Communities of Pride Great Lakes

The original prototype for the Communities of Pride pattern series. Pieced and quilted in early 2022, it was based on a pride map idea sketched out in 2019. The stripes of the pride flag are made from the clothing of family members. Buttons have been placed over central Ohio where I am from, and Chicago where I lived for 10 years after college. The quilt was featured in the Curated Quilts Utility issue under the name Midwest Pride.

13" x 13"

2022

About the Fabrics

The black and brown are old work pants my grandfather (my mother’s dad) wore to the vacuum repair and sales shop he owned for over 20 years. The light blue fabric is left over scraps from one of my brother’s many art projects. The red, dark blue, and purple are also from my brother; these are all dress shirts, worn for fun nights out and serious occasions. The pink and white gingham is an old shirt of my mothers. The yellow, a dress shirt I wore once and decided I didn’t like, and the orange and green button-up short sleeve shirts I wore on weekends when I lived in DC. The latter shirt contributed the buttons on Chicago and Central Ohio. The backing fabric is left over from bandanas made for dogs and cats that were sold at a fundraiser for the Ohio OSPCA, a nonprofit my mother founded that operates a shelter for house pets and a sanctuary for abused and neglected farm animals.