ESL Quilting

Harbor House Quilt Project

• Program Description
• Student Bios
• Quilt Gallery

Program Description

Once a week a group of women students come together to learn and practice the art of quiltmaking. These women had little or no schooling in their native countries and attend English classes at Harbor House. Besides facing the daunting task of learning English, these women live in impoverished conditions and care for large families. They come to the quilt class in order to engage in something they love to do — creating beauty.

Since 2001, our quilters have produced over 40 quilts, participated in three major exhibits, sold over 10 quilts, and visited numerous shows and galleries. Our program receives donated fabric from East Bay Heritage Quilters Guild and has received grants from Grace Fellowship in San Francisco, The SF Foundation, and from the EBHQ Guild. Exhibits were held at Mills College, East Bay Mudd headquarters in downtown Oakland, and California Prudential Realty in Berkeley.

Who are the artists?

The quilters are all refugee and immigrant women from Laos, Cambodia, and Latin America who are enrolled in our English as a second language class.

Why quilts?

Quilting is a fairly simple art form to which our students could bring their expertise to bear. Our goal was to help our students to:

• connect with the wider community
• build self-confidence and experience healing through creating beauty
• build friendships among themselves
• create economic opportunities for themselves and their families

Are they for sale?

Yes! A portion of the proceeds from sales of these quilts goes to Harbor House to cover material costs, and the rest goes to the women themselves.

What’s the story with the embroidery?

The embroidery found on some of these quilts is traditional Mien work. The Mien is a people group who comes from the mountains of Laos. This embroidery is traditionally used to decorate navy blue cotton pants, elaborate, silver studded wedding outfits, and baby carriers.

How do I get more information? How can I help?

To get more information, to order a quilt, or to get involved please contact Jan Schmitz at (510) 534-0165, or by email at jans@hhministries.org.

The greatest need for our program in terms of materials is:

• Batting — up to 60% poly ok
• 100% Cotton Fabric
• Working sewing machines
• Notions — thread, scissors, rotary cutters, cutting mats

Harbor House Quilt Project Student Bios

Bunlay: Our most prolific quilter, with a great eye for color and pattern, Bunlay survived the Killing Fields of Cambodia and fled to a refugee camp in Thailand where she learned sewing skills. She is a true artist, working hour after hour on quilt after quilt and coming back for more. She lives a couple of blocks from Harbor House and cares for many extended family members in her two bedroom apartment. She has been quilting since 2001. In 2006 she taught our summer quilt class, and continues to serve as our student program coordinator.

Fam: Fam not only survived a childhood fall that broke her back and left her physically disabled for life, but also a nighttime flight across the Mekong river from her home in the hills of Laos to a refugee camp in Thailand in the late 1970s. She has now become a community organizer here in Oakland, serving on committees to better conditions in her kids’ schools and marching for immigrants’ rights. Keep in mind she had no formal schooling in Laos. She enjoys stories and her quilts reflect her love of color and whimsy. Fam does beautiful traditional Mien embroidery, and thanks to her quilting training at Harbor House, has begun to sell quilts by commission to her neighbors and friends.

Mey: Mey usually prefers to remain anonymous, but we think her masterful combining of Mien embroidery with the quilting form begs a little recognition at least. Mey is considered a top embroiderer in the Mien community. She lives close to Harbor House and has studied English off and on for the past 7 years here.

Gisela: Gisela comes from Mexico. She is very proud of her two sons who are now working as mechanics in Oakland. She is fast becoming our next quilting fanatic, having made her first quilt in the summer of 2006 and completing 4 more since then.

Ivette: Ivette lives just a few blocks from Harbor House with her three children and husband. She is from Guatemala. She started making quilts in the summer of 2006, and enjoys motifs such as the house and boat blocks. She loves to sing and to laugh during our quilt classes!

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