Grandmother's Choice - Weeks 36, 37, 38 and 39

It's been a busy few weeks so I've neglected posting my blocks.  My goal from here on out with the Grandmother's Choice block of the week is to use fabrics I have used only once before in previous blocks.  So far, so good - mostly!

This week is Endless Stairs: Rank and Rights, where Barbara Brackman relates the historical viewpoints around how people occupy a rank and are therefore entailed (or not) certain privileges.

I made this one scrappy and used some of the more unique prints that might have been more of a challenge in a different block- 8 different fabrics in total.  I tried to balance scale and darkness of the prints and I quite like this result.

Last week was Nonsense: Anatomy Lessons, where the discussion related myths about what women could not do because it might harm their anatomy -- ride a bike, use a treadle sewing machine, ride a horse.  These examples seem crazy to us now.  I remember that I was not allowed to use the weight room in high school because I was a girl and it was thought it would be damaging to my development.  This seemed ridiculous to me then because we already knew that boys develop in many ways slower than girls, but the boys were allowed to use the weights!  Sheesh!  Each generation smashes another silly assumption.

Here I mixed strong prints with a strong floral to signify we women CAN be strong and athletic and feminine all at the same time!

Week 37 discussed Lucy Stone League where women fought for the right to retain their own name after marriage, promoting "the idea that its women are integers and not halves."

Here, I just had fun with a graphic sense to the block, sorely needed after the previous week's traditional applique.

Week 36 was mentioned in my last post and here is the final version of my Sunbonnet Sue:

I made this one like my Grandma did using her pattern and methods.  I'm pretty sure she would not have used the fabric I used for the sleeve, but hey, I had to get some of myself in there, too!