A creative way of coping
Since the beginning of the Dutch QUILT, people have also worked on quilt panels together. Sometimes one panel was made by a group of loved ones, at other times people sat side by side, each working on their own panel. Others have made their quilt panels at home and then later handed them to the NAMES Project.
The pain of yesterday
and the worries of today
are woven in tomorrow's hope
There can be no quilt panel without emotion. It starts with the first idea, the first question: what to display, what needs to be shown? How do we want our loved one to be remembered? While making a panel, a lot of tears are likely to be shed. Those who work in a group may find support among each other, telling each other stories of the deceased, laughing, crying and honoring those who died as a consequence of AIDS.
Tangible memory
For the first few years, the NAMES Project was based at the Dutch HIV Association (HVN) building. It housed the heavy sewing machine with which the panels were stitched together and small repairs were carried out. In the central hallway of this building on the Eerste Helmersstraat, newly delivered quilt panels would regularly be unfolded and displayed. This was often a very emotional moment. The creators of the panels were leaving behind a tangible memory of their loved one. The people who received the panel caught a glimpse of the life of the deceased and promised to take good care of this memory. Nowadays, work on the QUILT is done in the studio of Pronklust, an organization that holds presentations and exhibitions.
Quilting groups
Since 2005, it is again possible to join a group and work together on creating a quilt panel. Sometimes, a person may have hesitated for 20 years before deciding to make one. Another may have had a recent loss and wanted to act on it straight away. The participants in a quilting group are diverse, but together they form a unity. They can understand each other’s emotions and get support from that. Sorrow may be present, but not too heavily. Making a panel can help in the mourning process. People can share their memories and feelings. It’s also good to know that the panels will be shown to others and used for educational purposes. The memory is not only kept alive, but serves a social purpose as well.
