Dear Readers.

Oh, readers.

I hate to start every one of these blog posts with the same general message, but I have to reiterate: it has been an appallingly long time since last we spoke with you. Our reasoning this time around, however, has less to do with schoolwork and more to do with the many changes that have been made to the Patchwork Caravan project. Indeed, this has been a period of metamorphosis for your friends, the Patches, and I didn’t feel quite comfortable updating the blog without the complete resolution of the various issues which required our attention.

So allow me to update you on our progress! You’ll note the Mission Statement on the right side of the page has changed. This, dear readers, is because the Patchwork Caravan project has been extended. While we were always hoping the project would live on into coming years, we have now ensured its longevity by postponing our North American tour until May, 2009. In the meantime, Maggie and yours truly will be applying for grants and organizing benefit shows – we hope to raise enough money to convert a car to biodiesel for a really thorough tour during the summer of 2009. We’re also going to continue the Flag Project throughout the year and we’re really excited about establishing relationships with other DIY groups, arts groups, and radical movements in New York and beyond. (Most recently, we’re becoming friends with this really great group in New York City called Reclaim the Streets who are fighting to take back public property for the public. Check them out!)

The next few weeks will be devoted to an intense, whirlwind tour of the greater New York area. How whirlwind, you ask? Well, we already have our first date this Saturday, June 7th at the Pelham Street Fair! Pelham is a lovely little village just north of Manhattan and once a year they have a town-wide street fair with lots of delicious food, live music, helicopter rides (!), and tons more. This year, the “tons more” includes the Patchwork Caravan! We’re going to have the Caravan open and covered in art, and a huge table full of materials for the Flag Project. We’ll have surprise party favors and smiles for all who come by.

So come on down! We’d really love to see you. The fair runs the length of Pelham’s main drag, Fifth Avenue/Wolf’s Lane, and we’ll be setting up shop in spot 14 – near the bakery at 309 Fifth Avenue. If you live in the city, just make your way to Grand Central Station and hop on any red-line, Stamford-bound train, and get off at Pelham station – a mere 25 minutes north! (To plan your trip, this is a very useful little tool. Just select Pelham under the “To Station” pull-down menu.) When you get off the train, turn left immediately and walk a half block to Wolf’s Lane where you will see the Pelham Street Fair! The fair is all day – 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM – and as long as you’re there, you can check out our yard sale at 1:00. We have a lot of cool stuff for sale and, as always, it’s a great cause. We’ll have more information at our booth for those interested.

Thank you for your loyalty and patience, darlings. We know this is not what we originally intended for the project, but we’re really thrilled to have more time to work and get the word out, and we hope you’re still excited about art that can happen anywhere.

Happily and hopefully,

Q

P.S. I bet you can't wait to see a picture of the Caravan, huh? Well, I can't wait to get my hands on a digital camera, so let's wish good luck for both of us, right?