Artist Statement: In March 2020 when New York City shut down for the first few days it was so quiet you could hear birds singing.
And then the sirens began. We heard them all day and night, a constant reminder of the state of emergency, the full hospitals, the deaths, and the strange new reality of our lives.
Of the two of us, my husband is usually more worried about anything medical, but this time, I was the one who felt far more untethered.
His calm steadfastness during those first few months was a rock for me, and I remain incredibly grateful.
I needed to find ways to feel connected to the wider world and ways to help.
I turned to that which I always turn — working with my hands.
As a quilter, I had a ready stash of fabric. I also got bedbug proof mattress covers to cut up and use as filleting fabric between the layers.
Happily, quilting fabrics are often fun and cheerful, so the masks could be as well. After finding patterns on the web, I joined the thousands of other mask makers who made and gave away masks that first year, so that the limited supplies of medical grade masks could be saved for health care workers.
The familiar rhythms of cutting, stitching, turning right side out, and finishing were a balm to my soul, my heart, and my fearful, anxious mind.
For me, sewing is prayer. Joining a community of helpers, I pray too. All told, I made over 600 masks. They went to farm workers, individuals, clinics, patients in oncology centers, seminary students, friends, and neighbors. The ways we use our hands lead us deeper and deeper into love.
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