This week I am writing to you from the Quilt House – the International Quilt Study Center & Museum in Lincoln Nebraska. Sophie and I drove 8 hours yesterday so we could be here today for a panel discussion about Chinese Quilts and 100 Good Wishes China Adoption Quilts. Thanks to everyone who came out for the event!
This event coincides with the current exhibit – Quilts of Southwest China. After the panel, we got a private behind-the-scenes tour of the museum, with curator Marin Hanson. Then we went into the China Quilt exhibit and shot a video with Marin. So you will see more of these quilts soon on our video page, but I also encourage you to try to see this traveling exhibit here before it closes September 28.
In the exhibit space, there is a video showing how one of the quilts was made. It is an interview with the quiltmaker, a minority Chinese woman, and it shows closeup shots of her applique process. We joke about “breaking the rules” when we sew and embellish our quilts, but really what we are doing often is simply to come up with a more creative and/or efficient way to do a particular technique. In this video, the quiltmaker uses not fusible, not glue, but sticky rice to adhere the applique piece to the background fabric. Now tell me, is she following the rules, or breaking the rules, by using sticky rice?!? And the best part is, she is sewing these applique blocks while wearing a gorgeous heavily embroidered apron – her “work” apron I guess. Gotta love it!
One of the ongoing discussions among quiltmakers is Following the Rules (Quilt Police) vs. Breaking the Rules. How many creative fiber artists have been chastised for breaking the “rules”, only to be celebrated years later for having a genius level of creativity? I tend to hang with the rule-breakers, because that’s where the next generation of creative geniuses are brewing up stitched epiphanies. Rules are handy for judging contests, for sure, but they have a potential to stifle inventive techniques that are bubbling away on kitchen tables and home studios around the world.
During our behind-the-scenes tour here in Lincoln, we got a sneak peek at an exhibit that is traveling to the Tokyo Quilt Festival next January. I just love the international cross-pollination that occurs when we send our quilts back and forth across the oceans. As much as we are dazzled by the Japanese quilts, they love seeing our quilt collections too!
Next weekend I will be at the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham England – hope to see many of you there! (We are sponsoring the VIP lounge, where you can find me next Sunday.)
sharing your Passion for Fabric…
Luana and Paul
