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Wednesday, October 31, 2018

Once again...

August 5, 2012 - A mass shooting took place at the gurdwara (Sikh temple) in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, where a 40-year-old American white supremacist fatally shot six people and wounded four others.

June 17, 2015 - A 21-year-old white supremacist, murdered nine African Americans during a prayer service at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina. It was the deadliest shooting in an American place of worship in modern history.

On August 5, 2017, three men from rural Illinois bombed the Dar Al-Farooq Islamic Center in Bloomington, Minnesota, in an attempt to drive Muslims out of the United States.

On October 27, 2018, a 46-year old white supremacist/nationalist fatally shot eleven people and injured seven at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The shooting was the deadliest attack on the Jewish community in the United States.

America is not a stranger to hate, racism, divisiveness and anti-Semitic acts.  But something is different now.
Those who harbored these feelings of hate and prejudice are now emboldened. Those who existed on the fringes because of their extreme ideologies are now front and center. They no longer hide in the dark or cover their faces. They boldly express their hate on social media and other sites. The current administration has given license to these extremists to express their hatred in the most dangerous and despicable ways.

Some of you ignored me when I sounded the alarm bells two years ago.  Some of you dismissed my fears. I was advised not to pay attention to the news. Some will still pay no attention to the news because they are fine or because it does not affect them.

Think again. You could be next.
Hate does not have a religion.  Political ambition obeys no laws, except its appetite for power.
Beware of the fear-mongers and the hate-mongers. Beware of those who seek to divide you. They do not care about you. They only use that divisiveness to further their agenda. They will set fire to your house to toast their own marshmallows.

Speak up and speak out. Take sides. Stand up for what is right. (You know what is right. What would Jesus do?)
Our silence only helps the perpetrator, not the victim.


The Pittsburgh shooter targeted the synagogue for its work with HIAS — a Jewish organization that resettles refugees in the United States. The president of HIAS, Mark Hetfield said the following in an interview:
"We welcome refugees not because they're Jewish, but because we're Jewish."

In related news, Muslims United to Help Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting Victims. The campaign reached and exceeded its goal in two days. Here is an excerpt from the website:

"While these senseless acts have filled us with sorrow, we reflect on the message of unity, tolerance, and mutual protection found in the Constitution of Medina: a historic social contract between the Medinan Jews and the first Muslim community."


All religions promote peace, tolerance and brotherhood.
Those who foment hate, fear and divisions do not have a religion.

Here is the root of all questions - who are you? What do you stand for?
Today, once again, I resolve to stand for love, kindness, acceptance and equality.

Friday, October 19, 2018

Hannah

Do you know Hannah?
Hannah
Here is how I came to know of her.

One Friday, I came home from work and kicked off my shoes. One landed face down - did not care.
Then threw the bag and purse on the couch. While the chicken pilaf was warming in the microwave, I got out of my work clothes, and threw them in the laundry basket, more or less.

Stacked

Whacked


Carrying my dinner plate in one hand, the glass of water in the other, and cellphone tucked tightly under my arm, I walked into the living room. I turned on the television and settled comfortably on the couch. Life was good!

Shuffled

Stitched

Pressed and Trimmed
Then I said to the blue button on the remote - Netflix.  I clicked on the very first suggestion. It looked like a stand-up comedy show by a woman who spoke with an accent.  I am a woman with an accent and I can be funny, especially when I am not trying (according to Paul).



No Blues

Between mouthfuls of spicy chicken and hot rice, I watched and listened and laughed. Once I laughed so loudly that I woke Paul from his nap.

Design Wall
He ambled into the living room, kissed the top of my head and walked away.  By then I had finished my dinner. I continued watching.

Quilting
But I had stopped laughing. After a few minutes of sadness, I had started sobbing softly. Since Paul was now awake, he heard my sobs. He walked into the living room, sat beside me on the couch and held me as I cried, sobs rocking my body.


Almost there

I felt her angst and her humiliation, while I was completely floored by her talent and delivery.


Pieced Backing
Next morning, I pulled out yellow, green, pink and purple fabrics - anything but blue.
And made a stack and whack quilt.

Yellow, Pink and Green
When the flimsy was finished, I was somewhat disappointed. No, I did not hate it. I just wanted to continue working on it. So I made a pieced backing.


Binding

The backing and binding fabrics are very similar.
The quilt finished at 45" by 53".  I have decided to call her Hannah.

Machine Binding

If you wish to better understand what happened to me, look for Hannah Gadsby (Nanette) on Netflix. 

Finished!!!
She is amazing and she is powerful. She completely destroyed my happy Friday mood in an hour. 
And I have no regrets. I'd do it again in a heartbeat. 


Sharp

Bright
If you don't already know the brilliant and incisive Hannah Gadsby, I want to grab you and tell you - please watch Hannah Gadsby.  If you can watch just one thing this weekend, make it Hannah.


Purple Pops
There are many comedians - funny, scathing and brilliant.  But Hannah makes you think and feel and hurt, while making you laugh.

Backing

That is me with Hannah

If you have thoughts about Hannah - the quilt or Hannah Gadsby - the comedian, I'd love to hear them. Yes, your comments make me happy and also because I am nothing without this community.


Labelled
Fake grass - real quilt


See you around, Hannah!

I will be sharing with all my favorite linky parties, see full list on the sidebar.

Wednesday, October 3, 2018

Lo and Behold

It started here, when Julie mentioned my name on her blog in the same sentence with Scrap Vortex quilts.  It was official.
Hi, I am Preeti and I am a scrap vortex addict. And here is my latest - meet Lo and Behold.

Lo and Behold
Scrappy

Bright

I wanted to quilt a spiral in true scrap vortex spirit.
I found the center and started to quilt - p a i n f u l l y   s l o w l y.
And then I came to the horror of my horrors conclusion - I cannot quilt a tight circle/spiral with my walking foot.

Painstakingly stitches were removed. But I was not going to give up.
Just because I couldn't do a spiral in the beginning does not mean that I won't do a spiral at all.

Modification Quilting - I started with a triangle and echo quilted it till it was large enough and then started the circular spiral quilting.

Somewhat Spiral

Now, it is possible that the quilting spiral flattened out as it reached the edges. But you are ok with that, right?

Triangle in a Spiral

Let me show the back? Oh my quiltyness, you gotta see the back. I used the scrappy triangles leftover from Fire Pit to make the pieced backing.

Pieced Backing

From Scraps to Scrumptious

Princess Bonniebella's little lamb was missing.  Oh no.

Princess Bonniebella

May be the birds saw him scamper off.
Did you see my little lamb, she asked.

Guiding Birds

The birds chirped and turned their heads left. Bonniebella followed them. But she was so engrossed in looking at the birds that she stepped on a crab.

Crabby Crabs

Bitten by the crab, she cried out in pain. The lazy turtles opened their droopy eyes.
The fox jumped over the bush.



Jumpy Fox

Charlie Brown heard her scream. What happened he asked.
The dancing elves explained.
Charlie rushed to help the princess get rid of the crab claw. Snoopy followed - this was a new adventure.

Charlie Brown & Snoopy

As the pain eased, Bonniebella noticed Snoopy. Oh that is an adorable puppy, she said.
Snoopy smiled a big floppy smile and scampered away.
They ran after him. Over the fields and flowers, past the foxes and the penguins.
Let me chase those pink and purple cats, thought Snoopy, and he switched direction.

Colorful Cats enticed Snoopy

The princess and Charlie followed.
The colorful turtles just nodded with amusement - Why the fuss, they thought?
When Snoopy saw the fierce monsters, he froze.

Fierce Monsters

Finally, Charlie and the princess caught up with him.
Charlie scolded him but the princess held him. And Snoopy was calm.

I am hungry, said Charlie. I am exhausted, said the princess.
Oh look there is a cup cake and candy too.

Cake but it is Fake

But it was just a picture. No real cake.
The elves whispered - you can make your own cake.


Dancing Elves

How?
Here are the ingredients - eggs, butter, milk and flour.

Eggs and Milk

Look, I found a whisk.

See the whisk? Next to the crabs.

But how will we cook it. We have no oven.
May be the fire-breathing dragons can help with that, winked the elves.

Fire breathing dragons

The wafting smell from the baking was an invitation to all the creatures - crabs, cats, birds, turtles, and penguins.
Dancing (on the ice) Penguins

Foxes and owls came too. Lo and Behold there was a party and everyone enjoyed the cake.

Foxes and Owls

And although you can buy and eat readymade cupcake isn't it sweeter when you make your own - be it a quilt or a cupcake?
This is my story. What is yours?

P.S. Charlie asked the princess - why did you leave the safety of your palace?
I lost my little lamb and went looking for him.


Can you find the lamb? Do you see him now?



Do you know why the lights on the Christmas tree shine so bright?  Because they are plugged into the sunflower which draws its energy from the sun. :-D

Plugged in to the Sunflower :-)
Lo and Behold finished at about 57" by 58.5". this is my 18th finish of the year and I am loving it.

Hi, my dear!

You look lovely

and so calm...

Labelled

Finished!!!

I will be linking with all my favorite linky parties (see full list on the sidebar). What makes you shine today? I'd love to hear from you.