Whitework

I dreamt that it was my job to inspect the whitework that the Irish women were making.
They were forced to do whitework stitching to have them examine ideas around purity.
It was felt that they wouldn't be overstimulated if they worked only with white threads on linen.

Each woman was given a variety of threads, all white to stitch with. She could make choices of thickness of thread or stitch length but nothing else. She was expected to work a 9 hour day.

How could there be room for rebellion with white thread on white cloth?

I started my rounds to inspect each creation and was shocked to see that one woman had taken the threads and with energy and rage had completed a cloth that was filled with random stitches that were dense and matted. She stitched in every direction. I wondered how I could direct her.

I took her cloth and tore another in strips and gave them to her to embroider. She went at it with fury again producing the most amazing mess. She finished all the strips in record time. I took the strips from her and stitched them together with a red thread. The end result was a controlled pattern.

She was defeated and her anger had been ignored. She was rendered impotent.

I felt terrible but it was my job.