The
BLUE SKIES
NorthStar Resistance
patchwork
quilt
Note: The two quilts being made for the NorthStar Resistance project (Blue + Rainbow) follow a traditional quilting‑bee model: a shared block pattern pieced by many contributors and assembled into unified works.
This is the project page for the BLUE SKIES MN Star patchwork quilt.
You are allowed to contribute to both quilts.
Symbolism behind the Blue Skies MN Star Quilt:
Grief, Witness, and Accountability
Blue holds the weight of what has happened. It carries:
- Mourning
- Depth
- The coldness of state power
- The Minnesota winter
- The gravity of the operation
This quilt becomes a container for witness. It holds the quiet, heavy truth of the harm.
Quilt Specifications
- 108″ × 110″ (274.32 × 279.4 cm) — King size
- This is the maximum intended size for each individual quilt.
- If submissions exceed capacity, additional quilts or alternative installation formats may be explored.
Quilt Panel Size
- Submitted: 6½″ × 6½″ (16.5 × 16.5 cm) — includes ¼″ (1.25 cm) seam allowance
- Finished: 6″ × 6″ (15.25 cm)
Fabrics
- Please use only 100% quilting cotton.
Background Fabric: Shades of Blue
- Any and all shades of blue
Star & Accent Fabrics: White
- Shades of White
- Any shade or print of white, to create visual continuity.
Charm kits (optional)
- We understand that some contributors may not be able to access fabric locally or travel to purchase supplies.
- To help remove barriers to participation, a member of the Patchwork of Resistance collective has made available a limited number of pre-cut charm kits on their Etsy site at cost + plus shipping.
- Further charm kits will be added to their shop soon. Keep an eye out for “Patchwork of Resistance” in the listing title.
- These kits are offered purely to support participation. No profit is made from their sale.
Notions & Haberdashery
- Must Have: Thread, Needles,
- Optional, but nice to have: Threader, thimbles, sewing machine, etc.
- We will add a list of supplies we can’t live without to the Resources & Inspiration page soon.
Construction Method
- Block pattern: Minnesota Star (Sawtooth Star)
- Traditional piecing; Foundation Paper Piecing (FPP) optional
- Skill level: Beginner‑friendly
Long-Arm Safe Requirements
A long‑arm quilting machine is the equipment we’ll use to join all the blocks together in the final quilt. It stitches through many layers at once, so it needs materials that can move smoothly under the needle. Anything too rigid, sticky, bulky, or hard can damage the machine or prevent your block from being quilted. If you stick to 100% cotton quilting fabric, thread, and cotton embroidery threads.
Handy Tutorial Sheet:
All materials must be safe for machine and long‑arm quilting during final assembly.
Tutorial Support
Step‑by‑step video guidance and downloadable instruction sheets will be added to the Resources & Inspiration section soon.
Multiple learning formats will be provided, because we all learn differently.
Embroidery Guidelines
- Participants may embroider anywhere on their block, provided that:
- All embroidery remains flat (no beads or raised embellishments).
- Contributors understand that long‑arm quilting may stitch over embroidery.
Themes & Prompts
Participants are invited to respond to any aspect of Operation Metro Surge and its effects on individuals, families, and communities, including:
- personal, historical, or cultural context
- encounters with policing or immigration enforcement
- changes to daily life, routines, or sense of safety
- experiences of visibility, invisibility, or surveillance
- acts of care, solidarity, or quiet resistance
- hopes for justice, dignity, and accountability
- personal, historical, or cultural context
Panels may be abstract or literal, symbolic or narrative, emotional or reflective.
All skill levels and interpretations are welcome.
Call for Quilt Blocks
This quilt will only come into being through the hands, time, and care of many people. Whether you are an experienced quilter, a total beginner, or someone stitching a single block as an act of solidarity, your contribution matters. Every quilt block represents a voice — a reminder that collective work can hold collective grief, outrage, and hope.
We invite you to join us in making this quilt a reality. Sew one block or many; stitch alone or with friends; participate from Minnesota, the UK, or anywhere in the world. Every block expands the circle of care and testimony.
Submission details, including the online form and mailing instructions, will be shared soon. Thank you for your understanding regarding these privacy measures — given the current political climate, we want to ensure that contributors and organizers alike can participate safely and on their own terms.
Call for Quilt Blocks
Together, we can build something that refuses to look away.
Closing Note
This quilt will only come into being through the hands, time, and care of many people. Whether you are an experienced quilter, a total beginner, or someone stitching a single block as an act of solidarity, your contribution matters. Every quilt block represents a voice — a reminder that collective work can hold collective grief, outrage, and hope.
We invite you to join us in making this quilt a reality. Sew one block or many; stitch alone or with friends; participate from Minnesota, the UK, or anywhere in the world. Every block expands the circle of care and testimony.
Dedication
This project is dedicated to everyone whose lives have been disrupted, endangered, or diminished by systems of detention and state power — and to all who refuse to look away. May each panel stand as a reminder that resistance can be quiet or loud, solitary or shared, but it is always stronger when carried together.