An early start to 2023

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The center block for my Alexandria Quilt.

Maybe my year of slow stitching has already begun; I've been inundated in paper pieces, several different kits capturing my attention. But after reading the latest news from Afghanistan, that women have been denied the opportunity to be educated and are barred from non-governmental jobs, I was spurred to start the Alexandria Quilt from Tales of Cloth. The theme of this encompassing project is peace, blue and yellow for Ukraine joined by a plethora of rainbow hues ala one of the colourful banners used by protesters in Iran. I'd planned on breaking into this beautiful design sometime next week, adding it to a lengthy list of English paper pieced quilts that will encompass the next twelve-plus months of my sewing life. Yet the Iranian slogan of women, life, freedom has permeated my consciousness since Mahsa Amini was murdered in late September. Making a quilt is a small but personal way to show my support and solidarity. And the Alexandria pattern carries a deep meaning to me, a medallion quilt that when Jodi Godfrey offered it back in 2019, I strongly considered joining that year's club. But the size of the papers was a deterrent; ranging from three-quarter inch hexies and jewels to one and a half inch diamonds and hexagons, I balked at basting hexies and jewels that small.

Yet I never forgot that pattern, wondering if I was brave enough to attempt such a complicated design. And a large pattern, why the papers were so sized. Godfrey's first attempt with it employed one and two-inch papers, which felt doable to me, although the resulting quilt would be enormous. Yet if one augmented the pattern, the enlarged paper pieces wouldn't be an issue. I spent a fair amount of November colouring and changing my mind, both about the hues and attempting such a massive commitment. Plenty of other EPP quilts are already underway, but I couldn't turn away from this project. Ordering pieces in November, I didn't bother going through my stash, assuming in December there would be time to line up fabrics. Then I spent over a week far from home, and when I returned, there was Christmas prep to sort. Then an earthquake struck and while the paper pieces were delivered, I had yet to coordinate the necessary prints. I began the Mandolin quilt, worked on Myrtle blocks, basted pieces for the Lavender Quilt and completed another Cornflower block. Wasn't that enough paper piecing for 2023?

Amid reading about the latest restrictions in Afghanistan, my thoughts turned to those women so unjustly suffering from misogyny. Something about their plight, coupled with Iranian protests and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, has led me to begin the Alexandria Quilt. An afternoon was spent rummaging through fabrics, making notes and pinning them to various prints, then the cutting started, pieces collected, piles arranged. I started an Instagram account to document this journey, which I assume will go past 2023; even with trimming some of the pattern, I'm still looking at a big quilt, easily a queen bed comforter. But that's a long ways from now. Currently my focus is basting center pieces, and I'm taking it slowly, there's no rush. I'm also cutting generously, not wishing to stress about narrow seam allowances. I want to thoroughly enjoy all the various processes so that this quilt is steeped in bliss, based on peace, stitched with prayers sent for an end to conflict all over this planet with human rights for all fully respected.

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