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Winona Daily News Winona, MN April 28, 2004 Dream Weavers By Kirsten Singleton Sometimes ribbon, twine, wire and old blankets are more than simple strings. Brad Wildenborg's bit of white lace, for example, "was from my grandma. She just passed away, and she had a collection of angels, and it was from one of them." Jordyn Lubinski, 13, contributed some twine to represent her participation in 4-H. Eleven-year-old Cassie McKinley offered five pieces of ribbon in"my family's favorite colors." Misty Palmer, 12, gave a bit of an old baby blanket her grandmother made, and 14-year-old Michael Distad brought in three pieces of wire. "My dad, he's an electrician, and that's what I'd like to be someday," Distad explained. But as much as these scraps already have great meaning to their owners memories of family, friends and fun these few strings are on their way to becoming something even more powerful: "The Thread Project: One World One Cloth." English as a Second Language teacher Carolyn Collins has been invited to weave a 2-foot by 61/2-foot panel using bits of string or fabric submitted from students, faculty and staff. In addition to most of the students at Winona Middle School, participants include adult literacy students and several students in the developmentally and cognitively delayed program at Winona Senior High School, who are autistic or have Down Syndrome or fetal alcohol syndrome. The middle school's Parent Teacher Association donated money to buy cloth to weave the scraps together. Once Collins and the students finish weaving their panel, it will be buttoned to six other panels to create the second World Cloth, titled "Threaded Harmony," representing the diversity, yet unity, of humanity. When all seven World Clothes are completed each 14 feet wide and 7 feet long they will be displayed in countries throughout the world "to inspire hope and demonstrate the significance of a slender thread, especially when joined to others." Forty countries are contributing to the project. "Often students braided together (their friends' strings), so they braided their friendship together," WMS teacher Margaret Kiihne said. A "Cutting Off the Loom" ceremony will be held May 6. Wildenborg, 14, said the World Cloth represents unity, "Everyone is part of the world, and it all goes together." "Everyone has something special ... they want to show something that's special to them," McKinley said. "Even if it's a regular string, they bring in a story, ... they can put it in a cloth that will be put somewhere in the world," she said. "It can show something, like love or something." Added Distad, "Something that you had that you didn't think you would ever (use), you can put it in and it can be part of something big, eventually." if you go: What: Celebration of the World Cloth Cutting Off the Loom When: 7 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, May 6 Where: Winona Middle School Details: Public is invited to cut the World Cloth from the loom, share stories of threads and see photos of the process. |
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