanted to play with the phrase colored computers, because it is shocking,  this challenge encouraged me to get to this right away.  I've quilted the names of a few of the smart women around the border:  Dorothy Vaughn, Katherine Johnson, Eunice Smith, Kathryn Peddrew, Sue Wilder, Mary Johnson.   Here is more information about this group of women from an article in Smithsonian. 

Since I was also a computer programmer in the early days  (I started in 1980) and a self proclaimed "math girl", I'm drawn to stories of smart women, especially in the analytical sciences.  The amazing contributions of this group of women who were up against incredible odds inspired me.  

Peace.

Step Away from the Edge of the Platform

Step Away - The train platforms have a textured strip to warn people about the edge.  As each train approaches, there is an announcement: "Step away from the edge of the platform."

3"x2"   (yes.. inches)

completed on Feb 4, 2017

This very small quilt is made for Project Quilting Season 8 - week 3 with the theme: Texture.   My friend Adva, in California, was talking about being inspired by the raised dots at the curb in front of a store  (here is her quilt called "Bumpy" )   I took this picture, because its similar, but on the train platform in New York City:

I then remembered that I had this variegated thread that looked 'dirty' like the yellow raised dots in the photo:

I started with rows of French knots - and eventually decided to add the shoe tips, to give a sense of where these dots live 'in the wild'.  Once I added a female and male set of shoes, I decided to comment about following rules (regarding standing behind the yellow edge) and following the requests regarding personal space.  One set of shoes tests the edge rules.

Peace  

Kimberly's Squirrel and Adva's Fox

My friends Kimberly and Adva live on different sides of our country, and we are all in different states.  They are always there to share pictures of our latest projects, get a quick bit of advice, listen to a kvetch about some daily annoyance, participate in a long online chat, or pick up where we left off on a sustained conversation about real issues that we may be dealing with.

So when I was packing for a week long vacation, and knew I had to take some hand work with me, I found coloring-book images of their spirit animals (Kimberly: squirrels; Adva: foxes), and some squirrely/foxy colored embroidery floss, and flew off to Punta Cana!





My daily beach or pool packing included a book, and my stitching.  I used the coloring book images as a general guide for outlines, but then I filled in with my own stitches and colors.  Here is the Squirrel in progress, on a pool towel:

When I got home, I machine quilted squirrely words in the background, and then bound the little quilts.   Here is the completed Squirrel: 

So when I wasn't doing THIS:

I was working on this  (close up of Fox) 

Here is the final fox piece,  quilted with fox words

Because we live so far away from each other, we are not often in the same place IRL, so I can't find a picture of the three of us together  (opportunity coming in April!)  You are just going to have to take my word for it, Kimberly and Adva ARE * Adorable.  Lots of love!

Peace.

Repeal HB2 - in solidarity with North Carolina Lily

Repeal HB2 - In solidarity with North Carolina transgender individuals who are endangered by HB2 - requiring them to use the restroom that matches the gender on their birth certificate

20"x20"

completed on Jan 21, 2017

This quilt is made for Project Quilting Season 8 - week 2 with the theme: Carolina Lily.  I knew that I was not particular inspired by the traditional Carolina Lily Quilt block - even though so many other quilts made for the challenge did some wonderful things with this design:

nor by the flower Carolina Lily - although this is where I drew the main orange color of my quilt:

I knew about the controversial "bathroom bill" in North Carolina, so I did some research for transgender individuals in North Carolina and found Lily, Gavin, Trinity and many others who are part of the #WeAreNotThis movement, to repeal HB2 (House Bill 2)

The large letters are created using the paper pieced alphabet by Hunters Design Studio.   Although I reached out to the individual I found in news articles about HB2, Lily did not want me to use her actual face nor name (which I honor) so this is simply female face clip art, meant to represent any transgender individual.  The male and female bathroom icons are the battleground of this movement, placed on the rainbow of colors used by the LGBTQ movement.

I can't imagine how it makes sense that an individual who presents as female would be required to use a male restroom.  The danger we are putting that person in seems obvious.  I understand the fear about sexual predators in female restrooms, (I'm a woman,  I have daughters)  but this comes at the hands of men seeking to overpower women.  I don't know of a single instance where this occurred by a transgender woman.

I'm an ally.

Peace