Ready, set, sew

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EDMONTON-Ladies, sharpen those scissors and dig out the short quilting needles. The project is called a Healing Blanket and the idea for it is contained in a report produced as a result of the Gathering our Strength, Violence Against Aboriginal Women conference held in May 1998.

The blanket is meant to commemorate Aboriginal women who have died violently by suicide, domestic violence or otherwise. The Institute for the Advancement of Aboriginal Women is promoting this project as a way to help women express their grief. According to IAAW president, Muriel Stanley Venne, the older women who organized the Voice of Alberta Native Women organization contributed a lot to the idea of a healing blanket. Sewers will embroider the names of deceased loved ones on the quilt blocks they make.

All the planning has not been worked out yet, such as size and number of quilt blocks and pick-up points for completed blocks, but the blanket is on the agenda of the next IAAW meeting this month. The institute is looking for co-ordinators and sewers in as many communities as possible.

The actual creation of the healing blanket will be undertaken by Aboriginal women, but support in the form of stitching instructors or other helpers is welcome.

The Catholic Women's League has offered their assistance to the project. Anyone interested in getting involved can call toll free 1-877-471-2171 and speak to Dawna.