Millinery Power - Artifact: Calash

Artifact: Calash

This banner pays homage to Lydia Maria Child and to her aging calash. I viewed the calash as a symbol of her unwavering moral compass. Today, we can literally wear what we believe in, care about, support, stand for, reject, etc., on our sleeves, tees, hats, and more. With this in mind I wanted to create a bold graphic to celebrate such a remarkable woman. Hand and machine stitching bridge the past and the present.

Banner: fabric, collagraph, stencil, stitching by Donna Maxwell

Size: 19x19

About Donna Maxwell
I always admire and respect individuals who strive to make a positive difference in the lives of others. The story behind Lidia Maria Child's calash resonated with me. Though she was a tireless and vocal crusader for the abolitionist movement and reform, wearing her aging bonnet was a personal act of reserved resistence. In this banner I sought to honor Lidia Maria Child through a combination of text, images, materials and process. I come from a tradition of hand craft and making. My parents fostered in me a lifelong love of working with my hands. When I am not sewing or making art, I am most at home enjoying the outdoors with my husband and family.