In May, I wrote about Sara R, Winglion, and the Community Quilt Project, which makes personalized quilts for Community members, bearing messages of friendship and love. Sara R also started the DK Quilt Guild, which publishes a story every Sunday evening at 7:00 p.m. EDT. Sara explains that "there are more quilters on Daily Kos than just myself and my sister, and I thought maybe some group projects might be possible. Regardless, it is fun to share patterns, techniques, and projects."
Where the Community Quilt Project directly benefits other Kossacks and a select group of friend, the DK Quilt Guild is of a different fabric.
The Group's founding statement reads: "A place for quilters to gather, share ideas, projects, and to make the world a better place, one quilt at a time. Join us and share your thoughts, projects, questions, and tips. Quilters here are at many different levels of skill. Beginners and non-quilters are welcome, too." For the past 10 years, the group has gathered to share patterns and stories, to celebrate one of the most ephemeral of all the arts—fiber art—and to do good in the world.
"Quilters by nature are generous & creative," says Pam from Calif, who currently helms the group. "Most of us can remember a quilt given by a dear relative or friend for a special occasion. A baby receiving blanket, a wedding gift, a graduation gift. Sometimes non-quilters will hear or learn about [a] big organization, like the Veterans Administration Hospitals, receiving quilts for their patients. Or a local church or guild having a 'sewing circle' for a good cause. The AIDS Memorial Quilt/Names Project is an example of a quilt that can even celebrate a loved one's life."
Official logo of the DK Quilt Guild, created by JekyllnHyde
The DK Quilt Guild used the "sewing circle" model to produce a gorgeous quilt that helped fund the Okiciyap Food Pantry in 2013. The Guild delivered lap quilts and handmade comfort items to veterans in Detroit, Portland, and Palo Alto, often working in conjunction with Netroots Nation. They also made quilts for the siblings of the Sandy Hook massacre victims. Art ah zen began quilting after her mother's death, which led her to the DK Quilt Guild. "I love being part of the group. I write often and brag about my work," she says. "I get to see the work of others, so varied and well done. I get new ideas from their work and sometimes an outlet for some of mine.
"We have people who have quilts in shows all over the country, and people who don't own a sewing machine, they all come to see what we post. Some tell stories of their family members who quilted or quilts they have known and loved. We all enjoy the comments. We are like a family, talking over the dinner table or the quilting frame."
While the pandemic has put a damper on her donations, Art ah zen says that she makes her work to give to others. “Almost all of my work is donated to groups I find [that] need them. The pandemic caused a break in the chain and I am waiting to get back to giving the quilts away.”
There is something deeply personal about a quilt. I should know, having made a few. It's both a connection to an old art form and a gift to the future. It patches together not just fabric and not just history, but community.
This is my latest quilt, made for my first grandchild, who is due to debut in about 6 weeks.
Community Spotlight’s mission is to ensure that the best stories from the Daily Kos Community aren’t overlooked. We encourage members who write excellent stories with original views to keep writing by promoting work that isn’t receiving enough attention. We further support a healthy Community by not rescuing topics and specific stories designed to provoke bitter comment battles, although we relish strong arguments presented fairly and backed up by credible sources.
Good news: You don’t have to search to find our rescued stories! The nightly News Roundup, an Open Thread published six days a week at 7:30 PM PDT, includes links to each day’s rescued stories.
Reminder: The numbers in parentheses after each author’s name indicate the year they joined Daily Kos, how many stories they’ve published, and how many we’ve rescued.
Intersection: Me, politics and the climate emergency (and everything else) by billlaurelMD (2004-168-36)
Politics is a growth process for billlaurelMD. He began adulthood as a single-issue voter and as he grew older, realized that all political issues are essential and inextricable. All political issues converge in the climate crisis, and all are made more critical by advancing fascism on the right. "This is now the undercurrent of my life; fear of the fascists and what they will do if they get the chance. And it is now clear that this fear is intersectional with all people who do not believe that someone’s whiteness gives carte blanche ..."
The Cassandra myth as an allegory for our time by vjr7121 (2017-195-25)
Cassandra was the Trojan princess who predicted the truth but was never believed. Vjr7121 says the Cassandra myth is "like a time-released warning as a prescription for our time," as climate change predictions long foreseen are coming true. There is hope, however, and actions we can take to get past manufactured climate denialism in this warning about how science doesn't depend on belief or unbelief.
365 Days of Climate Awareness 26: A brief history of the earth 2: Paleozoic to Cenozoic by agramante (2009-44-5)
Agramante continues his earth history course with an overview of the earliest periods when our planet supported life, the Paleozoic era, focusing on the Cambrian period from 541-485 million years ago. Come for the rise and breakup of Pangea, stay for the proliferation of species. "The Paleozoic Era spans from 542 to 252 mya [million years ago], and its early portion, the Cambrian Period from 542 to 485 mya, is known for an amazing proliferation of life into many different forms, both terrestrial and marine, known as the Cambrian Explosion."
Labor Day ode to Henderson Flats by rougy77 (2121-8-1)
Henderson Flats was a down-at-the-heels community northeast of Denver that "was gobbled up by a rank monstrosity of carcinogens known as Commerce City," home to a poet's alcoholic father. "Everybody called it ‘Henderson Flats’ as a kind of homage to the great John Steinbeck’s Tortilla Flats, because it was so very reminiscent of that novel." Seamy-looking on the outside, it was warm, embracing, and filled with an assortment of characters. In such places back in the ‘70s, Labor Day was a communal time of food, alcohol and a carnival atmosphere. This memory of a hard-edged place with a soft heart is a Labor Day gift from rougy77, and his first rescue.
What is Labor Day? by xaxnar (2005-2366-?)
Xaxnar turns a bright light on the hypocrisy of politicians who extol the virtues of Labor Day while erasing the "labor" part of the equation. With a focus on West Virginia's Battle of Blair Mountain 100 years ago, as well as other labor movements and struggles for unionization and franchise, the author contrasts the current right-wing battle to sanitize American history: "It’s all about presenting a propagandized version of American history. It’s the history of founding fathers as god-like figures, and hero industrialists who ‘prove’ anyone can become rich in America if they just work hard enough—but not the ordinary people trying to make a living who fought and died for a fair share of the pie."
Greg Abbott is a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad man, and it's not just a day-long problem! by SBvotes (2017-46-?)
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has overcome an accident that left him paralyzed from the waist down in this brief critical biography. "While I ordinarily would applaud Abbott for the amazing courage, resolve, and perseverance he has shown in coping with his disability, and achieving success, it is marred by the fact that he only cares about himself." How so? Well, aside from the border wall brutality, COVID-19 denialism, and a bingo card full of outrages, there's Abbott's relationship to the Americans with Disabilities Act and his particular style of tort reform. Read particularly if you want to get your heartbeat up, but watch out for your blood pressure.
Why can’t we make a law against deliberate deceit that spurs violence or leads to death? by Lafosner (2020-31-3)
"Deliberate deceit has become the single biggest weapon in the Republican arsenal," Lafosner declares as she sets the stakes we face in the weaponization of disinformation. Is there a reason, she asks, why media companies should not be held to account for the damage that their stars, influencers, and commentators do in destroying the body politic?
It was my dad’s birthday by A Pagan in Arizona (2020-51-4)
A fresh start is interrupted by a tragedy, which turns into an awkward holiday. Holidays that fall on the anniversaries of disasters are on A Pagan in Arizona’s mind as she remembers her father, born on Sept. 11. “For a moment he seemed to forget that it was in fact his 61st birthday. And rambled a bit about how now this date will be remembered by everyone, like Pearl Harbor Day.” Sept. 11 is still her dad’s birthday, and reconciling two memories isn’t easy.
Solar on the roof by Stephen Dreyfus (2017-163-?)
“Solar on the roof. Sounds crazy, no? But in our little sub-division of Del Norte, you might say every one of us should install solar on the roof, trying to afford pleasant, simple electricity, without breaking our budget. It isn't easy. You may ask, why do we put solar panels up there if it's so expensive? We do so because this planet is our home ... And how can we keep the balance of nature and prevent devastating climate change? I can tell you how in one word … Installation!” So what’s involved in installing solar panels? Stephen Dreyfus can (and does) tell you!
Top Comments: Clocks, entropy, and time by gizmo59 (2006-503-?)
Gizmo59 reports on new discoveries of time. Time is our fourth dimension, and measuring it should be straightforward, right? Entropy is a measure of the “play” in any system, the ways that components can be rearranged without that system breaking down. “Clocks have existed for centuries, and the concept of entropy is about 200 years old, but until now, nobody had ever considered the relationship between the running of clocks and the production of entropy before, even knowing entropy’s role as an arrow of time itself.”
Where the Community Quilt Project directly benefits other Kossacks and a select group of friend, the DK Quilt Guild is of a different fabric.
The Group's founding statement reads: "A place for quilters to gather, share ideas, projects, and to make the world a better place, one quilt at a time. Join us and share your thoughts, projects, questions, and tips. Quilters here are at many different levels of skill. Beginners and non-quilters are welcome, too." For the past 10 years, the group has gathered to share patterns and stories, to celebrate one of the most ephemeral of all the arts—fiber art—and to do good in the world.
"Quilters by nature are generous & creative," says Pam from Calif, who currently helms the group. "Most of us can remember a quilt given by a dear relative or friend for a special occasion. A baby receiving blanket, a wedding gift, a graduation gift. Sometimes non-quilters will hear or learn about [a] big organization, like the Veterans Administration Hospitals, receiving quilts for their patients. Or a local church or guild having a 'sewing circle' for a good cause. The AIDS Memorial Quilt/Names Project is an example of a quilt that can even celebrate a loved one's life."
Official logo of the DK Quilt Guild, created by JekyllnHyde
The DK Quilt Guild used the "sewing circle" model to produce a gorgeous quilt that helped fund the Okiciyap Food Pantry in 2013. The Guild delivered lap quilts and handmade comfort items to veterans in Detroit, Portland, and Palo Alto, often working in conjunction with Netroots Nation. They also made quilts for the siblings of the Sandy Hook massacre victims. Art ah zen began quilting after her mother's death, which led her to the DK Quilt Guild. "I love being part of the group. I write often and brag about my work," she says. "I get to see the work of others, so varied and well done. I get new ideas from their work and sometimes an outlet for some of mine.
"We have people who have quilts in shows all over the country, and people who don't own a sewing machine, they all come to see what we post. Some tell stories of their family members who quilted or quilts they have known and loved. We all enjoy the comments. We are like a family, talking over the dinner table or the quilting frame."
While the pandemic has put a damper on her donations, Art ah zen says that she makes her work to give to others. “Almost all of my work is donated to groups I find [that] need them. The pandemic caused a break in the chain and I am waiting to get back to giving the quilts away.”
There is something deeply personal about a quilt. I should know, having made a few. It's both a connection to an old art form and a gift to the future. It patches together not just fabric and not just history, but community.
This is my latest quilt, made for my first grandchild, who is due to debut in about 6 weeks.
10 Rescued Stories from 1 PM Sept. 3 PDT, to 1 PM PDT, Sept. 10, 2021
Community Spotlight’s mission is to ensure that the best stories from the Daily Kos Community aren’t overlooked. We encourage members who write excellent stories with original views to keep writing by promoting work that isn’t receiving enough attention. We further support a healthy Community by not rescuing topics and specific stories designed to provoke bitter comment battles, although we relish strong arguments presented fairly and backed up by credible sources.
Good news: You don’t have to search to find our rescued stories! The nightly News Roundup, an Open Thread published six days a week at 7:30 PM PDT, includes links to each day’s rescued stories.
Reminder: The numbers in parentheses after each author’s name indicate the year they joined Daily Kos, how many stories they’ve published, and how many we’ve rescued.
Intersection: Me, politics and the climate emergency (and everything else) by billlaurelMD (2004-168-36)
Politics is a growth process for billlaurelMD. He began adulthood as a single-issue voter and as he grew older, realized that all political issues are essential and inextricable. All political issues converge in the climate crisis, and all are made more critical by advancing fascism on the right. "This is now the undercurrent of my life; fear of the fascists and what they will do if they get the chance. And it is now clear that this fear is intersectional with all people who do not believe that someone’s whiteness gives carte blanche ..."
The Cassandra myth as an allegory for our time by vjr7121 (2017-195-25)
Cassandra was the Trojan princess who predicted the truth but was never believed. Vjr7121 says the Cassandra myth is "like a time-released warning as a prescription for our time," as climate change predictions long foreseen are coming true. There is hope, however, and actions we can take to get past manufactured climate denialism in this warning about how science doesn't depend on belief or unbelief.
365 Days of Climate Awareness 26: A brief history of the earth 2: Paleozoic to Cenozoic by agramante (2009-44-5)
Agramante continues his earth history course with an overview of the earliest periods when our planet supported life, the Paleozoic era, focusing on the Cambrian period from 541-485 million years ago. Come for the rise and breakup of Pangea, stay for the proliferation of species. "The Paleozoic Era spans from 542 to 252 mya [million years ago], and its early portion, the Cambrian Period from 542 to 485 mya, is known for an amazing proliferation of life into many different forms, both terrestrial and marine, known as the Cambrian Explosion."
Labor Day ode to Henderson Flats by rougy77 (2121-8-1)
Henderson Flats was a down-at-the-heels community northeast of Denver that "was gobbled up by a rank monstrosity of carcinogens known as Commerce City," home to a poet's alcoholic father. "Everybody called it ‘Henderson Flats’ as a kind of homage to the great John Steinbeck’s Tortilla Flats, because it was so very reminiscent of that novel." Seamy-looking on the outside, it was warm, embracing, and filled with an assortment of characters. In such places back in the ‘70s, Labor Day was a communal time of food, alcohol and a carnival atmosphere. This memory of a hard-edged place with a soft heart is a Labor Day gift from rougy77, and his first rescue.
What is Labor Day? by xaxnar (2005-2366-?)
Xaxnar turns a bright light on the hypocrisy of politicians who extol the virtues of Labor Day while erasing the "labor" part of the equation. With a focus on West Virginia's Battle of Blair Mountain 100 years ago, as well as other labor movements and struggles for unionization and franchise, the author contrasts the current right-wing battle to sanitize American history: "It’s all about presenting a propagandized version of American history. It’s the history of founding fathers as god-like figures, and hero industrialists who ‘prove’ anyone can become rich in America if they just work hard enough—but not the ordinary people trying to make a living who fought and died for a fair share of the pie."
Greg Abbott is a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad man, and it's not just a day-long problem! by SBvotes (2017-46-?)
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has overcome an accident that left him paralyzed from the waist down in this brief critical biography. "While I ordinarily would applaud Abbott for the amazing courage, resolve, and perseverance he has shown in coping with his disability, and achieving success, it is marred by the fact that he only cares about himself." How so? Well, aside from the border wall brutality, COVID-19 denialism, and a bingo card full of outrages, there's Abbott's relationship to the Americans with Disabilities Act and his particular style of tort reform. Read particularly if you want to get your heartbeat up, but watch out for your blood pressure.
Why can’t we make a law against deliberate deceit that spurs violence or leads to death? by Lafosner (2020-31-3)
"Deliberate deceit has become the single biggest weapon in the Republican arsenal," Lafosner declares as she sets the stakes we face in the weaponization of disinformation. Is there a reason, she asks, why media companies should not be held to account for the damage that their stars, influencers, and commentators do in destroying the body politic?
It was my dad’s birthday by A Pagan in Arizona (2020-51-4)
A fresh start is interrupted by a tragedy, which turns into an awkward holiday. Holidays that fall on the anniversaries of disasters are on A Pagan in Arizona’s mind as she remembers her father, born on Sept. 11. “For a moment he seemed to forget that it was in fact his 61st birthday. And rambled a bit about how now this date will be remembered by everyone, like Pearl Harbor Day.” Sept. 11 is still her dad’s birthday, and reconciling two memories isn’t easy.
Solar on the roof by Stephen Dreyfus (2017-163-?)
“Solar on the roof. Sounds crazy, no? But in our little sub-division of Del Norte, you might say every one of us should install solar on the roof, trying to afford pleasant, simple electricity, without breaking our budget. It isn't easy. You may ask, why do we put solar panels up there if it's so expensive? We do so because this planet is our home ... And how can we keep the balance of nature and prevent devastating climate change? I can tell you how in one word … Installation!” So what’s involved in installing solar panels? Stephen Dreyfus can (and does) tell you!
Top Comments: Clocks, entropy, and time by gizmo59 (2006-503-?)
Gizmo59 reports on new discoveries of time. Time is our fourth dimension, and measuring it should be straightforward, right? Entropy is a measure of the “play” in any system, the ways that components can be rearranged without that system breaking down. “Clocks have existed for centuries, and the concept of entropy is about 200 years old, but until now, nobody had ever considered the relationship between the running of clocks and the production of entropy before, even knowing entropy’s role as an arrow of time itself.”
| COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT is dedicated to finding great writing by community members that isn’t getting the visibility it deserves.
An edition of our rescue roundup publishes every Saturday at 6 p.m. ET (3 p.m. PT) to the Recent Community Stories section and to the front page at 9:30 p.m. ET (7:30 p.m. PT). |