Category: 70273 (Page 13 of 28)

Weeks 52-59 (2/13/2017 – 4/2/2017) Recap

June 4, 2017 / jeanne / 4 Comments

My constant companion during The Great Reconstruction, my Scratch Pad – receptacle for all notes about what I’ve done and what I need to do and what I might try next and other assorted detritus.

After spending many, many 14-16 hour days (and a few 24 hour days) reconstructing the information that was lost in the computer meltdown by sifting through emails, backed up files, paper files, handwritten notes, memory, blog posts, other people’s blog posts, and anywhere else I can think of to look for information, I’m ready to begin bringing us up to date . . . with emphasis on the word begin. There is still much to do, and I thank you for your continued patience. You may have assumed that I have grown tired of the project and had begun drifting away, but let me assure you that nothing could be further from the truth. My passion remains high and intact for The 70273
Project, and my gratitude continues to run deep and wide.

Like Janus, I look back with one eye and ahead with the other – and while I could do without the sometimes overwhelming stress of the to do list that tucks me in bed every night and greets me every morning, I am delighted beyond description that so many people have been commemorated and so many people are being commemorated. And shoot, I actually kinda’ enjoy the problem solving.

I do feel compelled to say, though, that there might very well be some adjustments made as Operation: Reconstruct continues and new old information is discovered. So now, without further ado, let’s see what happened in The 70273 Project between April 2 and the last time we recapped together on 2/12/2017 . . .

TRAVEL (in chronological order)

Denver, CO
Cashiers, NC
Fayetteville, GA
Berea, KY
Findlay, OH
Lebanon, KY
Fayetteville, GA
Cashiers, NC
Amicalola Falls, GA
Cashiers, NC
Peachtree City, GA
Cashiers, NC
Peachtree City, GA
Denver, CO

SPECIAL EVENTS

babysitting
The Best Birthday Party EVAH- Thank you, Chloe Grice and members of The 70273 Project Tribe! I’ve never experienced anything like it. It was wonderful, marvelous, humbling, and very much appreciated.
the flu that laid me flat and would not end
spent many days and weeks moving our daughter
coughed our way into Berea, KY where we spent the night and had breakfast at Boone Tavern and Inn
enjoyed Findlay, Ohio, thanks to our personal guide, Tanya Weising-Pike, Director of Education at Blanchard Valley Center
delivered Quilt #5 to Blanchard Valley Center
met and fell in love with the wonderful teachers, parents, and staff at Blanchard Valley; the Mayor of Findlay; and Randy Roberts of The Findlay Courier who let me use his photo, saying “I’ve got to tell you: I am very impressed with the heart of this project.”
coughed our way back to Fayetteville, rested for a day, then enjoyed a day of making blocks with my Tiger Girls (women I graduated from high school with). I’m gonna’ introduce you in a blog post coming soon.
joined Peggy Thomas and Patty Guillick at The 70273 Project booth at Joyce Beverly’s Fayette Woman LIVE where many, many, many blocks were made. I can’t wait to tell you about it, and I will . . . in a blog post coming soon.
made blocks with the Friendship Circle at the Fayetteville First United Methodist Church. You guessed it – there’s a post coming soon to a blog near you.
spoke to The Writer’s High Retreat, kicking things off on Friday night, where I met some marvelously interesting and interested folks.
answered the good questions of Elodie Redoulèz for an article she was writing about The 70273 Project for the Bailiwick Express in the Jersey, Channel Islands, UK.
closed this time period out the way it began: babysitting in Denver.

QUILT NUMBERS ASSIGNED

6 quilt numbers to Katell Renon in France (73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78)

BUNDLES SENT

Kitty Sorgen (Quilt #31). It’s now being quilted by Janet Eidem.
Jackie Batman (Quilt #56)
Kellye Rose ( #62, #63, and #64)
Sharleen Jespersen (Quilt #103)
Sarah Jespersen Lauzon (Quilt #104)
Alejandrina Pattin (Quilt #105)
Sandy Martin and the Caribou Quilters (Quilt #65)

QUILTS RECEIVED

The 70273 Project Quilt 102, a Middling made by Debra Steinmann.

#102, a Middling created by Debra Steinmann (GA/USA) that’s now on display at Intown Quilters in Decatur, GA. I also designed materials for the shop to hand out. If you need me to design materials for you to give others, let me know. Once upon a life chapter, I was a freelance graphic designer. It’s something I enjoy doing.

The 70273 Project Quilt 138. Pieced by Kathleen Carfagno, Quilted by Jessica Skultey.

and the beautiful quilt top now known as Quilt #138 made by Kathleen K Carfagno (NJ/USA) and currently being quilted by Jessica Skultey (NJ/USA).

BLOCKS RECEIVED

Beth Brennan (IL/USA)
Debra Woods (MO/USA)
Betty Jo Oliver (KY/USA)
Kayos Huff (aged 5, MO/USA)
Market Dwyer (MN/USA)
Celine Henries (France)
Jane Cunningham (New Zealand)
Peggy Lowrie (TX/USA)
Jane Riddell (GA/USA)
Jean Fischer (GA/USA)
Dianna Moore (GA/USA)
Linda King Smith (GA/USA)
Jeanne Hewell Chambers (GA,NC/USA)
Joan Dumas Hughey (GA/USA)
Elender Ballard (GA/USA)
Joan McKnight (Canada)
Faye Cook (AUS)
Kevin Thomas (GA/USA)
Olivia Ries (GA/USA)
Peggy Thomas (GA/USA)
Bisa Batten Lewis (GA/USA
Connie Fox (GA/USA)
FeFe Handy (GA/USA)
Nicole Simmons (GA/USA)
Nancy Jaworski (GA/USA)
Jennifer Harper (GA/USA)
Maggie Laton (GA/USA)
Jill Prouty (GA/USA)
Ellie White-Stevens (GA/USA)
Stephanie Washington (GA/USA)
Carla Wong McMillian (GA/USA)
Jamie Smith (GA/USA)
Carmen Johnson (GA/USA)
Diana M Lovell (GA/USA)
Julie Irby/Camryn Johnson (GA/USA)
Cathy Jackson (GA/USA)
Paulette Bass (GA/USA)
Kathy Bohannon (GA/USA)
Shelly Gable (GA/USA)
Delores Epps (GA/USA)
Jean Peck (GA/USA)
Jennifer Harper (GA/USA)
Elisa Marcus Price (GA/USA)
Melodie Parks (GA/USA)
Fairy L. Wortham (GA/USA)
Jackie Pope (GA/USA)
Carrie Franklin (WA/USA)
Melodie Parks (GA/USA)
Jackie Pope (GA/USA)
Loose Threads (MN.USA)
Deborah L. J. McKinnon and members of the Kingston/North Kitsap Rotary Club (WA/USA)
Wendy Caton Reed (ME/USA)
Diane Dresden (VA/USA)
Gail Georgia (ID/USA)
Polly Davis (USA)
Dottie Gray (GA/USA)
Bonnie Giglio (GA/USA)
Carly Burch (GA/USA)
Janet Baileys (GA/USA)
Charlotte McAdams (GA/USA)
Marilyn Harris (GA/USA)
Amanda (Nikki) Neal (GA/USA)
Tami Kemberling (GA/USA)
Susan Burch (GA/USA)
Roselyn Roberts (GA/USA)
Clara Martin (GA/USA)
Carolyn McKinley (GA/USA)
Alida Palmisano (MD/USA)
Brigid Martin (GA/USA)
Jean Foglein (Canada)
Marlies (Belgium)
Karlijn Lecluyse (Belgium)
the 99 commemorations in Quilt 102
the 62 commemorations in Quilt 138

And now, what you’ve all been waiting for: the block count as of 4/2/2017: 9099 (and growing)!

(Bear with me as I makeover the web site in the background of the reconstruction . . . which means that some things – oh, like the block counter chart, for example – might not be where you remember them or where they’re supposed to be or where you will find them next week.)

The Engineer

June 3, 2017 / jeanne / 5 Comments

He fetches the mail,

sets up (and takes down) tables,

and quilt stands.

He develops hanging systems for the round In Our Own Language 3,
so it can be a backdrop for a block drive.

He addresses postcards,

and helps create holiday cards.

He makes blocks,

he makes more blocks,

and he prepares materials so others can make blocks
for The 70273 Project.

When we travel, he takes a turn carrying the backpack.

and stops (or at least slows down) while I snap photos on our walks,

and pulls over to the side of the road to let me hop out
and snap photos of things I find captivating.

When the big projects I juggle feel like a quagmire
or an imminent implosion,
he doesn’t just tell me to take a break,
he takes me out to play

or on a date to the Georgia Tech bookstore
(where he looks at Science & Technology
while I browse the poetry section, you’ll note).

He is the light at the end of my tunnel,
The Man behind The 70273 Project,

and were I a cat,
this is how I would spend our evenings
because I adore this man.
I absolutely, thoroughly, flat-out adore him.

Happy birthday to The Engineer.

~~~

Why yes, he was born one day after Nancy
. . . and a few years earlier.

Time for Nancy to Blow Out the Candles Again!

June 2, 2017 / jeanne / 2 Comments

It’s that time of year again – the day for Nancy to blow out the candles on her cake! If you’ve poked around this blog, you know who Nancy is, and if you’re at all familiar with The 70273 Project, you know that I was stitching Nancy’s drawings when The Idea came and whispered to the ears of my heart. Since Nancy is a woman of few words, I think we’ll celebrate today in photos. Click on the photos and get to know Nancy, if you’re a mind to. I’ll be surprised if you don’t leave this post smiling and feeling a little lighter. Nancy does that for folks.

Happy birthday, Nancy. May you have many, many, many more.

~~~

P.S. I want y’all to know that when I called to order flowers for our Nancy, the owner of the shop told me about her brother who is 1 year older than Nancy, disabled, and lives right down the street from her. Can we say “small world” one more time?!

June: Middling Month

June 1, 2017 / jeanne / 0 Comments

The 70273 Project Quilt 52, a Middling made by Margaret Williams, 110 people commemorated

Y’all probably remember that on February 1, 2017, I introduced The 70273 Project Middling Quilts, and now – today, June 1, 2017 – I’m declaring June as Middling Month.

The 70273 Project Quilt 134, a Middling by Maria Conway. This is the Middling in progress. I’ll show you the finished Middling soon.

If you’ve been thinking about making a Middling, this is a good time to get started. If you’ve been meaning to get that Middling finished, this is a good time to get it finished. If you’re looking for a goal to sink your needle into, this is a good time to decide how many Middlings you want to make and thread your needle. Me, I’m going to make at least two in addition to the 3 I’ve already made. (Truth: I’d love to make one a week – and while I have the fantasy life to do it, I’m trying to be more realistic, so I’ll say 2.) (And hope for more.)

The 70273 Project Tribe Member, Piecer, and Quilter Sharlene Jespersen, stands with The 70273 Project Quilt 1 at QuiltCon in Savannah, February 2017.

Now let’s be clear: this does not mean that Middlings are replacing blocks – not at all, far from it, never gonna’ happen. If you want to keep stitching the original blocks, please do. If you want to receive a bundle (or more!) of blocks to piece and quilt – either or both – please let me know. I have a studio filled with blocks just waiting to be pieced and quilted, and they’d love to come spend the summer with you.

The 70273 Project Quilt 44 made by the Can’canettes in Castres, France

Or if you’re vacationing with family or attending camp or retreats with friends, maybe y’all would like to make a group quilt. That’d be awesome.

The 70273 Project Quilt 34, a Long Skinny made by Gisele Therezien in Jersey, Channel Islands UK

The 70273 Project Quilt 125, a Long Skinny made by Margaret Jackson and her family in the UK

And if you’re inclined to make a Long Skinny, by all means do it, Sugar. I’d love to have more Long Skinnies.

Though important, guidelines for Middlings are kept to a minimum, and you can click right this way to read more about them.

Middlings are now my Am Ex – I never leave home without them. Why do I love them so? Oh, just let me count the ways . . .
~ They fit quite nicely in the smallest of bags
~ It’s easy to pull them out and stitch on them even in the smallest, tightest spaces,
~ In this small piece of cloth there’s plenty of room to spread your creative wings
~ You can commemorate as many people as you like.
Are you convinced? (Say Yes.)

I’ll also be profiling some astoundingly moving Middlings here, so be sure to check back often. Whatever you’re stitching, these Middlings will be kindling to your creative fire, I promise you that. They are astonishing and deeply moving.

How many Middlings do you think we can get made in June? If you’re joining in as a June Middler, leave a comment here on the blog; in the Facebook group or on the Facebook page and let us know. And be sure to send photos as you stitch along to whet our appetite and so we can cheer you on.

Stitch on, y’all, and hey, thanks for helping commemorate these special folks.

~~~~~~~

Important things to remember when making Middlings:
~ Middlings are sent to me as finished quilts.
~ The finished size of a Middling is approximately 18″ x 22″ (46cm x 56cm) .
~ The base must be white or slightly off white.
~ The binding is white.
~ Creativity is allowed in that you can create shapes but please, no words, letters, or numbers other than “70273” – and that one number can only be used on Middlings. Individual blocks can have only two red X’s.
~ The two red X’s must be presented as obvious pairs, not as an endless string of red X’s because each pair represents a person commemorated, and that’s what we’re about.
~ The Provenance Form must be completed, signed, and sent as usual – one for each person who helped create the quilt. The address is on the form.
~ Indicate on the Provenance Form how many people you’ve commemorated (so I don’t have to stop and count).

SaveSave

You Just Never Know . . .

May 31, 2017 / jeanne / 0 Comments

The 70273 Project Quilt 34, a Long Skinny made by Gisele Therezien from Jersey, Channel Islands, UK

Did your mama always tell you to wear clean underwear so you wouldn’t bring disgrace to the family should you be in an accident and be caught wearing dirty underwear? Well, this story isn’t about that – it’s more about 6 degrees of separation – but I was thinking about that so I wrote it down. Now you a little peephole into the way my brain works these days as I tend to all sorts of big 70273 projects that I’m behind on.

But I digress.

March was filled with amazingly wonderful people and places as I traveled to present quilts, make blocks, and speak with amazingly wonderful people about The 70273 Project. Friday, March 17 found me standing in front of a group of wicked good writers at The Writers High Retreat founded by my friend Mari Ann Stephanelli. One of the delightful women I met that night is Kyle Ann Robertson, and let me tell y’all, it didn’t take me long to realize that she is a real dynamo of a woman who can tell a story like you wouldn’t believe.

Now Kyle Ann lives in Sarasota, and last week I received a facebook message from her saying that she was recently at The Four Pillars in San Marco’s Circle when she heard a woman’s poem that began with the line “In AWARENESS lies answers.”

That particular line stuck with Kyle Ann like spinach on a front tooth, so later that day, when she happened by the Sarasota library to return a book and spied some quilters there, I want y’all to know she just walked right up to them and told them about The 70273 Project.

She gave me Lenore’s name, saying she thought I might be hearing from her and others because they sure did seem interested. And hearing from them I have been. I’d already received a friend request from Lenore, along with a request to join The 70273 Project Campfire Facebook group.

And listen to this, y’all: today I received a message on the blog from Nan who said “It was the strangest thing. We were meeting in the Sarasota Library when this woman came in to return a book, saw us, and took center stage to tell us about your project.” Nan goes on to say that she’s working with a local reporter to get something in the papers there, and that there are already several groups in the area working on blocks.

And that’s not all.

Nan lives in a place where my in-laws lived for years and years, and by “place”, I mean subdivision. Yes, she lives in the very subdivision my in-laws called home for I don’t know how long. Shoot, she could even be living in their house, for all we know. We just never know, do we? When we follow our Bones and step up to speak to a group of strangers who happen to be quilting, and tell them about The 70273 Project, who knows where our words will lead? Who knows how many will follow the breadcrumbs trail? I know one thing, though: you can bet your bottom dollar it’s no coincidence.

Today, in the wake of Nan’s email, I’ve been sending silent Thank you’s to Kyle Ann, to Lenore, to Nan, to those who are making blocks, to the Sweet Spirit of Surprise, and to Mama C and Mr. C, parents to Nancy and The Engineer. Not only do I miss them and enjoy the memories we made together, I never, ever forget that were it not for them . . .

there would no The Engineer in my life, and without The Engineer . . .

there would be no Nancy in my life, and without Nancy . . .

In Our Own Language 3, detail

. . . I would have nothing to stitch, and with nothing to stitch, I might’ve missed the documentary in January 2016, and without the documentary, I wouldn’t have had the pleasure and the honor of meeting y’all as we work together to commemorate these 70,273 people.

Can y’all believe it? It really is a small world after all.

~~///~~

Now when you go out there and tell people about The 70273 Project and they ask for more information, direct them here:

Other places to gather around The 70273 Project water cooler:

Shop with Amazon Smile and support The 70273 Project.

Subscribe to the blog (where all information is shared).

Join the English-speaking Facebook group – our e-campfire – where you can talk to other members of The 70273 Project Tribe.

Join the French-speaking Facebook group – our other e-campfire – where you can chat with other members of The 70273 Project Tribe.

Like the Facebook page where you can check in for frequent updates.

Get folks to help celebrate your birthday by making blocks and/or donating bucks.

Follow the pinterest board for visual information.

Post using #the70273project on Instagram. (Please tag me, too, @whollyjeanne, so I don’t miss anything.)

Tell your friends what you want for your birthday.

And if you haven’t yet made some blocks, perhaps you’d like to put some cloth in your hands and join us.

Or maybe you’d like to gather friends and family, colleagues or students, club or guild members, etc. together and make a group quilt.

Backstage Pass: Checking Blocks In

May 30, 2017 / jeanne / 4 Comments

From the get-go, I’ve numbered the blocks, tagging them and logging them in. At first, I wrote the block number on a small strip of fabric (drawing a little line under the last digit in the number because numbers like 698 are easy to misread if you don’t know which end is up.) and used a safety pin to attach it to the block. Can we say time consuming? Then one day The Engineer walked in, watched for a few minutes, and suggested I find a gizmo like they use to attach price tags to clothing. A visit to a nearby quilting store yielded just such a gizmo that saved time, but writing the block number on fabric still ate up some clock, so I wrote the numbers on paper then began typing out the numbers, spending a lot of time figuring out the spacing so that once I cut off the edges, I could make one horizontal cut then snip off each number. I attached these with the gizmo, and it was good – especially once I asked if somebody would do that and not one, not two, but three volunteers – Debbie Burchell, Vonnie Grant, and Janet Hickey – raised their digital hands and took this chore over.

That worked well for several months, then I discovered how well painter’s tape sticks to fabric, so I began using a red marker to write the block numbers on the back of blocks with X’s dark enough and wide enough to keep the ink from showing through, and write the number on painter’s tape and stick it to the back of other blocks with smaller red X’s.

In the beginning I scanned every block as part of the cataloguing system. (Actually, in the very beginning I took photos of every block, moving the scanner in only when I figured it would shave some time off the cataloguing process.)

Let me say that again: in the beginning I scanned EVERY block. Every. Single. Block. (imagine me thunking myself upside the head) before entering all the information into a database, and by “all the information”, I mean the information for every block. Every. Single. Block.

I want y’all to know that Diane Dresdner has commemorated more than 500 people so far! I love her.

Nowadays I scan blocks randomly, making notes on the Provenance Forms, then scan the Provenance Form, titling the file with the block numbers (using the word in its plural form so that the files will fall in line by block number. The singular form – block – is used to title files of photos or stories to go with specific photos.), week received, envelope number (it’s a purposeful quirk of mine), and the Maker’s name. One day, when I’m looking for something to do, I’ll enter all the information on the Provenance Forms into a database.

Every envelope is labeled by the week it was received, bagged, then every bag is labeled by week of envelopes and boxes it contains.

Current day tagging kit. It goes with me everywhere. I attach a strip of tape to the inside of the bag telling me which block # and envelope # to start with when I begin another cataloguing session.

Last week, for the first time since the first week in February, I unpacked my suitcase and stored it away. In the past several months, whenever we made a quick run up to the mountain to check on the bees and fetch the mail, I divided the mail into weeks, put each week’s mail in a separate bag, then schlepped it back down the mountain where I worked on checking blocks in as time allowed. Not only are the envelopes labeled by the week number received, I label the bag by the week number because a girl like me can never have too many ways to check, double check, and triple check herself. Checks and balances are at the heart of every one of my systems, and I’ve used them more than once. You know I have.

When the blocks have been numbered and the Provenance Form scanned, the blocks are put into a holding box where they will stay until its time to bundle them to send to Piecers. I’ll tell you that part of the system later.

Now listen, y’all remember how my computer had a meltdown several weeks ago? Well, it’s taken a good, long while to figure out what information was lost by sifting through emails, social media posts, and journal entries to reconstruct it. (Remember what I said about ways to check, double check, and triple check things?) I hope I’m not being overly optimistic when I say give me another 2 days, and I think I’ll have Humpty Dumpty put back together again and we’ll get back to our Sunday recap posts and a whole bunch of other goodness.

~~~~~~~

Other places to gather around The 70273 Project water cooler:

Shop with Amazon Smile and support The 70273 Project.

Subscribe to the blog (where all information is shared).

Join the English-speaking Facebook group – our e-campfire – where you can talk to other members of The 70273 Project Tribe.

Join the French-speaking Facebook group – our other e-campfire – where you can chat with other members of The 70273 Project Tribe.

Like the Facebook page where you can check in for frequent updates.

Get folks to help celebrate your birthday by making blocks and/or donating bucks.

Follow the pinterest board for visual information.

Post using #the70273project on Instagram. (Please tag me, too, @whollyjeanne, so I don’t miss anything.)

Tell your friends what you want for your birthday.

And if you haven’t yet made some blocks, perhaps you’d like to put some cloth in your hands and join us.

Or maybe you’d like to gather friends and family, colleagues or students, club or guild members, etc. together and make a group quilt.

Quilts 44 and 45 Stitched in France

May 18, 2017 / jeanne / 1 Comment

Dear Jeanne,

Not far from Lacaze, where 35 quilts will be displayed for the Project 70273 on June,25th, a group of ladies worked hard to take part in it. Here is their story, enjoy!

Katell

We are a group of 14 happy quilters, gathering every Tuesday afternoon, some of us for more than 10 years. We used to have the name of our room, called Les Salvages, indeed we rescue sometimes old fabrics! But our new name, les Can’canettes, is a joke with the French name for bobbin (canette) and French cancan. We live near the birth place of the famous painter Toulouse-Lautrec!

We live in a delightful small town called Castres, famous for their houses along the river l’Agout. Last year we made a collective quilt showing this idyllic scene. It is now displayed in the airport Castres-Mazamet.

We heard about the Project 70273 on Katell’s blog La Ruche des Quilteuses and decided to take part in it. All volunteers decided first to make each 7 blocks, then we were encouraged to make them in two quilts for the exhibition in Lacaze, on June, 25^th, 40 minutes away from Castres.

The first one is made of 46 blocks and shows two crosses made of crosses. 8 persons took part in it and one person pieced and quilted it but wishes to remain anonymous. Thank you!

This quilt has Number 44, shows 46 blocks, and measures 1.45 m x 1.38 m.

The second one is more traditional and shows 56 blocks. Ten persons took part in it and Jo made the top and quilting. It is Number 45 and is 1.12 m x 1.29 m.

To sum up our participation, 13 quilters took part in the Project 70273: Yvette DURAND, Carole GIOVANOLLA, Béatrice TAVIRRE, Claudine BIZE, Colette BOUISSET, Dominique MEDARD, Jo DROUET and 6 wish to be anonymous. Our two quilts are here for 102 victims.

We will be so happy and honored to meet Jeanne HEWELL – CHAMBERS on June 25th in Lacaze! We are very proud to have contributed to this tremendous project.

Jo Drouet

~~~~~~~

Hello Katell, Jo, Yvette, Carole, Beatrice, Claudine, Colette, Dominique, and others! What a fun group you must be – the name of your group makes me chuckle aloud – and how I would love to sit with you stitching on rescued fabric (my favorite). 102 more people are now commemorated thanks to your generous efforts. I am counting down the days till I stand beside you and gaze upon these quilts from your hands and hearts. It will be a fine day, a very fine day. (And it won’t be long now!) Merci beaucoup.

Love,
Jeanne

~~~~~~~

Other places to gather around The 70273 Project water cooler:

Shop with Amazon Smile and support The 70273 Project.

Subscribe to the blog (where all information is shared).

Join the English-speaking Facebook group – our e-campfire – where you can talk to other members of The 70273 Project Tribe.

Join the French-speaking Facebook group – our other e-campfire – where you can chat with other members of The 70273 Project Tribe.

Like the Facebook page where you can check in for frequent updates.

Get folks to help celebrate your birthday by making blocks and/or donating bucks.

Follow the pinterest board for visual information.

Post using #the70273project on Instagram. (Please tag me, too, @whollyjeanne, so I don’t miss anything.)

Tell your friends what you want for your birthday.

And if you haven’t yet made some blocks, perhaps you’d like to put some cloth in your hands and join us.

Or maybe you’d like to gather friends and family, colleagues or students, club or guild members, etc. together and make a group quilt.

My Performance Evaluation

May 15, 2017 / jeanne / 4 Comments

the performance evaluation I longed for. maybe next time.

My boss (me) calls me in today for my timely performance review and evaluation. It started out on a somewhat positive note, our meeting did . . .

The Boss Me: Well, Sugar, did you have a big time last week with your family at the beach?
The Me Me: I sure did! It was nonstop chaos, and I loved every minute of it. Every single minute. It sure did fly by, though. Would you like to see some photos?
The Boss Me: Well, you are so sweet to offer, but I think we have some other things we need to talk about right now.
The Me Me: Okay, shoot.
The Boss Me: First of all, I just want to tell you how excited I still am about The 70273 Project. It has attracted more big-heated, compassionate, caring people than I ever dared dream exist.
The Me Me: Oh my goodness, isn’t that the truth?
The Boss Me: Please don’t interrupt. I get enough of that at home.
The Me Me: Tell me about it. I mean, Yes ma’am.

then things turned rather quickly . . .

The Boss Me: I’m sure it will come as no surprise to hear that you’ve been absent far too many days.
The Me Me: I know. Things have been pretty busy since last November, what with company, holidays, illnesses, family needs and issues, Nancy, my computer meltdown, moving our daughter, our family business, travel – hey, I have done some traveling for The 70273 Project – but yeah, you’re right: I’ve been out waaayyy too much. The work is portable, but when I travel, there are people who need or want to see me, and then I get tired and have to go to bed at a reasonable hour like other people because I just can’t pull all-nighters any more and have the brain to put words together to tell about it the next day.
The Boss Me: I’m glad you see it, too. I appreciate that, and I know your life is full – everybody’s is, but we’re talking about you right now.

The Boss Me: You are more weeks behind on your recaps than I can count.
The Me Me: Yes ma’am [because you can never go wrong with good manners]. I would like to point out, though, if I may, that I can’t update the block count when I’m not home to receive the mail, and several weeks ago, my computer had a meltdown, and I lost a lot of project information. I first had to figure out what information was missing (and let me tell you how much fun that was), then I had to set about recreating what was missing.
The Boss Me: And what’s the status of that?
The Me Me: I’m still working on the recreating part. Like most everything I do (or want and need to do), it takes rather large blocks of uninterrupted time . . . something that is nigh near impossible to come by.

The Boss Me: Yes, well, I see that you’re also woefully behind on sending out thank you notes, penning blog posts, creating quilt labels, getting bundles together, completing the web site makeover, and a host of other things. What have you to say about that?
The Me Me: Guilty as charged, and embarrassed more than I can tell you.

The Boss Me: Before I go any further, I’d like to slip on my Enlightened Leader Hat and ask if you’d like to say anything.
The Me Me: Thank you for this opportunity. I, too, am incredibly embarrassed by and weighted down by the unspoken apology of my performance of late. You should see what kind of leader I am on the inside. I’m on time, I’m fun, I’m cheerful and supportive and encouraging. I create automatic responders to emails when I’m going to be out of town; I pen a queue of blog posts that go out even when I’m not here to mash the publish button; and I never miss a weekly update. I have so many ideas, and I reveal them regularly with complete, easy-to-follow guidelines and instructions. I marvel people with my enthusiasm and attentiveness. My deep gratitude to all who help commemorate to shine through in the way I conduct myself and communicate and lead. On the inside, I am the poster girl for servant leadership. I like that Me the best of all – I want to be her, and I hereby vow to do that.

The Boss Me: I don’t think of anything I can add to that, except to ask when you think you might get started becoming That Kickass Jeanne?
The Me Me: I start tomorrow. Now I have to tell you that it’s unreasonable to think I could promise to be caught up by the end of this week, especially since I fly out on Thursday to celebrate Calder Ray’s first birthday, and I still have all the other responsibilities in the circle called Jeanne’s Life, but I can at least get started tomorrow.

The Boss Me: Okay then. I think our work here is done. I look forward to tomorrow – the first day of becoming That Kickass Jeanne.
The Me Me: Me, too, Sugar. Me, too. Now may I please be excused ’cause That Kickass Jeanne likes to get started on things early, and she has an awful full to do list. (And her bedtime is right around the corner.)

~~~~~~~

Other places to gather around The 70273 Project water cooler:

Shop with Amazon Smile and support The 70273 Project.

Subscribe to the blog (where all information is shared).

Join the English-speaking Facebook group – our e-campfire – where you can talk to other members of The 70273 Project Tribe.

Join the French-speaking Facebook group – our other e-campfire – where you can chat with other members of The 70273 Project Tribe.

Like the Facebook page where you can check in for frequent updates.

Get folks to help celebrate your birthday by making blocks and/or donating bucks.

Follow the pinterest board for visual information.

Post using #the70273project on Instagram. (Please tag me, too, @whollyjeanne, so I don’t miss anything.)

Tell your friends what you want for your birthday.

And if you haven’t yet made some blocks, perhaps you’d like to put some cloth in your hands and join us.

Or maybe you’d like to gather friends and family, colleagues or students, club or guild members, etc. together and make a group quilt.

Quilt 125: a Long Skinny from Margaret Jackson’s Family

May 1, 2017 / jeanne / 0 Comments

The 70273 Project Quilt 125: 52 lives commemorated. Dimensions: 15 in x 111.75 in / 38 cm x 284 cm

Blocks made by Sharmai and Cheylee

Blocks made by Demi and Alisha

Dear Jeanne,

My son and the children were invited to Sunday Lunch one Sunday in March 2017. This was not an unusual occurrence as they often come for lunch, but on this particular Sunday they found the dining table covered in materials for making blocks for The 70273 Project.

Alisha

They were told, in an age-appropriate way (Alisha was only seven years old at the time) about the project and the plight of the 70,273 people who lost their lives. They all agreed to make as many blocks as they could before lunch was ready. The result was 41 blocks made by my son, Steve, and the children. I added 11 blocks that I had made previously. I then piece and quilted all of the blocks to make Quilt #125.

Three generations of Margaret’s Family

I am so proud of my family, especially my son Steve who lost his wife, Donna, to cancer five years ago. Steve then took on the task of raising not only their two little girls – Alisha, aged 2 and Demi-lea, aged 6 – but also Donna’s four children from her previous relationship.

Donna was only in her thirties when she died; Steve is only in his mid-forties now. Steve has brought these six children through those long, dark days of Donna’s illness and then her death. He is a wonderful father to them all.

The older children are beginning to go out into the world to make their own lives, but they will always have a wonderfully loving home and father to support them when needed.

Love,

Margaret Jackson

~~~

What a lovely and loving family you have, Margaret – I know you are proud of them – and despite being a Picky Eater of the First Order, I sure do like what you cooked up for lunch on this particular Sunday in March! What a compassionate man your son, Steve, is – obviously, he was raised Right. Thank y’all for adding another beautiful Long Skinny quilt to The 70273 Project, and thank you for all you’re doing to share The 70273 Project in the UK. Exciting things are percolating across The Pond!

Would you, Dear Reader, like to make a quilt for The 70273 Project? It’s easier than ever, and you have options. You can make a quilt from blocks, you can make a Middling quilt, or you can make a Long Skinny quilt like Margaret and her family did. You can find the information you need right here. And if you’d like to support The 70273 Project but quilting just isn’t your thing, perhaps you’d like to make a financial contribution by mashing the “Donate” button in the righthand sidebar.

Blocks and a Story from Annie H

April 26, 2017 / jeanne / 0 Comments

Blocks made by Annie H. who lives in France

Annie H.’s beautiful story in French, then English . . .

J’ai exercé le métier de préparatrice en pharmacie jusqu’à 55 ans, puis je me suis occupée d’une tante âgée de 93 ans atteinte de la maladie d’Alzheimer, jusqu’à ses 98 ans. Je suis mariée et mère de 3 garçons, grand-mère de 2 petits-enfants. Je suis maintenant à la retraite et j’en profite pour faire toutes ses occupations que je n’avais pas vraiment le temps de pratiquer avant.

Mon hobby de prédilection est le point de croix que je pratique depuis de nombreuses années, mais j’aime aussi beaucoup le crochet, le tricot, la couture, les miniatures au 12ème et… le patchwork. C’est en inscrivant sur le blog de Katell: La Ruche des Quilteuses, que j’ai découvert Le Projet 70273.

J’ai été sensibilisée par ce drame, mais surtout en lisant tous ces témoignages de personnes qui ont des souvenirs personnels de cette époque. Et aussi par toutes celles qui ont dans leurs proches quelqu’un de plus ou moins handicapé, qui aurait été sans aucun doute des victimes de ces monstres.Moi-même, j’ai eu un fort strabisme jusqu’à ce que l’on m’opère à 12 ans, je pense que j’aurais pu avoir droit à mes 2 croix.

Ces blocs représentent pour moi un geste affectueux envers les victimes, et en même temps, la colère à travers les croix rouges pour les “médecins” nazis qui les ont tracées. Ces bourreaux ont les mains ensanglantées, c’est pourquoi l’un de mes blocs comporte une croix faite d’empreintes et l’autre de vernis à ongle rouge symbolisant le sang de la victime. Mes premiers blocs ont laissé place à l’émotion plus qu’au rendement. Les suivants seront plus simples et rapides à faire, pour faire “du nombre”, parce que bien que la mobilisation s’intensifie, il y a encore BEAUCOUP BEAUCOUP à faire pour arriver aux 1100 quilts.

Je suis fière de participer à ce projet, et j’espère qu’à son terme, il fera réfléchir les jeunes générations à ce qu’une minorité d’extrémistes peuvent accomplir en horreurs au nom d’un certain idéal. Ce projet prendra du temps, mais il ne faudra jamais l’abandonner! l’union fait la force, ne l’oublions pas.

Blocks by Annie H., France

And now, in English (with a little help from Google Translate, just so you know) . . .

I worked as a pharmacy preparer until age 55, and then I took care of a 93-year-old aunt with Alzheimer’s disease, until she was 98 years old. I am married and mother of 3 boys, grandmother of 2 grandchildren. I am now retired and I take the opportunity to do all his work that I did not really have time to practice before.

My favorite hobby is the cross stitch that I have been practicing for many years, but I also love crochet, knitting, sewing, miniatures on the 12th and … patchwork. It is by writing on the blog of Katell: La Ruche des Quilteuses, that I discovered Project 70273.

I was sensitized by this drama, but especially by reading all these testimonies of people who have personal memories of that time. And also by all those who have in their relatives someone more or less handicapped, who would undoubtedly have been the victims of these monsters. Myself, I had a strong strabismus until I was operated at 12 years, I think I could have been entitled to my two crosses.

These blocks represent for me an affectionate gesture towards the victims, and at the same time, anger through the red crosses for the Nazi “doctors” who have traced them. These executioners have their hands bloodied, that’s why one of my blocks has a cross made of prints and the other of red nail varnish symbolizing the blood of the victim. My first blocks have given way to emotion rather than to performance. The next ones will be simpler and quicker to do, to make “of the number”, because although the mobilization intensifies, there is still MUCH MUCH to make to arrive at the 1100 quilts.

I am proud to participate in this project, and I hope that in the end it will make the younger generations reflect on what a minority of extremists can accomplish in horror in the name of a certain ideal. This project will take time, but it should never be abandoned! Union is strength, let us not forget it.

~~~

Thank you, Annie. Your words are every bit as beautiful as your blocks. And you’re right: There is much, much more to do before we’ve commemorated every one of the 70,273 disabled people who were murdered, and we won’t stop stitching until every one of them has been remembered in stitch.

Perhaps you’d like to make blocks, dear readers? Maybe you’d like to request a bundle of blocks for you to piece and quilt? Or maybe you’d like to make your own complete quilt using blocks made by you, your family, your friends. And hey, if you’d like to do something a little different, if you’d like to flex your creative commemorative wings, you can make Middlings or Long Skinnies. (Other ways to make quilts are coming soon, so stay tuned for that.)