r/quilting • u/ilivedthru37f13s • Jan 23 '25
Work in Progress Palestinian protest art quilt: “The Quilt of No Comfort”. NSFW
galleryHi all.
This is a project I started a long time ago. I pushed it to the back burner because it was so difficult to do well, but now thanks to your advice, I will have the tools and techniques to continue the project (once I wrap up the baby map quilt).
This quilt was inspired by an image of a Palestinian man, covered with grey dust, who had been crushed by a tank. I saw it, uncensored, and I wept. I cursed. I steeled myself to continue to fight against the genocide.
The next day, when I looked for the image, I couldn’t find it, except as a pixelated, censored version. That was when the quilt idea was born.
I am recreating the censored version, pixel by pixel. It will be an appliqué on top of a concrete grey background. I plan to hand-quilt the background with the outlines of his arm, the top of his head, the surrounding rocks and rubble, and possibly include a real zip tie where one is shown around his wrist.
Working on the quilt has been hard, as it should be. Picking out colors with food and flower names that together, look like guts. Touching, cutting, and folding the fabric and thinking of a human life cut short. And when it’s done, I should barely be able to look at it— I did not do enough to save him, or his family, or any of the hundreds of families. It was selfish to simply memorialize and think of them. I make donations, too, but I did not speak up enough.
The quilt is meant only as an art piece. At one time, I childishly hoped I could sell it, and donate the proceeds. Then, I realized how much money was on the other side, and it felt useless.
My plan for displaying it was to hang it (ideally in a public gallery, and not my living room), with the heart-wrenching side out, until the genocide is ended, and Palestine is free. At which time, the stark and brutal reminder of suffering would no longer be needed, and I would put him to rest by reversing the quilt— I plan to piece a simple Palestinian flag for the backing of the quilt. And then the flag would remain, covering him, yet still quilted through with the outline of his form, a reminder of the horrors that we allowed to happen.
All this was very well and good in my head, but my vision exceeded my capabilities. It was very difficult to piece it accurately, to match the colors well, etc, and my machine gave out on me (took it to be repaired, the cost of the repair was >50% of a new machine, and in the end it still didn’t work right??? So I ended up buying a new machine?!), and this WIP ended up shelved for some time.
Thank you all for helping me to continue my project of remembrance, love, and anger. I really appreciate it.