The sisters couldn’t stop stitching. As Frances Conwell, co-founder of Sisters Interacting Through Stitches, was making her presentation at the Paul Robeson House on Sunday, Oct. 9, 2022, their hands were busily knitting and crocheting and needlepointing. And they kept on going, like women on a mission. It became clear that they were so adept that they could stitch and listen in the same breath.
Those of us watching at the Robeson House and virtually were enthralled not only by the Sisters but also by Roberto Rashid, with his beautiful scarves of bright colors in silk and acrylic with warm backing that could quell any chill. For these presenters, though, designing with their hands, hearts and heads went beyond just making things.
Creating these works of art could also be a vehicle for teaching young people to use their idle hands for good. The creativity that designing unleashed in them, they said, could be used to bring out the same in our youths. They both talked about – no preached – of finding ways to use those idle hands and creative minds to produce items that could be sold or used in the service of others.
The presenters were also about sharing in another way on Sunday. Rashid, of “Scarves by Rashid,” gifted lovely hand-crafted scarves to two lucky winners. One on hand at the house happened to be a presenter from the Sept. 25 Arts in the Parlor event: photographer Raymond W. Holman Jr. You can see him modeling the scarf – and wearing it in a way Rashid demonstrated – on his Facebook page.
The highlight of the day was a quilt produced by Sisters titled “Paul Robeson’s Hats.” The quilt was adorned with tiny hats worn by Robeson in various aspects of his career, including a leather football cap, his trademark fedora and headgear from his movies. Many warm thanks to Sisters for this illustrative quilt that will always remind us and visitors of Robeson’s contributions to the world. The quilt will hang in the house.
The Sisters meet regularly at the Wynnefield Branch of the Free Library in Philadelphia and can be reached there. Rashid can be reached at rashid02@comcast.net.
Watch Sunday’s event, listen to Rashid and the Sisters speak about how they became involved in designing and why they still enjoy it as much as they did when they first started. All of our Arts in the Parlor events can be found on our YouTube page.
