Marianne Fons 

"Because I love fabric, words, and writing, I jumped at the chance to participate in and promote United We Stitch! I love the amazing and beautiful expressions of our shared love of country my fellow Americans have produced. I can’t wait to join my panel with the array of beautiful panels made by fellow citizens who share my love of America as we display them coast to coast." 

Tisa Rennau 

I believe in the promise of America and our unique individual ability to contribute to that promise. This project offers the opportunity to express our personal vision of that promise – and art-making is our universal language. 

My career in education administration has included roles such as Director of Human Services, Administrative Affairs for the Vermont Institute for Science, Math and Technology.  Improving teaching and learning outcomes in Vermont has been a life-long commitment. I currently volunteer as a tutor for the Citizenship Coalition.

Ann Flaherty 

Using my imagination to create image-based fiber art and curate exhibits, my work has been shown across the country and throughout the world. A born activist, often my work is a reaction to situations both personal and public, with a special emphasis on the many cultural influences of our world.

United We Stitch provides the perfect opportunity to combine community,

activism, and art to illustrate our collective hopes and dreams as Americans.

Julie Silber

Julie Silber is a well-known lecturer, author, and curator with more than forty years’ experience collecting, selling, and studying vintage and antique quilts.

Julie was the curator of the former Esprit Quilt Collection in San Francisco. She is the associate producer of the film, Hearts and
Hands, and a co-author of a book of the same name. She was the curator of several major quilt exhibitions including “American Quilts: A Handmade Legacy” at the Oakland Museum, and “Amish: The Art of the Quilt” at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco (de Young).

Her business, Julie Silber Quilts, offers quilt-related services including buying and selling, appraising, lecturing, and consulting.

Stephanie Capps Dyke 

As a textile artist, I appreciate the “soft power” that fabric and fiber can hold. I was drawn to participate in United We Stitch because I believe collective creativity can minimize barriers and bridge divisions, while still holding space for different perspectives.

I look forward to joining my fellow Americans in this endeavor and taking part in an act of quiet patriotism.

Marybeth C. Stalp, Ph.D. 

I am interested in how women have fun through the life course. I have studied quilters in the United States, Ireland, and the UK, the Red Hat Society, and US artists. Currently, I am writing about how quilters, sewists and 3D printing enthusiasts stepped up during the COVID-19 global pandemic to sew masks and provide face shield parts. Ordinary people volunteered their time and talent to help others during the pandemic, in inspiring ways.

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Similarly, United We Stitch provides a craftivism space for US makers to process the complicated feelings people have about the current state of the world. 

Luana Rubin

The passion, creativity and benevolence of quilters has always amazed and inspired me. Over 27 years, our business eQuilter.com raised over $2 million for charity, and our customers and friends donated over 20,000 comfort quilts for those suffering from disaster, trauma, and loss. Our most profound

emotions can be expressed with fabric, needle, and thread. I believe that we express the highest form of patriotism through compassion and selfless generosity. This project is a way for all of us to express our love for our fellow humans, and our commitment to democratic principles of equality, liberty, and justice for all.

Millie K. Kehrli, Ph.D.

The insatiable desire to learn and create are threads that connect the pieces of my life and experience. I am an independent researcher, writer, quilter, and speaker who earned a Ph.D. in education through narrative research exploring the power of story, creativity, and the lifelong learning patterns of textile authority Mary Pemble Barton. I currently serve as president of the American Quilt Study Group, an organization devoted to the study, history, story, and meaning of quilts and textiles across time. I join United We Stitch to use my needle and my voice in support of equality, democracy, and justice.

Laurie LaBar

Laurie LaBar is Curator Emerita and former Chief Curator of History and Decorative Arts at Maine’s largest history museum, the Maine State Museum. Curators tell stories in
three dimensions, in Laurie’s case stories about Maine’s people and the way they lived in the past. Maine Quilts: 250 Years of Comfort and Community is Laurie’s third book. An exhibit of the same name will open when the Maine State Museum reopens in October.



United We Stitch is an opportunity for me to express my hopes for our lovely country over the next 250 years.