I COULD never have imagined that sewing a 30cm square panel would transform my life, and yet it did. During the first covid lockdown I signed up for a Quaker-inspired Loving Earth Project (LEP) workshop which addressed my fears and impotence in the face of a global climate crisis. It seemed a modest tool in the face of an overwhelming subject. And yet I, and the hundreds of others who have made, and continue to make, LEP panels, discovered that the power of the project lay in the profoundness of this seemingly simple task.

First imagine something you love endangered by climate change, then the impact of that change upon it, then what action could prevent it and lastly what would I do about it. I was stuck, nothing came to mind other than the whole planet. How would I reduce that to a 30cm square? How could I use textiles to show the danger it faced? I had a mental block block and faced an emotional void. Maybe this workshop wasn’t for me. But in lockdown those weekly Zoom meetings were a lifeline.

By introducing us to inspirational thinkers, by offering a space for meditation and spiritual practice and by giving sound advice on panel making techniques, the LEP team gave us all an opportunity to think deeply and respond creatively to climate crisis, too often an overwhelming subject. Love, not fear, was to be our guide.

As my fingers responded to making something heartfelt I strived to address what I had ignored for too long. The carbon footprint of my village home was unsustainable. As I stitched I realised I had the privilege of choice, and guilt gave way to hope. A year later I moved into an urban flat with a low carbon footprint and a small balcony where I have created a wildlife-friendly space.

Certainly systemic change is needed to save the planet, yet individual actions count too. LEP has created a universal narrative that allows us to embrace positive change, so that each one of us can make a meaningful difference, irrespective of our circumstances.

(Image: Quakers) Over Fishing will lead to Fishing Over

Making a Loving Earth Panel

THINK of something you love. That’s the first thing you ask yourself when you start to make a Loving Earth panel. It can be a place, a person, a thing, an activity or experience.
The next question is: how will climate change and environmental breakdown affect it?
Then, what actions are needed to reduce the risk of harm and what could you do, or are you doing, to help reduce the threat?
You draw, write or scribble your responses to the questions and then, if inspired, you can develop these into a textile panel (30cmx30cm).
Jake and Pendella designed and made a panel about the exploitation of sea life. Jake said: “The way we are treating our oceans is so disrespectful. About 40% of marine life caught world wide is caught as by-catch and thrown back into the ocean dead. If we destroy our oceans any more then the effects on the planet will be catastrophic. We still have time; not much, but enough to make a difference.”
Two Loving Earth Project panel-making workshops will be at the Meeting House on Saturday 7 September (10am and 1.30pm). Places are free but limited. For enquiries or to book a place email contact@winchesterquakers.org.uk.