Community Quilt 2020
Insight Meditation Society Staff quilt
Gotta love a group quilt! Our quilt organizer, Rebecca Layton, began to develop this quilt in the spring of 2020, just as the COVID19 outbreak became obvious around the world. Our organization hosts meditation retreats, so at that time we had to cease operations and the retreat center was in temporary suspension. So Rebecca requested that we create a community art project. She asked people to do a 12in. x 12 in. block and we had 24 blocks when all was said and done.
Most of the blocks were created from fabrics designed by Rebecca. She has a business called Rekh and Datta that is a brand of clothing. She works with artisans in India to produce wonderful block printed textiles.
A team of three pulled together the blocks and created sashing to help make an integrated quilt top design.
Some blocks were more abstract and some blocks documented the pandemic and other happenings in the moment. 2020 was a year full of social and political upheaval, so there was a lot to think about!
Once the blocks were completed and assembled we held a few quilting bees.
Many of those who contributed to the quilt had never sewn before, so it was an opportunity to participate in a community project in brand new way
A preview hanging in the Welcome Room of the center in January 2022.
The completed quilt in the conference room of the retreat center, spring 2022.
