2009 Awareness Quilt
2008 Awareness Quilt
2007 Awareness Quilt
October is a busy month for me. I'm a domestic violence advocate who works within the welfare system. Specifically, I meet with individuals who have or had domestic violence or sexual assault issues in their lives and are unable to safely work at this time. October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. For the past few years, I've encourage participants in our weekly support group to make a quilt square. Originally this was to be used in the national Hands Across America quilt but I'd cut the blocks the wrong size and the group members didn't want to send away their creations to never be seen again. I was also never able to find the quilt program info again. So we started quilts to be used locally at Awareness Events. Mostly they have hung outside my cubicle - but they are still creating an impact. Friday night will be our local Program's Candle light vigil. I'm not sure how we'll be displaying the quilts but I'm taking them. It's always interesting to see how each group of people react to the messages in the quilt blocks. Some are inspired, some are shocked, others take away new knowledge. The creation of the blocks is theraputic even to the ones who claim not to be crafty. They walk away feeling a little more empowered. Every year as I struggle to put the quilts together, I SWEAR! it will be my last. I ask everyone to leave a "thumbs width around the edge" do they? NO! - but then Raymond mentioned the church quilt with the Popsicle sticks and I suddenly felt blessed - I only have rope, beads, sequins, paint and glue. We banned glitter a while back as the "herpes of crafts".
These are a couple of shots from last years Celebration of Strength that went along with the Vigil. We created a clothes line for the quilts and T-shirts. Displayed the masks (created to be either the person hidden underneath the abuse or the outward mask they wear to hide the abuse.) And I had a bunch of messages that I'd always hoped to be able to create a walkway out of and have never been able to attach them together. and their paintings! oh my, they were just amazing. I wish I had a better shot of them. I'd actually had some offers from passerby's wanting to buy them. But each creating is the property of the creator and I had to turn them down because I can't break confidentiality to say who created the art. I did make sure to pass the compliment along though!
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You must be very proud of all that your group achieves Brooke! The quilts are a wonderful way for them to express themselves to others, and in my own experience is a very therapeutic craft! Kudos to you for all you do!
ReplyDeleteVery nice work on many different levels, Brooke!!
ReplyDeleteOne of my brothers is on the Board for a shelter for abused women . . . for several years, I've created and donated a quilt for their yearly fundraising auction . . . I should post pics of 'em. One year, I made a quilt of purple ribbons (for domestic abuse) on a green background with yellow chevrons (ok, so I had Mardi Gras on my mind) . . . people liked it, but thought it looked too much like a bruise
I hope your vigil went well....very nice to do those quilts....and to share them with us. I can tell you are very dedicated to your job and your clients are lucky to have someone like you.
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