Quiltmakers’ statements:
I was so moved by the quilts in the Migrant Quilt Project that I requested to have the honor of also creating a memorial. To be given the privilege to participate in the designing and creating of this quilt has been moving. The needle, the thread, the fabric, the names; the quilt took on its own creation. The depth of meaning in this quilt and the opportunity to make it is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Each name I embroidered, each milagro placed on a name, each rose made for the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe called me to mourn the loss of precious life. The loss of family, the pain for the Mothers, Fathers, brothers, sisters, daughters and sons, grandmas and grandpas. The loss for our human race. (Betty Kersting)
When I first began working on the migrant quilt I felt as if I knew a lot about the situation on the border. I had traveled a number of times to Nogales with Borderlinks and for the SOA Watch last year. I have Mexican friends who are undocumented. I knew the horrifying statistics. I am appalled that the President thinks that a wall is an effective deterrent for people who just want to make a better life for themselves and for their families. But what I didn’t expect to happen was the painful flood of emotions I felt as I embroidered each name while praying for their families and thinking of the difficult deaths suffered. I hope that people viewing the quilt will become informed about the border crossings, and feel the need to become involved in a positive action that will prevent more deaths. (Judy Crawford)
It was my heartfelt honor to participate in the embroidery and embellishment of this beautiful quilt. I was deeply touched as I stitched each name and I will cherish this experience. (LuAnn Watkins)
It has been my great honor to contribute in a small way to this memorial quilt. My part was limited to some embroidery of names, fabric, and small embellishments The tragedy of these precious lives lost in the desert is overwhelming. All that remains are bits and pieces ad memories among their loved ones. Most of my names were “Desconodidos/as,” unknowns. At least their lives are documented in a small and very heartfelt way by this beautiful quilt. (Liz Hinds)
I am an artist and a friend of Betty Kersting. We were talking and she mentioned this quilt project. This quilt was quite far along when I got involved but I realized I could add the desert landscape at the top of the quilt. Betty gave me fabric from an off-white pair of jeans discarded in the desert and showed me photographs of the region. I painted with acrylics on the jean material. Love was in every brushstroke. I am honored to add to this quilt. We are all One. (Nancy Dean Kreger)
My thoughts and feelings were of horror, at the strife that engulfs these people and forced them to take a huge risk through an unforgiving landscape. And grief at the manner of their dying and the clinical information provided on the lists. Dear God, we are better than this, why can’t we as a free people solve this crisis? (Judi Haines)
I love their stories and when I was embroidering the names I did, I felt such a deep sadness for these lives and what a bad place our world is in, but was glad to have had the opportunity to have a really small part in honoring these lives. (Donna Ormerod)