By Lauren Bradshaw

"As the messages and motifs are formed with pins, the aesthetic and sentimental value must be sacrificed by removing the pins in order to access their functionality as fastening devices. Some cushions were clearly utilized and are missing pins, while others were preserved for their commemoration. Superstitions surrounding birthing pains, such as “more pins, more pain,” led some women to remove all pins from the cushion if the gift was received before the birth...."

By Brooke Day

"We as a country, as humans, have a long way to go toward equity and inclusion, but working not to be restricted by shame and fear is a leap in the right direction..."