Home > NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt

The Quilt is maintained and displayed by the NAMES Project Foundation and was started in 1987 in San Francisco by Cleve Jones and a group of volunteers. The Quilt was last displayed in full on The Mall in Washington D.C. in 1996.

Over 48,000 individual panels commemorating a loved one have so far been made by relatives, friends or neighbors making up the 5,685 12' by 12' sections of the Quilt today. (A section of the Quilt measures 12' by 12' and usually contains 8 individual panels.)

Techniques used included patchwork, applique, embroidery, fabric painting , collage, spray paint and needlepoint

Items and materials included in the panels:

• Fabrics, e.g. lace, suede, leather, minkThe mink is a mammal in the family Mustelidae, closely related to the weasel. The term "mink" refers to any of several dark-colored, semi-aquatic, carnivorous mustelids in various subgenera of genus Mustela. The name may have originated in the Swedish mae, taffeta , also bubble-wrap and other kinds of plasticThe term plastics covers a range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic condensation or polymerization products that can be molded or extruded into objects or films or fibers. Their name is derived from the fact that in their semi-liquid state they are ma.
• Decorative items like pearlFor other things called "pearl", see pearl (disambiguation). Japanese pearl diver A pearl is a hard, rounded object produced by certain mollusks, primarily oysters, and which is cultivated or harvested for jewellery. Pearls are formed inside the shell ofs, quartz crystal s, rhinestone s, sequinSequins are disk shaped beads used for decorative purposes. Sequins are commonly used on clothing, jewelry, bags and other accessories. These days, sequins tend to be made of plastic. Sequins got their name from zecchini small (3. 5-gram) gold coins mintes, featherA feather is one of the epidermal growths that forms the distinctive outer covering, or plumage on a bird. They are the outstanding character that distinguishes the Class Aves from all others. Animal origins Feathers are the most complicated integumentarys, buttonFor other uses of the word button see Button (disambiguation). A button is a typically thin, small disc of hard substance, attached to a piece of cloth by stitches sewn through holes in its centre. The most common use of buttons is to secure the openingss.
• Clothing, e.g. jeans, T-shirts, gloves, boots, hats, uniforms.
• Items of a personal nature, such as human hairHair is also a musical: see Hair (musical) and Hair (movie Hair is the filamentous outgrowth of the epidermis found in mammals. Hair is a characteristic of all mammals, though in some species hair is absent at certain stages of life. Hairs" are also found, cremation ashes, wedding rings, Merit Badges, car keys.
• Unusual items, e.g. stuffed animals, records, jockstraps, condoms.

The NAMES Project has 21 chapters in the United States and more than 40 affiliate organisations world-wide. The Quilt itself continues to grow, with over 40 new sections added in June 2004.