Positivity QAL - Checking in

Paul's Covid recovery has been much slower than we'd like. I noticed that the cough syrup was almost gone.

Me: I can fetch you more Nyquil, babe.
Paul: Nah, I'll just use Dayquil if I need.
Me: Oh Ok.
Paul: Or I'll mix the half dose of Nyquil in the Dayquil.
Me: What? You a pharmacist now?
Paul: Pharmacist? No. Bartender.

I burst out laughing.

Paul: It has alcohol.

Me: Yes, it does.

Picnic with Paul

Staying away from restaurants/enclosed spaces, we decided to go on a picnic. It was a beautiful day.

On the quilty front, there is a lot going on. Too much, actually. But I cannot show it till next year :-( UGH.

Just the Binding 

The Positivity QAL Linky Party was definitely a commitment I had to keep. 

I knew I had to complete 40 blocks by today and I was on track. 

Blocks in Process

Ready to cut!

But they go so fast that I managed to finish all 80. Yippee! 

Here they are on my design wall, very neatly organized. 80 Twisty Blocks of 20 different fabrics, four in each stack. 

Twisties - 20 times 4 = 80

Doing a happy dance now. 

I will be sharing with the Positivity Linky Party on Bernie's blog. We would love to see your fabrics, blocks, or flimsy...wherever you may be in your Positivity journey.

A couple of months ago, I had reached out to Benartex asking if they would consider sponsoring a prize for the Positivity QAL.  I did not hear back for weeks and then I received a large box of goodies for the Positivity Quilt Along :-) Oh my goodness!!!

Prizes Sponsored by Benartex

Love this note!!!

Should you make a Positivity Quilt and send it to the Mercyful Hospital, you could be the lucky winner of some of these gorgeous fabric goodies. 

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

This brings me to the end of quilty discussion today.  This being my personal blog, I will now share my thoughts on matters that concern me.  If you do not agree with my "politics", please stop reading now. 

___________________________________________________________________

This is a distressing time in our country. The monumental decision to overturn the landmark ruling Roe v. Wade is the most controversial in American history. As most of the developed world moves ahead, America is certainly retrograde.

The partisan nature of the decision is particularly distressing. There is no concern for women's health or popular opinion, or any acknowledgement of changing times. When Roe v. Wade was decided in 1973 it was a 7-2 decision, with several Conservative judges siding with the majority opinion. Not today. The decision was split along party lines. Although the conservative justices could have chosen a less extreme version (decide the current case in favor of Mississippi without overturning Roe v. Wade), they chose the one that would be the most devastating and most consequential - destroy the constitutional freedoms women have enjoyed for 49 years.

According to the dissenting justices "young women today will come of age with fewer rights than their mothers and grandmothers." Indeed, they said the court's opinion means that "from the very moment of fertilization, a woman has no rights to speak of. A state can force her to bring a pregnancy to term even at the steepest personal and familial costs." "With sorrow — for this Court, but more, for the many millions of American women who have today lost a fundamental constitutional protection — we dissent," they wrote.

The following image (from the New Yorker magazine) showing the burden of an unwanted pregnancy that many will be forced to carry in a post-Roe America aptly captures what is difficult to put into words.

From the New Yorker Magazine

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the decision was "a loss for women everywhere". "Watching the removal of a woman's fundamental right to make decisions over their own body is incredibly upsetting," she said in a statement.

It may take another 50 years to restore women's rights, although hundreds of thousands of lives will be adversely impacted in the process. Now, more than ever before, our lives, our liberties and our livelihoods depend on our vote.

New York Beauty Challenge - Syzygy

The Island Batik challenge (and blog hop) for June 2022 is New York Beauty.

I received the collection Winter Sky. Designed by Kathy Engle, it should be available in stores now. 

I turned to EQ8 and started designing playing.  I started with a basic/traditional layout.

Traditional New York Beauty?

It looks like something I have seen before. Although it was pretty, it could use a little more imagination. Back to EQ8. After several iterations, here is the final design.

Modern Interpretation of NYB

Done playing, it was time to get serious. Schmetz Microtex Needles 70/10 and Aurifil 40wt Thread were used for piecing.  I also used Island Batik Solids  - White, Black, Amethyst, Cobalt and Turquoise.

It took a whole day just to get ready to sew. Printing and cutting all the templates, followed by cutting fabrics - straight sections and then the curved pieces. Yikes!!! Not a fast quilt and not for the faint of heart.

Paper Pieced Sections

The spikes were easy, thanks to foundation paper piecing. But the curves were another story.  

Begin with one pin

Pinfully Yours :-)

The first block

And then there were two

One by one, slowly and painfully meticulously all 16 blocks were completed.  By the time I completed the flimsy, it was close to my trip to India and there were a hundred things to complete. 

Flimsy modeled by Paul

For my sanity and in the interest of time, I decided to send the flimsy to Rebecca for quilting. I completely trust Rebecca and I could then focus on completing work related tasks before my trip. Once I returned, I received the quilted sandwich back. I trimmed and bound using the Island Batik solid light grey.

Here are the pictures from the photoshoot.

Modeled by me, Photograph by Mari

Paul insisted on the name - Syzygy, meaning a straight-line configuration of three or more celestial bodies. Since I could not come up with a better name, Syzygy it is.  Syzygy finished at about 48" square.

Suns in dappled sunlight

Water & Breeze

It is fun to pose near a water fountain, particularly when there is a strong breeze :-)

But it was totally worth it to catch the droplets in motion as they echo the circles in the quilt. 

Here are a few more closeups so that you can see Rebecca's fabulous quilting.

Gorgeous Fabrics

Beautifully Quilted

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

What is a bloghop without a giveaway? There are two prizes - four half yards (not fat quarters) each of Island Batik fabrics from the Winter Sky collection.

Two Prizes - Four Half-Yards each

To be entered into the drawing, please leave me a comment on this blogpost. If you follow me on Instagram, you get a second entry; leave me a second comment including your IG handle saying something like "CrazyforFabric follows you on Instagram". 

The giveaway is now closed.

I will announce the winners next week. See the bottom of this post for the winners announcement.

Make sure to check the Island Batik drawing this week for their bundles of beautiful fabrics.

 

Please visit other Island Batik ambassadors blogs. See full schedule below. Not only they have gorgeous New York Beauty quilts to show off, they may also have giveaways of their own ;-)

You don't want to miss it!

June 6:

Gail Sheppard, Quilting Gail
Elizabeth DeCroos, Epida Studio

June 7:

Reed Johnson, Blue Bear Quilts
Andi Stanfield, True Blue Quilts

June 8:

Sandra Starley, Textile Time Travels

June 9:

Jennifer Fulton, Inquiring Quilter
Mania Hatziioannidi, Mania for Quilts

June 10:

Blog Hop Round-Up Week 1 and Giveaway

June 13:

Jennifer Thomas, Curlicue Creations
Maryellen McAuliffe, Mary Mack Made Mine

June 14:

Pamela Boatright, Pamela Quilts
Anorina Morris, Samelia’s Mum

June 15:

Michelle Roberts, Creative Blonde Gifts
Lisa Pickering, Lisa’s Quilting Passion

June 16:

Denise Looney, For the Love of Geese
Connie Kauffman, Kauffman Designs

June 17:

Blog Hop Round-Up Week 2 and Giveaway

June 20:

Claudia Porter, Create with Claudia
Brianna Roberts, Sew Cute and Quirky

June 21:

Gail Renna, Quilt Haven Threads
Preeti Harris, Sew Preeti Quilts (you are here)

June 22:

Megan Best, Bestquilter
Leah Malasky, Quilted Delights

June 23:

Suzy Webster, Websterquilt
Emily Leachman, The Darling Dogwood

June 24:

Blog Hop Round-Up Week 3 and Giveaway

June 27:

Jane Hauprich, Stitch by Stitch Custom Quilting
Brenda Alburl, Songbird Designs

Giveaway Update, July 1, 2022

The randomly generated numbers are 45 and 69. Winners are Cathy and Char.  Emails have been sent. Thank you!

Fathers Day

This is my dad. 

My dad

Yes, I take after him :-) 

Daddy's Girl

He passed away in 1998 and I miss him everyday. The grief never really goes away. You try not to dwell upon it constantly. You eventually learn to think of happy memories when you think of them. 

One of my happy memories of my dad is when he would return from an out-of-town work trip.  In his shirt pocket, there would be a 5 Star candy bar .  As soon as we heard him or saw him at the door, we girls would run up to him and he would lift one of us (whoever got there first) into his arms. I remember many an occasion of grabbing that 5 star candy bar out of his shirt pocket, a pile of joyous giggles.

Since there was always just one candy bar, we sisters had to share. Dad made sure that I divided it and that my sister got to pick. Although I was his favorite, fairness was ensured.

On May 24, which happens to be my dad's birthday, I was telling this shirt pocket and candy bar story to Paul when the Uvalde news broke.  

It was heartbreaking. As details emerged, it only got worse and worse.  How the law enforcement failed the community, how the politicians continued to offer empty platitudes, while making sure their interests are protected and pockets well-lined. The world condemned the shooting, the nation grieved, and most of us moved on.

But I was stuck on all the empty shirt pockets that will never hold a candy bar. 

Shirt Pockets

This is the thing about grief. It is debilitating. It affects you physically. It drains you of all energy and the will to move. I made this quilt to process my feelings. 

In my backyard

Made of old shirt pockets, emptied. I ironed it and basted the pocket openings shut to avoid the creases. Eventually I had to accept the fact that grief is messy and uneven and full of creases and so this quilt will be. 

Messy and Creased

I removed most buttons to ease the quilting process. But four buttons from two pockets were stubborn and I could not remove them without tearing the fabric.  I maneuvered around them.  

Maneuvering around the buttons

I imagined that one of the Uvalde dads works in IT, one works in a factory, some like red and orange, most prefer blue but some prefer muted khaki or plain white. They may have seen each other at the Honor Roll meeting or shared the room at the PTA event. But now all they share is their emptiness.

Stitched Together in Grief

My dad was 53 when he passed away. His death was untimely but he was lucky that all his children outlive him. The Uvalde dads were not. Their grief is unfathomable.  I cannot do anything to lessen their pain or ease their journey. But this is my attempt to acknowledge their grief as I process my own.   

Beautiful Day, Plain Quilt

Paul: What will you do with this quilt?
Me: What can I do with this quilt? It is too plain and too meaningful.
Paul: You should keep it.
Me: For dad?
Paul: For all dads.

I will be sharing with all my favorite linky parties. See full list on the sidebar.  If this post has struck a chord with you, feel free to share it. No permission required.

I am managing my grief. But I am also experiencing despair at what has happened and continues to happen (mass shootings continued after Uvalde). I am disgusted at what does not happen, because a handful of politicians choose personal gains over public wellbeing. 

If you have children (or grandchildren), how do you gather the courage to send them to school day after day? More importantly, won't you consider how your vote affects their safety?

May and June

May's car is parked in June's driveway.

It is May's mess that has led to June's stress. I am not thrilled about it but the sad truth is this - unless we move May's car out of June's driveway, June cannot go anywhere or do anything. 

Angela said that May RSC colors were Sage and Forest Green. With all that was happening in May (international travel, recovering from international travel, catching up with work due to travel, Covid, recovering from Covid, nursing Paul as he recovered from Covid, the Positivity QAL set up and launch, not to mention the devastating news), there was absolutely NO way May could look at Forest Green. 

You know how she feels about Forest Green. 

But we must. Choosing to add light/bright (happy) greens to sage/forest (bitter) greens was the only way to move ahead. 

All the greens - springy and stinky

And here we are. Nine Improv blocks completed!

May's RSC blocks completed!

All the greens are done. May's car is out of June's driveway. Logjam cleared. 

Phew!!! Done

May is taking a rest and June is heaving a sigh of relief. Although June's work list is very long, we can at least begin now.

Paul: So what is happening in June?
Me: I am so glad you asked.

The Island Batik Challenge and Blog Hop featuring the New York Beauty begins June 6.  Check the link for a gorgeous giveaway.

I will be sharing my completed quilt on June 21, 2022. I got the collection Winter Sky, designed by Kathy Engle, coming soon to a store near you.

I must make some progress on my Positivity 2022 Quilt. So far I have picked out the fabrics. Not started cutting yet. 

Whimsical Wings - an older collection from Island Batik

Green and Purple

I will be using a white background. 

Angela has announced that June is dark blue for RSC. I have picked out my fabrics. Hope we can prevent another spillover.

Dark Blue Scraps for June RSC

I have completed a quilt. That post is next.

I will be sharing with all my favorite linky parties, including Angela's. See full list on the sidebar. 

Did May misbehave with you too? Do tell. If not, what do you expect from June? She will be hot (unless you live in Australia, where she is supercool), but no seriously, what does your June look like?