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Radical Quilts

Radical Quilts

Nevada Peace Quilt Series

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“This quilt is based on a stained glass window in my mother Maya Miller’s kitchen. I’m sorry I don’t know the artist! I love the design. Nancy Raven transposed the design, and Fannie Etheridge and I sewed it. We gave this one to Senator Catherine Cortez Masto, one of Nevada’s two Democratic women senators.”  (Over a few months in 2019 Kit made 4 more of them for people she admired for their organizing and political work. Those quilts are shown below.) These Nevada quilts were made for Bob Fulkerson and Laura Martin, the past and current directors of PLAN, the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada. They are both great organizers who have helped Nevadans talk and fight back against mining, development, and mass incarceration, and for the rights of Native peoples, immigrants, workers, small ranchers and many others.   This quilt was made to honor Jan Gilbert, many years co-director of PLAN, who especially lobbied and organized for the rights of low-income women and children in Nevada.

Radical Quilts

The Virgin Arrested by ICE

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We saw this image of the Virgin of Guadalupe being arrested by ICE on the internet. Maria was a bit meeker. Kit made the quilt with a more powerful Maria and smaller agents. She asked her FB friends who wanted it and gave it to Elvira Diaz (blonde woman holding it). She’s a social media maven, politics hound, inveterate canvasser for good politicians and causes, and proud mother of 2 amazing kids. Kit explains the other Virgin Arrested by Ice Quilts she made. “When I gave the quilt to Elvira, Rosa (bottom photo blue shirt) was there and said “I want one!” Rosa advises immigrants in our community, and I would do almost anything for her. So I made her another one, which she displays in her immigration office.”  In the bottom photo, the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada, PLAN staff honors Lydia Lopez (in shades to left) who went off to law school to study immigration law. 

Radical Quilts

Free the Children

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Kit Miller made this quilt for a demonstration against Trump’s policy of separating families and locking kids up in cages at border detention centers. “We were protesting our Republican Congressman Amodei’s support of Trump and his inhumane policies. Bob Fulkerson of The Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada is showing it off with me.” Elizabeth Warren, a leading candidate for President, came to Reno a few days after finishing this quilt. “She liked the quilt, noticed the tears in the children’s eyes and sent our picture out on Twitter. If she  wins, she’ll stop the imprisonment of kids and reverse the evilness of trump’s border policy.” Julián Castro, presidential candidate from Texas, came to Reno and vowed to free children from detention centers and decriminalize the border. 

Radical Quilts

Children of Liberty

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Kit made this quilt, based on a New Yorker cover by B. Blitt, representing children hiding from harm, family separation and jail in Lady Liberty’s skirts. “Like everyone I know, I am outraged that Trump’s government is taking kids away from their families, and keeping children in detention. We have become a monster state. I was very moved by the drawing. It was fun to make Liberty, drape beautiful  green fabric, and imagine her big feet and hands. I decided to add two children that at the time we knew had died in ICE detention – Jakelin and Felipe, both Guatemalans. I made Liberty’s arm framing them protectively – I couldn’t stand the idea that she could only be a metal statue. I thought about who to give it to in Congress and I decided to give it to Alexandria Ocasio Cortez. She comes from New York, and because people all around me were talking about her and her bravery and leadership. So I took the quilt to her office and left it with a male receptionist (on the left as you walk in). I never heard back if she got it.”

Radical Quilts

Pine Burr Quilt

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We’re so happy to have spent several days in Nevada with quilt guru Fannie Etheridge of Alabama, learning to make a Pine Burr quilt (which is Alabama’s state quilt). We gave it to Fannie’s Mama, Ms Weatherly. She taught Kit and Catherine this quilt. They worked together for about 3 or 4 days. Catherine ironed hundreds of little squares

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