STITCHING TOGETHER It was the worst of times — and it was the best of times to stitch. And so, it is no surprise to me that Tiny Pricks Project and Lingua Franca found each other. Rachelle (Lingua Franca founder) and I have both been drawn to needle and thread during challenging times. Stitching has afforded us both a sense of agency — a feeling that with each tiny prick of the needle, we're piercing little holes into things that feel overwhelming, unsurmountable, and scary. Lingua Franca's and Tiny Pricks' call to “give a damn” is a simple yet powerful notion: Care. Care about the planet, our children, our civil rights, each other. Just give a damn. It is something anyone can do and it is the foundation for change. It is also a beautiful way to build community and I am thrilled to be a part of it, both as kindred spirit and more  literally, as Tiny Pricks Project settles into its summer home at Lingua Franca's store in NYC. When so much of the world appears to be about what you cannot change, what you  cannot do, this collaboration has been about what we can do together. It's about recognizing our collective power and all we can achieve when we use many voices and many hands to build a better future. We  are not alone. There is hope. On behalf of everyone who has participated in, followed and supported this project, I would like to thank Lingua Franca for giving a damn. We're so glad you do.

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A COMMON LANGUAGE On November 17th, 2017 I walked into what had newly become the Lingua Franca office to find the mood amongst our embroiderers palpably dismal. The news had been dominated by talk of 45's blatantly anti-Muslim travel ban and there were members of our team who were unsure if or when they would ever see their families and loved ones again. I felt helpless. I think we all did. But, it was during this terrible time that a light went on in my mind. It became clear to me that we all have a voice and that it is our duty to one another to try to make ourselves heard. As a sort of therapeutic exercise, we stitched “I MISS BARACK” into one of our sweaters and posted it on Instagram. Almost immediately, there was a surge of support from so many people who shared our sentiment, and who wanted to wear these words in their own efforts to make themselves heard. I knew that this was the beginning of something big. We started stitching more messages of resistance and solidarity, using our platform to start conversations, speak truth to power, and importantly, to raise funds to support organizations working on the ground to protect vulnerable communities, preserve our civil rights and build a better world. Speaking up and giving back have since become the cornerstones of Lingua Franca. As a young girl growing up in Nebraska, my grandma Rita taught me how to stitch and I love that her powerful spirit has helped guide me to this moment, present in each stitch in every sweater we make, a part of this amazing movement we are building together.