Save Tonight*

Gotta write this fast…totally forgot about a meeting this morning. I don’t like those early meetings. They throw me off. I need a certain number of minutes to function well, and it’s not enough unless I get up earlier, which I of course forgot to do, because when I finally made it into the room where all the art occurs (OK, there’s more than one room where that happens, but just go with it for now), I didn’t want to leave until I was done. But NO…those tiny pieces were not ironing together quickly (duh), so there was no way I was finishing last night, even though I worked for two hours.

I did finish the face first…I always iron the eyes separately, so I can make sure they aren’t wonky when I put them on…and as for the Tlingit imagery, I was born in Alaska and have this weird sort of overwhelming reaction to their art, to the graphic nature of it. I wonder if it was being held up to totem poles and lodges as a baby that sort of imprinted on my brain. Plus I’m not a religious person, so when I think of protective spirits (which she is), I think outside the box of what most Americans think of as protection. So the thought of a protective spirit animal of sorts, of the connection to nature as well…I’m more inclined toward those images than the standard Christian images of Jesus and/or God. Or any god really. Those are very masculine images and feelings, and that doesn’t feel protective to me…which is interesting if you look at the rest of this quilt, because the protective figure in front of this one is in fact male…but not very Jesus-like.

So there she is, ready for the clouds behind her.

It’s hard to see them on a white background, but they’re there…

And then I made all these tiny things, like this woman in a gas mask, to go in them…

And that’s where I gave up…with about 50 pieces to go. Seriously. So close to done.

But it was late and I was tired and honestly not feeling totally well. Sore throat this morning, dammit. It could just be overuse…or some form of allergies, because I do get that every Fall, but I don’t have time for that shit.

Some nuclear power plant towers, an oil spill, three graves, and a river full of pollution and dead fish. You know, like you do.

More tonight.

These came yesterday. My dad funded their purchase, because mom wanted one. And he wants me to send one to my brother, who describes my quilts as vjuilts (vagina quilts). Not in a bad way.

I’m happy to have these…even happier to have the extra BadAss Quilters Society pins she sent. Woo hoo!

OK. School. But you know what I’m doing tonight.

*Eagle Eye Cherry, Save Tonight