War Widows quilt on display in Liverpool for Armed Forces Day

Armed forces day has been marked across the north west on Saturday 24 June, with a number of special parades and events.

In Liverpool, along with a parade, a War Widows quilt was unveiled at St Georges Hall.

The quilt was made by over 98 widows from more than 50 armed forces shirts. It is the first time it has been on show in the north west.

Dr Nadine Muller from Liverpool John Moores University said: "We want to commemorate and pay respect to the people who've been left behind from conflict and wars."

"I think one of the most powerful parts of the quilt are the pockets. We asked people to put something in the pocket that means something to them.

"Be it a poem, be it a letter to their lost loved one, be it the last photo of the family together.

Some of the women selected to have the pockets sewn shut so that no-one other than them will know what's inside there and some have selected to keep them open."

The lead artist Lois Blackburn said: “Sewing together the pieces into a final quilt felt a giant responsibility, but one for which I remain very grateful.

I selected fabrics that had been worn by the armed forces. I carefully took apart fifty military shirts to make patches and chose a patchwork technique that deliberately echoes the quilts made by British servicemen during the Crimean War”.

Mrs Mary Moreland, former Chair of the WWA, highlights the importance of this project for the Association, its members, and the wider armed forces community:

“The quilt and the project help the Association raise awareness of the challenges war widows face every day. Our voices are sadly still absent from most accounts of war and conflict. We cannot tell the stories of war without the stories of those left behind.”

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