Grandmother's Choice: Cats & Mice: Hunger Strikes

In this week 42 of the Grandmother's Choice Block of the Week, Barbara Brackman writes:

In 1909 battles between the London police and the Women's Social and Political Union reached an impasse. The back-and-forth game of  WSPU civil disobedience and routine arrests was escalated when the women began prison hunger strikes. They hoped to disgrace the government led by H.H. Asquith and the Liberal Party.....Initially the government responded to this move by releasing the prisoners. In 1912 the government changed tactics and prison staff began force feeding. Protesters served their four-or six-month terms without voluntary meals as jailers using tubes and brutality kept them minimally nourished.....

The WSPU characterized the tactic as torture and likened it to rape, a campaign effective enough to force the government to introduce a new battle plan in 1913. They jailed the hunger-striking women until their health was in danger, released them in a form of parole to regain their strength, then arrested  them again. The WSPU dubbed the "Temporary Discharge for Ill Health Act" the Cat and Mouse Act, showing their continuing skillful manipulation of the media.

So this week is the Cats and Mice Block.  Some folks have highlighted the star pattern in the block.  I, however, decided to obscure the star a bit by using different black and white fabric for the star points.  Instead, I highlighted the cross effect with black fabric.  All in all, I like the effect:

 

Only seven more weeks to go!