Sunday night I returned home from my weekend at the Not Fade Away conference, and my visit to the Sacred Threads exhibit.
The two events go together so well, because Not Fade Away encourages quilters to tell their stories and SAVE their stories for those who will view and treasure the quilt in the future….and the quilts in Sacred Threads all have a spiritual or emotional tale to tell.
This quilt “Determination” by Christina Blais is about the story of Rosa Parks, and it commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act. The message was already powerful, but after I saw Christina’s 3 minute “Go Tell It” documentary about her piece, I could never look at that quilt in the same way again. If you go to see the Sacred Threads exhibit, you will see this quilt, and many other powerful pieces.
During the conference there was a fascinating panel of quilt curators, quilt historians, and quilt genealogists. A curator talked about how they decide to bring a vintage quilt into their collection: they ask if the quilt has *provenance*. That means, does it have a history, a STORY to tell. Otherwise it could just be an old quilt from a flea market. It is the story that gives the quilt its value.
How do we give our quilt a story? We make a label. We sign our name. Maybe our signature is embroidered on the front along with the date and the event that the quilt celebrates. We take photos of the quilt…with its maker…with its recipient. We write a letter or a poem or an artist statement to travel with the quilt on its journey. And even before all those steps, we choose fabrics that will tell the story.
In about 2 weeks I am leaving for the UK for the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham. Please come to see my power point presentation on “International Quilt Trends” on Saturday, then stay for the panel right afterward, on the same topic. ( I am the moderator) I’ll be showing over 200 quilt images from around the world, including the Sacred Threads exhibit. Hope to see many of you there!
Share Post:
