As the COVID-19 pandemic moves swiftly around our world, we find ourselves apart when the company of our community would be so helpful and comforting. The act of sewing together otherwise “useless” scraps of fabric to make a new whole can be a meditation in itself: a meditation of making something out of nothing, each stitch a tiny prayer. There is great comfort in being snuggled cozy under a blanket, making something with your hands, and being in the company of family, friends and community, though social distancing limits us from the latter. Before social media, quilting bees were social time: for people of all walks of life, making squares with the materials on hand, bringing them together and making something wonderful.

Here’s the idea: Each of us can start our own remote community quilting bee. While we physically distance ourselves, we can each make the blocks of a quilt from the comfort of our own homes using a common pattern and gathered supplies. We can then display our blocks in our homes, in a window or pinned to a wall while we are quarantined as a reminder of our collective spirit. Then, when we are again able to gather together, we can bring our squares together and make a blanket! This blanket can then be used however you’d like - shared among your friends, donated to a local shelter, given as a gift to someone affected by COVID-19 or however you may dream.