If you've been a customer of ours for at least a little while now, you know we like to promote and / or contribute to ways organizations or members of our community are doing good. We are holding a fabric drive through the month of September for Crafting the Resistance. You can read more from them below. They are looking for quilting cotton, at least a quarter yard in size. This can be a really nice way to encourage some stash clear out. You are welcome to drop donations off at the store anytime during our regular hours. Read on for more info!

What is Crafting the Resistance?

We are women. We are quilters, writers, makers, friends. We are business owners, laborers, creatives, creators, mothers, and daughters. And we are Crafting the Resistance.

In November of 2016 it became abundantly clear to us that there was a need to create a space for artists and makers to express themselves and their feelings of dis-ease and disgust for the current social and political climate. Out of this grew our group, Crafting the Resistance.

Feeling the full weight of the reality of the world in which we live, we wanted to give people a place to have hard talks about privilege, about race, about politics – a space for folks to learn and grow, to use our hands to create something that is bigger than any of us could do on our own. And from that safe space we want to create for good – we want to raise money and awareness for our causes. Yes, causes plural. We are each passionate about more than one issue, injustice, and movement. But together we are stronger, and our voices are louder.

How Does Crafting Help?

We come from all different backgrounds and we have come together for many different reasons. We want to inspire accountability, change, movement, and even legislation. By working with our hands and working with each other, we will be able to build something tangible and enact change.

We need to be able to rely on the simplest things in this time of confusion and fear. We need to know that we can make useful things with our own hands, we need to know that we will have each other’s backs, we need to know that we are stronger together. Crafting, and fiber arts specifically, have not been given the same due as other creative media because they have been seen as women’s work. We want to take that notion of women’s work and use it to our advantage. We want to create powerful works of functional art with a strong, clear message, to show that when women work together we are a force of nature, we are unstoppable.

Quilting for Good

A quilt is a simple, useful article that is imbued with so much meaning. It brings warmth, it brings protection, it brings love. It has a life of its own, it has a history, and a future. It is an heirloom, something that can be handed down from generation to generation. It is a work of art, taking time, energy, love, effort. It is something that has traditionally been crafted by women, for their families, for new babies, for weddings. Crafted in times of love, to be used in times of sorrow, loss, and despair.

With all of the beauty, symbolism, and physical warmth that a quilt holds, we’ve decided that as a group our first mission will be to create a series of quilts for A Place for You.

What is A Place for You?

A Place for You, the brainchild of Multnomah Idea Lab, is a pilot project that will help deliver accessory dwelling units (ADUs) to select homeowners willing to host families experiencing homelessness. The families chosen by A Home for Everyone (AHFE) will be able to live in these new homes for five years, rent-free. AHFE is a community-wide plan for addressing homelessness through a mix of strategies including prevention, housing placement and shelter. During the five years, families would receive full social service support through AHFE. At the end of that time, homeowners would have unrestricted use of the ADUs.

Pretty cool, right? We thought so too. That’s why we decided to gift each family a quilt as a welcoming gift when they move into their new home.

Why a Quilt?

We know that a quilt is probably not the highest thing on the list of things that a family experiencing homelessness might want. But what we also know is that a quilt can be a symbol of hope. A quilt is an investment. It takes time, energy, planning, and love. And just as we are investing in making these quilts, we want these families to know that we are investing in their future. In their happiness.

The Housing Crisis in Portland – Multnomah County Website

The number of families experiencing homelessness in Multnomah County is at a record high and our community lacks enough affordable units to meet the region’s increased housing demands. The community needs about 25,000 more affordable housing units. Last year, the City of Portland and Multnomah County jointly allocated $61 million to address this crisis and increase the affordable housing supply in Multnomah County. At the same time, the City and County face an immediate and urgent need to get families off the street now, as extended shelter stays are very challenging, especially for families with children.

What Can You Do?

We’re not experts on how to solve the world’s problems, but we do know that having a place to talk freely about our community, cultures, and concerns is key to any movement. We welcome you to join us at our bi-monthly meetings for Crafting the Resistance while we learn, grow, sew, and ultimately find peace and solace in knowing that we’re not alone. No experience is necessary to join us, we are all learning together! Follow us on Instagram (@craftingtheresistance) or email craftingtheresistancepdx@gmail.com for more info!

Fabric Drive: Crafting the Resistance