Why These Quilt Squares?
My son painted the key image for this website, capturing the essence of quilt squares sewn in Jos, Nigeria by women who have been affected by HIV/AIDS.
Many of the squares are made into greeting cards, but some are not quite perfect enough for that function. Mary Beth Oyobade, the co-founder of Women of Hope at Bezer Home, where the women sew, saw another beautiful use: squares pieced together with black borders to make exquisite wall hangings and quilts. In Jos, they are called Redemption Quilts because of “what was lost has been redeemed.”
I lived in Jos, Nigeria many years and have several of these wall hangings. They remind me what I miss about that country – its colors, textures and variety. I admire the mix of solid, dyed and printed fabrics, the way every piece adds vibrancy, balance or depth.
And that describes us as humans and the systems we live in pretty well, I think.
The quilt squares:
are unique
are imperfect and also are just fine
are made of pieces that create a whole
have predictable and necessary boundaries and borders
contain a vast array of variety with each piece playing an important part
can stand alone but function better together
I teach and refer to these realities as I work with clients looking to accept themselves more deeply and also experiment with changes that can make their part in the quilt of life a better fit with their priorities and values.
Something about these squares captured my imagination and I’m so glad to have permission to use them here on these pages.