by Allison Wilbur on January 6, 2020
I chose this spectacular embroidered block which has the feeling of a village full of life. As a bird watcher, the bird in the center also attracted my attention and made me feel my sister artist was perhaps a bird lover as well. I selected two fabrics to surround the block, a thin gold strip […]
by Allison Wilbur on November 9, 2019
For My Sisters This was my sole project all summer long. Because my approach is improvisational, the process tends to be slow — especially so during summer with family plans and kids at home. I look forward to seeing all the completed quilts for the Sister Artists initiative. This is such a worthy cause, I […]
by Allison Wilbur on November 8, 2019
Thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of this program. Honoring the work of my “sister artist” was quite a challenge, but lots of fun. I spent some time researching the country of Mali and looking at photos of the landscape. I was inspired by the interesting rock formations found there. […]
by Allison Wilbur on November 6, 2019
The Salama Quilters Self Help Group of Nairobi, Kenya, (the Salama Mamas) have only been making quilts since 2017. Inspired by a presentation at the Kenya Quilt Guild about the African Siddi Quilters of India, they began to make quilts using the Indian technique of hand piecing with a running stitch. From the beginning, they […]
by Allison Wilbur on August 29, 2019
Janice Jones contacted us and said, “It pulls on my heart strings to think that one of the blocks did not get chosen. Surely we can’t have one of the girls blocks not chosen.” It turns out there were two unclaimed blocks, and Janice undertook to finish both of them. As you can see below, each […]
by Allison Wilbur on August 27, 2019
I love cooking so I entitled this piece, “It’s Meal Time!” I love the embroidery the artist chose for her piece and I decided to add borders that bring out the colors within the panel while adding some African and Asian fabric flavors from my stash. It is my hope that this project will bless […]
by Allison Wilbur on August 27, 2019
It’s my favorite thing: art quilts as advocacy. So I was quick to answer the call from Quilt for Change and The Advocacy Project. Under the initiative, known as Sister Artists, survivors of gender-based violence created embroidered blocks depicting scenes of their life in Mali. Quilters — mostly American — were invited to choose a […]
by Allison Wilbur on August 9, 2019
This project meant a lot to me. I’m a relatively new quilter, and had never made an advocacy quilt before, but reading about the Sister Artists project inspired me. I was lucky enough to be able to spend 10 days in Tanzania last summer for a project related to my work as a biosafety professional, […]
by Allison Wilbur on July 29, 2019
Janice Jones selected block #27 for her Sister Artists quilt – women preparing maize. The fabrics Janice selected are a beautiful complement to the colors and textures of the embroidered block. Embellishments of appliquéd shapes, beads, prairie points and tassels add to the beauty of the piece. Of her involvement in Sister Artists, Janice says, […]
by Allison Wilbur on July 28, 2019
Deborah Weir selected block #1 – which featured a large bird, perhaps a black capped crane, for her Sister Artists quilt. She emphasized some of the original lines of stitching, created needle lace leaves and found some “jungly” fabric on Spoonflower for the framing. Deborah has created pieces for the Solar Sister and Water is […]
by Allison Wilbur on July 27, 2019
Colleen Ansbaugh has completed her Sister Artistsquilt from the camel block (#29). Colleen’s piece is full of energy, movement and texture. The African fabrics and motifs add a sense of vibrancy. Colleen also created a piece for the Water is Life exhibit and we are thrilled to have her take part in a second Quilt […]
by Allison Wilbur on July 26, 2019
Suzanne Munroe, a portrait artist from Rhode Island, chose block # 16. She blogged on her website about her process. Although my block was titled “preparing food”, I was more drawn to studying the hut, I decided to mimic the strength of the hand made walls – showing and emphasizing the strength of these women […]
by Allison Wilbur on July 25, 2019
Wonderful to hear from Sue Willows-Raznikov in San Francisco as she is creating her Sister Artists quilt. Sue chose block #18, In the Fields. Sue writes, “I’m so glad to be part of this quilt project. The original embroidery ‘in the field’ has a woman carrying her child while entering the field and two workers […]
by Allison Wilbur on July 24, 2019
Cathey LaBonte in Connecticut is auditioning fabrics to go with block #25 – one of the camel blocks. I just love the tassle embellishments she is working on! Of her creative process, Cathey says, “My creative process consists of a lot of experimenting on my design wall! I pin stuff on, stand back and take […]
by Allison Wilbur on July 23, 2019
We love seeing in progress photos of the quilts. Dawn Piasta from Manitoba, Canada chose block # 37, which has a fishing theme. Perfect for Dawn since her husband is a professional fishing guide! I can’t wait to see how the fish will merge with the embroidered block. Certainly, Dawn has a beautiful setting for […]
by Allison Wilbur on July 22, 2019
All 39 blocks have been assigned and artists are hard at work, creating art quilts from the beautiful blocks embroidered by the women at the Gender Based Violence center in Mali. Their artwork celebrates village life and their natural surroundings. To see the individual blocks, please visit The Advocacy Project’s website page. The more than […]
by Allison Wilbur on March 14, 2019
We have a new project! Quilt for Change and The Advocacy Project (AP) are pleased to announce the launch of an exciting new partnership between survivors of gender-based violence (GBV) in Mali and quilters in the United States. The Project: Under the initiative, known as Sister Artists, GBV survivors have produced embroidered blocks depicting scenes of […]
by Allison Wilbur on September 8, 2018
The last exhibition of Water is Life is currently on display in Union, New Jersey, at the Kean University Human Rights Institute Gallery from September 4-December 12, 2018. Gallery access is free and open to the public, and the Institute is happy to arrange group tours for guilds and school groups. To schedule a tour, […]
by Allison Wilbur on May 25, 2017
We are not very reliable bloggers, please forgive us! During the period the Water is Life exhibit was on display at the New England Quilt Museum in Lowell, Massachusetts, we focused on future programming and getting as many visitors as possible to the museum to view the quilts. The exhibit was on display February 15 – April […]
by Allison Wilbur on March 3, 2017
If you are in New England, we hope you can make it to the artists’ reception for “Water is Life: The Impact of Clean Water on the Lives of Women and Girls.” The reception will be on Saturday, March 4 at 11:00 am at the museum which is located at 18 Shattuck St in Lowell, […]