Hello Stitchers,
We are now in our 5th month of the 25 Million Stitches Project and have 7 more months to submit your completed panel(s), which are due no later than 3/31/2020. The first full installation of your completed panels will be held at the Verge Center for the Arts in Sacramento from June to August of 2020.
Thanks to your amazing panels that we have already received, we have our installation at the Contra Costa College in San Pablo, CA., which runs through September 28th. Receiving and opening each of the 180 panels has been a moving and humbling experience. The hours and care you took to make the panels are evident in all of them. We apologize to the stitchers who have not received a return confirmation note from us. I am learning how to organize a project of this scale as the project progresses. Even with continued help of our administrator, Elaine Archibald and our new intern Jennifer Varley, I have fallen short. So, I need to ask your help one more time. Could you send us an email to 25millionstitches@gmail.com with the following information: number of panels you requested and number of panels you returned and the return date(month). If you have a picture of your panel, it would be very helpful. From this point on, we ask you to mark your name and home state on your completed panels. We use sharpie pen on white medical or gaffer tape, oir on a separate piece of fabric and stitch on one corner of the panel. You may also embroider them on a corner of your panel.
At the Contra Costa College show, we have 67 panels, about 40% of the returned panels on display. The response to the creativity and diversity of the panels has been laudatory. They, in turn, are generating more interest in the project, so we thank you for your generous donations. For those of you who participated from afar, a good number of these panels can be seen on the Facebook, 25 Million Stitches page and on the Instagram of the same name. Please join the FB and Instagram pages to see the panels and to share what you are working on.
Many interesting stories have emerged from the project: Some of you shared how your stitching in public places has initiated conversation about refugee issues with strangers, some of them refugees themselves who are now settled in the US and England. Third graders from a school in Santa Domingo, Dominican Republic stitched during their recess time wanting to make a difference for the refugee children. Students from Waldorf school in Sacramento participated and completed 12 panels. A senior line dancing group from Irvine, CA, contributed over 20 beautifully stitched panels. In Vancouver, Canada, a volunteer has been sewing scrap fabric together to make panels to distribute to participants rather than buying new fabric, an example of environmental stewardship and social activism rolled into one caring action.
In May, we have partnered with International Rescue Committee, Sacramento chapter https://www.rescue.org/united-states/sacramento-ca and the Verge Center for the Arts, https://www.vergeart.com/residencies/ to learn more about how best to serve the refugees and to host the full installation of the 25 Million Stitches project next year Slofemists, an art activism event in Regina, Saskatchewan has offered to host the 25 Million Stitches project as one of the activism events (at the Dunlop Art Gallery ) with four drop-in workshop/events September 28 - October 3. (http://rpl.libnet.info/event/2785175 )
For this first newsletter, we would like to thank all of you individually and to acknowledge the remarkable volunteers from Roxbury, Connecticut, Bellingham, Washington, Vancouver, Canada, Lancashire, United Kingdom, Greensboro, North Carolina, Bellingham, Washington, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Red Lodge, Montana, Savanna, Georgia, Lynn, Massachusetts, New York City, Ithaca , New York, Mesa, Arizona, Clarksville, Indiana, and Irvine, Lark Spur, San Geronimo, Santa Rosa, Fairfax, Fort Bragg, San Francisco, Oakland, Petaluma, Sacramento, Santa Paula, San Rafael, and Mendocino California. They have shared the project widely, recruited many participants, and have become satellite epicenters for engagement. One very important part of this project is to build a community of concerned citizens and to provide a platform for promoting activism and other organizations working on the global refugee crisis. We are also looking for stories of your experience, thoughts and ideas to feature in future newsletters. Please email us your stories or information about your organization.
We still need another 1000 panels to amass 25 million stitches. Stitching circles are the most effective ways to spread the project: Many in various locations and sizes are being held from Cornell University museum club, British Columbia and Saskatchewan, Canada, Sacramento, Irvine, Chico and Senior living center in San Francisco to promote the projects. Upcoming circles will be posted on the 25 Million Stitches webpage. https://www.jenniferkimsohn.com/25-million-stitches. And now we have a new Panel Images page which will be updated regularly. https://www.jenniferkimsohn.com/panel-images-of
Please continue recruiting your friends, relatives and coworkers. If you are a member of a quilting and textile arts group or if you lead girl scouts and/or church/ temple activities, please help us recruit them for the project.
To Organize a stitching circle:
We find that various sizes work well, each with its own unique dynamics: periodic and repeated meetings help recruit participants as well as help the participants complete the panels. Announcements of the circle in community newspapers are effective.
Combining a sewing circle with political debates, art summer camps, feminist sewing projects and book club meetings works well.
Embroidery threads precut to arms-length x 2 also makes sewing easier for your guests.
When stitching, bolder colors and thicker embroidery threads are more satisfying to stitch with because designs are more visible.
Progress report as of 9/18/2019, 1300 panels were sent out, and we received back about 200 panels.
We have participants from 41 states as well as Central America, Canada, Spain, England, Lithuania, England, New Zealand and Australia.
To learn more about the global refugee situation, please visit the websites of these organizations that aid refugees in various capacity.
UNHCR: https://www.unhcr.org/
IRC: https://www.rescue.org/united-states/sacramento-ca
Amnesty International: https://www.amnesty.org/en/search/?q=refugees
RAICES: https://www.raicestexas.org/
