The Power of Quilts

My nine-month-old grandson, Tyler, was visiting and suddenly became very excited about something in my dining room. It turned out to be my quilt, "Dropping Out of the Conga Line to Do the Meringue," my first quilt-as-you-go quilt using my own technique and made nearly 15 years ago. . He squealed with delight then reached to touch it. I allow people to touch my quilts.  Tyler delighted in touching the quilt. It made me think of Radke Donnell in her book Quilts As Women's Art: A Quilt Poetics, when she said that "Rewarding on so many levels, quilts appeal most of all to touch, and to the eyes as they come to rest, to have and to hold instead of seeking a hold and rest in vain. As I have written else where, quilts also stand symbolically for the epitome of warmth and its comforts and the pleasure of closeness and union with a desired object.  Unlike "untouchable art" quilts provide tactile rewards which may serve to challenge rigid prohibitions of touch. Because the sense of touch refers to women's experience and work, it can articulate women's concern's more completely than any other sense." Food for thought. I am just thrilled that Tyler connects so passionately with what I create.

I also want to make you aware that Ragged Cloth Cafe is up and running again. Ragged Cloth is art blog written primarily by fiber artists about any issues concerning artists.  All art forms, subjects, and time periods may be discussed. This is not a blog for self promotion or a place where we sell our work. but rather a place where we explore topics of concern to artists in any medium, but often with a fiber slant. It was begun by June Underwood and Clairan Ferrono is continuing it.  I am excited to be a contributor. This is an amazing resource and I strongly encourage you to check it out.

Radka Donnell Rest in Peace

Yesterday I learned that Radka Donnell died about two weeks ago. I have not seen this mentioned anywhere which made me sad. She was born on November 24, 1928 in Bulgaria. She lived though the war years in Germany and emigrated to the United States in 1951. She was a graduate of Stanford University and earned her MFA from the University of Colorado at Boulder while raising two daughters. After moving to Kansas in 1965, she began making contemporary quilts. She also earned a Certificate of Art Theraphy from the Metropolitan Collage in Boston. Her book Quilts As Women's Art: A Quilt Poetics was published in 1990 and has been quoted from often in publications. As you can see mine is well loved.  She was living in Switzerland when she died. I tried to interview her for Quilters' S.O.S. -Save Our Stories and regret that we could never seem to make it happen. The quilt world has lost not only a great artist and poet, but someone who fought for the recognition of quilts as women's art beginning in the 1970s.

She wrote, "I stepped out of the 'art scene' when I began doing my quilts. I have stayed with quiltmaking because it helped me to find wholeness and be open to enjoy, advise, and validate the creativity of other women. I believe we are all equally creative, and my happiest moment regarding art was when one of my students said about my course, 'It helped me realize that I am more creative than I thought before.' This is my [current] objective, and if it does not make me an 'artist,' that's OK with me."