Textiles as Texts

I've mentioned before that some of the projects on which I work are community development work, where the message in the textile is much more important than the stitches, and that these work on a number of levels. I am still exercising my mind on how to "put that down on paper" (what is the cyber equivalent???), so I haven't forgotten, Sharon.

This is on my mind for a couple of reasons - I am child of the sixties and seventies, so easily take to wearing protest buttons - here is my current one:

It may surprise overseas readers to know that the Australian government imprisons children (and adults who have not been committed of any crime, without a public process such as a trial). This is something that makes me quite angry. So I bought this button at the market on Saturday, and it will ultimately go onto a banner that I want to make - a white CQ dove on a purple background.

But so many people have said they want the button too, that I went searching to see if I could find it for sale on the net, but I couldn't. I bought it from a Rural Australians for Refugees stall, and I did find a rather interesting card for sale on their site.

The image is only small, but it looks to me to be a crazy-quilt map of Australia.

It is another Textile being used as a Text - in this case a medium that I delight in, that does not usually get out in the arena of political comment.