These bits of cloth feel different from the cloth that is block-printed in India …
I wonder if they are influenced by or maybe even produced in Africa. But I don’t know enough to do more than speculate …
So I hope it’s okay that I used them as the bases for my ruminations on Black History Month.
And if the chants that echo in the streets have changed over the many years of demonstrations, the message remains the same as these words spoken by Dr. Martin Luther King over half a century ago …
We still have such a long way to go.
I'm Going to Texas (version 2.0) 
I think that fabric is perfect with your words. Your work is beautiful. Sadly someone stole our Black Lives Matter Flag we have many Trump supports here.
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Thanks Beverly … while most of the Trump flags in our neighborhood have come down (and there were quite a few), there are still many lawn signs that read:
In this house we believe
Black Lives Matter
Women’s rights are human rights
No human is illegal
Science is real
Love is love
Kindness is everything
in this I dare to hope that change is coming, never soon enough, but coming …
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Hi LA – I love the thought that you put into the fabric and the content – art with many layers of messaging. Peace. B
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metal and letterpress, cloth and stitch … all can speak volumes, but it takes open hearts to receive the message
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love how these patches go straight to the heart of the matter
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I don’t know how those who demonstrated can make it any clearer … what is needed are eyes that can see, ears that can hear and hearts that can feel …
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Beautiful fabric, beautifully wrought sentiments. I like the heartbeat nature of the line in BLM; as well as the touch of black printing in the fabric. All these little decisions give greater integrity to the whole, and your thoughtfulness as you make resonates strongly.
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each piece of cloth “spoke” to the era it represented as I stitched the words … it was indeed a “thoughtful” journey and I’m glad you found something in it as well
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Such a long way… Perfect background cloth.
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thanks Hazel … perhaps when more of us awaken to our true privilege we can reach a tipping point where significant change can occur (and here I am thinking of the representative in Congress who spoke so eloquently about he had his awakening in the House during the insurrection … that he could “hide” amongst the Republicans, but his colleagues who are people of color could not)
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Just right Liz. These are important patches both on their own and strung together for the ongoing story they tell. xo
Whenever I get today’s drive posted…beautiful & ugly both.
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I always enjoy your drives!
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This cloth looks indicitive of what might be block printed cloth from Africa. It looks authentic. Perfect for your patch.
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thanks for your informed eye … and here I note that not all Black folks trace their ancestry to Africa, but it is a colorway I recall seeing during the demonstrations last year
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You are so right about being open…hearts, eyes, ears. It’s on my mind a lot. And yes, still such a long way to go.
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I am baffled by the hate-fullness … Nancy’s post about the “MAGA Country” sign with a gun image … the pickup I saw recently, a 4×8′ sheet of plywood propped up in the bed with the words “Take off your stupid mask” … why? how do you get beyond that?
and Rodney King’s words echo in my mind: “can’t we all just get along?”
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Yes this is what I struggle with too. I don’t understand how people can be so sure they have the right answer.
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your cloth tales, tho’ small in size are BIG content-wise
I noticed something funny in self whilst watching Bridgerton on Netflix (haven’t seen the whole series yet, have more episodes to look forward to!) the characters are played by act/ors/tresses of all ‘colour’ even though historically speaking they ‘shouldn’t ‘ be and you know what, I forgot about the colour, truly I did….we CAN become colour-blind…..if we want to
looking forward to your February Liz
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1.75 inches is a small canvas on which to work, but there are days when even that can be a challenge 😉
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A long way to go indeed .. your blocks are perfect. Finished reading Caste a few weeks back and found in so helpful in my journey to better understanding of how we find ourselves where we are. Sorry you’re having to put up with such freezing weather at least living in Wisconsin we are used to it .. don’t like it but are far better prepared.
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I’m gonna say our level of unpreparedness is similar to Wisconsin in a 100+ degree heat wave
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