All our words are never said and and all our work is never done . . . but we complete steps along our creative way.
I’ve made reference to and shown glimpses of this quilt I’ve been working on—and the top is finally finished!
The impetus for the quilt came from the block-of-the-month (BOM) challenge my guild had this past year. The way the BOM works is that each month at a guild meeting, participants are given the directions for a new quilt block to make during the coming month. If one stays on track, by the end of the year one has done a good bit of work toward a finished project. I like finished projects as well as the next person!
And I liked the theme our guild chose: in light of this being the 100th anniversary of New York giving full enfranchisement to women, including the right to vote, the theme of our BOM was Women’s Suffrage.
The theme appealed to me a lot but I wanted to take it further and make my quilt more broadly about women’s rights. And I didn’t want to stop at the 9 pieced blocks that we received instructions for.
I reverted to my roots—my love of words, words that inspire, words that provoke, and words that maybe even foment change.
I chose 10 quotations from 9 women and one quotation from a man, Mitch McConnell, about a woman. I tried to be inclusive and choose from women of different eras and backgrounds.
- Sojourner Truth
- Margaret Sanger
- about Elizabeth Warrem
- Maya Angelou
- Susan B. Anthony
- Susan B. Anthony
- Elizabeth Warren
- Hillary Rodham Clinton
- Elizabeth Cady Stanton
- Malala Yousafzai
For the embroidery, I used my tried-and-true freezer paper and computer printer method for transferring the designs to fabric—I wrote about it here.*
I ended up with 9 pieced blocks from the BOM challenge but needed one more for the design I wanted, so I added a block from a pattern called “Contrary Wife”–I figured many people saw the suffragettes as just that (it’s the block at the bottom left).
I sewed the pieced blocks and the embroidered blocks together in an alternating grid, with sashing. At some future date, I’ll hand quilt the whole thing.
I started this quilt well before the US presidential election and worked on it while I watched the voting returns, never suspecting the way things were going to turn out. I lost my way for awhile after that and didn’t work on the quilt for a good long time.
But as it turns out, I felt compelled to finish.
I’ve been thinking about a phrase I read somewhere—weapons of mass creation. Although the word “weapons” makes me uneasy, I do like the juxtaposition of ideas, that we can use the tools we have to build up rather than tear down.
And the tools, or weapons, I have are words, and needle and thread and shuttle and loom.
And I intend to use them–for my own comfort, for the simple joy of making, for the chance to make statement, subtle or less so, about the world I want to live in.
*I’m thinking about doing another, even more detailed post about this, to encourage others to try the process of embroidering their own words on fabric. Would that be useful? If you have strong feeling, let me know.
Absolutely stunning work in both design and execution. What will you do with it when it is finished? Use it? Display it?
Thank you, Jennifer! I never know what I’ll do with these quilts when they’re finished–I’m so focused on process. I’ll probably fold it up and put it away . . .
It’s none of my business and you didn’t ask, but I’m going out on a limb anyway. Would you consider auctioning this for one of your chosen women candidates or for a cause that supports women? I can’t bare the idea of it tucked away in a closet. It’s both beautiful and meaningful.
Hmmmm–that’s a nice idea! Once I get the thing completely finished, I’ll ponder that. Thanks, Alys!
It’s beautiful, and the quotes bring tears to my eyes. Being grouped together magnifies their impact. I love that they are from different eras and cultures, but focused on the same message.
Thanks, Gwen! I agree about the power of the words–and the feeling one gets to see how many times they have had to be said.
Beautiful work as ever, Kerry, and yes, yes, yes – do please post more about it and the process – it will be fascinating to learn more about this wonderful project 🙂
Thanks, Liz! It seems enough people are interested in hearing more–I’ll do some work, trying to make the process seem as easy as it really was!
Absolutely beautiful! I watched you work on this & was so happy to see the finished product! You are amazing! Carol
Hi Carol! It seems like I worked on this forever, didn’t it?! You ladies are always so supportive!
This is fantastic. A beautiful quilt filled with inspiring words. Well done!
Thanks so much–it was interesting to work on. It went slowly and gave me time to really internalize those amazing words!
Love the idea of embroidered writing in quilts. lovely quilt top!!!
Thanks, Deb–the piecing drove me crazy! I am too loosey-goosey about cutting the pieces out and so they never fit together really well. But, as we say, all those ripples will quilt out!
This is brilliant Kerry – not only beautiful to look at but beautiful in intention.
That’s such a nice thing to say, Andrea! Once I had the focus, it was really nice to work on this, even though it was somewhat depressing that we are still fighting for certain rights . . . .
I think this is a thought-provoking and lovely quilt. If it’s prompted further ideas I’d love to see you realise them.
Thank you, Margaret. I always have ideas for projects. Mostly it’s a matter of deciding which ones move me enough to bother with. I’ll keep you posted!
You always make the loveliest things! And your embroidery is exquisite! Yes, I would love to read a more detailed post regarding this. It is something I might like to try too!
What a nice comment, Karen! Thank you! It’s a little embarrassing to admit how easy that embroidery is–I’ll try and post more details soon!
This is beautiful. Yes, please post more about embroidering script!!
Thank you, Fiona! Since several people seem interested in more info about doing the embroidery, I’ll try to get back to this soon.
I can’t read the words, sadly – but maybe later today when my eyes are properly awake I may be able to. This is a beautiful creation and I do hope you get it finished – completing our works of creation and inspiration is part of the deal of countering the forces who wish to deny our united power. This quilt would be a powerful statement!
I very much like the intention of that phrase you quote, though like you I am wary of the wording. I wonder if there could be another catchy catch-phrase that we can latch onto and use to inspire us that doesn’t allude to the negative?
And a big ‘yes please’ to a post about using our own words – I have now and again used my own words to accompany a painting and am ambivalent about why I would do that …….. I need convincing 🙂 I am a big fan of using our own handwriting – something that is uniquely us gets indented and left behind.
Hmmm . . . I included a separate photo of each embroidered block, so they could be read easily–maybe your computer was just slow loading them? Thanks for your kind words–I know I will finish this quilt but I have two other to finish first and my guild wants to hang this one, as is, in the guild show in September. SO I won’t even start quilting it until winter.
No, it’s just my eyes aren’t as sharp as they once were 🙂 I imagine winter is the perfect time for hand quilting! xo
My eyes let me down sometimes, too–I hate it. Winter is a good time for quilting, although I have another quilt, that red and white star pattern, that needs to be finished this summer. I think I’ll need to turn on the air conditioner and just push through!
Kerry, I’m in awe of your talents. What an extraordinary piece. I love the quotes, some new to me and many warm and familiar. There is something about a quilt, too, where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Each of these women, so remarkable to our history and struggle for equal rights in this country and beyond. And you, remarkable in your own right and sharing your gifts and talents with us. xo
You always say the right things, Alys! I really liked that my quilt, traditional “women’s work,” could subvert the notion of a woman’s place in the world. And the quotes make me happy–so many women, from so many backgrounds, all striving together . . .
Yes! That’s it exactly: women striving together.
Pauline, I clicked on the first photo and from there was able to read the quotes in the enlarged format. You might try that and see if it helps.
Thanks for the reminder to come back Alys – I got caught up with other things. I had already clicked through to the separate enlargements – it was just my eyes first thing in the morning don’t focus as well as they do after a couple of hours of practise 😀 I could read the quotes almost easily this time! Great stuff Kerry! PS Did you know that here all women have had the right to vote since 1893?
It’s so unfair the way our bodies turn on us. Just as we get this thing called life figured out, we start losing our depth perception. I did not know that women’s right to vote in NZ went back to 1893, though I remain gobsmacked that any of us had to wait around to vote.
Such a beautiful and inspiring quilt! I think you should give it to Elizabeth Warren! She is such
An inspirationan and role model for women.
She certainly IS an inspiring woman–I like how strong and passionate she is. Thanks for commenting!
Love your finished quilt, especially all of the quotes.
Thanks, Kiki! It’s the quotes that make the quilt, I think–lots of women, with lots of important things to say.
what a lovely quilt, and those sayings!! They are perfect.
Aren’t the quotations good? And there were so many others I could’ve added . . .
they really are. I love that you included that one man in there. I expect he is sorry he ever said anything to give her such cred. 🙂
Very choice collection of quotes. I hope the sentinents are appreciated by the other members of your guild.
The other members of my guild don’t quite know what to make of me, I’m afraid . . . But I figured you’d like the quotes!
You lost your way for a while but you persisted. Job well done!
Thanks, Susan! Yes, I persisted, and I’ll keep persisting . . .
It must have been so difficult to limit yourself to those quotes, as there are, and have been, so many inspiring women. It is a beautiful tribute to those who have fought for the rights and freedoms we now have. i am so pleased you were able to get yourself into a place where you wanted to finish it.
I too would love a more detailed tutorial on transferring designs to fabric.
It *was* difficult to choose quotes! When I went looking, I wasn’t prepared for how many I would find that inspired me. I”ll get to work on a more detailed post about process . . .
Kerry, you have a lovely quilt here. I can’t load the pix yet, so I’m curious about the stitch you used for the script. Was it stem or back stitch, or something else?
Thanks, Kathy! The stitch was good ol’ back stitch–very simple and straightforward. I tried chain stitch and stem stitch but didn’t care for either on this project.
I finally learned the back stitch last summer, and it is so much cleaner than stem stitch. They really look great!
This is certainly a thought provoking quilt; some unexpected recent quotes amidst the historical ones! The “she persisted” quote has really caught fire, hasn’t it? The execution is beautiful too – hmm, a word with multiple meanings, one of them violent, like the turn of your phrase weapons of mass creation. I can imagine this quilt on display in a museum in a women’s history exhibit.
Please do write more, and keep using your good weapons.
Thanks for this great comment! Yes, the “she persisted” did catch fire! I had a different quite all picked out for the quilt and then McConnell made that comment and I knew i wanted to include it. My guild is having a show in the fall and doing a display on suffragettes and they will display this quilt with the other items. after that, I’m not sure what I’ll do with the quilt . . .
The quilt is beautiful. You have such a wonderful sense of design. I like how you included embroidered words in the quilt.
Thanks, Sheryl–I like the embroidered words, too. If fact, I’ve found I like embroidering more than I like piecing in the patchwork blocks!
Thank you for finishing the top and for sharing it with us. Our most important power is creative power. You have demonstrated it once again. And as you know, quilters have made political statements with quilts for more than two centuries. They knew it; they demonstrated it, too.
Thanks, Melanie. Yes, I felt I was contributing to a proud tradition as I made this. The other members of my guild don’t know quite what to make of this but . . . that’s okay!
D > Well, that’s a style of quilt I’ve not come across before – a Political Quilt. That said, maybe geometric quilts could be subversive, if only we know how to read them!
I think there’s quite a tradition of quilts that make political comment, at least here in the States. I have a book about textiles during our Civil War and several of the quilts in it are very pointed about supporting one side or the other.
I’ve sort of done a similar thing on a quilt label but didn’t embroider it – also the paper I used was very expensive. I’d love to see more of your work transferring designs and wording on to fabric.
Yes, that paper IS expensive and I’m too frugal for that! I’ll get to work on a more detailed post soon!
It’s splendid. The embroidered script came out so beautifully. My favorite quote is the “wipe the dew off your spectacles,” one, which is just as apt today. And my favorite block is contrary wife! Well done. I imagine there were a good number of subversive quilts sewn in the past by contrary wives.
I think subversion lurks everywhere–and that makes me happy. I like that “wipe the dew” quote, too, and the one from Sojourner Truth–I love the metaphor of the ballot box as something perfect yet fragile . . .
Wonderful opening words and an even more wonderful quilt. Truly, so inspiring. And beautiful! Who could ask for anything more?
Thanks, Laurie! I loved doing the embroidery because it gave me lots of time to really think about what the words conveyed.
Stunning!
Hi, I’m Sandy Moore Charlie’s wife. I shared your quilt to Facebook. I belong to a guild in Utica area they will love to see your beautiful work !! I love it. We are going up to Plattsburgh for the quilt show in September
Hi, Sandy! Thank you for saying such nice things and sharing the quilt! I expect to be at the quilt show both days in Sept, demonstrating hand quilting–I hope you’ll stop and say hello! I believe this quilt top will be on display although it won’t have been quilted by that point.
This quilt is just amazing. I hope you will enter it in a show.
Thanks, Caroline. It’ll be in our local show in the fall, as part of an exhibit about suffragettes. It won’t be quilted by that point but they said they’d include the top as it is.
This is a wonderful project, Kerry and beautifully executed. I found myself extremely moved when I read all the quotes you have selected.
Thank you, Clare. I agree that seeing those words all in one place gives more weight to each of them. And the fact that we’ve been needing to say the same things for so long . . .
It’s stunning! I love the red and white. Your stitching for the writing is impeccable. Which stitch did you use? I was able to read them when highlighting the smaller squares. That is one very powerful quilt. It should have a place of honor somewhere that many women can pass by and see it. The Hall of Justice maybe. 🙂 You have done very well here.
Thank you so much, Marlene! I seem to be on a red and white kick these days–I have three quilts in different stages and they’re all predominantly red and white. The embroidery is done with one of the most basic of all stitches–back stitch. It goes slowly enough to be able to really appreciate the words as you stitch.
Thanks for letting me know about the stitch. 🙂
This is a beautiful piece of work. I do like the quotes, particularly the Elizabeth Lady Stanton one. True today! You have been busy, Kerry!
Thanks, Lisa! I love that Stanton quote, too–it kind of makes me sad that we can say it with as much meaning today as Stanton did!
Beautiful, and you ought to hang it.
I like to do sampler cross stitch patterns, to look at the letters or the quote, if I add one. It sounds like this would be good to soothe your soul….
Thanks, Deb. Doing this did soothe my soul, somewhat, after the election. I don’t know what I’ll do with the finished quilt . . .
My gosh, Kerry! This is absolutely fabulous. Well done, my sister.
Thanks, Cynthia! Embroidering those words, which seem sacred to me, made me feel like a sister to all women!
I can imagine that.
That is a stunning piece of work, and I love the hand stitching – it is beautiful. 🙂
Thanks, Judy–that stitching is really so easy! And because it’s easy, it gives lots of time for thinking about the meaning of the words.
amazing, you must be very pleased. everything about it is very special, all that stitching is remarkable, the writing is perfect and I love the quotes you’ve choosen.
Thanks Jean–the quotes kept me going, and have reassured me somewhat, in the wake of all that’s happening here.
A beautiful quilt, and I love the quotations, Kerry! The freezer paper on cloth printing method is ingenious!
And it’s so easy! You can buy fabric all prepared to go through a printer but the cost offends me.
I am late to this party of yours. I shall follow your words now. Maybe change will come. For the sake of our children and grandchildren I sincerely hope so.
Never too late to join the party, and I hope you’ll be back! Like you, I’m counting on change, for the better–soon, I hope.
Well for gosh sakes, I LOVE this (sorry for yelling)!
As I told Pauline recently, if you’re selling, I’m buying!
If nothing else, I’d like to share this on my Elect Women FB page. Is that okay?
Sure–share away! And thanks for your enthusiasm–I thought you’d like it!
Kerry,
Finally catching up on your blog and can’t believe what I have missed! This is absolutely spectacular!!! So meaningful and thought provoking along with its beauty and many hours of creation. You have written so beautifully about it as well…a joy to look at as well as read as we all ponder making our world better in our own small way. Thanks so much for sharing all these gifts of yours….made my day!
Thanks, Joan! It was important to me to make this, and to think about all those women and what they’ve given us. I still have to do the actual quilting–a good project for the winter!
So intricate and vibrant
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