Go Set a Watchman art quilt

My banned books week art quilt is not on the list from last years banned or challenged books but I am positive it will be. I had just finished reading Go Set a Watchman when I heard about the challenge coming up and since the book left me thinking with stirred up emotions I wanted to pay tribute to it.

 

The language used in this book can be offensive but you must realize Harper Lee wrote this in 1957. People used such words all the time and racism was commonplace in 1957, especially in the south. Harper Lee through the voice of a grown up " scout" from the much beloved To Kill a Mockingbird is pointing out the evils of such goings on. I enjoy reading books that give me a feel of a different place and time and at that place and time in our history the "n word" and others like were used in everyday conversations so I can accept the use of such terms in a book such as this. I did not however feel comfortable putting the "n word" in my quilt.

This quote stuck with me when I read it - she was listening to her aunt go on about the poor, poor n_____s.

How they couldn't help themselves because they have smaller brain pans or some such nonsense.

This is Jean Louise's response

"You are fascinated with yourself. You will say anything that occurs to you, but what I can’t understand are the things that do occur to you. I should like to take your head apart, put a fact in it, and watch it go its way through the runnels of your brain until it comes out of your mouth."

 

And this is my response

 

It is beyond me how some have admiration, fairness, respect, love justice and honor in their brains

 

And then turn around and spew out such vile and hateful language.

I recommend reading Go Set a Watchman. But do to go into it comparing it to To Kill a Mockingbird. It isn't as involved or as good but will leave you with an insight on what the south was like in 1957 and will leave you feeling compassion towards your fellow man (and woman) and maybe a little sorry for the bigots of the past and sorry to say present. I listened to it with the audiobook version and the reader is Reese Witherspoon who does an excellent job.

 

If you were to make a quilt about a book, banned or otherwise (and I certainly hope you join us in the banned book challenge) what book would it be?

 

 

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Banned books inspiration

Do you like to read? Do you like to make art quilts? Has a book ever moved you, left you thinking or inspired? Use that feeling and challenge yourself to make a quilt based on that book. Better yet join the banned books week bandwagon and make one based on a book that has been challenged or banned just to say to the world - "I read this book and liked it!" Sandy at quiltingfortherestofus and Tanesha at crafty garden mom are having a little challenge. Go here to see Sandy's blog posts about it. There is a flickr group to post your finished quilts. I love seeing the different books and quilts so please join in so I can look at yours ;-)

I'm working on mine now and here is a sneak peak.

 

Can you guess what book? It will make sense when it's done. Right now you are no doubt saying WWWAAAT?

Hint: this book just came out in the past year and although it isn't on the list yet - it most certainly will be and I am sure it has been banned or challenged already somewhere.

banned books week is Sept. 27 - Oct 3rd so you have lots of time to put one together.

What's your favorite book on the list?

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Banned books week quilt

September 21-27 is banned books week where book lovers celebrate the freedom to read whatever book we want to read. Go here to read about the quilt challenge involving banned books.

"Never look over your left shoulder at The new moon"

 

The book I picked was written in 1885 and is considered a classic. I had never read it so got it on audio to listen to. It's available free on Libravox. I enjoyed listening to it because you get the "southern dialect" of that time. Now beware, this also includes a lot of the "N word" but back in those days this was just what African Americans were called. I didn't find it distracting to the story at all. I did enjoy seeing a friendship form between a white boy and a slave. The commradery of the two main characters is the most important part of this book. Thus the two sitting on the raft together looking at the moon. Times were so different and this book gives you a glimpse into what it may have been like in the south back in the late 1800's.

 

 

Back to the quilt - this was my basic design. I then quilted words from the book that I thought were ....... Well just cool words. Into the sky and river.

But I used a dark blue thread and you could hardly see the words. I want them to be subtle but still want the viewer to see them :-/

 

So I blended some blue and white fabric paint together and used my fancy blending shading applicator (an old sock) and highlighted some of the words to look like part of a reflection from the moon. It's soft and subtle but does help you see the words.

This was wet, it's even lighter now

 

Granted my text quilting skills are not great but it came out pretty good I think.

I learned when quilting text without marking, give yourself a lot of room because you will need more room than you think. I ran over the side more than once and had to pick it out. Yes, I could have marked it but then would feel the need to stay perfectly in those lines and what fun is that?

Can you guess what the book is?

 

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