Quilting for the Constitution: Peace by Piece
Updated: 5 days ago
We stitched more than fabric. We quilted together thousands of hopes, struggles, and stories for the country we love.
Campaign dates: March 22 – May 7, 2025
Peace by Piece was born in a time of heightened political tension. A time when there was a need to speak up for the Constitution in a way that could be seen and felt.
In March 2025, Women Building Peace turned to a tradition women have used for generations: quilting. We invited women nationwide to gather for quilt-ins of their own. Participants wrote their messages to Congress on squares of fabric. Each square was a constituent letter, and together they would be stitched into blankets of letters to Congress.
In just six and a half weeks, 48 quilt-ins were held in 22 states. More than 5,000 women participated, with squares representing all 50 states and Washington, D.C.
“Stitch by stitch, square by square, across the country, hundreds of women ‒ and a few men ‒ are crafting handmade quilts covered in bipartisan political messages urging members of Congress to more effectively exercise their power as an equal branch of government.”
— USA TODAY
By May, those thousands of squares had become quilts ready for Congress. And then Women Building Peace headed to Washington, D.C., not just to quilt together, but to deliver those quilts directly into the hands of our elected representatives.
Women from across the country gathered in front of the U.S. Capitol for one final quilt-in, stitching side by side before taking the finished quilts into congressional offices. 63 quilts. 59 legislators. Thousands of constituent letters, stitched by hand.
“I’ve written letters, made phone calls, and participated in protests and rallies, but th[is] event… was the most meaningful activism I feel I’ve done. It was hopeful.”
— Campaign Participant
What had begun with a square of fabric was now folded, draped, and held in the hands of our elected representatives. That was the beauty of Peace by Piece. No single square told the whole story. It took thousands of them, stitched together, to make the quilts.
To everyone who wrote a square, hosted a quilt-in, threaded a needle, stitched a seam, or helped deliver a quilt: thank you. You made Peace by Piece happen.
