Remembrance Quilt for Newtown

Virginia Bobro, quiltmaker

I am a mother of three teens, a childbirth educator, and an artist/quilter. On December 14, the day of the horrific shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT, I turned to creative handwork as a way to process and cope with the news. I began making a star quilt block for each of the victims at the school. It has become a kind of meditation for me– to sew these stars– turning to my fabric, needle, and thread as I feel all the emotions (rage, grief, confusion, fear, tenderness) this event has uncovered in me. Stitching together this quilt is a healing process for me.

In addition to tending to my own heart, I also want to tend to the larger community by supporting awareness, action, and change in order to reduce gun violence in our nation (especially against children). To this end, I will be giving away my Star Quilt of Remembrance to one randomly selected participant in my GoFundMe fundraiser. (All proceeds benefit the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization EDUCATIONAL FUND TO STOP GUN VIOLENCE. Read more, including the list of 48 member organizations, here.)

Make a donation to enter the giveaway here. (Giveaway ends January 14 has been extended to Monday, January 21.)

This quilt (a bit smaller than twin-size, at approx. 4′ x 6′) is made from beautiful batik 100% cotton fabric. Most materials for this quilt are from my own “stash;” I did purchase additional blue batik fabric for the back ground and backing. As much as possible using what I have on hand stays true to the tradition of quilting: making something of meaning and beauty out of whatever is around. While I am a fairly experienced and skilled quilter, this quilt is not professional quality; the stars are intentionally “wonky” and my points won’t match, but it is made with mindfulness, love, and intention. Because my style of quilting tends towards the modern and improvisational, I do not have a pattern or specific plan. I am letting the quilt emerge as I go along. The quilt top (designs) are pieced and sewn by me. Due to the generous offer of a local quiltmaker and teacher, Marty Frolli, she is machine quilting the actual quilt. Thank you Marty!

I will share photos and progress reports throughout the coming month on this blog. Read all the “rules” for the giveaway here.

Thank you for your interest and support. I welcome your positive and encouraging comments.