Lesbian Lives Conference – Soft Places: Preserving the Lesbian and Sapphic Home Archive

The purpose of this project is to archive textiles from the homes of lesbians and sapphic-identifying individuals, and women-loving-women to share the stories and histories of those objects and their homes. Participants are asked to bring any used/worn textile that lives in their self-defined home (towel, rag, curtains, robe, blanket, tablecloth, oven mit, apron, and beyond) that you are willing to part with.

Over the course of the workshop, a one-on-one oral history interview will be recorded with the participant on both the history of the textile and the participant's experiences and associations to home. During the interview, the participant and interviewer will share in mending and adorning the textile. These processes of mending and sharing of stories signify the care, community, and personal history that flow into the objects of the home.