We hope to see you at our annual Philadelphia party this Friday November 22!
We spend every day filing lawsuits, writing and filing influential legal briefs, giving testimony, counseling clients, developing and advocating for policies that support equality and fighting bad bills—and can only do it thanks to the generosity of supporters like you.
Today, though, we just want to bring you behind the theme of this year’s party, which is “Come Together.”
Earlier this year, a group of local activists calling themselves the Stitch and Bitchers contacted the Women’s Law Project. They wanted to donate their textile talent and time to support the fight for equality and gender justice in Pennsylvania.
After talking about the issues we’re working on, the Stitch and Bitchers offered to design and sew a custom quilt that we could in turn use to help raise awareness of our issues and money to fund our work. To kick off the project, the quilters met with us at the offices of Women’s Law Project.
Lead quilter Margaret Guthrie arrived with carefully prepared packets that contained tiny triangles and rectangles of cloth. From there, participants brought a materials home and hand-sewed the pieces together according to the instructions.
Can’t make our party but still want to support our work?
Please consider pledging a square of the quilt! You can do that here!
Over the course of the project, we’ve gotten to know each other a bit. WLP communications director Tara Murtha sewed one of the quilt panels—after pulling it apart and doing it over a few times—and then joined the group for the quilting bee where all the pieces get put together. They spent the afternoon discussing abortion access, justice for rape survivors, workplace justice, and all the issues WLP works on through the year, while stitching down the layers of the quilt.
By the time we began to plan this year’s Philadelphia party, the theme was obvious. Inspired by the wins we achieved in partnership with our allies this year and the creativity and generosity of the Stitch and Bitchers, we decided on the theme “Come Together.”
We also learned a lot about the history and significance of quilting.
“The quilt is a direct connection to all of the women who came before us, all of the women who are our ancestors, many of whom are not even given the dignity of a name, so unimportant are they considered to be by history,” says Guthrie.
“Yes, they are the ones who held families together, who gave birth and went right back to work to keep their children clothed, fed, and sheltered. They are the ones who spun the thread, wove the cloth and sewed the clothing, the bedding, and the window coverings. Without them, there would be no history, there would be no us. So these threads, these bits of fabric reach back through time and acknowledge the debt and are a sign of the gratitude we feel to be here.”
“It’s been great getting to know the Stitch and Bitchers,” says WLP Executive Director Carol E. Tracy. “The amount of work and talent that went into creating this one-of-a-kind quilt is remarkable and we appreciate their support and incredible talent.”
Come celebrate our victories and support the work necessary to succeed despite many current challenges by joining us at our annual party in Philadelphia. Please note we have changed the date and location this year–we hope to see you on Nov. 22 at the Ballroom at the Ben! Details and registration here.
The Women’s Law Project is a public interest law center devoted to defending and expanding the rights of women, girls, and LGBTQ people in Pennsylvania and beyond.
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