The Discomfort Blanket – update

Geared up from the amazing response to We’re Sew Done, Knittaz With Attitude talked about how the Conservative Party conference is heading to Blackpool in March 2022 and we decided that we should take this opportunity to send a message that highlights how the decisions of the current government have affected Blackpool people.

We decided that we would like to create a quilt to be displayed during the Conservative Party conference at the Winter Gardens. Group members created textile squares to illustrate the ways that we’ve all been affected by the actions and inaction of the current government.

This project didn’t just come about because it’s the Conservative party per se, it just happens that they are the party in government and they have the power to make changes. However a lot of the pieces that have been submitted do relate specifically to the Conservative Party; We asked the participants to share their feelings and they did just that.

The pieces cover a variety of topics. Some squares relate to NHS cuts, the Levelling Up agenda, fuel and food poverty, the hostile environment faced by refugees and the Windrush generation. Others look at poor health, low life expectancy, lack of social care, pay gaps and state pension inequality. It’s a real mix.