Craftivism is a new word for me. But I understand it as craft in an activist context and almost everything I do fits in that category. It could be banners, or tiny bits of knitting on a stop sign or magnets on the mailbox or embroidered book illustration about cancer. My studio and my website are both called “Stitching for Social Change†and that just about covers it. Also, I buy as little material as possible new. Much of my work is made out of leftover scraps.
2. What led you to start the Middle East Peace Quilt? What was the moment that led you from idea into action?
I started the Middle East Peace Quilt in 1998. I used to go to political meetings about Israel and Palestine, and noticed that everyone always said exactly the same thing and nothing moved forward, I thought we needed another way of having the conversation. I had been teaching a workshop for awhile called “Stitching for social change, the use of fabric to build a better world,†which included a slide show about projects like the Chilean arpilleras, the Names Quilt, the use of fabric and Greenham Common, etc., so it was quite natural for me to initiate a project like that of my own. I didn’t know if I would get ten squares or hundreds of them. I started by inviting some friends for dinner and putting out materials for them to make quilt squares, and went on from there.
3. At what point did you know when to stop at a certain number of squares vs. making it an ongoing project?
The Middle East Peace Quilt toured for about 11 years from 1999 to 2010. It was on display in almost 40 venues in the US and Canada, including galleries, universities, libraries, churches and community and cultural centres. Even now I occasionally bring it out of retirement if someone is interested. Some of the squares came to me in the mail and some were results of workshops I offered everywhere I could get anyone to invite me in. I collected squares for about the first four years the quilt was on the road, but touring 31 quilts was getting a bit unwieldy and it was time to stop.
4. The quilt has been touring for many years now, is that a result of you asking places to show it or of people contacting you?
Any which way I could do it. Sometimes people would see the quilts somewhere and contact me. Other times I would ask groups to consider hosting the project. I often worked with people to help them connect Jewish and Arab or Jewish, Muslim and Christian groups in their communities. I encouraged people to bring me in to speak and do workshops and helped them figure out how to get the funding to do so. Once I started chatting to someone I was sitting beside on a plane and she ended up bringing the project to her university.
5. What has the response to the quilt been? Has it changed over time?
People loved it. I got positive responses from both the Jewish and Palestinian communities. I got media coverage beyond my wildest dreams. Sometimes people were sKeptical and said, “What do you think a bunch of quilts can do?†And I’d ask them what they would suggest I do instead. I often listened very carefully to people’s anger and frustration and for me that was part of the project. But 1999 was a relatively hopeful time in Israeli/Palestinian politics. I’m not sure it would be the best response to the situation today.
Additionally, here’s more about what Elizabeth is up to in her own words and a gallery of photos below:
The minute I saw Kate Young’s “Resist” sweater on Instagram, I knew I wanted to know more about it! Thankfully she agreed to answer some questions about it, the answers to which you can find below.
To see more of Kate’s work, follow her on Instagram, @sewkate!
1. What does craftivism mean to you?
I see craftivism as an opportunity to express myself politically in public, and to identify myself as a maker.
2. Why did you decide to make a political sweater and not say a scarf or something smaller?
I knit 27 pussyhats leading up to the Women’s March on Washington. The simple pattern in chunky yarn was quick to knit and gave me a feeling of helping while I was watching the news and making calls to my congressmen. Shortly before the March I started hearing that pink pussyhats were offensive to some people; that the color pink didn’t represent all women, and that many women of color and trans women felt excluded by the hat as a symbol of feminist resistance. I took that criticism seriously. I believe that as creators, we don’t have control of how others perceive our art. Pussyhats made with good intentions were perceived as exclusive, so I wanted my next project to carry a message that was more personal to me and hopefully also resonated with a broader audience. I considered knitting a hat from fingering weight yarn I had on hand, but the fine gauge made for very slow going. I went to my local craft store and chose Wool-Ease for a sweater, because there were large quantities in stock and I liked the color selection.
I was influenced by @sweaterspotter (Anna Maltz) who has been teaching a #wingittopdown yoked sweater class – I liked the idea of choosing color and pattern as I knit. I was also influenced by @knitsonik (Felicity Ford) who translates favorite scenes and landscapes into knitted color-schemes, and has knit a fabulous sweater with a personal message. Like this Missy Elliott sweater.
3. Why one word repeated? And why that word?
The word “resist” had begun a drumbeat in my head. The election introduced a lot of uncertainty into all of our lives. My husband lost his job unexpectedly the day after Thanksgiving, which compounded the uncertainty. We live in Pennsylvania, a swing state that narrowly elected Trump, and I participated in a county recount of Presidential ballots to check whether the paper ballots matched the electronic tally (it did – Hillary won my county fair and square). Our local election for the State House of Representatives also had to be recounted, and the winner had only 25 votes over the opposing candidate.
Seeking a plan for action, I started attending local political meetings. “Resist” was the new battle cry of many fledgling grass-roots organizations. It also has a personal meaning for me in my creativity. I am mostly self-taught, I like to follow patterns, and when I encounter a construction challenge I sometimes get paralyzed by uncertainty. Knitting the word “resist” gave me a sense of purpose in the new political era, and it freed me from perfectionism. I improvised the designs and color changes as I knit, and resisted second guessing myself. The result is a sweater that fits and that I am very proud of. I don’t even notice any mistakes although I remember that I had to knit past some.
4. What has the response been?
I have worn the sweater more days than not since I finished it in mid-February. It won’t be long before the weather turns and I’ll have to put it away. Most of the public places I’ve worn it have been political rallies and meetings. It often takes a little time before someone notices the words, and the response has been very positive. I’ve had several offers from folks wanting to buy a resist sweater, but I’m more interested in working for local change. I am organizing a county chapter of the non-partisan group, Fair Districts PA, to end political gerrymandering in my state.
5. What is your next craft project? Is it a politically-based one?
If I lived in a place that was cold for most of the year, I might knit a series of sweaters with different words. But since it’s warming up, I am knitting a baby sweater for a friend instead. It’s a cotton sweater with no messages, but it’s small and gives me a sense of accomplishment in an uncertain world.
This interview is with Marcia Galvin, who is on Instagram as @craftivistshetland! I love the signs she’s been making and her perspective, I’m sure you will as well!
1. What does craftivism mean to you?
Craft + Activism = craftivism, I am using craftivism as a gentle tool for protest, for expression and interaction with the environment.
2. How did it get you thinking about making craftivist signs? Why did you decide to do it?
I was lucky enough to meet Sarah Corbett (of the Craftivist Collective) a few years ago when she came to my college as a guest lecturer (I’m a BA (Hons) Contemporary Textile student) and I instantly felt a passion and connection to craftivism, but as usual life got in the way, but it’s always been in the back of my mind, then Trump happened, and I felt so helpless, but just days before the Women’s March in Washington, somebody arranged a sister march in Lerwick, Shetland, and I went along to show solidarity.
The local press did an article about it and it was published online on their Facebook page and I just couldn’t believe the backlash we got from the local community. The majority of the comments mocked us, said we were wasting our time, we were fools, we should do something more important etc, and there were hundreds of comments. I was genuinely shocked that an act of solidarity received such a negative reaction and I admit that I, along with other marchers felt like being quiet for a while.
At the same time as this was happening, I had started to research into the links between making/craft (sewing, knitting, crochet) etc and health and wellbeing, as I have been using hand knitting for personal therapy for a number of years. I turn to sewing, knitting, crochet as a way of reflection/time out/self-soothe and to calm my mind, and somehow things collided! I was thinking about all the wonderful protest signs I had seen on the news, and I was sitting at night stitching and processing my thoughts.
I’d mentioned craftivism to somebody and decided to ‘stitch a message’ so I could visually show them what I meant, and before I knew it I had stitched about 3 messages! It felt right, I was still feeling wounded by the hurtful online comments and this for me, was a way of speaking but remaining anonymous.
3. How did making the signs make you feel? Why and how did you pick the quotes?
I love making the signs, I have a huge box of scraps and finally they had a purpose, and felt I had a voice again, and I felt strong, when stitching words I am saying them in my mind, and thinking about their meaning. I decided not to put political messages, I didn’t want to offend people, I wanted to engage them, and I wanted the messages to be simple so that everyone, including children could understand the meanings.
After I’ve made a sign, I get my daughters (aged 14 and 16) to give me feedback, I ask them what their interpretation of the quote/message is, this has been really helpful. The quotes come from everywhere, the internet, the radio, books, and I have lots of quotes from music that I hope to use too, I’m a big fan of Bob Dylan!
4. How did you decide where to put them? What was it like placing the first one?
This is probably the toughest challenge I’ve had, the first few times I put them in places where people tend to walk their dogs or on scenic paths, but it’s something I am still constantly thinking about, I placed one sign close the library as I thought about the connection to words, reading and enjoyment. Placing the first one was so exciting, it was such a glorious sunny day, and I took my daughter with me to act as my ‘lookout’, it was lovely to share that moment with someone else.
5. What has the reaction been? Internally and/or externally!
I decided to keep quiet about this, but I did set up and Instagram account @craftivistshetland so I could share photos. After a few weeks I started noticing photos on Social Media, Shetland is a small island community, I’ve seen my own friends on Facebook share photos of my signs and ask who is behind this? And how many more are out there? The comments have all been extremely positive and this has been so encouraging, I know I can’t stay anonymous forever (that’s island life!) but it has allowed me to build up a bit of confidence. My hope for the future is that it becomes more a community collaboration, I would love to get together with other likeminded people to craft together, and chat about what is important to us as individuals and as islanders in our community. I love that this is a work in progress and happy to go with what feels right.
Virginia Johnson’s project “You Belong Here” at her Cambridge, MA, shop, Gather Here is not just important, but given the current state of things here in the United States, it is imperative.
You can see more entries to the project on Instagram and read more about the project (with a quote from me too!) here.
1. What is your definition of craftivism?
Craft + activism = craftivism. Seriously. We are huge advocates for handcraft, working with your hands to create something tangible is a form of resistance in a world that so often focuses on consumption. And many people pickup crafting because they discover they are craving a means of expression that also will allow them to slow down and focus on the moment. They begin to create for others and in those acts make the greater a community a better place.
2. How did you come to collect stitched pieces that say You Belong Here? What moved you from idea to action?
Post-election Cambridge, Massachusetts was a pretty gloomy zip code. This is a place that really believes that women’s rights are human rights. That there is always room for refugees. That love is love. I was talking with a 9 year old girl a few weeks later and she was wearing a tshirt that said, “You Belong Here.”
Her mother had made it for their family post-election so that they could reassure the people in their neighborhood that they were important to the community. I got choked up listening to this young girl explain that just because leaders say hateful words doesn’t mean we need to accept them. That night I sketched out a large embroidery and patchwork banner that said “YOU BELONG HERE”.
When I woke up I knew I needed to ask the community to join me in this effort because it would be our combined voices that would drown out the hate. When I told the young girl about the project she hugged me and committed to making her own cross stitch version.
3. What has been the most surprising thing about the project?
I honestly thought it would be only interesting to our surrounding community. Like people who physically come in and visit the shop. I was surprised when I started seeing people who live all over the country posting photos of their works in progress on Instagram. And suddenly the signs began to come in the mail!
4. Is there anything you wish you would have done differently?
I wish I had thought to do an actual physical community event where people could work on their pieces together. I heard from many stitchers that they took on the project because they needed to create something positive. I think people really need to have places they can go to feel included and accepted. And working on such an inclusive message would have been great to do together.
5. What project(s) are you going to do next?
I’m currently collaborating with a letterpress artist to produce some inclusive message posters that we can share with other small businesses. Boston Mayor Marty Walsh gave an incredibly impassioned speech advocating for sanctuary cities. I was inspired and am committed to spreading the message of inclusiveness far and wide.
Next week I’ll be sharing Gather’s“You Belong Here” project, which is needed now more than ever. They’re accepting signs until next week, so get to it!
You can also read more about what Catherine has to say about the project over on Medium.
1. What is your definition of craftivism?
Craftivism is the call for social change through what are considered typical women’s mediums. Craftivism helps craftivists by providing a purposeful outlet for creative energies, which can be directed to increase awareness and encourage social and/or political change.
My Art Practice is primarily engaged in Hand Embroidery, and I saw a call last year asking for embroidered squares which were to be sewn together and held in front of the US Supreme Court in conjunction with the Court’s Ruling regarding the closing of Planned Parenthood Clinics in Texas. The project was spearheaded by Nguyen Chi (IG @whatchidid, whatchidid.com/) who was organizing in collaboration with TAC Brooklyn). As a Texan, I was embarrassed and angry about my State’s Policy, so I felt like I had to participate.  So, I made a square (the embroidered hash marks represent Texas women who would lose health services)
What a thrill it was to see my contribution held up in front of the Court!
While working on my square, I did what I always do when starting a new project: I asked YouTube and Netflix to tell me everything that they knew about the subject. I looked at many wonderful clips of videos and documentaries, and learned about the craftivist movement – I learned about Sarah Corbett (of the Craftivist Collective), and followed her internet rabbit trail, which led me to think about issues of social justice.
Because I had done a lot of research on the planned parenthood rulings, I looked up other issues affecting Texas women. I was already particularly concerned about the open carry law, which had just been enacted in Texas. I looked up some gun statistics in the state, and to my shock, I learned that (on average) just under one woman is killed by a domestic partner every day in the Lone Star State. Not all of those deaths are by gunshot, but many women are killed simply because there is easy access to a gun in the house.  The enacting of the Open Carry Legislation was likely to exacerbate this situation. (No Stats yet.)
I conceived and began embroidering the BLOWN AWAY project, hoping that I could get a solo show that would viscerally demonstrate what 277 (2013 statistics) dead women looked like. The project was to be made up of a series of interconnected panels (in the manner of the Bayeux Tapestry) that viewers could walk past and think about the mothers, sisters, daughters and grandmothers lost in a single year.
(The photos above are of an individual dress [representing one victim] and a series of panels [representing one month of women murdered  in Texas.)
 The project was not accepted anywhere.
 So I have dabbled a bit in craftivism; I guess I engage when I get mad enough about something and I don’t feel like any one is listening (a common complaint with our utterly deaf Texas politicians). Even if I haven’t concretely accomplished anything in participating in any craftivist act, I feel better, because at least I am doing something!
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2. What is Hide a Hat and Fight Back?
I was very excited about the Women’s March on Washington, and thrilled when I learned that there would be a march in nearby Austin, as well. Scrolling through social media to find more information, I happened upon a call for the Pussyhat Project, asking for hats to be made for Washington marchers.Â
Yarn was immediately purchased. The furious clacking on knitting needles every evening (as my husband and I both ate through miles of pink yarn) got us through the next few weeks, and we found that the knitting relaxed us and gave us a tangible sense of purpose.Â
I got the idea for the Hide a Hat and Fight Back project when we got home on that Saturday night and there was nothing craftivist left to knit. My hands were itching for something useful to do, and I figured that there were other knitters staring at empty needles just like me. In times of trouble my Auntie Ro always said “The cure for anxiety is action!,†so I created an excuse for craftivists to keep knitting as a way of relieving political anxiety.
The tiny hat project in a nutshell:
(couldn’t help myself!)
Craftivists are asked to knit, crochet, sew, glue, etc. tiny (fingertip sized ) pink pussy hats. Once completed, the hats will be attached to a printed or hand written card, and the craftivists will document them on social media, then “hide†the cards wherever they want – in a dressing or ladies room, on a public bulletin board, in a taxi or on a bus seat, etc. Of course, they can also be given directly, or mailed to a legislator, or whatever method of distribution the maker favors. Â
The cards will invite finders to post their finds on social media, and will encourage continued political engagement. Finders will be encouraged to join the movement when they post.
3. Why hide them?
Living in a rural community in Texas, everyone almost always assumes I am a conservative. I’m a Lutheran. I sing in my church choir. My kids got good grades, so people make assumptions, thinking that I believe what they believe. Of course I have liberal friends, but we lone star liberal ladies have learned that it is not a good idea to get in a shouting match in an open carry state. We keep a low profile. I know the liberals in my own circle, but I don’t know who the hidden liberals are.Â
The march sort of changed that. I was with 50,000 proudly progressive women, men and children, and we were in the middle of Texas!  I finally found my tribe, and it was thrilling! I had never been in a room with more than 50 Democrats, and, while marching with so many,  I have never had such an overwhelming experience of community.Â
As I was conceiving what the project would be, I knew that it should reach out to my fellow progressives, particularly those living in deep red states. I wanted to remind them (after the news of the march dies down and the hard work begins) that they are NOT alone, and we stand and resist together.  I wanted to give them the thrill of community I felt in Austin. But unless I personally know them,  I don’t have any way to do that in an open way where I live. I took a huge risk just putting up my Hillary yard sign, and I learned to quickly take off or hide my Hillary pin when going into certain restaurants or when running into one of my husband’s clients. The project was my way to keep reminding progressives that, even though we are a shy people, there are a lot of us!
I am acutely aware that Trumpians will likely be offended to find the hats and may be unpleasant in their responses. Inviting that negative energy into my life gave me pause to almost abandon the project, but then I thought it through: If you go through life extremely confident that everyone around you thinks in exactly the same way that you do, it would certainly get your attention if you suddenly and unexpectedly encountered physical evidence that they do not. A few encounters might be easy to dismiss, but what if you saw a dozen or dozens or even one hundred of these things? Your unshakeable belief that you are in an unbeatable majority might start to waver. Many Democrats in my state don’t bother voting because they feel it is hopeless – what if this project flipped that script?
Also, finding something cool is fun!
4. Why tiny hats and not bigger ones?
Because tiny hats are adorable. They can be pinned to your blouse, or hung from your rear view mirror. They can be thrown in a jewelry box or stuffed into your makeup drawer as a daily reminder that the fight isn’t over. They fit on the end of your pencil, or can be slipped on a finger and waved. The kids will want to use them to punctuate when they flip the bird. They don’t have to fit a real head, so fitting issues are not issues. Tiny hats can be made very quickly, so a lot of them can be distributed in a short amount of time.  They can fit in a craftivist’s purse or pocket, in case of travel into  an unfriendly area. They can be made while waiting in a school pick up line, or while sitting at the doctor’s office, or while on public transit. Big balls of yarn and needles are not required, as travel equipment is purse sized. Tiny hats are a symbol of the larger hats, and, in turn, a symbol, a reminder, a requerdo of the larger movement. And did I mention that they are adorable? That said, if people want to make bigger hats, then make bigger hats. If they want to make tinier hats, then God Bless them, and I wish I could see as well as they do. The project is my gift to the community; what they do with that gift is up to them.
5. What is your goal for this project?
Right now, I just want to get the word out and get people mobilized, activated and engaged with the curative power of having something to do. I want them to fill out the urgently needed political postcards, make the calls, and engage in the post march call to action, but I want them to also be able to do something where their focus shifts to the non thinking headspace of:  “needle behind, loop forward, correct tension, transfer the stitch, repeat.â€Â I want them to be able to turn their mind off and on through a radical act of crafting. Selfishly, I want to see what they make. Already I have been sent sketches, suggestions and sighs of relief. That was my biggest thrill today.Â
The secondary goal is:
What’s the reaction? I have no idea if I have opened (as we say in Texas) a big can of whoop ass on myself. If I have, then at least I have taken a stand. Texas women used to do that, and I know a lot of us still carry that gene. I want people to post about how they found their tiny hats and how it made them feel. Did the hat meet them on a bad day? Did the hat bring them hope? Will Fox News be quoted? Will Steve Bannon curse?
Like with my two boys just a few years ago, my job is to send the project out into the world. What happens next is my concern, but it is not anything I really have control over. That’s the risky part of Art Making.
 What is my dream result?
World Peace. A Single Payer Health Care System. Reversal of Climate Change. A well supported public education system that continues through a Bachelor’s degree. A legislature that is consistently 50 percent female.  The abolition of gerrymandering and Citizen’s United. A complete rethink of the electoral college. Passage of the ERA.  Justice for All regardless of skin color or ethnicity.  A modern energy system that is not dependent on oil. Equal Pay. An end to income inequality. An engaged and factually informed electorate. The Right to Marry and the Right to Choose. Well funded arts programs. A basic income for all. Yada Yada Yada. I would settle, though, for a progressive legislature and a President Warren.
A Hide a Hat and Fight Back call to arms.
Sewing together a tiny hat using a wooden spoon as a form.
Two tiny hats ready to go on cards.
A suggestion for writing Hide a Hat and Fight Back cards.
With my husband (in the hat he knitted) at the ATX march. And yes, I gave my heavy wool hat away for someone else to wear. It was 80 degrees, the sun was beating down on my menopausal head, so, a radical among radicals, I wore my back up summer headband and ears on my freshly blued hair.
