Tag: 70273 quilts (Page 2 of 3)

Quilt 169, a Middling by Margaret Andrews

June 5, 2017 / jeanne / 1 Comment

The 70273 Project Quilt 169, a Middling by Margaret Andrews. 16.5″ x 22.5″. May 2017.

The base material is the fabric that is used for soles of footed pjs. That reminds me of the security we have, but that was denied the 70,273 victims. The lace along the left border is from my bedroom curtains, and represents the security (again), and the comforts of home, for me, and for the perpetrators of the injustices committed against the victims. I also chose these materials, along with the red wool felt for the larger pairs of Xs for the textural interest, thinking of those with visual impairment. Both the columns of red Xs ending in ❌❌ outlined teardrops and the quilting represent the tears of those of us involved in The 70,273 Project, as well as tears of the family members over the loss of their loved ones.

This Middling contains 440 pairs of Xs, representing 440 lives lost in this atrocity.

~~~~~~~

Thank you, Margaret. Your beautiful stitched commemorations are made even more beautiful by your words.

June is Middling Month in The 70273 Project. Join us?

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.

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.

Inside Envelope 290: A Quilt Top!

April 19, 2017 / jeanne / 0 Comments

The Engineer and I get out of a meeting early,
so we drop our bags at the hotel and head to Savannah
to visit many of our favorite spots.
First up is what I call The Savannah Hi – do you see it?

Maybe this will help. I call this our Savannah Greeter.

There are the trees. Oh, those trees. They restore my soul.

A surprise rain shower makes amends
by presenting us with a rainbow.

I brought along a new friend
for a photo shoot: meet The 70273 Project Quilt #138
who arrived with this note attached:

Hi Jeanne,

I am not a quilter, but when I read about your 70,273 project, I knew I wanted to help. I started making blocks of different sizes, and after a while, I put them on the bed to get a visual of what it would look like. Lo and behold, without any adjusting for placement, they came together in a perfect rectangle! I took it as a sign and sewed them together, then added a border. I am forwarding the top for someone, who actually knows what to do next, to finish it. All together, I have commemorated 62 lost lives.

Kathleen K. Carfagno
New Jersey, USA

It was a sign, Kathy, it most definitely was! Thank you for commemorating these 62 lives so beautifully. And what a nice surprise to open an envelope to find an entire quilt top, ready to be finished! So glad and grateful to have you become part of The 70273 Project Tribe.

Now . . . would any of you dear readers like to raise your hand to finish this or other tops for The 70273 Project? (Oh please say “Yes”!) Or maybe you’d like to piece the tops and quilt them? (Another “Yes”, perhaps?) Whatever your preference, I can set you up! We need to keep making blocks, of course, and it’s time to start turning them into quilts. Let me know if you would like to join the ranks of The 70273 Project Ps and Qs (Piecers and Quilters). And if you’re a member of a quilt guild or have quilty friends, perhaps you’d be so kind as to mention The 70273 Project to them and ask if anybody is interested in helping?

Thank you all for continuing to help commemorate these lives that might otherwise be forgotten. And thank you again, Kathy, for this beautiful quilt top.

~~~~~~~

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 #5: Blanchard Valley Center, part 2

April 18, 2017 / jeanne / 7 Comments

MARCH 6, 2017
MONDAY AFTERNOON
Read Part 1 here

Who can forget these faces of students at Blanchard Valley Center on block-making day in 2016?

Some learned to use a sewing machine for the first time

others – like Jordan – is already quite familiar with sewing machines,
using them often to make costumes and clothes for himself and others.

Here we see Jordan in one of his latest creations. Unfortunately I didn’t get to meet Jordan
because he was out the day I was there, but what fun I had hearing about what he comes up with
and how he’s frequently known to dress teachers in clothes that are more to his liking.

Some drew their two red X’s onto the cloth

others painted

Tanya Weising-Pike, Director of Childrens Services, was one of the first people I heard from after launching The 70273 Project. “I want us to be a part of The 70273 Project,” she wrote. “We will have 100% participation. I’m already gathering supplies to make our blocks.”

And oh what a block making day they did have last year, sending a great big box of blocks that I decided needed to stay together in a quilt made just by hand of the staff and students at Blanchard Valley Center.

The Engineer and Cindy Maag get set up in the gym.

I contacted Tanya earlier this year to ask if The Engineer and I could deliver Quilt #5 to them to be on display for the month of March for Disabilities Awareness Month. Tanya gave my favorite answer: Yes, then introduced me to Cindy Maag, the Community Relations Manager at Blanchard Valley, who turned a simple quilt delivery into a Very Special Event. It was wonderful, amazing, heartwarming. It was epic.

The suspense builds.

Students and teachers came.
Families came.
Randy Roberts, of The Courier came with his big camera to cover the event for the newspaper.

L to R: Tanya Weising-Pike, Jeanne Hewell-Chambers, Mayor Lydia Mihalik

Mayor Lydia Mihalik came. (She’s the short one in the beautiful orange jacket.)

Tanya introduced me then called me up to say a few words. Students were running around the gym. Teachers were stepping in front of them to steer them in another direction, but never to make them stop. It was the mild chaos of people being who they are without anybody telling them to be somebody else, and it was wonderful. (Plus I didn’t cough – not even once.)

I told them about The 70273 Project, trying hard not to bust into quiet tears when I looked at the students and imagined how anybody could consider them “useless eaters” or “unworthy of life.” Over and over and over again I said a silent Thank you that we live today where there are places like Blanchard Valley Center and not in 1940 with Aktion T4 constantly lurking and looming.

Quilt #5. Blocks made by students and staff of Blanchard Valley Center. Beautifully, lovingly pieced and quilted by MJ Kinman.

Finally it was time for what everybody came for: The Big Reveal. I asked (well, actually I told, but since she’s the mayor and since I was raised right, let’s pretend I asked) Lydia and The Engineer to come turn the quilt around. Honestly, I was a little nervous, a little afraid the quilt wouldn’t have the emotional impact the blocks and quilts usually do because this was one quilt in a big gym. I wasted a few minutes of my life that I’ll never get back worrying about that. When the quilt was revealed, there was a moment’s hush as everybody took it all in, the faces registering what was going through their heads, through their hearts. There were tears and smiles in equal measure, and we didn’t rush through this moment, taking time to let it soak in that any one of these students would have received two red X’s at the bottom of their medical records were we to dial back the calendar a few decades.

I fielded some really good questions. Perhaps my Favorite Question of All Time was asked by none other than The Mayor Herself: “What else do you need?” Isn’t that the most fantastic question? After blowing her a kiss, I told them I still need blocks. And people to piece and quilt the blocks. I need people to make quilts from their own blocks or make Middling quilts or Long Skinny quilts. I need people to tell others and encourage them to get involved. I need help getting all the quilts back to HEARTquarters to prepare for The Great Gathering and Launch that’s slowly beginning to take shape in the background. And oh yes, I need financial donations to help cover the growing expenses.

I’m very grateful to Randy Roberts and The Findlay Courier for giving me permission to use this good photo because I was too busy talking to take pictures, something I couldn’t’ve done anyway because I’d already used up every bit of juice in my phone’s battery taking photos all the rest of the day!

Then it was time for people to come up for a closer look at the quilt they made.

Who could forget this photo of her making her block,

and here she is looking for her block in the quilt.

L to R: Cindy Maag, Bobbi Morman, Jeanne Hewell-Chambers, Tanya Weising-Pike ,and Ali Weising-Pike (who felt good enough to be there, thank goodness, else I wouldn’t’ve gotten to meet her!)

L to R: The Engineer, Jeanne Hewell-Chambers, Tanya Weising-Pike, and Ali Weising-Pike (They both have blocks in the quilt.)

As the students made their way back to their classes to prepare to go home,
there was nothing left for us to do but take a few more photos,
give and receive a few more hugs,
and turn the truck towards home,
(with another spend-the-night in Kentucky).

The afterglow? Oh it’s still going on, y’all.

~~~~~~~

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 #5: Blanchard Valley Center, part 1

April 17, 2017 / jeanne / 2 Comments

If I’ve ever called you “Sugar” to your face, you may have noticed this bracelet adorning my wrist. The symbol is called Sankofa, and it means “go back and retrieve”. Because my calendar has been consumed with illness and travel, and most importantly because I am now feeling better, I thought we’d spend the next few days looking back and retrieving the stories I didn’t have energy to tell you about till now, beginning with delivering The 70273 Project, Quilt #5 to Blanchard Valley Center in Findlay, Ohio in early March . . .

MARCH 4, 2017
SATURDAY

Boone Tavern and Inn

The doctor assures us we aren’t contagious, though she urges us to stay in bed at least another week – and though, in hindsight, that might’ve been a really good idea, there is no way we will miss seeing our daughter off to Italy on Friday or delivering Quilt #5 to the Blanchard Valley School. So Friday, we peel ourselves off the sofa, grab our barrel full of cough drops, rake the meds into a suitcase and head on down the road. On Saturday, March 4, we sleep as late as coughing will allow then make our way to Berea, Kentucky where we spend the night in the Boone Tavern Inn, one of our favorite places. (Oh, I just thought about this: I bought the sankofa bracelet from some artists in Berea many, many years ago.)

MARCH 5, 2017
SUNDAY

barns: architecture’s workhorses

After a breakfast that includes spoon bread – a staple at Boone’s Tavern – we hit the road again, admiring the countryside and Ohio’s barns, structures I call architecture’s workhorses.

Tanya Weisling-Pyke and her adorable son, Silas

We make it into Findlay, Ohio late afternoon/early evening, where Tanya and Silas meet us for supper. Tanya says Silas acted his age (2) all day, making her a wee little bit nervous about him going to supper with us.

Silas charms Jeanne right off her feet

Now I don’t know what she did with The Daytime Silas and I’m not calling her a liar (I would never), but The Evening Silas I sup with is charming, hospitable, and adorable. Absolutely adorable.

MARCH 6, 2017
MONDAY

Tanya Weising-Pike, who’s Director of Childrens Services, kicks the day off by taking The Engineer and me on a tour of Blanchard Valley Center. Notice anything about the classrooms? Ignore the walkers you see in the second photo, and the children, the teachers, and the classrooms look like any other classroom, any other students, and any other teachers, don’t they? (A note: all photos are taken by me and used with permission.)

This room is set up like a home, and all classes have access to it daily to practice living skills. Which reminds me, how many of y’all think we ought to bring back Home Ec and Shop classes . . . without the dreaded stigma, of course.

Within walking distance is housing for those who can live like Nancy does – independently, but with round-the-clock assistance.

As we walk to the car for the next stop on our tour, we pass the Blanchard Valley Center’s Free Library, painted by Jordan. You’ll hear more about him later.

Next stop is the Kan Du Studio, where local artists – I don’t even know how to say this, y’all. Let’s start over . . . the Kan Du Studio where artists with disabilities work and sell their art right alongside other artists from the community. Maybe this: The Kan Du Studio where artists with all sorts of different abilities come together to create and sell their art. See what I mean? We need to get to a place where we talk not of abilities and disabilities but of people.

The artists at Kan Du Studio are well-known for stars – for being stars and for making stars.

The local newspaper donated these sheets of metal, and the Kan Du artists turn them into stars that you see everywhere . . .

. . . even in the women’s restroom in the gym.

Oh – and for those of you who sit with me around the The 70273 Project’s digital campfire (a.k.a. the Facebook group) where digital s’mores are served regularly, I want y’all to lookahere what they sell at Kan Du. If you’d like a place around The 70273 Project Campfire, come on over. We’ll make room for you, and I’ll try to steer you to a seat next to somebody who doesn’t tend to hoard their (digital) chocolate or steal yours.

One of the Kan Du artists creates his own world, making towns and everything you’d find in a town, including hamburger joints. He makes the towns by layering piece after piece after piece of paper, gluing the pieces together, and when he’s satisfied, he paints and positions it. He was absent the day we visited . . . which is the only reason I got a “tour” of his towns cause he kinda’ keeps the proverbial gate around these towns, posting no trespassing signs everywhere by way of snatching pieces away from curious onlookers, and well, trespassers like me.

Tiles at the front door of the Main Street Deli in Findlay, Ohio

The Main Street Deli

Ceiling tiles at the Main Street Deli.

After Kan Du, it’s time for lunch at the Main Street Deli where the owner hires folks who’ve just been released from prison and those who are homeless. Not only do we get some of the best food ever, but the folks who cook it for us and those who serve it to us provide some of the friendliest customer service I’ve had in a long time. There was a good spirit in that little place, and Tanya says that the owner has never been disappointed by the people she hires.

Our stomachs full and our faces smiling, it’s time to head back to campus for the great unveiling of Quilt #5. Come back by tomorrow and I’ll tell you all about it. Click right this way for part 2 of our time with the folks at Blanchard Valley Cnter.

~~~~~~~

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.

A New Way to Make Quilts: Introducing the Long, Skinny

March 5, 2017 / jeanne / 5 Comments

Meet The 70273 Project Quilt #34, our first Long Skinny.

62 blocks, 62 souls commemorated

15″ x 41″ / 38 cm x 104 cm

All blocks, piecing, quilting, and finished done by Gisele Therezien.

Would you like to make a Long Skinny for The 70273 Project?
Here’s all you need to keep in mind:

~ block guidelines remain the same: base of blocks is white or slightly off white in color / two and only two red X’s on each block / no letters, initials, numbers, words, or text of any other kind appear anywhere on the front of the quilt
~ finishing, binding, and hanging sleeve requirements remain the same
~ finished quilt must be 15″ or 38 cm wide and can be as long as you want.
~ when you finish piecing the top, email me the following information:
~ # of blocks
~ dimensions (width and length)
~ total number of people commemorate (# of blocks)
~ name of person or people who made blocks
~ name of people responsible for Piecing, Quilting, and Finishing the Long Skinny
~ month and year of completion
~ at least one high resolution photo of the entire front of the quilt
~ 2-3 high resolution closeup photos of the quilt
~ photos of the quilt in progress

When you email me this info, I’ll assign you a quilt number and information for the Quilt Label, and when the quilt is completely finished, send me photos of the finished quilt along with stories about the cloth and stitches used, what made you want to create a long skinny, why you chose to become involved with The 70273 Project and anything else you want to share.

Long Skinnies can be hung vertically (perfect for high ceilings or narrow walls) and horizontally (perfect for a display in an information booth or stall).

Whether you choose to make blocks, Block Quilts, Middlings, Long Skinnies, or make financial donations (use PayPal button in sidebar), thank you for helping commemorate the 70273 people who died so needlessly.

~~~~~~~

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A New Way To Make Blocks and Quilts: Middlings

February 1, 2017 / jeanne / 7 Comments

Remember how I’ve always said that I want quilts of all sizes so we can fit into any venue that will have us? Remember how I’ve always said I want our displays to be a feast for the senses?
Remember how I’ve always said I want viewers to feel the full impact when viewing The 70273 Project quilts?

A Middling Quilt for The 70273 Project made by Margaret Williams

Well now, thanks to an idea seed planted by Lynn Krawczyk, I’m opening up a new way to make not just blocks, but quilts for The 70273 Project. It’s a whole new category of quilts called Middlings, and I asked a few elves to stitch up some to give you some ideas.

A Middling Quilt for The 70273 Project Made by Margaret Williams (GA/USA)

Most guidelines remain in place: background is white or slightly off white, pairs of red X’s, no letters, numbers, words, names, or writing of any other sort to distract from the red X’s, but then . . . Middlings. Here’s what you need to know about making Middlings:

~ Middlings are sent to me as finished quilts.

~ The finished size of a Middling is approximately 18″ x 22″ (46cm x 56cm) (fat quarter size).

~ 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 mailing address is on the form.

~ You must tell me on the Provenance Form how many people you’ve commemorated so I don’t have to stop and count.

A Middling Quilt for The 70273 Project made by Margaret Williams (GA/USA)

And are you ready for this? You can also commemorate many more people because as long as the red X’s are presented as easily recognizable pairs, you can commemorate as many people as desired in one Middling quilt. In the quilt above, there are 119 pairs of red X’s which means that Margaret made 119 blocks which means that she commemorated 119 people. Yes, that’s right: each pair of red X’s counts as one block. I’m not kidding.

A Middling Quilt for The 70273 Project Made by Margaret Williams (GA/USA)

Guidelines for Middlings:
~ Background fabric must be white or slightly off white (representing the medical records, the only information assessing physicians used to make their life and death decisions).
~ Red X’s must be presented as easily recognizable pairs because each pair of red X’s represents one person.
~ Using easily identifiable pairs of red X’s, you can make shapes, but no letters, names, words to distract from the double X’s.
~ The only number that can be used is “70273”.
~ An amended Provenance Form includes a space for you to tell me how many pairs of red X’s are on your Middling. We’re gonna’ operate on the honor system, and I’m sure you can figure out why.
~ Finished size of Middlings is about 18″ x 22″ (46cm x 56cm).
~ Bindings or facings (finished edges) must be white.
~ Backing fabric must be white (quilting cotton or bleached muslin is okay).
~ Middlings must come to me completely finished and ready to hang.
~ Middlings need a 4″ hanging sleeve attached to the top of the back.
~ There must be an official 70273 project label on the back of the quilt. When you’ve completed your Middling, contact me, and I’ll create the label for you and send it digitally. You’ll simply print and stitch.

Important note: We are still making blocks and piecing them together to make Big Quilts. This does not replace blocks, it simply provides another option for those who are interested.

A few more Middlings in progress to send you looking for your sketch book:

A Middling for The 70273 Project Being Made by Maria Conway (Buenos Aires, Argentina)

A Middling in the making by Gisele Therezien (Channel Islands, UK)

Gisele writes: Prepping my Middlings background from a vintage doily & the edge of an old embroidered sheet donated by Mum which originally was part of her wedding trousseau 59 years ago, also have some vintage red lace which may fit in nicely. So we see that when it comes to stories and layers of meaning, size doesn’t matter.

Over the next several months, I’ll be revealing at least 3 more ways to make quilts for The 70273 Project over the next several months, so be sure you subscribe so you don’t miss out.

Your homework:
Tell others about The 70273 Project.
Subscribe.
Start sketching!

~~~~~~~

UPDATE 2/2/2017:

Good clarification questions, asked and answered:

Q: Is it ok to have cream color in the background?
A: Yes, provided there’s some white and no other colors. Think of the creme/off white as an accent.

Q: Is it ok to have a textured background in cream or white i see that too?
A: Yes.

Q: i see that the middlings are finished with top quilting also
which requires batting. Can we do that too and what thickness of batting?
A: Yes, use batting. Doesn’t matter what kind, though most folks are using the 80/20 mix. You can find a little more about that on the Information for Piecers and Quilters page. Batting can also be a piece of cotton flannel or a piece of muslin.

Q: Also what is the seam allowance for the larger size?
A: Just so long as the finished size is about 18″ x 22″ (46cm x 56cm), the seam allowance is up to you.

Q: Also i see a heart design out of the x’s which i love. So am i free to make any shape as long as it signifies pairs of x’s On white Or cream?
A: Yes! Isn’t that fun? You can use pairs of red X’s to make shapes, just remember that the red X’s must be stitched in pairs, so be sure to leave space between each pair like Margaret did, and no words, names, or letters. Only the number “70273” can be used.

Q: Can the red x’s just be on whole cloth or do they still need to be pieced?
A: The background of Middlings can be whole cloth or pieced, your preference, it just has to be about 18″ x 22″ (46cm x 56cm) when finished.

Q: How will you catalog these?
A: Each pair of red X’s = one block (so be sure to tell me on the Provenance Form how many pairs are on your Middling) and my database is set up so that one block = one entry. That is, I must enter each block (or in this case paris of red X’s) separately. Here’s how the Middling process will go:

1. You make a middling

2. When finished, you email me this information: the total number of people commemorated; the finished size; when it was completed (month/year); and your name as you want it to appear on the quilt label.

3. I assign a quilt number, design the label and email it back to you.

4. You print and attach the label.

5. You send the Middling to me, with a Provenance Form (even if you’ve already completed one) telling me how many “blocks” (or pairs of red X’s) are on the Middling.

6. I enter each pair as a block (to update the block count and keep my records straight), giving you credit for each one. So you get credit for those “blocks” and for the Middling quilt itself.

Q: Do I need to complete a Provenance Form for each Middling, even if you already have a Provenance Form on file for me because I’ve sent you blocks?
A: Yes. I need a Provenance Form completed, signed, and sent with each Middling. If you send me 3 Middlings, I’ll need a Provenance Form pinned (safety pins, please) to each Middling because I’ve added the space for you to tell me how many blocks, or in this case, pairs of red X’s, are in each Middling. It will help me so much if I don’t have to count every pair of red X’s, so thank you for taking the time to do this.

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A Letter from Margaret Jackson in the UK: Quilt #33 Is Finished!

January 24, 2017 / jeanne / 2 Comments

Coxhoe Quilters and Quilt #33 of The 70273 Project

Good news, y’all: quilt #33 is completed! A 60-block beauty, this quilt was made entirely by the Coxhoe Quilters in Durham, UK. Writes Margaret Jackson:

Dear Jeanne:

Quilt #33 was made by a group of ladies who meet twice a month in Coxhoe Village Hall. We at Coxhoe Quilters first heard about The 70273 Project when it was mentioned by Chrissie Fitzgerald, one of our newest members. She put such a good case for it that we just had to get involved.

The Coxhoe Quilters

Both Eva Jackson and Karen Mitchell said they could donate white fabric for the blocks. This fabric was in the form of tablecloths which had been used by their Mothers and Grandmothers. Not only had they been used by these two families, but they had been loaned out to other families in the village for use in weddings, christenings funerals, and many other large gatherings over the years. (If they could only speak, they would have many wonderful tales to tell.)

We then set about raiding our own stashes and gathered a huge pile of red fabric – ribbons, trims, off cuts from various sewing projects, buttons, etc, and set about making our blocks. it was amazing to see how quickly our pile get and wonderful to see how imaginative we all could be.

Durham Cathedral

Galilee Chapel

I pieced and quilted our blocks together. Now that it is completed, it will be displayed in Durham Cathedral UK on January 27th (Holocaust Day) as we raise awareness of the suffering endured by the 70273 souls but also to encourage others to join the project.

Quilters who have blocks in Quilt #33 include:
Christine Fitzgerald (dedicated to Elizabeth Fitzgerald)
Ann Hewitt
Margaret Jackson
Dawn Kirk Walton
Karen Mitchell
4 Anonymous Makers
Norma Corner
Patricia Harvey
Lesley Shell
Janice Tilbury
Alison Wilson

Now that we have Quilt #33 completed, we’ve already started on our second quilt!

Love,
Margaret

~~~~~~

Dear Margaret,

Oh those tablecloths – more meaning added to The 70273 Project, and like you, Margaret, I do so wish I could hear the stories. I am absolutely delighted and deeply grateful to you and the other Coxhoe Quilters for the beautiful way you’ve commemorated 60 more souls. And Chrissie, thank you for joining the Coxhoe Quilters and telling them about The 70273 Project. Last but not least, thank all of you as you go forth to tell others in the community and get them involved, and for getting your families and friends involved via the tablecloths. So special, that.

~~~~~~~

Dear Reader,

Would you like to make your own quilt? It’s quite easy, you just:
1. Make the blocks.
2. Have each Maker complete and sign a Provenance Form.
3. Use a safety pin to attach blocks made by each Maker to their Provenance Form.
4. To identify the blocks, tag every block with the name of the Maker. You can write the Maker’s name on a piece of blue painter’s tape and attach the id tag to each block made by that particular Maker. Or write the Maker’s name on cloth or paper and pin it to the block.
5. Scan each Provenance Form and email a copy of each to me. Keep the original Provenance Forms with the quilt so that they both – the quilt and the forms – find their way into my eagerly awaiting arms.
6. When you’re ready to piece the quilt, contact me so I can assign you a quilt number. Please make sure this quilt number is made known to the Piecer and Quilter.
7. Deliver or mail the blocks and Provenance Forms to whoever is going to piece and quilt your quilt.
8. When the top is pieced, please create a quilt map – a sketch of the quilt block showing the placement of each block and the identity of the person who made each block. (I will give examples and explain in more detail in a post next week.)
9. Deliver the top to whoever is going to quilt it.
10. Send the following to me via email: scanned Provenance Forms of those who made blocks for this quilt / a list of the names of the Makers, the Piecer, and the Quilter / a high resolution photo of the complete quilt / high resolution closeups of the finished quilt / photos of the people working on the quilt / the quilt map / and a few paragraphs of the story of the quilt.

Isn’t this gratifying, y’all, commemorating these people? Thank you for being part of The 70273 Project.

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A Letter from My Lovely Pen Pal, Katell Renon

January 18, 2017 / jeanne / 0 Comments

Dear Jeanne,

Tous mes voeux de bonne année 2017, hoping you will reach your hopes! We all are in with you!

Do you know what a département is? France has 101 départements, or territorial districts, including 5 outside Europe (Guyane, Martinique, Guadeloupe, la Réunion and Mayotte). Ariège is one département at the border of Spain, including a part of the Pyrénées, beautiful Alpine mountains.

Several groups of quilters from Ariège gathered to make this beautiful landscape in appliqué!

Now these Ladies gave us 89 blocks, they were pieced and quilted by Kristine from Colomiers. Here is the result:

The 70273 Project: Quilt 30, Made by Quilteuses from Ariège, France

Isn’t it gorgeous? This is Quilt #30.

There are 10 anonymous quilters and:
Brigitte Balaguerie
Jeanine Baltieri
Hélène Berretta
Maryse Brus
Annie Cathala
Marie-Paule Celma
Paulett Dubiau
Renée Durand
Jacqueline Egea,
Chantal Eschalier
Anne-Marie Esteban
Féliciane Eychenne
Yanik Flandrey
Dolores Juarez
Aline Lopez
Danièle Martinez
Martine Paulmier
Françoise Planques-Debray
Henriette Scriva
Marie-Christine Secco
Jeanine Setra
and
Michèle Vergate.

Thank you all!

XOXO,
Katell

Dear Katell, Kristine from Colomiers, and quilters from Ariège,

Merci beaucoup for all the people you have so beautifully commemorated here in Quilt #30. My heart is smiling at learning more about the beauty of France and brimming with gratitude for all of you there who I hope to meet in person one day. Till then, know that I am blowing kisses to you and saying softly over and over and over: Merci. Merci. Merci.

xoxoxo
Jeanne

~~~~~~~

Dear Reader, would you like to make a quilt for The 70273 Project? Let me know, and I’ll tell you everything you need to know. And if you want to make blocks, go here.