Discomforter

Dimensions: 80″ x 56″

Materials: Credit card solicitation materials, archival backing paper, embroidery thread, hand-stitched, 2016

Nearly every day my letter carrier delivers new solicitations from credit card companies, assaulting me with deceptive terms hidden beneath a glossy veneer, seducing me with promises of easy credit.

Discomforter is a hand-stitched quilt assembled from two years of ignoring these credit card offers. The center of each square is composed of term sheets, printed on paper so flimsy that it has been folded and woven together for strength, emphasizing the concealment of important information. By patiently piercing and sewing, instead of using glue, there is a reinterpretation of traditional women’s work and an acknowledgement of the false comfort of constant consumption.

Discomforter was made in honor of Elizabeth Warren and her efforts to rein in the banking industry after the 2008 economic collapse.