Speak to Me Lord ~ A Quilter's Atelier

My new word of the day..... 

\ˌa-t^əl-ˈyā\

Origin of ATELIER

French, from Middle French astelier woodpile, from astele splinter, from Late Latin astella, diminutive of Latin astula

First Known Use: 1699

Other Fine Arts Terms

Gothic, baroque, bas-relief, limn, oeuvre, pastiche, rococo, sfumato

 

 

 

A Psalm and A Quilt for today......

Psalm 23

A psalm of David.1

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.

² He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
³ he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.
⁴ Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.

⁵ You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
⁶ Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.

A tinge of Racism at Oklahoma Quilters Guild...

As the old folks used to say:   A case of the "She just can't hep it!!"
On last Friday, I took off work to drive over to the church setting of an informal class on how to make a Quilt Iron Tote..... and I'm not mistaken about the 40'ish year old girl/woman sitting next to me.....  Racism is something sensed, experienced, and deeply felt.  When RACIST attitudes are encountered.... it is always a surprise to my mental capacities.... like WHAT !!   The teacher was genuine, the older women congenial.... and I'm just looking for some peace and quiet quilting!

I visit, smile and make friends by name for 15-20 minutes....then maybe I'm wrong,,, but was I just ignored?  While the 40'ish answered a question to the other white woman, and when general quilting questions mingle around the table.... I asked "what date"..... now Ms Know-it-All, center of attention.....    She keeps her shoulder turned away from me... glances and says "I'm not sure...uh...."

Excuse me -- you just told the other lady... I missed the exact date......   But you are 'dissing" me?   hmnnnnn..... let's see now!

I chatted along about the broken thread in my machine trying to mess me up... she is reading the buttons on her Brother machine.... still a cool shoulder?  hmnnnnn

BUT U KNOW WHAT.... there are some really beautiful, friendly ELEPHANTS In The ROOM...!!

 

Much like the elephant....  Black Americans are not at all stupid... we're quite Godly in our knowledge of who we are... and how to behave

when RACISM rears its ugly head...

 

MLK.... non-voilence... luv your way into JUSTICE!  Keep fighting, be aware, be wise, be gentle as II Timothy Second Chapter says!

 I tell myself.... get over it Beverly.... been here before.  I've survived.   Kinda due to our political landscape.... there are 50% of Americans who are indeed mad and hateful to President Obama..... and it wears and shows up in the simplist of events and days.

SO I CHOOSE...... to luv my quilting life....to just leave it alone via those who just can't hep themselves..  the unattractive elephants in the room!

Racially, I've been 'buked and 'scorned

as a Black quilter sitting in the midst(a store or classroom) of all-white quilters.....

I walk in the quilt store, the bell ding-dongs to signal a customer...  IF the young or older sales girl says HI..... If so, she will thereafter usually stay behind the counter and not further greet or ask if I need help.  

Remember the elephant in the room

When I do walk back to the counter to ask a question.... there is such a dumbfounded look on her face... she asks me to repeat the question...   Seems that she is surprised that I own a Pfaff like the one on sale.... or that I know basic/advanced quilt terminology....     She looks blankly.... she's still trying to figure out my light-yellow complexion... my gray eyes and maybe nappy or shiny pressed hair...

Look lady... I'm a person!  I'm a quilter....  I just wanna shop like anybody else!! I swear I'm not looking for racism.... I'm happy to be alive and out shopping at a quilt store!

Am I overly sensitive.... NO because the next 15-minutes that I stay in the store... EVERY White customer (whether a newcomer of an old-timer) is greeted... walked about for show and tell, or shares some story on a congenial basis with all the other white quilters.

Should I make a purchase -- say I'm next in line ....  BTW --- the customer in front of me gets a thanks so much, come back and see us... is there anything else... have you considered our classes???

I move forward.... ask about a class.... and the hesitancy is there.. what level am I quilting? oh.. I don't know if they are full or not?   I have to ask proactive questions... like may I have a hard-copy, or where is it online, can I add my e-mail???  And the stunning, blank, shocked look (as if a black is invading our quilt gathering...)   the beat goes on.

Last year, I enrolled and showed up to an evening class in Edmond, OK.... The ladies and teached looked like oh... you're here to quilt (mind you the door was locked after 6pm... and who are you..Beverly?)   Lordy, I'm a quilter who frequents your shop...!!!

I was sitting and sewing, the teacher was helpful and superb.... a husband of the quilt lady sitting behind me.... chit chats... and a part of a conversation with the teacher hinges on tools and ideas to make quilting easier.... and I hear the old white man say.... yeah.... that's kinda like a nigger farmer who can make do with anything...

Mind u    ~  this is too good to make up.... can I get my gun and shoot this sucker???

The room is so quiet -- a pin could drop --- the teacher is embarrassed and stunned.  I don't turn around...  In a minute, I turn to the couple on the next teaching point... as a question.... and the couple is confused and glaringly unable to quite answer THIS BLACK WOMAN.... I quickly said never mind ...  I'm not pushed back... and I'm not scared to be in the face of any man or woman or earth!!! (but since I was mad, I said it to belittle them FOR NOT KNOWING the answer...)   Lord I need help!

And the beat goes on.....    
 

Being Racially Sensitive to My Quilt Friends

Yep, I'm gonna talk about the ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM.....

Nope,,,, I can't ignore it.

Fact is, about 96% of the time - - - I am the lone black woman who enters the classroom of sewists, or the quilt shop class participants.....or one of any Quilt Shops here in the State of Oklahoma..... (that's OK... nope... there is not a black-owned quilt shop in OK as I know of...)


 

Block Swapping ! Gottal luv it!

So, Monday was a wonderfully motivated quilting day...... I quickly went to the sewing table to make a 4-Patch...

 

Hubby picks up the mail.... and here's my goodie package.   

 

 

So... what do you know.... I took this spiffy block (hot off the pressing board) and I'm sending off to my partner.... Will shoot another picture of her goody bag in another post!!!!!

 

 

 

 

Learning Fast @ Home Quiltin!

So after Monday's quiltin session, I spent the evening making the second set of 4-patch blocks.   They were cut on a diagonal... and I ran into a problem on the side triangles and center pinwheel!

Even though we were using oversized 7.5" squares in the 4-patch:  I ended up barely able to cut this into a 12.5" finished square..... so WHACK-Whack.. it ended up a 11" block.....  I Love the Oddity of it ALL!!

Below:  I'm failing to fall in love with this big block... hmnnnn

 

But, Practice makes closer to perfect.....

 

I inserted an exact cut 4-patch.... and really like the break in the diagonal line on the 12.5"...yippee..... block on the right!!

 

 

Monday's Quiltin

I hope I'm not breaking a rule, or offending a friend/fellow quilter (as I post her picture).   What I see in the picture is happiness, contentment --- a wonderfully lived life for a black woman -- retired...  look at those pretty hands and glorious gray hair!   Many of my quilter friends are role models for me....

Oh yea... the color selections actually SCREAM !!!of our African American heritage!

Our quilt group leader took the time to hand-outline four quilt blocks....  all from a basic four-patch..  It was slice and dice.... twist and turn!

 

A Fab-Friday..... a tranquil quilting lesson!

I gave a casual reading of the Central Oklahoma's Quilt Guild... low and behold it was an informal quilting class.... How to Make a Portable Iron Carrier... (or curling iron carrier....)  

 Oddly enough,   as a chose fabric (kind of a test fabric in case I messed up)  I could only settle on my coffee mug fabric.... not a matching theme for an iron.... but truly soothing to my inner being.

 

 

The size was 12/14" and it turned out beautifully!

 

Here's to Fifty-Nine Birthday Quilt Squares!!

January 9-2013

Share the Hexie Garden and Join this Site!!

You can visit other flower gardens with Karen at Journey Of A Quilter

 

One Flower Wednesday ! ~Wonderful!

I pulled my list... looked up my friends from Canada and the United Kingdom, and CA....(... that Oct-Nov-Dec-Jan-Feb...)... they were super with any pattern and any center on a hexagon!!!   One lady wants dots !!!!

and I've been buzy stitching today....  in the Hexie Swap-a-Long!   I think the lil buttons are posted on side blog...

here goes.... some old-3-4 year old St Jude Hospital Fabric.....   love, love, love!

 Ta-day !!!

 

... children on fabric.....

 

LEST WE FORGET.....

 

alas we shall not foget . . . .

the three lil black girls who were bombed in church in Alabama....

nor the the 20 lil angels shot-down in Newtown CT !!!!!!

 

 

 

Monday Hexagon-ally Motivated!

My goodie package to be mailed off to Modesto CA!!!\

 

Hope she loves the lovely feelings I'm sending her way!

 

Quotable Quote.....

"Peace can be found in the piecing of a quilt."