Stitch and bitch took on a whole new meaning over at the Weavings of War: Fabrics of Memory exhibit at the Institute for Community Research in Hartford.

The exhibit, which closed Saturday night, featured needlepoint narratives of progressive struggles for liberation. Sewn tapestries Southeast Asia, rugs from Iran and Pakistan, and quilts from Chile and South Africa told of the ravages faced by ordinary people in wartime.

"While the exhibit deals with war and trauma, its central theme demonstrates that art, narrative, and tradition can have a healing effect on those who have suffered through strife," the press release said. "[The] powerful narratives, seldom heard publicly, give testament to resilience, grace, and the power of art to heal."

Since Adam Bulger of the Hartford Advocate covered the symposium on folk tale techniques of Bosnian fabric artists, I'll cut right to the photos.

The silkscreen, of course, is not from the exhibit, but I received it in the mail the same day as I attended the fabric art show, and I thought they belonged together.

The needlepoint details on the fabrics told the story of refugees trying to escape Vietnam only to be slaughtered at a river crossing.

This one, however, comes from fiber artist Rubi McGrory of Savannah, Georgia (disclosure: Rubi is my sister!). She was so moved by the situation of repressed free speech in Connecticut, that she put her silk screen talents to work on this black zip-up hoodie.