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.

MeToo

I grew up in India. Eve-teasing was common. You learned to ignore it. You tried to be careful. You stayed alert at all times and avoided traveling alone.

Many times, things happened so swiftly and/or left you in such a shock, that there was nothing you could do. If a passer-by on a scooter/motorbike made a lewd remark, whistled, stared, or made suggestive gestures, I could neither respond nor take him to task. I had to ignore it - pretend that I did not hear or understand.

Being touched or groped was harder to ignore.
There is one incident that I remember clearly.
I was traveling (alone) in the local bus going from the ISBT (interstate bus terminus) to my aunt's house. The local bus had two rows of seats, with four seats in each row - a window seat, and an aisle seat, on either sides of the aisle. I sat on one of the aisle seats, so that I could keep one hand on the suitcase placed in the aisle, next to my seat. The window seat was vacant. I was surprised when this big burly man came up to me. He expected me to move to the window seat. I did not.
I got up so that he could take the window seat. He sat with his arms crossed over his chest.
Shortly thereafter, I felt his fingertips touching me. I shifted away and turned to look at those fingers. They were still moving trying to make contact.
I hesitated for a minute or longer, but then I stood up. I do not remember exactly what I said but I lashed out at him.
Who do you think you are? What do you think you are doing?
He mumbled something, got up and left. 

I never told anyone about this incident. I did not have to. I handled it.

Another day, another bus - my friend Nina was traveling from work back to the hostel where we lived. Someone pinched her bottom. She turned around and slapped the guy behind her. He was taken aback. Said he did nothing. Nina was not taking it. She gave him a tongue-lashing too.

You are stronger than you think. Do not accept mistreatment of any kind from anyone. Speak up.

Mahishasura is a Sanskrit word composed of mahisha meaning buffalo and asura meaning demon, or "buffalo demon". As an Asura, Mahishasura waged war against the Devas (gods), as the Devas and Asuras' were perpetually in conflict. Mahishasura had gained the gift that no man could kill him. In the battles between the gods and the demons, the Devas were defeated by Mahishasura. Dejected by their defeat, the Devas assembled in the mountains where their combined divine energies coalesce into goddess Durga. The new born Durga led a battle against Mahishasura, riding a lion, and killed him.

I may be a tiny droplet but I believe that I am a droplet of the Goddess Durga, the Goddess that embodies the combined powers of all the Gods. If I am cornered, I will summon and channel the goddess to raise my voice and fight the evil till it is completely destroyed. You can too.

And kudos to all of them who did just that, who broke the silence, who said - Enough!

Usually I do not buy magazines.  This one is an exception.

Here is a clip that I encourage you to watch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkR8GY2YBAU

Power to you. Power to us. Because we are together in this movement.