The Rubia Quilt Project Sneak Peek

Women Helping Women, Stitch by Stitch

Presented by Rubia and The Women's Caucus for Art, Philadelphia Chapter

Opening Night : May 2, 2008 @ The City Government Building, Wilmington DE

Quilt assembly began on March 19th. There were 32 participating artists from the United States! We are thrilled at the response to this project and anxiously await the future journey of the Stitch by Stitch piece. Many Thanks to all of our volunteers,Rubia, the WCA-Philadelphia, the National WCA, Afghan Women's Fund, and the support of all of the individual artists.

Objective: To create a larger exposure for Rubia's grassroots project. To emphasize a collective notion of Women's Art or domestic art. To show that beautiful things can come from a war-torn region. To emphasize interconnectedness of all actions.

To monitor the progress of the quilt and its exhibition travels, please check the website often and click on "Sneak Peek" to view the quilt to date!

http://marycrowley.com/rubia/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=36&Itemid=52

My Contribution to the Rubia Project

I call my square "Thread by thread, Peace by piece". I am honored to be a part of such a powerful project such as Rubia.

I chose to incorporate and embroider my husband's grandmother Ruth's handkerchief which is almost 100 years old, to bring the energy of a past generation of an Eastern European woman to the quilt.

I chose to use the image of the Endless Knot because it represents unending love, peace, good fortune and the interconnectedness of all beings. It is an ancient symbol found in many cultures worldwide but the Tibetans were the first to recognize the sacred geometry of the endless knot symbol. The endless knot is an important symbol of our time in the midst of turmoil and this powerful symbol opens the heart chakra and is said to allow the healing energy of the heart to guide us to peace.

The image of the butterfly is very important to me because,

"What the caterpillar thinks is the end of the world...the butterfly knows is only the beginning!"

Rubia Project: Women Helping Women Stitch By Stitch

I am proud to be currently working on creating my fabric square to be included in the collaborative quilt project organized by the Philadelphia Chapter of the Women's Caucus for Art and the Rubia Project. The project will begin to come together in February.
Fabric artwork embroidered by the Afghan women will be joined (quilt style) with squares created by WCA members, to create an impressive larger tapestry piece. News of our project has reached Afghanistan, and there is much support for this collaboration.It is the goal for this piece to travel to other chapters, to other venues, The completed piece will ultimately travel to Darrai Noor,
Afghanistan. I will keep you updated on the progress of this important project.
Opening Night : May 2, 2008 @ The City Government Building, Wilmington DE

Rubia is a project of Social & Environmental Entrepeneurs (SEE), a registered 501(c) [3], which provides non-profit status. Rubia serves women in Afghanistan, offering education, skills training and income opportunities through the promotion of their traditional handwork. Rubia is committed to building sustainable business in a fragile environment,empowering women while respecting traditional ways, reviving and preserving traditional crafts. http://www.rubiahandwork.org/

New Rubia/WCA website coming soon! Look for it soon at http://www.marycrowley.com/rubia