Stitches

No one knows exactly how many people died in the executions and fighting that took place during the 1871 Paris Commune.  This extreme Left government took power in the city from March to May 1871. During this time, the city was constantly under fire from the official French government forces trying to take control again.  "Stitches" tells the story of Anne and Elisabethe, two hatmakers who witness and participate in the events of this tumultuous and violent time, from cheering falling monuments, to fighting on street barricades and dodging bullets among gravestones in Père Lachaise cemetery during the final showdown between the Communards and the Versaillais.  This period of time has always intrigued me and I hope that with Anne and Elisabethe's story, I've brought it to life.

Inspiration for this story also came from a chance encounter with the painting "The Milliners" by Paul Signac, which is the avatar image for this story.