Magdalen Memorial Quilt

Isobel Plowright

In 1993, project developers in Ireland uncovered a mass grave of 133 unnamed women who were buried on the site of a former Magdalen laundry. These religious institutions operated internationally with the purpose of rehabilitating so called “fallen women”. In Ireland, Magdalens often faced repressive conditions, including physical and psychological abuse, as well as unpaid, hard labor in the laundry. Women were sent to these institutions by their families for many reasons, including pregnancies out of wedlock, unruly or naive behavior, rape, incest, or simply being seen as likely to fall. This quilt is dedicated to those women.

2016

Organic unbleached muslin, organic blue muslin, thread

84 x48 in.