The Recovery Quilt
Recovery:-
1/ a return to a normal state of health, mind, or strength
Synonyms: recuperation, convalescence, return to health, process of getting better, rehabilitation, healing, rallying
2/ the action or process of regaining possession or control of something stolen or lost.
Synonyms: retrieval, regaining, repossession, getting back, recapture, reclamation, recouping, retaking, redemption
Origin : late Middle English (denoting a means of restoration): from Anglo-Norman French recoverie, from recovrer ‘get back’.
Background context and connecting threads
The Recovery Quilt was created by more than 50 participants who stitched their personal response to ‘recovery’.
Led by Common Threads, the Recovery Quilt began as a response to official war photographer Mark Neville’s Battle Against Stigma exhibition at QUAD, part of his project to raise awareness about Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder – PTSD http://www.markneville.com/battle-against-stigma
Meeting with Mark, members of the British Legion and Combat Stress, we found descriptions of his own experience and that of others with PTSD deeply moving. Some of the text used in the quilt is taken from Mark’s own words.
The idea for a quilt developed through researching ‘Crimea Quilts’ or ‘Conflict Quilts’ stitched by 19th C convalescing soldiers, themselves possibly experiencing what we now call PTSD. A collection of these extraordinary ‘convalescent’ ’ quilts are held at the V&A, and many beautiful examples were recently exhiibited in New York in ‘War and Pieced’ https://folkartmuseum.org/exhibitions/war-and-pieced-the-annette-gero-collection-of-quilts-from-military-fabrics/
This historical example of sewing to support wellbeing echoes a founding principles of Common Threads.
Created in workshops in 2018/19, the Recovery Quilt is made up of hand-stitched, dyed and printed textile pieces using vintage linens and threads. It references a history of conflict and recovery, illustrating the personal journeys and stories of the participants. Each piece is a testament to a contributor’s individual perspective on recovery. As a whole, the quilt reflects our extraordinary capacity for recovery, and the contribution creative practice can make.
Participants
More than 50 participants contributed to the quilt:-
Common Threads: ‘Mend & Make’ group
GoldsQUAD, QUAD creative group for over 50’s
Residents at the Hope and Resilience Hub, Radbourne Acute Mental Health Unit, NHS Foundation Trust, Royal Derby Hospital
Project leads
Jane Hardstaff, QUAD Creative Wellbeing Coodinator and Common Threads Co-chair
Philippa Larkam, Common Threads Co-chair, textile tutor, quilting and historical textiles expert
Feedback from participants about creating the quilt
Working on the quilt helped me realise how far I had come.
Considering PTSD for the Recovery Quilt Project has brought life changing realisations. The project has enabled me to find answers to behaviour patterns in my parents and myself. I feel I have been able to make more sense of my childhood than I have ever before and even though my parents have both died, I have now been able to forgive their actions and feel more peaceful in myself.
I found working on the quilt very therapeutic and relaxing – I absolutely loved working on the quilt.
It was a lovely idea to remember what people had to go through.
I enjoyed working on my patch as it was strangely calming and gave a greater understanding of family issues.
Its very moving, seeing all the different responses. This project has really touched people's hearts.
The Recovery Quilt at Derby Museum and Art Gallery
In 2019 we were invited by curator Angela Tarnowski to exhibit the quilt in The Soldiers Story Gallery, part of the 9th/12th Royal Lancers Museum collection, https://www.9th12thlancersmuseum.org/ located within Derby Museum. https://www.derbymuseums.org/whats-on/a-soldiers-life
The quilt has now been viewed by an estimated 40,000 visitors over the past 8 months.
Visitor comments include:
A beautiful piece of work. It tells a story that some people don’t like to hear but MUST be heard. Well done to all for the hard work involved.
How impressive. The quilt looks wonderful. Its so good that the PTSD is represented in this way in the Soldiers Gallery, may it continue with other artworks around this theme. The more people who talk about PTSD the better it will be for our soldiers.
Amazing, beautiful and thought provoking. Its wonderful to see craft connecting with people. Very beautiful work that makes people think - loved it.
Its important that the voices of women are being heard in the gallery, and that the impact of conflict is being reflected.
This is such a moving piece – I was quite tearful, reading it.
Its lovely that the voices of women are being heard in the gallery, and that the impact of conflict is being reflected. Amazing, beautiful and thought provoking. Its wonderful to see craft connecting with people. Very beautiful work that makes people think - loved it.
This beautiful piece of work sits so well in the Soldiers Story Gallery. The gallery give such a poignant context for the quilt, and the quilt adds contemporary, personal meaning to the gallery - an inspired collaboration.
The quilt is an absolutely incredible piece of work and although we only had a matter of 10 minutes yesterday on our visit to Derby Museum it was enough to see the benefits that the participants gained and how this could help their recovery. As someone diagnosed with PTSD only 2 years ago I am more than aware of how craft or stitch can be beneficial.
Legacy
The Recovery Quilt has been included in the Culture Health and Wellbeing Alliance ’70 Stories’ celebrating the 70th anniversary of the NHS.
After its exhibition at Derby Museums, we hope to display the quilt at further venues.
The quilt inspired textile research student Jane Murdock to write an assignment about the project, You can read more at her blog: https://janemurdockcontemporarypractice.home.blog/2019/09/29/exhibition-the-recovery-quilt/
The success of the Recovery Quilt enabled us to secure funding to develop further projects and we will be working with existing partners and new collaborators including local refugee and asylum seeker groups, Framework Knitters Museum, PAMOJA Women Together Group, and Nottingham Refugee Forum.
Thank you to all the participants who created the quilt and to Mark Neville for the kind permission to use his words.
Watch the Recovery Quilt film below
