Yo-Yo Quilt
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If you’re new, keep reading below!
Introduction
My favorite thing in my mother’s linen closet is a yo-yo quilt that my grandmother made ages before I was born. It’s a full sized quilt made from hundreds of little yo-yos: small, individually sewn circles of scraps taken from the clothing of my mother, aunt, and grandfather. My grandmother taught me how to make yo-yos, and I’ve slowly been embarking on the fantastic task of making my own quilt.
A Community of Cloth
Around this time last year, I created the Letterbox Stories project, which utilizes snail mail and the internet to create a worldwide community through storytelling. Everyone who has participated and received a story from me is now not only connected to me through the project, but also to each other by having their letters collected in one place.
Why not do something similar for my yo-yo quilt?
Fabric is a part of our daily lives; mundane or outrageous, all textiles that we encounter between waking up and going to bed collect both a physical history of living and a sentimental footprint of memory. A quilt made of dishtowels, dresses, sweaters, t-shirts and beyond tells an amazingly complex range of our cultural histories.
The Project
I propose a trade.
A yo-yo of mine for a yo-yo you send back to me to add to my quilt. All you need is a needle and a bit of thread, and of course, a small scrap of fabric. But more than making a quilt, what I want is stories. What does the fabric mean to you, or if it needs nothing, how does it make you feel? The print, the color. Where did it come from?
I hope to compile the yo-yos and the stories into a blog, much like I did for my Letterbox Stories. But this time the stories will belong to you.
How to Participate
Use the contact form below to sign up by providing your name and your mailing address. Once I get the notification, I will make you a yo-yo from my stash of scraps, including fabrics that I’ve designed and printed myself! I will send you the yo-yo with its story, and upon its arrival you can then complete the circle by sending a yo-yo my way. You’re welcome to send multiples, but only one yo-yo is required to complete the trade. If you only want to add to my quilt and would prefer that I don’t publish your yo-yo and story online, I’ll respect that- just let me know in the contact form! Otherwise, I think it would be really nice not only to see the yo-yos come together in a physical textile, but paired with their written stories as well.
How to make a yo-yo
Sign up now!