Many hands make light work. When those hands are organized by Scraplanta, Atlanta’s creative reuse non-profit based in Tucker, they also make crafts for a cause. This month, the organization will be unveiling two quilts make by dozens of local crafters to benefit the Refugee Women’s Network.
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In March, Scraplanta put out a call to Instagram followers and newsletter subscribers for quilt blocks. People were invited to choose between four patterns, sew their own 12-inch by 12-inch blocks, and mail them to a Scraplanta store or drop them off in person.
Jonelle Dawkins, the Executive Director of Scraplanta, told Rough Draft that 15 people sent in blocks. Others created blocks at in-person sewing sessions, including one hosted by the Refugee Women’s Network.
“It was so much fun, they had their children with us,” Dawkins said. “There were three, maybe four, different languages that were being spoken. There was so much community happening in that room, and in an hour and a half they cranked out like 13 blocks.”
Wes Hall, a professional quilter who makes custom memory quilts in Atlanta with his studio Quilts by Big Wes, assembled the donated squares into two quilts, which will be donated to the Refugee Women’s Network.
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The collaborative quilts were made with historic patterns used by abolitionists on the Underground Railroad to communicate with people escaping slavery. Dawkins said this history of liberatory cooperation is representative of the freedom refugees seek when fleeing to the U.S.
“I just wanted a moment of solidarity in all that’s going on in this county, where the news will tell you that we hate our neighbors and people who don’t look like us and that they’re not welcome,” she said. “In our Scraplanta community, we don’t believe that. We have so much love and support and people who want to do something and help others.”
Scraplanta will unveil the community quilts at a reception on May 15 at the Clarkston Community Center at noon. The event will serve as an opportunity for those who contributed to the quilt to connect with one another with a presentation of the quilts and light refreshments.
More information about the project and other Scraplanta events can be found on the organization’s website and Instagram.
