quiltersmuse.com Blog

Truthfully, I was not prepared for all of the documented information flung at the audience by Michael Moore’s new film: “Capitalism: A Love Story,” an ironic title, if I ever heard one.

If one listens to Moore, the only people who love capitalism are those capitalists (= opportunists?) who benefit from their evil acts of greed and their schemes. They are wolves (thieves) in sheep’s clothing.

I loved this documentary, even if I did fall asleep, twice. Ahem, the chairs in the new theater were so comfy and the room was so dark … add to that feeling tired … so, my dozing had nothing to do with the movie’s content.

The filmmaker chronicled various political decisions that have affected the “little guy.” He provided ample examples of the results of Detroit plants closing, people being evicted from their homes and being asked to burn and dispose of all their belongings while being reimbursed $1,000., and then, living in their vehicles.

The film covers a lot of ground and humorously ends with Moore running a yellow, crime scene tape around the Wall Street buildings of major business offenders who nearly affected a total collapse of the economy. Megaphone in hand, he calls to them to come out of the building and be arrested for the criminals they are … After all, “it’s not so bad in prison.”

We sat through the credits at the end of the film and were treated to one line zingers, attributed to famous people, and a song by the late Woody Guthrie that, in part, recounts that Jesus told the rich to give to the poor, and then was sent to the grave.

This is a powerful film, if it is to be believed. I did not read this work as leftist or rightist. I came away with the feeling that Michael Moore really cares deeply about what is happening to Americans, especially those who do not have a voice, but also those who are finding that solidarity against despots, who would cheat them out of their due wages, is necessary.

I hope you will see this movie and make up your own mind about it. This is a film that would be difficult not to react to, one way or the other. I hope that students will discuss the meaning of the words, “Capitalism,” “Democracy,” “Socialism,” and “Unions.” An understanding of those words, as well as the word, “Monopoly” are vital to our understanding of the changes that must happen in this country: namely, accountability in both private and public sectors.

Does a bank really have to foreclose on a house in America every 7 1/2 seconds? The film offers some powerful images and powerful fodder for discussion. This is not an “ordinary film.” See it!

Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications

Fortune magazine online has published a most interesting article about Michael Moore’s latest film that is ironically called, “Capitalism: A Love Story.” The 55 year old film director reaches into his own lessons from the past, learned at the feet of the Catholic educational system. He seems to have concluded, in part, that Capitalism is “anti-Jesus.”

I hope you will read this article including explanations of the Ponzi schemes and select financial bailouts. Many people, I fear, have not been paying attention, which is not to say that the effects of what happened will not mean that they will be immune from paying with their own money. That appears to be how it is in this country. The rich stay rich and “understand” each other, and the poor struggle to even maintain the most meager of jobs.

In thinking about this topic today, I opened the Bible and turned to Matthew 25: 31-40.

Under subtitle of “The Son of Man Will Judge the Nations,” beginning with verse 31, Matthew quotes Jesus. On the Last Day, men will be separated like goats and sheep. The sheep will be welcomed into the Kingdom that was prepared for them from the “foundation of the world.”

The “Good Shepherd” will say to his “flock”: For when I was hungry, you gave me food. When I was thirsty, you gave me to drink. When I was in prison, you came to me. The righteous will answer, “When did we do this, Lord?” To that, He will reply, “Assuredly, I say this to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.”

The image above, “El Buen Pastor” (”The Good Shepherd”) represents Christ and one of his flock. It is a painting by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo (1617-1682) whose work I studied at a university in Spain in the early 1970s.

In America today, we seem to be overlooking and casting aside the least of our Brethren. After killing off the majority of Native Americans, for the convenience of taking over their lands for our own expansion, we now pick on a new set of people to denigrate: the day laborers who are here to do hard work.

They reap no benefits other than a meager paycheck, for work that Americans themselves are unwilling to do. It seems to be a protective measure to all who are here, to afford them the same health care insurance available to any of us, lest we come down with some preventable pandemic brought in from another country.

What remains to be seriously considered and dealt with is the health and welfare of our migrant brothers and sisters, legal or “illegal.” (Does God make “illegal” people?)

These individuals pick our crops and serve in other dangerous and nasty work such as asbestos removal, jobs that hardly anyone would even consider. In the name of Capitalism (legally making a buck), some individuals have forgotten the compassion that is at the very root of Christianity, a major religion in this country.

The question on the table remains: “Is Democracy political or economic?” You will have to answer that for yourself, but I think you will enjoy Michael Moore’s fresh perspective on this topic. I would add another question, “Are the terms Capitalism and Democracy synonyms? If so, why, or why not?” Comments welcome.

Finally, a link to an American folk song by Woody Guthrie, “Pastures of Plenty,” as sung by me.

Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications

Sailing on Narragansett Bay, RI, photo by James Cummings. “We can’t change the course of the winds; we can only adjust the sails.”

This is an inside view of recent happenings in the quilt industry and its current state of affairs. Cranston Printworks in Webster, Massachusetts no longer prints fabrics. They were the last holdout for American printed fabrics, as far as I know.

Fabrics are being produced overseas, as are most printed books with color pages. Why? One reason is that the United States has environmental laws that control manufacturers’ pollutants. I am told that in China and other places, rivers run red with dye. Another reason is “cheap labor.”

Thinking that “more” is always better, companies who produce books churn them out by the dozens. Quilt book manufacturers cater to those quilters who still demand new patterns. The result is little or no inclusion of quilt history. These companies are basically all competing for the same market.

Long arm machines and machine quilters rule the day. Long arm, room size machines now sell for up to $50,000, with the average costing about $30,000. Bernina sewing machines sell for about $10,000. and are computerized.

“Fast” and “done” are the two operative words for machine work. Hand-piecers and hand-quilters are seen as dull and boring people, mainly because their craft/art is not making big bucks for the dealers, or teachers of long-arm techniques.

On the other hand, long arm quilting is a cottage industry. Done well, long arm quilting is as beautiful as any other quilting. The operative words are “done well.” Personally, I do not care for the overall, pantograph look that overlays piecework. That’s what we see, in show after show.

Recently, there was a huge take-over in the magazine industry with one money company buying out a number of magazine titles; one major one was in an 11th hour situation, facing bankruptcy.

Due to the economy, advertisers are not paying their bills to any of the magazines. This has resulted in some designers not being paid at all, or getting an “I owe you,” and others who work for magazines experiencing a long delay before being paid.

One by one, quilt shops all over the country are calling it quits altogether and closing their doors forever. They simply cannot juggle all the costs of staying in business as a store-front entity. Some former shop owners now sell their wares on the Internet, not an ideal situation, given rising postage costs.

Quilters have been hit by the recession and everyone who has anything to do with quilting, on a professional level, seems to be suffering. I did not go to Quilt Market, where business owners buy fabrics, etc. to stock their shelves. I heard that it was a dismal turnout a few months ago.

So, like a row of Dominoes, everything seems to be falling. The stash of quilting fabrics that quilters like to accumulate because we love fabric, is not helping the shops to stay in business. However, our stashes will keep us going with projects for a long time to come, and so will the hundreds of books, patterns, and other quilt-related items that most quilters acquire.

Those who don’t know better can dream that we are all still in a boom time in the quilting industry. Not so at all, from what I can determine. The energy is still there, and the interest, but right now, I fear for the lasting effects of this recession.

Patricia Cummings, nationally-certified master craftsman in quilting, and professional quilt historian and writer, lecturer, designer, and quilt judge
Quilter’s Muse Publications

Finding the pot o’ gold at the end of the rainbow is a childhood fantasy as well as a favorite image associated with Irishmen. The Irish would be the first to tell you that the pot o’ gold does not exist. During the potato famine, the starving Irish came to America, through the ports of Boston, and fanned out all over New England, seeking work and a better life than what they left behind, toiling by the sweat of their brow.

At the same time that they were working hard, they were also struggling for better working conditions in the mills and later, fighting with the French-Canadians immigrants who would work for any amount of pay, and under any conditions. The Irish were fighters, and Union organizers.

Of course, folk songs commemorate the work the Irish on the railroad. One verse of the tune “Fili-mi-or-e-or-e-ay” recalls an Irish wife, Biddie McGee, who died: “If she left one kid, she left eleven … to work upon the railway!” Yes, they had lots of kids. Being both Irish and Catholic … you know the rest! The rule was to work hard until you die.

Every night, I make it a point to stop what I am doing and watch the evening news. I am beginning to view the news as air pollution. I’d be happier in “my own little world” of research and writing, than observing the … what is it now? … a proposed 9 trillion dollars in debt, if the budget passes. My friend who is a mathematician tells me that to reach that figure, I would have to write 9 million, then add zeroes to reach 9 billion, then add more zeroes. The number is so staggering, it is beyond my comprehension.

What is more alarming, is that hard work does not seem to matter any more. A friend gave 36 years to a company, only to be given a pink slip and a year’s pay. So long, too bad, you lose. No retirement pay. We have used you, taken your best years, and now we will leave you financially strapped. Good-bye.

I have to say that it is great being my own boss. While I make only “pen” (pin) money, what I do make ends up going to museums and quilt-related organizations, quilt magazines and books, and sometimes, fabrics. I’d have to say that I enjoy working at home. By that statement, I do mean working. Research and writing is very time-consuming!

A long time ago, I stopped worrying about the future. I ask very little of life. I don’t travel or wear fancy clothes. We do without things that others feel they need, like a camp, a vacation, or a second car. However, I feel that I have my priorities right where I like them. I have TIME. TIME is LIFE itself! Money is not the be all, and end all, for me. I don’t need to be Mrs. Rich B…., or Mrs. Ratrace, in the cemetery.

Yet, we all dream of being a little more affluent. People continue to buy lottery tickets on the chance that they will “hit it big.” In all the years we have played, we only won a free ticket, once. However, one has to keep dreams alive and it is okay to hope.

The country’s situation reminds me of a smiling wife who hides or throws away all the bills and pretends that everything is fine. Suddenly, the husband realizes that the car is being repossessed, creditors are calling, and the house is being foreclosed. In other words, he is swamped, and he never saw it coming. I don’t understand how our country got into such a mess, seemingly overnight. Who was hiding the problem? Or, was everyone totally unaware that it existed? It’s like the Elephant in the Room!

The economy will either get better, or we will all drown, due to the greed of a few. In hard times, people who are self-sufficient always seem to get along better. That was true in the Great Depression. Most farmers didn’t notice it much because the hens were still laying, the corn was still growing, and the pig could still be butchered for bacon and ham. Today, we are a more co-dependent society, and what happens to one of our own, happens to us all.

I feel the pain of those without jobs, I sense the anguish of the newly-homeless who are in that position, not due to their own laziness, but by circumstances beyond their control. I worry about the senior citizens who have to choose between taking medicine or buying groceries. I think about young people whose parents can no longer pay for their higher education. To the people who caused this set of circumstances, I will say that I am also concerned about the unborn.

In the words of Bob Dylan, “For threatening my baby, unborn and unnamed, you ain’t worth the blood that runs in your veins.”

Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications

A recent article in the Concord Monitor makes it clear that officials have been discussing the possibility of doing away with the City Library. This past winter, it was a warm haven for the homeless of our community who could be seen snoozing comfortably in some of the chairs. In some instances, the library is a drop off point for parents who do not want to pay a babysitter.

In spite of these two problems, the library estimates foot traffic per month at about 19,500 people. Counting close to 20,000 library users per month tells me that Concord residents like to read and enjoy the resources at the library for research and for Internet use. Many folks are not in a position to own their own home computer.

I hate to say this, but we are raising a bunch of dummies. In one instance, a young person stood muttering to herself because the computer went down during a transaction in a store. She could not figure out that if the purchase was 98 cents, the customer would receive two cents back from a dollar bill. I am not exaggerating!

Therefore, it is refreshing to think of all of these people and their children who are seeking out learning and books. According to the law, the library and the recreation department are the only two discretionary spending areas in the budget. A $3.3 million dollar shortfall is expected, yet property taxes continue to be pretty hefty!

I have no answers because I am not in charge of policy, or government spending. All I have is a “voice.” With that, I want to speak up to say that the Concord Library means a lot to many people, including us. It is foolish talk to discuss getting rid of it. New England is the home of the “free library” idea.

The library seems like the least service that should be available. How do we balance the budget? How about cutting some of the “frew-frew” money spent on Education in our schools?

I can do more math in my head than a student can do, with or without a computer. I learned how to add and subtract with a piece of paper and a pencil, the old way. I am just not sure why we are settling for less quality in Education and spending more and more, all the time. That is my opinion, not that anyone asked. My (tongue in cheek) suggestion is that everyone take up quilting and learn math the practical way.

This situation totally reminds me of the book, 1984. It seems like “government speak” when people don’t really say what they mean. In my humble opinion, this whole discussion seems to be leading up to another case of stick it to the taxpayer with more fees. The verdict is NOT in, and neither is “Lucy” of Charlie Brown fame, with her “5 cents for psychiatric help” sign. A lot of readers will be needing a therapist, should the library be removed from our midst.

Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications