For a long time, American women have been using quilts to send messages to lawmakers, from abolitionists and saffrage to AIDS memorial quilts.
Women’s Quilt Campaigns urge Congress to protect the Constitution
Politically bipartisan quilters groups are calling on Congress to encourage constitutional government and the rule of law.
CO -CO -COR- CHRISTINA MARRIOTT came up with a way to lift the bent fabric cut and do its best to stitch it into a quilt heading to Congress.
The white fabric square was about to sew onto a large piece displaying a political message, but the tattered edges were not lined up nicely with the other pieces.
“The perfect union comes from imperfect people, right?” asked Marriott, a 46-year-old school teacher, asked, voicing, squealing up a square in a library outside Denver, surrounded by a small group of women.
Stitch by Stitch, Square by Casual, hundreds of women and several men across the country are creating handmade quilts covered in bipartisan political messages that encourage members of Congress to use their force more effectively as an equal branch of government.
The “Peace By Piece” efforts sponsored by Mormon women for the ethical government and the Jewish Partnership for Democracy holds quilt-in across the country and delivers a fabric message on May 9th.
Although it has not been a clear target for President Donald Trump, the group’s message shows widespread concern about the way he leads the country.
In the message, “The separation of power defends freedom and democracy,” and “The biggest danger to American freedom is a government that ignores the constitution.” In a “Meet the Press” interview that aired on May 4th, Trump said he was unsure if he needed to support the Constitution.
Quilt message
On a recent Saturday, dozens of women passed through the library’s multipurpose room, writing messages with markers in front of organizers, including Jillaire McMillan, sewing them into a larger quilt.
McMillan said she came into the effort because she felt that the pace of change from the White House was so fast that Congress seemed not enough to play a constitutionally mandated role. Organizers hold quilt-ins in 30 states, recalling scraps of otherwise unnecessary fabric reuse to something worth more than the total of the portions.
“We want to be involved in a lot of little voices because it’s hard to feel like you’re making a difference,” McMillan said. “It’s about doing things that are not just unique, but historical. It has a long history of women quilting as a form of activism.”
“Textile Stories” throughout history
For a long time, American women have been using quilts to send messages to lawmakers, from abolitionists and saffrage to AIDS memorial quilts. The Smithsonian National Quilt Collection has historically included around 500 important quilts.
“This collection incorporates quilts from a variety of ethnic groups and social classes because quilts are not part of anyone’s legacy, but a potentially important person,” says Smithsonian. “Whether it’s large, small or cleverly crafted or rich and humble fabric, the quilts of the good old days of the National Quilt Collection offer textile stories that contribute to America’s complex and diverse history.”
At the Denver and Area Quilt-in, Marriott Iron slid it over each cut fabric, preparing it for participants like sisters Kate Waters and Carol Summers.
“I felt that as I got older, there would be fewer and fewer female voices,” Waters said. “That’s scary.”
Walters and Summers learned to sew from their grandmother and mother, and saw the Peace By-Piece Initiative as a constructive way to get involved in politics.
“I felt helpless and felt like I needed to do something,” Summers, a middle school student. “This is something positive to share your message.”
