Thirteen Blocks

I have known about the 70273  Project for a long time now

and I've been meaning to make a few blocks 

but you know how those good intentions can be . . . 

other things come along and somehow I just

had not gotten around to making my blocks.

Now I have made thirteen of them

using thirteen different red fabrics

to represent thirteen unique individuals.

The 70273 Project is gathering 

70,273 blocks of fabric, each marked with 

two red crosses to commemorate the number of 

physically and mentally disabled 

men, women, and children who were murdered 

between January 1940 and August 1941 

in the Nazi's Aktion T4 Programme – 

a largely unrecognized atrocity.  

The two red crosses represent the marks made 

by the assessing Doctors as to whether the person 

was deemed ‘unfit’ or an economic burden on Nazi society. 

The "X" is such a simple symbol and, in this project, 

the simplicity with which someone 

could sign someone’s life away 

has been turned into a symbol of love and strength. 

The white fabric represents the medical records – 

the only information assessing physicians used 

in making their life-and-death determinations. 

Seeing the pairs of red crosses stitched together sends

a powerful message of tolerance, community and love. 

Its impact comes from the huge variety of red marks – 

each beautiful in their own perfectly imperfect way.

Some of you might remember this post

and my panel of scrappy white on white fabric

that appeared towards the post's ending.

I used the last of that panel for these blocks -

I found it especially fitting 

since each of us is so much more

than the sum of our individual parts -- 

the same isolated individual parts those doctors would 

have considered when reading their victims' medical records.

* * *

My blocks are now headed 

to Margaret in Arkansas

to be included in her 

'Family and Friends Far and Near' 

70273 Project quilt.

Margaret has pieced and quilted 

a number of 70273 blocks and quilts

and gets full credit for motivating me 

to finally get my blocks completed.

On my provenance form, 

I'll include the fact that my blocks are being donated 

in honor of our younger son and great-nephew, 

and in memory of many other family members

who would almost certainly have received 

two red X's on their medical charts.

* * *

For more information on the 70273 Project

please click HERE.  

To see images of completed and/or exhibited 70273 quilts

along with many other project related images

please click HERE.

And if you are so moved,

I hope you will make and donate

blocks in honor or memory of your own loved ones

or otherwise find a way to support the Project.

Quiltdivajulie