‘Tis the season — not quite to decorate for the holidays, but for something arguably more important: voting.
In Mount Vernon, Bitters Co. co-owners and sisters Katie and Amy Carson are reminding the community to hit the polls by displaying a 13-by-13-foot quilt on their company’s barn on Calhoun Road.
The multicolored quilt shows a person donning a bun, purple lipstick and prominent eyelashes. Underneath their chin, an envelope (with an Earth Day forever stamp) reads: “VOTE.”
It was designed and made in July 2016 by Seattle-based artist Julie Paschkis, but did not originally have the envelope on it.
Initially, the quilt was displayed in Paschkis’ showing at the store, but during election season that year, the Carsons asked Paschkis if they could add the word “VOTE.” She agreed, and they’ve displayed it during every election since.
The reason, Amy said, is “to have everyone take their own initiative and be responsible to our democracy.” She added they have only heard positive comments, and often hear honking from cars passing by.
Paschkis originally made it to complement another quilt of a man she named “Mr. Big.”
“I decided to make a quilt using my own fabrics that I had designed,” Paschkis said. “I called her ‘Big Mama.’ I sewed all the pieces and then I got a whole bunch of my friends together and we sewed the backing on, sort of quilting-bee style, and it was all really fun.”
The Carsons, she said, “decided to give Big Mama a job. They made her responsible for urging people to vote, and they’ve done that ever since.”
“I urge everybody to vote,” Paschkis said. “I think it’s your civic duty.”
WTD is published online Mondays and in print Fridays. Have a suggestion for a "What's the Deal With?" inquiry? Email us at newstips@cascadiadaily.com.
Jaya Flanary is CDN's designer/digital editor; reach her at jayaflanary@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 106.
