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An Apology for the Past and a Plan for the Future

October 1, 2019 / jeanne / 0 Comments

smiling woman wearing red heart-shaped glasses wearing a blue hat with a big pink flower stands in front of a waterfall

It’s me, Jeanne, waaring the hat (I haven’t been able to find a red one) I wear on Eye Treatment Days to protect my eyes from the pain of sunlight ’cause even 2 layers of those dilation glasses don’t do the trick. Plus it makes me smile, this hat with its pretend (artificial) dahlia.

Dear Members of The 70273 Project Community,

I have not been a good leader this year. I have not been a good steward of your involvement, enthusiasm, commitment. There are reasons – no excuses, just reasons . . .

A Diagnosis

In fall 2018, my vision began deteriorating. By our third anniversary in February 2019, I could ignore it any longer. In March I went to the ophthalmologist in search of a new prescription. I did not get a new prescription, instead I got a referral to a retina specialist. In April I had a diagnosis: wet macular degeneration. I was asked to participate in a clinical trial, and after much research, I decided to give it a try. The monthly treatments started in April 2019.

Not liking to inconvenience or worry anybody, I kept my chin up and my feet in motion. By mid-May I was wising someone would offer me to a gold star if I’d pick up the Empire State Building and move it from New York to Atlanta because that would have been ever so much easier than throwing my first leg off the side of the bed every morning. I had to face it: I was in the quagmire of depression. It wasn’t allergies, I was in mourning.

I decided to do what I encourage others to do: pull out the white flag. Knowing that fighting it is futile, I succumbed.

Transitioning

Things are better now. The depression still nibbles at me some days, and I still have the occasional vegging-out day when the most physical effort I exert is walking to the sofa then to the bathroom and back.

The eyesight is somewhat improved, and I struggle to say that aloud for fear it will jinx something, that the Eye Sight Goddess will deem me cocky and overly-confident and smite me. In August, feeling emboldened by seeing a few more letters on the visual acuity chart, I asked about getting a new prescription for my glasses. After much consideration, he gave a reluctant okay. September’s treatment showed not improvement but deterioration – enough to make Dr. Bridges tell me to cancel my ophthalmologist appointment and say he might suggest I pull out of the clinical trial. We’ll know more tomorrow when I go for my seventh treatment. If you’d put me on your Positive Thoughts / Healing Energy / Prayer lists, I would be oh so grateful.

Looking Forward

Because I feel adrift when I don’t journal and because I haven’t been doing that while in the blackness of grief and depression, I created a journal system that suits me just fine. I’ll write about it soon. I also bought I don’t know how many index cards and a storage case. I’ll write about that later, too. Because walking makes me feel like a different person and because I sort and solve things quicker when my feet are in motion, I’ve begun walking a minimum of 10,000 steps each day. 12,500 is my preferred minimum, but I’m careful to not set myself up to fail. And any day now, I will start yoga.

I have ideas for 2 more quilt themes, and several more creative projects under the umbrella of The 70273 Project that I think y’all will like a lot. I also want to do what I’ve longed to do for a while and really amp up the project’s podcast.

Now I am an accomplishment-oriented girl from way back, and I need the structure of a plan to help move me and The 70273 Project forward from here. I don’t know how or where it will happen (only that it will happen soon and that things are complicated by the fact that I am not allowed to drive), but what I really need is a retreat, time to be quiet and have space to think and plan. That’s when I’ll assign a target date for each idea, draw up guidelines, create things that knock around in my heart. That plan will be the ladder needed to move me . . . to move us out of the quicksand and back to sunlit ground. Stay tuned for that.

Gratitude

Thank y’all for your patience and tenderness with me. I don’t always reply to each individual comment on Facebook or here on the blog or over at Instagram, but that doesn’t mean I don’t read and appreciate them. Don’t ever think that. I read, reread, reread, and reread some more your good words. Read them before every treatment and many times in between. Your words of encouragement, support, and caring are my heart’s charm bracelet.

And thank you for not giving up on and walking away from The 70273 Project. We’re still here, and things are still percolating, and we still have a few things left to do before we turn the lights off.

Love,
Jeanne

Days 2 and 3 at University of Central Missouri

September 26, 2019 / jeanne / 0 Comments

People came in.
More people came in.
Still more people came in.
And just like that, instead of empty tables, we had 80 people and few empty chairs.
Students, professors, and some leaders at the University of Central Missouri brought a brown bag lunch and gathered in the basement of the Chapel to hear more about The 70273 Project.

They didn’t leave, even when this is what greeted them.

When looking at the photos taken by The 70273 Project Documentarian Alison Chambers, I discovered these photos of Dr. Clifford-Napoleone introducing me and me speaking. We already share so many traits, characteristics, beliefs, and Southernisms Amber and I do, might this be more evidence that we were separated at birth?

There were really good questions, as I’ve come to look forward to from students here at the University of Central Missouri, and I’m delighted to tell you that the goodness of the conversations grew as the faculty joined in. It was great.

Honor Roll of Alumni Faculty and Students for whom the Chapel is dedicated

The Alumni Chapel, site of the Brown Bag Lunch, was built in honor of students, staff, and professors who lost their lives in World War 1, World War 2, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan.

Alison and I left the Chapel and went to the UCMo bookstore, where textbooks are displayed on open shelves just like in the good ole’ days before non-student textbook geeks like us weren’t allowed to poke around. Somehow I only bought three books.

Wednesday evening found us talking to folks at the Warrensburg First Presbyterian Church. It was another great group of delightful people, fantastic questions, and communal tears of joy and pain shed by women who are grandmothers, mothers, teachers, friends, siblings, and just plain ole’ caring women.

Miles Apart, Art Quilt by Susan Stevenson. This is the one that was in the Fissures Exhibit.

An Uneasy Chair, Art Quilt by Susan Stevenson

As I moved from pew to pew introducing myself before the program began, Susan Stevenson introduced herself to me. We both had a quilt juried into the Fissures exhibit at the Emerald Art Center in Oregon last year. AND I saw two of her amazing quilts (shown here with her permission) in the Faculty Art Gallery the day before as I was leaving the building after talking with the Fibers Class that was filled mostly with Art Education majors. Susan teaches Interior Design at University of Central Missouri, and I’m delighted to have met another talented art quilter in person!

L to R: Amber Clifford-Napoleone, Emma, and Jeanne

From the church, we went to Café Blackadder where we had the best supper. Alison got a large slab of tree that was filled with yummy fresh fruits. I’ve never been accused of being a foodie, y’all, but I sure did enjoy my grilled cheese / fig / balsamic vinegar / garlic mayonnaise sandwich with a side of sea salt chips. (It also came with pickled red onions, but I asked that they lave those off.) And just wait till you hear how Emma (shown above) spent her summer, coming soon to a blog post near you.

Thursday morning found us at the McClure Archives and University Museum enjoying unscheduled conversations with students, some of whom taped short videos telling us about how The 70273 Project impacts them.

At 2:00 Thursday afternoon I had the honor of speaking to another great group of interested folks at the Midwest Center for Holocaust Education. More good conversations, more good questions. When we arrived, we couldn’t help but notice how many armed security guards were in attendance, each wearing a bulletproof vest. Most interior office doors – even the ones with glass – were locked so we had to be buzzed in. Such security measures were necessary in the aftermath of the murders committed there several years ago. It all made me feel safe and sad at the same time.

It was still early when we left the Jewish Campus, so Alison and I took ourselves to one movie, and as we were ordering the food that would be delivered to us in the theatre, we decided that the timing worked out just fine for us to see an another movie. We saw “Angel Has Fallen” first (we were the only two in the theatre, and wouldn’t you know this is the chair I sat in.) (Yes, I moved.) then there was just enough time to grab a drink at the theatre’s bar before going to see . . . wait for it . . . “Downton Abbey.”

As we exited the theatre, we were greeted with the delicious sound of “That Old Time Rock and Roll”, and it was live music. Following our ears (that’s what Alison did – I danced down the sidewalk), we landed right smack dab in a street party. What a fun surprise! The sidewalk jewelry said “Dance fist. Think later,” and that’s just what we did.

Two more days at this wonderful place. Alison and I want time to slow down.

A Day of Questions and Goodness at University of Central Missouri

September 18, 2019 / jeanne / 0 Comments

two women stand in front of a sign that says

Daughter Alison is with me at University of Central Missouri. a history major who is keen on such things, will now help me preserve, archive, and catalogue information is now The 70273 Project Documentarian.

It was good to get reacquainted with the quilts. I think they were as almost as glad to see me as I was to see them.

Firs stop of the day was to a Fiber Arts Class taught by Professor Mick Luehrman. Many of these students are Art Education majors, so I gave a brief overview of The 70273 Project then spent time talking about Nancy’s work and how it has changed and evolved since June 2012 when she began drawing.

Next it was back to the McClure Archives and University Museum where I had the honor of speaking to Dr. Clifford’s Cultural Anthropology class. Their paper about The 70273 Project is due on Thursday, 19 September 2019, and because they’d just discussed construction of cultures, I focused my talk on Aktion T4.

One student showed me photos of the Hawaiian quilts his sister makes. He’s very proud of her, and rightly so.

I even shot a short video for him to send her, inviting her to bring Hawaii into The 70273 Project.
Fingers crossed.

Several of the Cultural Anthropology students stayed after the talk, taking a closer look at the quilts and snapping photos (They asked Dr. Clifford first), perhaps for their papers. Many of them wandered over to ask me more questions or just to chat a bit about the project or history. Collin Shepherd, the man on the left (name used with his permission), says “I love the simplicity of the project and that anybody can participate. The simplicity makes it powerful.” Such good questions they asked. And how I enjoyed getting a glimpse of how their brains work, how they are using critical thinking skills (yay!) and diving deep in thoughtfulness for a blast of insightfulness.

Two reporters were there before, during, and after my presentation to the Cultural Anthropology students. Heather Berry of Rural Missouri (L) and Derek Brizendine of The Daily Star Journal (R). (Now listen, y’all. The Daily Star Journal comes out on Friday, and we’ll still be here so I can get a couple of copies of that, but I need y’all to promise me faithfully that you’ll send me a copy of Rural Missouri when it comes out with the article in it.) They, too, asked terrific questions and seemed keenly interested. Heather is working on her second quilt and using her sewing machine. Her first quilt was done by hand as she spent time with her mother who was dealing with cancer. Fortunately, Heather was able to show her mother the finished quilt before she died. And guess what: she promises to get involved with The 70273 Project and make a quilt! Derek’s burning question (delivered after the students left): “Tell me about your shirt and your glasses.” They were so much fun.

After bidding farewell to Heather, Derek and the Cultural Anthropology students, it was time for the Art and Collaboration class taught by Dr. Melanie Johnson. These students are pursuing majors in a variety of fields – sports medicine, business, music, and more that escape me right now – so after a brief overview of The 70273 Project, I focused on collaborating with Nancy and with people from around the world, and what it’s like leading a ginormous group of kind, compassionate, creative volunteers. Theses students, like the ones before them, were delightfully engaged, inquisitive, and observant. They continued the tradition of asking thoughtful, pertinent questions. Good questions seems to be the theme of the day. Do you have questions? If so, let me know because I plan to post the questions and my answers in future blog posts.

We left campus with a smile on our face and much to talk about. After a stop by the drug store and the college bookstore (where I purchased a tote bag which will be much easier to get to things we need instead of having to negotiate a suitcase), we came back to the apartment. The plan was to rest for an hour or so, then go to Amber’s house to see Tara and meet their goats. But you know what actually happened? Energized as I was, I want you to know that I sat down and went promptly to sleep. I was in such a deep sleep that Alison couldn’t wake me up till near midnight, so we’ll meet the goats and hear all about Amber’s shiny, new Fulbright scholarship later in the week.

It was a good day, a great day, an amazing, astonishing, absolutely sublime day. Parents, if your child is considering the University of Central Missouri, put it on the short list. If they’re not considering UCMo yet, put it on the short list to visit. Professors, Museum Directors, and Accessibility Staffers on college and university campuses, consider inviting The 70273 Project for an exhibit, class visits, presentations on and around campus, and a block drive. I’ll make you look good, I promise.

If you’re in the vicinity of University of Central Missouri, here’s the schedule for the rest of this week:
Wednesday, 18 Sept 2019
12 to 1:30, students, staff, and faculty are invited to a brown bag lunch with Jeanne in the Chapel Basement
5:00 p.m. Jeanne will present “The 70273 Project: a Backstage Pass” at the Warrensburg Presbyterian Church. This even is open to the public, so y’all come on.
6:30 p.m. Community dinner with Jeanne Hewell-Chambers at Café Blackadder. By invitation only. Attendees pay for their own meal.

Thursday, 19 Sept 2019
2:00 p.m. Lecture (The 70273 Project: a Backstage Pass) at Midwest Center for Holocaust Education in Kansas City

Saturday, 21 September 2019
9 am to 12 pm Block Drive in downtown Warrensburg Courthouse Square. All ages invited. No sewing skills necessary.

Hope to see y’all at some of these events, and Dr. Amber Clifford (above l to r: Dr. Clifford, Jeanne, Dr. Melanie Johnson, who was wearing the cutest shoes you ever saw), thank you again for this week.

A Single Sheet of Paper

September 11, 2019 / jeanne / 0 Comments

She stops me, this incredible woman and artist I now know as Miki Willa, and tells me a story . . . this story:

“I knew what to do,” says Miki, “because I’ve watched Nancy express herself through pen and paper, though art.”

The Little Paper That Could

These are Vanessa’s marks. These size of the paper is about 3″ x 5″, while the size of the meaning is limitless, unmeasurable.

As Though That Isn’t Amazing In and Of Itself

In 2014, when Kathy Loomis mentioned that there were still spots available in the Dorothy Caldwell workshop in Louisville. I put my name on a chair. Never one to sit still, I took In Our Own Language 3 along to work on during “down times”. Dorothy saw me stitching and asked me to kick the next day off by talking about In Our Own Language 3..

After the following morning’s impromptu presentation, a woman sitting behind me my now-friend Rosemary Claus-Gray suggested I write a book about my collaboration with Nancy to give other families hope and encouragement to find ways to communicate with their loved ones that don’t involve the spoken word. She even wrote the foreword to nudge me to get started. Though I haven’t written the first word, I hold Rosemary’s foreward in a safe, special place so I can find it when I do shove all else aside and write this book. It will happen, Rosemary, I promise, Thank you for listening to your intuition and making the suggestion. And thank you, Miki, for changing lives with a single sheet of paper.

Quilts on Display at Sacred Threads 2019

2 women stand beside a quilt of the Buddha

Miki and Jeanne stand in front of Miki’s quilt Meeting the Buddha on the Path (48″ x 34″) on display at Sacred Threads 2019. When arranging ourselves for the photo, Miki placed me so that the Buddha’s hand touched my shoulder because the Buddha’s raised hand is a blessing offered. (And you thought the Buddha was doing “rabbit ears” behind me!) Ever since Miki told me that, I offer a silent blessing when waving to someone.

2 women stand beside a black quilt covered with colorful doodles and a little girl's white pinafore (dress)

Miki and Jeanne stand with Jeanne and Nancy’s quilt, Playground of Her Soul.

Isn’t it astonishing how much goodness happens when we pay attention?

~~~~~~~

Right this way for more 70273 Project videos.

University of Central Missouri, Here We Come Again!

September 9, 2019 / jeanne / 0 Comments

The amazing Amber Clifford-Napoleone, Ph.D., professor, Director of the McClure Archives and Museum, and Curator of the largest and longest exhibit to date of The 70273 Project has done it again! Y’all may remember that last March found me on the beautiful campus of the University of Central Missouri, delivering the kick-off speech for Politics and Social Justice Week. Well now she’s put together a full week of educational, brain-and-heart-expanding goodness.

The Schedule

Tuesday, September 17
~ Visit to an Art class on Fibers to speak about studio and project process
~ 12 to 1:30 p.m.: Lunch and Tour with press at the McClure
~ Possibility that another classroom lecture will be added
~ Possible informal chat with students over a brown bag lunch

Wednesday, September 18
~ 12 to 1:30 p.m.: Lunch with students in Chapel Basement
~ 5:00 p.m.: Public lecture at Warrensburg First Presbyterian Church, The 70273 Project: A Backstage Pass
~ 6:30 p.m.: Community Dinner with Jeanne at Café Blackadder (by invitation, attendees pay for their own meal)

Thursday, September 19
~ 11:00 a.m.: Special screening of The Eugenics Crusade: What’s Wrong with Perfect? in Wood 205 on the campus of University of Central Missouri
~ 2:00 p.m.: The 70273 Project: A Backstage Pass Lecture at the Midwest Center for Holocaust Education, Multi-Activity Center Room / Jewish Community Campus / 5801 West 115th Street / Overland Park, Kansas 66211. Reservations are required and can be made here.

Friday, September 20
~ Open. Want to meet-up somewhere? Want me to speak to your group? I welcome any opportunity to meet and make, show and tell. Let me know asap and let’s make it happen.

Saturday, September 21
~ 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.: The 70273 Project Block Drive in downtown Warrensburg Courthouse Square. All ages welcome. No sewing skills necessary. Supplies will be provided for those wishing to make blocks to commemorate those who were murdered. Quilters and stitchers are welcome to drop off already completed blocks and stay to chat a while.

Check Back Often

Would you like to come to some of these gatherings? Maybe you want to get some friends together and take a field trip? Amber and I are finalizing the details this week, so check back often for information of added events and specifics on things like times, places, parking places and passes, directions, etc.

Updates from Me

I am enjoying some improvement in my vision. Your good thoughts, prayers, healing energy, encouragement, and support continue to make all the difference. I also appreciate your patience as I learned to deal with my impaired vision and gave way to the possibly/probably inevitable depression that followed the diagnosis. I’m back now, and raring to go. So many ideas to share here, so come back by often. The 70273 Project isn’t over yet! Not by a long shot.

So Grateful

A great big huge thank you to Amber for investing the time and energy to put all this together, and to my daughter Alison who will be my eyes and chauffeur since I still am not allowed to drive. And to all of y’all who continue to be part of The 70273 Project.

I hope some of y’all can come. And I hope you’ll share this post with others who might be interested in attending.

~~~~~~~

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46 Years and Counting!

July 31, 2019 / jeanne / 0 Comments

man carries woman in wedding dress out of church

Selfies
GPS
Personal computers
Mobile phones
Credit cards
Drive-thru pharmacies
Online shopping
Social media
Blogs
Internet
Digital books
Teslas
Insulin pumps
Microwaves
Water dispensers in refrigerators
High speed copy machines
Electric scissors
Serger sewing machiens
Netflix
Uber and Lyft
“Smart” home gizmos
Air
Dirt
Bricks

So many things are now part of our everyday lives that didn’t exist 46 years ago when The Engineer (a.k.a. Andy) and I met at the altar and said “Oh hell yes, we will!” So much has changed. Shoot, even our love has changed since that Tuesday night, 31 July 1973. But there’s one thing that hasn’t changed a bit in 46 years: my gratitude to the Sweet Spirit of Surprise for introducing me to Andy; to my Bones for having the good sense to know a good man from the get-go and being fearless in marrying him 6 months after we met; and to Andy because after this long, with so much water still flowing under the bridge, gratitude and love are quite interwoven and often indistinguishable.

We’re off for a play day now. Thanks for sharing the decades of (mostly) joy with us.

woman and man standing on beach at sunset

(Parts of) our love story in previous anniversary posts:
Love with 42 Years on the Odometer

The “Re” Nobody Tells You About

40 Years Through the OUR Glass

39 Years of Togetherness

Marking Time

36 Years and Counting

woman in red and man in blue stand before a black quilt with marks stitched in off white thread

Bits of Interest

July 15, 2019 / jeanne / 0 Comments

Interviews, sending information, formatting and sending photos, answering questions – as always, life is like a crazy quilt with much going on behind the scenes and filling my days at The 70273 Project, and many things are now coming to fruition . . .

Curated Quilts Magazine

Every issue of Curated Quilts is an opportunity to attend a juried exhibit from the comfort of your own home. Each quarterly issue – available in print or digital versions – features a central theme and images of quilts selected for inclusion in the gallery, along with interviews, inspiration, techniques, and patterns. The magazine is printed on heavy stock paper that’s a delight to touch, the page layouts are beautifully designed, and the quilts in the gallery are a delight to behold. It’s more like a coffee table book that you’ll enjoy looking at over and over.

In early April, Amy Ellis, one half of the Curated quilts team, emailed to ask permission to include one of The 70273 Project quilts in issue #8 featuring Well Said quilts. “Specifically, we would like to feature your quilt in our gallery. A quilt from your 70273 Project would make a beautiful addition to our group of quilts curated to feature Well Said quilts,” writes Amy. I’m delighted to tell y’all that Curated Quilts Issue #8 is out, and The 70273 Project Quilt #10 is on page 13! Thank you, Amy and Christine for thinking of The 70273 Project. It’s an honor to be included.

a page in a magazine containing a photo of and an article about Quilt #10 of The 70273 Project. The quilt is a rectangular white quilt covered with pairs of red X's.

Links of interest:
Order your copy of Curated Quilts Issue #8 featuring Well Said quilts, including Quilt #10 of The 70273 Project

About Amy Ellis and Christine Ricks, the dynamos behind Curated Quilts magazine

Receive notifications of calls for submission when they are issued

The 70273 Project Quilt #10

Quilts #649 and #650 at AHEAD Conference

two women stand in front of two white quilts covered in pairs of red X's

(L ro R) Tree Kuharich, Jane Brown stand in front of (L to R) Quilts 650 and 649 at the AHEAD Conference in Boston 2019

Thanks to the encouragement of Gladys Loewen and the generous hospitality of the AHEAD – Association on Higher Education and Disabilities – leadership, The 70273 Project (Gladys Lowen, Peggy Thomas, Kevin Thomas, Andy Chambers, and I) hosted a block drive at the AHEAD 2018 conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Members of AHEAD – eople who work to make life on college and university campuses throughout the United States accessible and accommodating for students with disabilities – embraced The 70273 Project, and I continue to be invited to make presentations to group, deliver lectures to classes, make studio visits, and host block drives on campuses near and far. It is a thrill and an honor to talk with faculty and students who study history, art, social work, and disabilities.

Both quilts were on display in the registration area of this year’s AHEAD conference. The 119 blocks made at last year’s conference were divided into bundles for two quilts and sent to Jane Thierfeld Brown, Ed.D. who pieced both tops, channeling her family history as she arranged and stitched, remembered and reflected.

woman stands besides two white quilts covered with pairs of red X's

Tree Kuharich stands beside Quilt #649 on display at the 2019 AHEAD conference in Boston. 53 lives are commemorated in this quilt that was pieced by Jane Brown and quilted by Tree.

The top for Quilt #649 (53 lives commemorated) was sent to Tree Kuharich who volunteered to quilt and finish it with a mere 3 months notice. Tree and her husband drove to Boston to view the quilts and attend one of Jane’s presentations on neurodiversity in higher education.

two white quilts covered in pairs of red X's hang between two women

Jane Brown (L) stands besides The 70273 Project Quilt #650 and Tree Kuharich (R) stands beside Quilt #649.

The top for Quilt #650 (66 lives commemorated) was sent to Gladys Loewen who quilted it using drapery fabric that once belonged to the mother-in-law of Tari Vickery as the backing. Tari hand delivered the repurposed fabric to Gladys this spring and even though she’s not a quilter, she nevertheless enthusiastically helped Gladys baste the quilt.

Thank you to all who were involved in the making of these two quilts, to those who invite me to take The 70273 Project to their campus; to AHEAD for having us host a block drive last year and displayed the quilts this year; to Kim Richards of AHEAD for taking photos, answering questions, and distributing information about the project; and to Gladys, Jane, Tree, Tari, Peggy, Kevin, Andy, and everyone who made a block in Quilts 649 and 650.

University of Central Missouri

I spoke with Amber Clifford-Napoleone, Ph.D., Director of the McClure Archives and University Museum last week, and she says people continue to stream in to see the more than 100 quilts that are on display at The McClure. Due to the success and positive reception of The 70273 Project exhibit at the University of Central Missouri, the exhibit has been extended to the end of the year. The exhibit is open to visitors from 9 am to 5 pm Monday through Thursday. Thank you, Dr. Clifford-Napoleone for all you continue to do to share this historical story, and thank you for these striking photos. I look forward to being back on campus this fall to talk to classes and your quilt guild and host a block drive.

Sacred Threads

5 white quilts covered in pairs of red X's hanging on a black background

The 70273 Project Special Exhibit at Sacred Threads 2019. Thank you, Sacred Threads, for including us and for this photo.

The Sacred Threads Exhibit opened last week, and The 70273 Project is honored to have a small Special exhibit amid some of the most amazing and powerful quilts I’ve seen in a long while. I’ll be there this week, so if you’re in the area and can come by, let me know when you’ll be there and we’ll make arrangements to meet. Oh, and my quilt Playground of Her Soul will be there, too! Can’t remember if it’s in the Grief or Joy section. I asked Curator Barbara Hollinger to decide on which side of the fine line she wanted to include it. I also created my eyes in cloth, and that piece is part of the Eye Connections exhibit.

For specific information about the exhibit – like where it’s located, the hours, and registration – visit The 70273 Project Calendar

KC Studio Article

2-page spread of magazine article featuring a quilt from The 70273 Project

KC Studio / July/August 2019 edition

The 70273 Project is the subject of an article on page 26 in the July/August 2019 edition of KC Studio – an online periodical covering the Kansas City art scene. Bryan LeBeau interviewed Amber Clifford-Napoleone, Ph.D., Director of the McClure Archives and Museum on the campus of the University of Central Missouri, he interviewed me, and he visited the exhibit. Thank you, Bryan, for being so thorough in your research, and thank you KC Studio for including us.

MoFA Stories of Importance Exhibit

Nancy and I are plum tickled to have two pieces juried into the Stories of Importance Exhibit at the Missouri Museum of Fiber Arts. Playground of Her Soul and In Our Own Language 3 will soon be on their way to Missouri for the exhibit that runs October 31, 2019 to December 13, 2019. If all goes according to plan, I’ll be there for the opening reception and Juror’s Talk from 5 to 7 pm on Thursday, October 31. If you can come, give me something to look forward to by letting me know.

That’s All for Now, Y’all

I had my fourth eye treatment last week (July 10, 2019), and though there’s some improvement, impaired vision continues to slow me down. It’s true that we exceeded our goal of 70,273 commemorations before our third anniversary – Y’all are AMAZING – and it’s also true that there’s still much happening in The 70273 Project, so stay tuned cause you’ll want to be part of things we’ve got coming up. I just know you will. Here are some of the ways you can stay in the know . . .

~ subscribe to the blog
~ subscribe to the (almost) monthly newsletter (it contains different information)
~ join our Facebook Group (the Campfire)
~ like our Facebook page
~ follow along on Instagram #70273project

70273 Welcomes Improv

June 22, 2019 / jeanne / 0 Comments

white cloth embellished with pairs of red X's

Touch Quilt being Quilted by Debra Jalbert. Photo by Debra Jalbert

Note from Jeanne: I first met Debra Jalbert of Made of Honor Quilts in July 2017 at a meeting of the Orlando Modern Quilt Guild. I was there presenting a 70273 Project trunk show, and Debra took home two bundles and turned them into quilts. She also made a mini (postcard-sized) quilt and is currently working on one of The 70273 Project Touch Quilts, created especially for people with visual impairments, young children, and those who are more tactile learners.

In May 2019, I signed up for Debra’s The Improv Experience workshop offered at the C+C Sewing Co in Orlando, Florida. Recently diagnosed with wet macular degeneration, I needed to prove to myself that I can still do and learn things. Sarah Lauzon, co-owner of the C+C Sewing Co, 70273 Project Ambassador, and friend, remained close without hovering throughout the day, always available if I needed help. One of the best things Sarah did that was incredibly helpful to my low vision was put a brightly-colored child size bandage on the plate of the sewing machine to mark the 1/4″ mark. Oh, and did I mention that I got to use her sewing machine that once belonged to her grandmother and her granddaddy before that? Yes, really. Stay tuned for that story in a blog post coming soon.

woman holding a white quilt covered with pairs of red X's up in front of a neon pink flamingo

Debra holds The 70273 Project quilt as the pink flamingo looks over her shoulder

Debra used one of The 70273 Project quilts she made in the morning’s demonstration part of the day-long workshop, weaving it in seamlessly into the essential core of improv quilts. The workshop was so informative and entertaining, I asked her to write this blog post. Please help me welcome an active member of The 70273 Project, Debra Jalbert!

Debra displays one of her improv quilts

While organizing my sample quilts for the class, I included a 70273 Project quilt to return to Jeanne since she was attending the class. That’s when I noticed that it perfectly fit into the class themes. The three major points of the class are: improvisation, collaboration, and working with a theme that includes palette limitations. The 70273 Project quilts fit this definition exactly!

The importance of collaboration was a major talking point throughout the day. What an opportunity to inspire one another through a quilting project! We created a safe environment to make mistakes – on purpose even – and then we actively shared what was learned. Freedom to work out loud was encouraged. We worked alongside one another and outside of our own head, gaining value through the opinions of others.

Another of Debra’s improv quilts. Her stories about how these quilt take shape are captivating.

What a terrific time to improve our quilting and relational skills! We certainly wanted to sew our best for our own projects and when sewing for someone else, but we don’t all have the same level of experience or the same way of doing things. Actively talking about what good communication looks like during the class helped with group cohesion and gave us moments to extend grace. We equally discovered ew sewing techniques by giving and listening to constructive advice.

Good and healthy communication is a practiced skill. Encouraging each other to give appropriate feedback with kindness and receive suggestions with grace may not always come easily or be our first reaction. Why not practice them in a safe, creative environment then take them out into our daily lives?

book with quilts on the cover and the word "Quiltcon" with each letter in a different color

Cover of the QuiltCon Catalog and Schedule, borrowed from the QuiltCon web site

Thank you, Debra, for a wonderful, confidence-building workshop. Debra will be teaching a full-day workshop at QuitlCon 2020! Here are the particulars:
~ Go to the QuiltCon web site.
~ Find the QuiltCon 2020 Catalog and Schedule
~ Select the “View PDF Schedule”
~ Read about how to register, then scroll down to find Debra’s information on page 51: PIE001 / Sewing Tiny: Piecing with Tidbits / Thursday, February 20 from 9 am to 5 pm

Today Eye Show You My I

June 13, 2019 / jeanne / 0 Comments

1. Time

I recently received a message from a friend replying privately to one of my facebook posts. She (a) expressed surprise that I continue to have issues with my vision, and (b) admonished me to accept it and move on. It occurs to me that perhaps I wasn’t very clear in my posts and in my earlier explanation. Let’s see if this post helps . . .

(a) It’s not so much a question of how rapidly the wet macular progresses as it is how much time it takes the treatments to accumulate. For the rest of my life, I will receive monthly injections in my eye. I was told from the beginning that it will take at least three treatments – maybe more – before I notice any improvement in vision. In fact, that’s the very thing the clinical trial I’m in investigates: how long will this medication retain its effectiveness before needing a boost.

(b) Hit by a car in downtown Atlanta on Friday, back in the office the following Monday. Emergency Caesarean delivery with minimal anesthesia (It was offered, I refused to inhale.), up curling my hair two days later so I didn’t look such a fright. Second Caesarean delivery 14 months later, back at home the next morning to tend my newborn and 14 month old. After my first two eye treatments, we went out to lunch and ran errands on the way home. You get the picture. I am a buck-up-and-carry-on-it-could-be-worse-so-what-are-you-complaining-about kind of girl.

However, two things happened on May 21, 2019 – the day of my second treatment – that shoved me into the pit of despair. The second one was the office visit for my treatment. Usually affable, kind, and efficient to a person, on May 21 everybody got up late or sat in traffic on the way to work or I don’t know what else, but that visit was off the rails in every way it could go off, and I felt the effects mentally, emotionally, and physically. I cried the entire five hours. Instead of leaving the office confident that I can live with this, I left feeling lower than a snake’s belly. That was only 23 days ago, and it is a big thing to adjust to low vision as well as the first time I’ve allowed myself to grieve over something that changes my life. And besides, as we all know: grief doesn’t wear a watch.

2. The World Through My Eyes

image of a right eye stitched on white gauze fabric with ribbon roses as eyelashes, all stitched to a base of strips of red, green, and blue fabric

Closeup of my eye art quilt. The eyeball is made of white gauze, and the iris is a photo (printed on fabric) of what things look like to me now.

This is a closeup of the art quilt I created for the Sacred Threads Eye Contact Exhibit. This is my artist statement written to explain this odd-looking piece that will be surrounded by unimaginably beautiful eyes.

The world comes to me through veils of gray. I know the red dirt I walk on is red only because it has always been red. Entire forests blend into one great big tree. Everything dies behind splotches of black. Nothing is straight. Trees bend. Telephone poles bend. Road signs bend. “Our windshield is defective,” I tell my husband. Details elude me. I can make our faces, but not features. I see books, but the words are smudges. I can pick up the phone and talk, but I can’t read the numbers to initiate the call.

On April 3, I am diagnosed with wet macular degeneration. On April 9 I am told that I see bad good enough to take part in a clinical trial. On April 17 I have my first treatment. For 2 years and 3 months, I will make the 1 hour and 45 minutes drive to Asheville to the retina specialist once a month for a series of tests lasting 4.5 to 5 hours. The visit begins with the visual acuity test and culminates with an injection in my eye.

Thanks to the visual acuity tests, I now know the word disheartening intimately. as I am unable to read even the largest letters on the top row of the chart. Though I enter the room feeling optimistic an hopeful, I leave in tears with drooping shoulders dragging my spirit behind me.

Much energy is spent on struggle.

I struggle to decipher what I’m looking at; to not be a burden to people who must take me everywhere I need to go; to find upbeat ways to tell both strangers and loved ones of my low vision when requesting the help I need for the simplest things, like finding my way to the gate at the airport then finding my assigned row/seat on the plane.

I eat more cheeseburgers and fries now, finding menus impossible to read.

I struggle to not scold myself or be embarrassed when I – an adult – ask for words of encouragement from those administering the tests at the eye doctor’s office. When they focus more on the procedure the on me, the patient, I remind them that my inner kindergartner responds quite well to words like “good” and “yay” and “you’re doing great.”

When having conversations with myself and others, I struggle to remain positive and to construct sentences containing portals of hope and possibility while not denying my invisible disability.

I read a book of poems that makes me laugh out loud, and while I startle at the sound of my laughter, I remember what I’ve told myself on every trip around the sun: If I can laugh at it, I can live with it. Welcome back, laugher. I’ve missed you.

3. Looking Forward

My new friend Virginia is a font of encouragement, hope, and useful information. Thanks to her example and encouragement, beginning this month, I spend the day before a treatment resting and hydrating and I spend the 2-3 days after the treatment – say it with me – resting and hydrating. Virginia reminded me that my eyes are special and deserve a little TLC.

woman in a blue blouse and a blue hat with a pink flower. she stands in front of a waterfall and trees.

Jeanne in her new Eye Hat on her way to her third eye treatment

I bought myself an Eye Hat then added – wait for it – a dahlia to smile it up a little.

man stands beside a railing overlooking a waterfall

Andy and the Railing He Build Beside our Waterfall

wooden railing to the left of a path leading up the mountain

And as if all that isn’t enough, while I was with our daughter last week, The Engineer made use of downed trees and limbs to build a railing so I can feel safe when walking up to the top of our beloved waterfall.

Oh, and never one to wear the victim role well, last week I penned and sent an email to the clinical trial manager (I call her my handler), outlining what went wrong last time and begging for help in getting us back to the quality of care I received on my first visit. I made it light hearted, but not so much so that it buried the seriousness of my words. It felt good to be proactive for myself, express what I need, and put myself in the process of scheduling future visits (something that hasn’t happened before now.

4. Third Time’s the Charm

Today is my third eye treatment. Any positive, healing, supportive, encouragement words, energy, prayers, smoke signals will be mutely appreciated.

The 70273 Project at the Minnesota Quilt Show Next Week

June 8, 2019 / jeanne / 0 Comments

a few white quilts stacked one on top of the other

a few of the quilts headed to Minnesota

The good news is: the Minnesota Quilters Show happens June 13-15, 2019, and The 70273 Project will be there as a Special Exhibit. The bad news is: I will not be there this year because at the last minute, my third eye treatment had to be rescheduled on June 13, and since I’m out of commission that day and up to three days after, well, do the math. It just won’t work this year, and I’m heartbroken. Many quilts will be there, though, and I made sure to send all the quilts I had available that contain threads of Minnesota.

red x's in a clear plastic bag, paper, tape, white quilts

preparing to ship the quilts

PREPARING QUILTS FOR TRAVEL

Ever wonder how I prepare quilts to ship to a Special Exhibit? Well, get a life . . . I mean, just pull up a chair cass I’m about to tell you.

It’s not unusual for it to take me 12 hours or more to get a shipment of quilts ready and on their way. First, I pull the quilts that have connections to the place they’re headed. I wasn’t able to get all of the quilts with connections to people who live in Minnesota because many are in exhibits elsewhere, but I sent every one I had in inventory. On a form I created, I note the quilt number, the dimensions of each quilt, and the number of commemorations in each quilt. I send that to the Special Exhibit Coordinator who does the math, figures out which quilts will best fill the space they have available, then sends me back the list of the quilts they want

After giving the now-don’t-any-of-you-take-it-personally-if-you-weren’t-selected-this-time-cause-it’s-not-about-you-it’s-all-about-the-numbers-(and-nobody-here-is-fat), I pull the requested quilts – something that will be made much faster and easier when everything is entered in The Database. That’s something you can do from anywhere in the world, so if you know you way around a spreadsheet, are on good terms with your computer, and are willing to pitch in and help, let me know and I’ll put you in touch with Peggy Thomas who is our Fearless Leader of the Data Angels. She’ll tell you everything you need to know and get you the information you need to get started. And if you’re already a Data Angel, thank you.

Back to our blog post, already in progress.

Once I’ve checked the pulled quilts against the please-send roster at least 3 times to make sure I didn’t leave anybody – I mean any quilt – out, I put the quilts in clear plastic bags for protection from the elements. I use the handy-dandy form I created to note which quilts are in each box, keeping a copy for me and tucking a copy inside each box as a packing slip. On the handy-dandy packing list form is printed in large bold letters my contact information as well as the contact information for the intended recipient. I revise the information and print out copies for the Special Exhibits Coordinator to use for the return trip.

If two quilts share a plastic bag, I tuck a note inside the bag telling which quilts are in that bag. (A seeming waste of time task that has come in handy more than once, believe it or not.) The paperwork for each box goes in page protectors to protect it from the elements, and I include clean printouts of the paper work for the return trip along with more clear plastic bags because I tape the bags shut which means the receiver will likely have to tear them open, rendering them unusable for a second trip.

Before sealing the boxes, I label them on the outside as Box 1 of 3, Box 2 of 3, Box 3 of 3, and so on. I decorate the outside of each box with something colorful (and hopefully entertaining) so if one box should miss a traffic light and get separated from the others, I can tell folks on the receiving end what to look for.

the quilts are all strapped in and only one has asked “Are we there yet?” (so far)

LET THE JOURNEY BEGIN

Once I’ve checked the quilts in each box at least 3 times (yes, there’s a lot of making a list and checking it thrice) to make sure the information on the packing list is correct, the boxes are taped shut, loaded into the truck, and off we go to find the nearest shipping place (which, if we’re in NC, is at least an hour’s drive away).

And yes, I do kiss each box as it leave my hands (you know I do) and admonish the shipper to take good care and make sure every box arrives safely. (They don’t always listen, but we’ll talk about that another day.)

When back home, I email the Special Exhibits Coordinator and give her the tracking information, intended arrival date, and, of course, my promise to do the tracking myself because she doesn’t need one more thing added to her to do list.

LESSONS LEARNED

Things I’ve learned about packing quilts for traveling:
~ Like newborn babies, the quilts are happier and safer when there’s little free space for them to move around in the box.
~ All the paperwork is not an expenditure but an investment of time. I don’t want anybody along the way to have no idea what they’re holding and who to call. (Remind me to tell you a story about that some day.)
~ The boxes – even the sturdiest ones – are good for only one trip there and back.
~ Tape is not something you skimp on.
~ I use only clear plastic bags because if somebody sees a sealed dark green or black garbage bag, well, I don’t need or want to finish that sentence for you.

words on a page showing that a package has been delivered

proof positive (you’d think so, right?)

QUILTS HAVE LANDED IN MINNESOTA

The quilts are in Minnesota, ready to be hung, receive visitors, and greet admirers. I already miss all the people I met last year and everybody I was looking forward to meeting this year.

If anybody who’s going can spend some time in The 70273 Project Exhibit to tell folks about what they’re looking at and feeling (everybody feels these quilts – they really do) and answer questions, that would be better than terrific. Let me know and I’ll tell you some of the most frequently asked questions along with my phone number so you can call me any time. And hey, y’all promise y’all will send me pictures.

plastic bags containing white cloth in a blue container

YOUR TURN

So that’s the shipping process in a nutshell. If you have other ideas and information about shipping, if you have contacts with the major shipping companies, if you have a good source for shipping supplies, if you’d like to exhibit some quilts, or if you’d like to become a Data Angel let me know. And if you’d like to don your wings and join the Monthly Angel Members to help cover the cost of not just shipping supplies but the actual transit costs (and a whole of of other things, for that matter, cause yes, there are 70273 Project expenses), use the donate button in the side bar or send me an email, and I’ll tell you how and where you can make checks.