Why a textile book?

In the spring of 2025, I had been experimenting with making small paper “artist’s books,” which are essentially artworks rendered in the form of a book rather than in a more familiar form like a painting. Then I discovered textile artist’s books. I was entranced, since I’ve long been attracted to the tactile quality of textiles—in daily life and as a medium in arts and crafts. It was around that time that my idea for this project coalesced. I opted for an accordion (concertina) book format, so that the pages can be stretched out into a strip that emphasizes the quantity of devastating stories, all connected by the violence of abortion bans. And as the project developed, I discovered I liked the idea of the women’s stories bundled together in the warm embrace of fabric. I initially considered making the stitched squares into a wall hanging, but I wanted to accompany each square with the story that the image represents, and I wanted those stories to be easily accessible to someone interacting with the piece. Hence, each square is actually a pocket containing a card printed with the story. As It has turned out, most people experience this project digitally, so they are not aware that the squares are pockets. I cherish those times when I have been able to watch someone intimately interact with the actual book: they stroke the worn flannel cover of the first volume, untie the book to open it, touch the stitches and beads, silently read the stories, ponder the images, and gently close it.  When I presented the project to my women’s studies students, I passed around the first volume while projecting images of the squares and reading aloud the stories. As we discussed the blue circles that represent Deborah Dorbert’s horrific story, I mentioned that I chose velvet for the smallest circle, because its softness invited touch, like the Dorberts caressing their dying baby as they held him, and my desire to “touch” them with a comforting embrace. In that moment, I noticed a student reach out to touch that velvet circle. I want this project, these stories, to touch the hearts of everyone who experiences them. Never forget.