Peace Quilt Project

I had a very good show last week in Ottawa and now a friend and I are involved in an interesting new venture.   I was approached to help out with a quilting project where 12 immigrant women from many different countries will each make a square for a quilt symbolizing what peace means to them.    The finished quilt will hang in an immigrant services organization.

I met with the women yesterday and we got right down to work.   They are eager and enthusiastic and had lots of great ideas for their squares.   Some of them do not speak English and spoke through interpreters.   We started by creating a design on paper.   Some of the women had already researched and brought in copies of their ideas.   I think they will create a lovely message with this quilt.   Shirley and I are very excited about this project and I will ask if I may take pictures as we work and put them up on my blog.  

I am particularly excited because I started quilting 15 years ago when someone asked me to make a square for a women's strength quilt (which was to be donated to a church that welcomed the most vulnerable and needy of the community).   As I created my square thinking about where I found my strength as a woman I was won over to the creative process of creating an art quilt.   At the time I didn't even sew (in fact I hated sewing).   I haven't stopped sewing since that time.    I wonder if any of the women in our group will go on to become quilters.

Before we could finish the quilt, our organizer went away to work for Amnesty International so we finished our individual squares and mine still hangs in my hallway (and brings me strength).  I brought it in yesterday to the workshop to show the women.  I hope it will inspire them.   Here is a photo of my first quilt.