Looking for a way to make their voices heard, residents of Belmont and the surrounding communities recently joined hundreds of women across the country in weaving a quilt with messages in support of upholding the U.S. Constitution and the rule of law.
“A quilt is just a really tangible way to express something,” said Stephanie Cahoon, a 25-year resident of Belmont. “I’ve seen emails and made phone calls to my congressional delegation, and I think that’s really important and at some level you’re heard, but when you can bring so many different voices … into something that is beautiful and lasting is profound in its own way.”
The quilt, which was recently transported to D.C. last week to be displayed with others like it, includes 108 10-inch squares, according to Cahoon.
“There was a core group of probably 10 to 15 women who put it all together,” she said. “Payson Park Church let us use their community hall. … It was quite a production.”
Each quilt square had its own message on it, signed by someone different. Some squares voice support for the rule of law, others for the belief in the separation of powers. Squares had messages in support of science and the environment, and, in general, the importance of preserving democracy. Others were quotes from past leaders and lawmakers.
“I thought it was pretty powerful,” Cahoon said.
In putting together the quilt, Cahoon recalled conversations with individuals from across the political spectrum, all with a similar theme.
“I think the concern people have is that there isn’t a system of checks and balances right now,” she said. “Regardless of what you’re advocating for, we talked a lot about the chaos, about the rapid-fire destruction of things we thought were permanent and untouchable. It’s scary. It’s scary to wonder how far this could go.”
Cahoon said there is a long history of women quilting as a form of advocacy. In the early 1900s, for example, women made quilts with messages arguing for their right to vote. This project, in particular, was inspired by the national nonprofit Women Building Peace, which recently brought more than 50 quilts to share with lawmakers in D.C. Cahoon organized the Belmont quilt.
“I think sometimes when things feel out of your control…something like a quilt shows progress and you can see all the pieces coming together,” Cahoon said. “In the end, it’s really beautiful.”