I do not believe in American exceptionalism or isolationalism, but I am proud of my country, its people, and what we have to offer. If you think that those against the current administration’s policies are unpatriotic, I encourage you to think again. My love for America inspires me to resist.
Since the presidential campaign, I’ve been (quite frankly) annoyed by Donald Trump’s slogan, “Make American Great Again.” These words have been used constantly to justify executive orders and tweets that have embarrassed and hurt the American people as a whole.
I decided to create a quilt that morphs these words into something positive, so I asked my Instagram followers to tell me why they think America is great. The result was over 80 entries ranging from serious to silly (lots of foods, for example). You can read the words submitted here. I free motion quilted the words into the white stripes with a slightly contrasting thread, so they can be read. Immediately following the inauguration, I took this quilt on a trip to Georgia, where I blissfully hand-quilted around the words and stars in Betsy Ross-like fashion. It was an excellent form of fabric therapy and a great way to show my patriotism in public.
I’m thrilled to share this collaboration between so many people. To read further and see more pictures, please visit my blog post here.
