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PROJECT HISTORY
In 2015, Bib & Tucker Sew-Op partnered with UAB’s Department of Art & Art History and the Birmingham Museum of Art to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery marches through open sewing sessions that yielded 461 quilt blocks. Sew-Op members stitched the blocks together and made three quilts which hung at the Selma Public Library and the Alabama Department of Archives in Montgomery during the anniversary. Due to an overwhelmingly positive response, collaborators agreed that it should become an annual project. Each year, Bib & Tucker members choose a civil or human rights theme and facilitate open sewing sessions and discussion. During these sessions, community members create quilt blocks that express personal feelings about the theme. Since the beginning, Bib & Tucker members have sewn 7 quilts from over 850 submitted blocks. For more information or to see photos from years past, like and follow The March Quilts on Facebook.
In 2015, Bib & Tucker Sew-Op partnered with UAB’s Department of Art & Art History and the Birmingham Museum of Art to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery marches through open sewing sessions that yielded 461 quilt blocks. Sew-Op members stitched the blocks together and made three quilts which hung at the Selma Public Library and the Alabama Department of Archives in Montgomery during the anniversary. Due to an overwhelmingly positive response, collaborators agreed that it should become an annual project. Each year, Bib & Tucker members choose a civil or human rights theme and facilitate open sewing sessions and discussion. During these sessions, community members create quilt blocks that express personal feelings about the theme. Since the beginning, Bib & Tucker members have sewn 7 quilts from over 850 submitted blocks. For more information or to see photos from years past, like and follow The March Quilts on Facebook.
YEAR 5: ALABAMA'S UNSUNG HEROINES
2019 marks the beginning of celebrations of Alabama's Bicentennial, and The March Quilts will spend the year honoring, recognizing and celebrating the state's unsung heroines: women who have, or are shaping the state's (and nation's) future. We encourage participants to think broadly when choosing a woman to recognize. This year's March Quilts project will kick off on Zora Neale Hurston's birthday, January 7th. Born in Notasulga, Alabama, Ms. Hurston tirelessly recorded African-American folklore of the deep south. While she is now considered a well-known novelist and author, she died penniless and was buried in an unmarked grave until the writer, Alice Walker, changed that in 1973. Another example of an unsung heroine is 79 yr old Claudette Colvin, who at the age of 15 refused to give up her seat to a white passenger in Montgomery, Alabama. Ms. Colvin's act of resistance occurred months before Rosa Parks caught national attention for the same act. We hope to highlight similar stories throughout 2019.
2019 marks the beginning of celebrations of Alabama's Bicentennial, and The March Quilts will spend the year honoring, recognizing and celebrating the state's unsung heroines: women who have, or are shaping the state's (and nation's) future. We encourage participants to think broadly when choosing a woman to recognize. This year's March Quilts project will kick off on Zora Neale Hurston's birthday, January 7th. Born in Notasulga, Alabama, Ms. Hurston tirelessly recorded African-American folklore of the deep south. While she is now considered a well-known novelist and author, she died penniless and was buried in an unmarked grave until the writer, Alice Walker, changed that in 1973. Another example of an unsung heroine is 79 yr old Claudette Colvin, who at the age of 15 refused to give up her seat to a white passenger in Montgomery, Alabama. Ms. Colvin's act of resistance occurred months before Rosa Parks caught national attention for the same act. We hope to highlight similar stories throughout 2019.
HOW TO PARTICIPATE
Because we are currently turning The March Quilts collection into an exhibition-ready body of work, we are not running a public program for year 6 of the project. However, the following is what folks can usually expect during a regular year of The March Quilts. Organizations wishing to host a sewing session, fill out our request form HERE. For those who have participated in the past, we will continue to provide open sewing sessions at past host sites (when possible). These sessions are always free and available to the general public. In order to find a session near you, we encourage you to follow us on Facebook, check the session calendar regularly, or contact: bibandtuckersewop@gmail.com.
Individuals outside of Birmingham are encouraged to make blocks using the following guidelines and can mail their contributions to the address below. Making a quilt block is a fun, simple process. Your block may embody any representation of the year's chosen theme. You can achieve this using images, symbols, and words. If you need guidance or inspiration, peruse THE MARCH QUILTS image bank (when applicable). Once you decide on an idea, select a 7” square of fabric and compose your block, making sure to leave a quarter inch border as seam allowance. As in the past, background colors are part of the final design so please use material provided at our sewing sessions or contact us if you're making a block on your own. You may appliqué, embroider, or draw your design.
Because we are currently turning The March Quilts collection into an exhibition-ready body of work, we are not running a public program for year 6 of the project. However, the following is what folks can usually expect during a regular year of The March Quilts. Organizations wishing to host a sewing session, fill out our request form HERE. For those who have participated in the past, we will continue to provide open sewing sessions at past host sites (when possible). These sessions are always free and available to the general public. In order to find a session near you, we encourage you to follow us on Facebook, check the session calendar regularly, or contact: bibandtuckersewop@gmail.com.
Individuals outside of Birmingham are encouraged to make blocks using the following guidelines and can mail their contributions to the address below. Making a quilt block is a fun, simple process. Your block may embody any representation of the year's chosen theme. You can achieve this using images, symbols, and words. If you need guidance or inspiration, peruse THE MARCH QUILTS image bank (when applicable). Once you decide on an idea, select a 7” square of fabric and compose your block, making sure to leave a quarter inch border as seam allowance. As in the past, background colors are part of the final design so please use material provided at our sewing sessions or contact us if you're making a block on your own. You may appliqué, embroider, or draw your design.
4915B 5th Ave S, Birmingham, AL 35222 | Located at the convergence of Avondale, Crestwood and Woodlawn | bibandtuckersewop@gmail.com