Patchwork quilts date back many centuries and have been found in all cultures across the world. Generations of people recycled discarded fabric remnants into quilts, reinvigorating them with new life in geometric patterns. The fabric fragments each held a story of the family history. In antebellum America, sewing circles, comprised mostly of women, gathered to pass knowledge to younger generations, talk, gossip, and strategize.
The Communal Quilt Project is an arts experiential initiative designed to work with all genders, ages, and ethnicities to create a giant quilt. The project is designed to replicate aspects of the sewing circle in a series of hands-on workshops. Participants will be guided through the process of creating faux patchwork narrative quilt sections. Each workshop will take place in various spaces around the world effectively meeting people “where they are at.”
With simple elements such as fabric, glue, and scissors, participants will be able to shape and craft images while sharing aspects of their story in the context of community. We will operatively create a safe space where we can demystify the superficial barriers that cause division in our community and reveal how close we really are. Every year we will harvest the story-quilts and place them on Duke of Gloucester (DOG) Street as a symbol of the community functioning as one body. Over time we will create a communal quilt called the “DOG Street Mile Communal Quilt.”
Open to the Public.
Other Experiences
-
Presentation: Colonial Williamsburg's Rare Breeds
Learn about the rare breeds of livestock that live at Colonial Williamsburg.
CW Admission
-
Special Event: Noon Reading of the Declaration
Residents of the 18th-century Williamsburg community read the Declaration of Independence from the steps of the Courthouse and surrounding area.
Open to the Public
-
Street Theater: 1776
Gather with the people of Williamsburg to discuss and consider the front-page news of July 26, 1776.
Open to the Public