by Allison Wilbur on April 25, 2016
The Solar Sister Exhibit was on display at the Narragansett Bay Quilters’ Association (NBQA) bi-annual quilt show in Kingston, Rhode Island April 23-24. The quilts were seen by over 1000 visitors and elicited praise for their artistry, content and commitment to women’s empowerment. Solar Sister Exhibit quilters Lorraine Landroche, […]
by Allison Wilbur on July 22, 2013
Let There Be Light Jennifer Day Santa Fe, New Mexico “Let There Be Light” is a quilt based on a photograph taken by Solar Sister. This organization graciously agreed to allow me to use this image in my quilt. I love the look of joy on the woman’s face as she holds a […]
by Allison Wilbur on July 21, 2013
Power is Knowledge Lea McComas Superior, Colorado For want of a light the lesson was lost. For want of a lesson the student was lost. For want of a student the teacher was lost For want of a teacher the school was lost For want of a school the village was lost. For […]
by Allison Wilbur on July 20, 2013
Lucina Lighting the Way Mary Vaneecke Tuscon, Arizona Lucina was the Roman goddess of light and childbirth – she who brings children into the light. Here, Lucina is pregnant and holds a golden orb. The lively color scheme and bright shapes evoke a hopeful spring. This quilt is a tribute to our modern-day Lucinas, […]
by Allison Wilbur on July 18, 2013
Weaving Together Hope Shannon Gingrich Shirley – Woodbridge, Virginia Can you find all of these words in the quilt?: ENTREPRENEUR, SOLAR SISTERS, SOLAR POWER, OPPORTUNITY, DIRECT SALES, COMMUNITIES, SUSTAINABLE, NON PROFIT, EMPOWERS, NETWORK, BUSINESS, CONNECT, BENEFITS, TRAINING, EDUCATE, HOLISTIC, RECRUIT, ENERGY, DONATE, FUTURE, INCOME, WOMEN, AFRICA, INVEST, FAMILY, RURAL, LAMPS, STUDY, LIGHT, HOPE, NEED, […]
by Allison Wilbur on July 13, 2013
The Giving Circle Lorraine Landroche West Warwick, Rhode Island I heard about this Quilt for Change challenge from my local quilting guild and was inspired by further readings on energy poverty to create “The Giving Circle”. I ran across a commercial fabric that seemed to cry out to me to answer the call. The […]
by Allison Wilbur on July 10, 2013
Behind the Darkness is Light Dawn Piasta Dauphin, Manitoba, Canada The appearance of black is merely a sign of the absence of light. Without light, there would be no sight. In researching the works of the Solar Sister non-profit organization I was drawn to a dark and mysterious photograph that simply showed the […]
by Allison Wilbur on June 27, 2013
Light=Hope=Light Marianne Gravely Woodbridge, Virginia Our children are both the light of our lives and our hope for the future. While we in the U.S. turn off lights to save electricity, and worry about conserving energy to protect the planet for our children, on the other side of the world children live in energy […]
by Allison Wilbur on June 26, 2013
A Mighty Wind – Barbara Einstein Wind To Enlighten; Night Wind; A Mighty Wind Barbara Eisenstein – Bethesda, Maryland Wind power must be used to create the light and hope for empowering women throughout the globe. The power generated can be used to provide light for reading and learning, refrigeration, clean electrical cooking, and […]
by Allison Wilbur on June 23, 2013
Clean Energy for the Future Ms. Dionne’s Grade 6 Class with retired teacher Lindea Parnell – Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada I was really pleased to be involved with this Quilt for Change activity. As a retired teacher I do not have a class of my own, so I “borrowed” Ms. Dionne’s grade 6 class to […]
by Allison Wilbur on June 21, 2013
Sewing Sister Allison Wilbur Barrington, Rhode Island When I first met Katherine Lucey, Executive Director of Solar Sister, she told me the story of Teddy the Tailor. Before she purchased a solar light, Teddy Namirembe would walk to a nearby village in Uganda to work at night, leaving her three daughters at home. The […]
by Allison Wilbur on June 19, 2013
Juarez Deborah Weir Rolling Hills Estates, California The women in Juarez, Mexico, walk alone at night from their places of work (maquiladoras) on usually unpaved roads trying to reach home safely. There are no street lights, no safe public transportation. The electricity in Juarez is used to run the factories, not to help […]
by Allison Wilbur on June 18, 2013
LIGHT THE DARKNESS Melanie Johnston and Joan Johnson Hampton, Connecticut The aspect of energy poverty we chose to highlight is how the lack of a steady source of power can limit access to education. Without a consistent source of light, it is challenging at best for children to read books for the […]
by Allison Wilbur on June 15, 2013
Light and Shadows Parts 1&2 Timna Tarr, South Hadley, Massachusetts Ruth E. Renkel wrote, “Never fear shadows. They simply mean there’s a light shining somewhere nearby.” When I read that quote, I knew it would be inspiration for this challenge. Through their work, Solar Sister is the light shining literally and figuratively […]
by Allison Wilbur on June 14, 2013
A Brighter Day, A Better World Rose Legge – Castle Rock, Colorado My quilt, “A Brighter Day, A Better World,” is a depiction of a colorful, verdant landscape with the sun shining down, bestowing its warmth and life-giving properties. There are hand-drawn leaves, flowers, and rolling hills which include hand-painted and commercial machine-quilted […]
by Dick Wilbur on June 12, 2013
Light for Enlightenment – Diana Ferguson, Sweetwater, Tennessee Joy is inherent in the human experience, yet it can be worn thin through hardships. Opportunity creates a lifting up of the spirit and makes hardships seem less controlling. Solar lamps are a miraculous part of an uplifting opportunity. To receive the gift of light during the […]
by Allison Wilbur on June 11, 2013
“A New Day Dawns” I have named my quilt as a reminder that each new day brings us closer to having the awareness and the technology to close the gap on Energy Poverty. Solar Energy is the solution to providing not just light, but a safe and efficient source of energy for people anywhere […]
by Allison Wilbur on June 9, 2013
Eyes Wide Open: Seeing Light in the Mundane My quilt work portrays the nexus between energy poverty and women, highlighting the neglected nature of this critical issue and the urgent need of universalisation of energy service to women in less developed parts of the world. To emphasize the pervasiveness and prevalence of this fundamental […]
by Allison Wilbur on June 8, 2013
We start our showcase of the quilts and quilters participating in Solar Sister: Empowering Women through Clean Energy with this quilt by Barrington, RI quilter Laura Cooke. Laura’s artist statement is below the photo of her bright and welcoming sun superimposed on the African continent. When I read the title of this year’s challenge: Light, […]