We are all connected. Events in other cities and countries affect us all, and we have the instinct to help out. After the shocking events at the Boston Marathon two weeks ago, Vancouver Modern Quilt Guild member Berene Campbell was inspired to send tangible expressions of love and peace to the people of Boston. She came up with the idea of "To Boston With Love", a collaborative effort of makers to send peace and love flags to Boston and enlisted a few of us VMQG leaders in getting the word out.
Well, the response has been amazing! So far, over thirty modern quilt guilds have signed on and dozens of individuals are sending flags to Boston so they can be added to banners that will hang in a public place in Boston for the Memorial Day weekend. You can participate too! All the info, including the Massachusetts shipping address, can be found on the VMQG blog:
To Boston With Love main post with flag tutorial
To Boston With Love tutorials and inspiration
To Boston With Love shipping info
People have started posting flags to the Flickr group and have also tagged their photos #tobostonwithlove on Instagram.
There's still time to participate but you should know that the deadline to have the flags in Boston is Tuesday, May 21st, 2013, so plan accordingly. Flags received later than the deadline will still be added to the display, but we want the initial impact to be as large as possible, so get sewing!
Another way to help:
The Boston Modern Quilt Guild is also coordinating an effort to support those affected by the bombings. They're making quilts (because that's what quilters do to show their love)! If you'd like to participate in Quilts for Boston by making a quilt block, you can find the information on the Boston Modern Quilt Guild blog.