Tuesday, November 3, 2020

Vases on the Shadow Stars Border

Fairy tales are more than true: 
not because they tell us that dragons exist, 
but because they tell us dragons can be beaten.
~C. K. Chesterton

Today is finally Election Day in the U.S. unless you voted early. And I hope you did since the lines will be long today.

Even though the rabbit print seemed a bit light I wanted to try it. The vase is too short to include the whole image. I chose to put the face in rather than the ears. Then I asked QS and several friends whether it needed a foot. Of course, everyone said, "Yes." And I agree... even though it's more work.
 
Vase with and without a foot,
before turning the edges

So I adjusted the template and started pinning them in place. Fortunately DH bought me this LED light board for my birthday. It really helps tracing and placing appliqué. 

Placing components with a light table

There was another fabric I considered for the rim of the vase but it doesn't work as well as it moves quickly into greens. 

Alternate vase rim


The vase is {possibly} straighter than it appears in the photo. My applique is not that accurate and these are hand drawn templates; hopefully, they will look organic when finished and not just weird. I left some basting stitches because the center of the rim needs to be cut when the stems are inserted. 

Vase mostly sewn

But that's next week's task.

Comments

Because I learned some people can't comment on my blog, I briefly tried the popup window and full page options for comments but neither allows me to reply directly to the comments. So I'm back to my original choice - embedded. Let's hope Google gets all these issues fixed soon. 

Reading

Watching a recent Textile Talk on Women's Suffrage introduced me to the Grimké sisters which led to Sue Monk Kidd's novel, The Invention of Wings.  The story blends their history with the fictionalized Hetty, a slave gifted to Sarah on her eleventh birthday. When Sarah teaches Hetty to read, both girls are severely punished. As Hetty notes later, she is physically imprisoned but mentally free while Sarah is physically free but mentally imprisoned. 

Because Sarah and Angelina supported abolition as well as equality for women, they eventually moved from Charleston to Philadelphia where they began speaking and writing pamphlets. The South Carolina legislature threatened to arrest them if they ever returned home. 

Sue's book is meticulously researched. Most of the Grimke story is true although the timeline is slightly altered in places. While Hetty is fictional, all the cruelties of slavery are not. Nauseating to watch Whites justify their actions in ways we still hear today. 

The novel was published in 2014 so many of you have already read it. What can I say? Sometimes I'm slow.

Enjoy the day, Ann

15 comments:

patty a. said...

I passed by three polling places on my way to work and there were cars everywhere! It is going to be a long wait for some folks today. My brother told me he got to vote at Dodgers stadium the other day. He said it was really nice - lots of space and a casual walk around the ball park.

I am fascinated with what you are doing in that nice wide border.

Julierose said...

I read that if you leave yourself a comment on your post, then the comments will get through...??? Don't know if it'll work, but you can give it a try...
I will be interested to see how you "insert" the stems...pretty vase hugs, Julierose

Quiltdivajulie said...

Testing to see if I can comment

Quiltdivajulie said...

Woo hoo - works from my tablet at least.

LA Paylor said...

blogger... they can't leave it alone. They were messing around this weekend when I tried to post, pictures went all over the place. I think of SNL where the older woman says, 'simmer down!"
LeeAnna

Janie said...

Fun vase experiments. Always good to stretch your creativity. I've been hand piecing and getting more comfortable with it, who knows maybe applique next?

Ann said...

I read that several sports arenas turned into voting locations and thought that was very kind of them. What fun to walk the park after they've been closed all summer.

Ann said...

Very carefully. I'm concerned I might cut the background fabric.

Ann said...

That's good, Julie.

Ann said...

Since blogger has been around for years, the code must be old, too. Times have changed. People are using different languages and I'm sure the people who wrote the original programs aren't there anymore. I just try to take it easy and find work arounds when necessary.

Ann said...

Thanks, Janie. I don't hand piece much anymore since it causes my arthritis to flare up but I admire the work of others.

Mystic Quilter said...

The vase definitely needed a rim, perfect! The Tula Pink rabbit looks right at home there. I agree that this issue with leaving comments is a pain, I prefer the embedded set up but changed some time ago to the alternative comment arrangement as I was also having commenters unable to use embedded.

Ann said...

Thanks, Maureen. The rabbit fabric looked too light folded up but makes a nice vase when it's cut, especially with the added rim. A lesson for me.
I'm not sure how you all respond without adding a comment to your own blog but I now prefer having the comments here since it helps me remember whether I wrote or not. And usually they are of general interest.

Nann said...

Glad you discovered Invention of Wings. I thought Kidd's approach to the Grimkes' story was great. (And when we did Road Scholar at Cape May we learned about Dr. Emlen Physick, who makes an appearance in Invention.)....I admire how you take a great quilt (=the stars) and are able to envision even more creative touches (=the vases in the border).

Ann said...

I admire your many Road Scholar classes. My mother went on some of those trips and I hope to try them some day, too. They are so well planned and informative.
This quilt has taken such a long time. It would be very traditional if I didn't add the border. Now I'm wondering if these will fit together.