Arpillera Movement

The Arpillera movement began in 1973 when the Pinochet government came to power in Chile. If you were in the previous governments military or if you spoke out against the new regime you were in danger. During this time,thousands of people disappeared, and the new government would not answer to their whereabouts. Families would search the prisons and the torture centers for their missing children and relatives and could not find answers. With the help of the Catholic church the women turned to sewing in order to express their loss, make extra money, and make a powerful political statement at the same time. The Arpillera movement was born. Arpillera which means sack cloth, are sewn on burlap, and incorporated a variety of individualized styles. What made the situation unique was that while the women were very much in danger they did have a bit more freedom than men in protesting the government. This was because women were not considered to be a serious threat. Also the Arpillerists were being aided by the Catholic Church. The church was a protected institution in Chile. This is a fantastic example of the subversive sewing that I was talking about earlier, as well as sewing as a form of empowerment. The Arpillerists were using sewing as a way to send a direct political message. The Arpilleras were intentionally created to be media. View the Arpillera's http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/quilts/exhibit/chilean_arpilleras.html More information http://wikis.lib.ncsu.edu/index.php/Arpilleristas More Information http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/102799/chilean_arpilleras_threads_of_resistance.html