Quilting for Palestine
The Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) Bay Area art team is raising mutual aid funding for Palestinians through a massive quilting project they’re calling Bound Together.
People of all sewing skill levels are invited.
A person makes a quilt block at the August 11th event. Photo credit: Julia Smith-Eppsteiner
On Sunday, August 11th, would-be quilters were invited to the back patio of a tattoo parlor in Berkeley to learn a little more about sewing. According to the organizers, the project is “a symbol of our connection to each other, and of a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts.”
Jules L. and Quinn K., who are both JVP Bay Area members, explain that “the project is inspired by the long lineage of quilting as a tool for activism.” Quilting as social activism isn’t a new idea. Quilt-making has been intrinsically tied to the Black community’s struggle for justice. And the AIDS Memorial Quilt that originated in San Francisco is considered the “largest community arts project in history.”
There are countless examples of quilting being a way to bring people together for a common purpose. Now JVP is calling on Bay Area quilters to submit blocks. Bound Together is set to be auctioned off for mutual aid later this fall. Jules and Quinn explain that the quilt will be used as a “visual statement” during actions and events ahead of the auction. They tell us, “It will be exciting to see where the quilt ends up.”
JVP Bay Area’s team states on the submission form: “We understand that the liberation of all oppressed people is bound together. We fight for a free Palestine because all people deserve safety, dignity, freedom, and life.” For people who want to learn more, JVP hosts a monthly virtual educational offering called JVP W*RLD (Watch, Read, Listen, Discuss); the next session is August 25th.
So far, the organizers share, “Finished squares have included Palestinian flags & imagery, quotes & poetry from Palestinian artists, and themes of peace, loss, and intersectionality with other movements.” They say involvement has grown to the wider community.
Hands hold a quilt block with a red bird. Photo credit: Julia Smith-Eppsteiner
The organizers suggest referencing motifs including “watermelons, strawberries, kites, olive branches, keffiyeh prints, tatreez embroidery, and more.” UNESCO added this type of embroidery to its list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2021. It is distinct to different villages, passed down generationally, and ever-evolving in the face of displacement and diaspora.
These symbols and the broader red, green, and black color scheme are reference points for the broader Free Palestine movement, each with their own deep history. But organizers are also welcoming other, more abstract quilt blocks.
Quilting is not just a tool of social activism and community building. It’s also a “meditative experience.” Researchers say quilters report a “range of cognitive, emotional and social benefits” that increases when quilts are produced for charitable purposes and done in community. It can be a slow-paced, easy going activity as opposed to other actions.
JVP Bay Area is trying to make the project more accessible in light of that. “We feel this project is an opportunity to expand resistance work to those who may feel excluded from traditional activities that involve more physical activity and large groups,” Jules and Quinn explain. It’s why appropriate KN94 / N95 masks were required at the recent event.
If you’ve never sewn before, a quilt block is a square that gets stitched together with other squares to make a cozy blanket. It is usually pieced together with different scraps of quilter’s cotton. The final product tends to have three layers: the top, batting in the middle for warmth and sturdiness, and a backing for protection.
For this project, quilters need to create a 12” by 12” block with ½ inch seam allowance on all sides. Keeping the size consistent is key because it enables volunteer quilters to stitch together all of the blocks in a cohesive design.
Time is running short. So far, organizers have “offered some sewing-free options for making a quilt block, such as fabric painting; curated a list of sewing online tutorials; and offered 1:1 instruction for people if they requested it.” But if you want to get involved, they recommend using fabric paint pens which take less time than sewing. Submissions are due by September 1.
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