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Masks for Humanity The COVID-19 pandemic spurred a movement to sew and distribute fabric masks to those in need. These masks were not medical-grade, but studies showed that fabric masks were more effective than bandanas, and much more effective than no mask at all.
While one would hope that this issue would not be inherently political, the actions of Donald Trump and his supporters made it a contentious issue. The lack of PPE provided by any government sanctioned source caused civilian groups to take action.
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NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt on National Mall An overhead shot of the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt on the National Mall.
The NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt, also called the AIDS Memorial Quilt or AIDS Quilt, was conceptualized in 1985 by AIDS activist Cleve Jones in San Francisco, California, as a way to memorialize the names of those who had died from AIDS-related causes. At an estimated 54 tons, it is the largest piece of community folk art in the world as of 2020. It is currently viewable in its entirety online.
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Evil Eye Mitts Fingerless gloves, or mitts, made for and distributed at the March for Our Lives.
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Sea of Eyes for the March for Our Lives A poster promoting the March for Our Lives in March of 2018, and the Evil Eye Mitts that participants were encouraged to make.
This is the text from the original page, from the creator of this project, Krista Suh, who had also co-created the Pussyhat Project:
I had a dream of a protest, a huge peaceful crowd with their hands outstretched toward the sky – each palm had a huge EYE drawn on it.
It was a Sea of Eyes.
I’ve been hanging on to that image knowing that it was going to do something, mean something. Sunday morning, I got invited to the March for Our Lives Facebook page – it is a march organized by the students of the Florida school shooting. And that’s when I knew. It is time.
I’m calling on you to help make the Sea of Eyes a reality. To make a statement that enough is enough and gun violence has to stop.
Congress needs to know that the people are watching.
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Welcome Blanket One of many Welcome Blankets that were knitted, crocheted, or quilted for The Welcome Blanket Project.
According to their site, "The Welcome Blanket Project aims to connect people already living in the United States residents with our country’s newest immigrants through stories and handmade blankets, providing both symbolic and literal comfort and warmth. At the same time, the project offers a positive, hands-on way to understand the scope of a 2000-mile border wall and to subvert it from an idea of exclusion to one of inclusion. By participating in this project, people will also come together to talk about immigration policy and how it affects real-live people."
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"Knit, girls, knit!" Sheet Music World War I sheet music promoting knitting for soldiers.
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Our boys need sox, knit your bit A promotional poster for the movement to knit socks for soldiers during World War I.
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Pussyhat worn at the Women’s March in Washington on 21 January 2017 The pussyhat was designed by Krista Suh and Jayna Zweiman, two women from Los Angeles, California knitting community connected to The Little Kinttery , a yarn shop. They envisioned creating a sea of pink at the Women's March in January of 2017. They created and distributed these hats, and published free patterns online for people to knit, crochet, and sew these hats.
The hats have received their share of controversy. The name itself has been considered vulgar, or cis-centric in its language. Though some have defended it as a whimsical choice or a pointed critique of Donald Trump's words, it is important to recognize bias in the craft community and to open up conversations about intersectionality.
Krista Suh, one of the designers of the hat, once described the hat itself as a "trickster spirit"--once they released it into the world, it took on a life of its own. She and Jayna Zweiman hope that it will stand as a symbol of feminist solidarity.
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Why I March : Images from the Women's March around the world "Why I March" is a photographic documentation of the Women's March on January 21, 2017. It also contains quotes from organizers and participants about their experiences during and around the event.
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Chairman Sanders Crewneck This sweatshirt, as well as matching t-shirts, were added to the Bernie Sanders merchandise website after the image of Burnie Sanders at the Biden inauguration reached memetic status. 100% of the sales proceeds go to Meals on Wheels Vermont.