Gisele Therezien and Kim Monins at the BBC studio
“The Channel Islands,UK were occupied by the Nazis for 5 years during WWII, so we have many historical and emotional links to those dark times,” Kim tells me in her first email after hearing about The 70273 Project. Kim Monins and Gisele Therezien – both talented, creative, accomplished quilters – immediately begin stitching blocks with dedicated enthusiasm.
From Blocks to Quilts to Exhibits in Rapid Succession
After stitching a few blocks, the Dynamic Duo decide they want to collect blocks and make quilts there in the Channel Islands, so we work together to develop a system that gets me the information I need on each block for documentation and cataloguing purposes and allows them to keep moving forward without having to spend the time and money shipping blocks back and forth across The Pond.
Blocks made by Gisele Therezien
They’ll need blocks to make the quilts, so on Saturday 5th November between 10am-3pm at St Brelade’s Parish Hall in Jersey, Chanel islands, UK, Kim and Gisele are hosting a Drop In and Stitch Day. If you’re in the area, please do stop by, and if you’re reading this and know people who live in the area, won’t you please tell them about it? Let’s post it on Facebook, tweet it out, put it in blog posts – let’s get it out there any way we can cause you never know who’s gonna’ see your post and think of somebody they know who would love to attend. Let’s help them have a good turnout (and lots of blocks to document!).
And why make quilts if you have nowhere to exhibit them, right? Yesterday Gisele and Kim had a successful meting with authorities at Jersey Heritage who offered exhibition space for the month of January 2018 and the possibility of enough space for a small display in January 2017.
Getting the Word Out
Kim and Gisele never miss an opportunity to spread word of The 70273 Project. Gisele recently received an email from Love Patchwork & Quilting Magazine UK asking permission to write an article and use photos of one of her quilts that’s currently on display at the Quilt Festival in Houston, TX.
They sent project flyers to each of the 12 elected parish constables and leaders of other groups, encouraging them to get involved and get others involved, and they’ve ben in touch with local newspapers who’ve promised to run articles about both The 70273 Project and the upcoming Drop In and Stitch Event.
Kim Monins stitches by the pool on a recent holiday
And as if all this isn’t enough, this morning Gisele and Kim were interviewed by Charlie McArdle on his BBC radio show. To give a listen, click here and move the bar to 2:13:24 to hear their interview.
Kudos and Gratitude to Kim and Gisele, The Dynamic Duo, whose good sense, keen quilting abilities, dazzling personalities, and indefatigable tenaciousness are moving The 70273 Project forward in great strides! ‘Twas a lucky day for us all when Kim and Gisele discovered The 70273 Project.
Do you know of a radio or tv station in your vicinity that might be as hospitable to The 70273 Project as Charlie is? Is there a magazine, newspaper, newsletter, or other periodical that we might submit a press release to? Do you want to gather blocks and make quilts in your area? Did anything Kim and Gisele are doing spark an idea of something you might do? If so, please contact me and let’s make a plan.
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Other places to gather around The 70273 Project water cooler:
Shop with Amazon Smile and support The 70273 Project.
Subscribe to the blog (where all information is shared).
Join the English-speaking Facebook group – our e-campfire – where you can talk to other members of The 70273 Project Tribe.
Join the French-speaking Facebook group – our other e-campfire – where you can chat with other members of The 70273 Project Tribe.
Like the Facebook page where you can check in for frequent updates.
Get folks to help celebrate your birthday by making blocks and/or donating bucks.
Follow the pinterest board for visual information.
Post using #the70273project on Instagram. (Please tag me, too, @whollyjeanne, so I don’t miss anything.)
Tell your friends what you want for your birthday.
And if you haven’t yet made some blocks, perhaps you’d like to put some cloth in your hands and join us.
Or maybe you’d like to gather friends and family, colleagues or students, club or guild members, etc. together and make a group quilt.
the Dynamic Duo are amazing … I had no idea that the Channel Islands were occupied by the Nazis during WWII … I’ll bet there are some interesting stories there … 🙂
How lovely!