For my encoded cloth, I was inspired by the idea of freedom quilts on the Underground Railroad, and the idea of hiding a secret in plain sight. I chose to use embroidery for this project, and traditional motifs of flowers and greenery that are normally associated with women. My vision of 2030 was pessimistic, and I was frightened by the idea of womens bodily autonomy being even more limited in the future. This handkerchief / neck scarf that I “brought back from the future” is part of a movement by women in their local communities to help spread information and news to women who may need help.
At first glance, the handkerchief is quite plain. I was inspired by the idea of whitework to create it this way. The white threads are actually a map of my neighborhood, with the chain stitches being avenues and the straight stitches being streets.
The lavender flowers symbolize healing, meaning that this handkerchief shows information related to medical help and doctors. The little red flower in one of the corners is a nod to the red arrow on a compass that traditionally points north. It is part of a code meant to help other people part of this community understand the map. Red points east, so the map would be quite hard to understand without prior knowledge.
In addition, there are red beads attached to the underside of the handkerchief. They will be concealed with a second thin layer of fabric and hemmed with an iron-on adhesive. When the handkerchief is dry, all you can see is the white textured lines and the traditional flower motifs. When wet, however, the red beads show through and show relevant locations for women who are looking for help.
This concept, while controversial, was mainly based off of my support for women’s pro-choice and the fear that accessibility would be greatly limited in the future.