Quilts!

This is the last quilt I made (2009).  Austin gave me the silk from Thailand.  Years later, in Italy, I got the velvet samples from Etro. And, as usual, some shim shimmery that caught my eye.  

Above is the quilt that I am making now.  In what looks like a pile of fabric, I see a finished piece of art!   These materials from Italy,  batik & tie die from grandma, cast off from friends, and the thrift store, have been staring me in the eye every morning I wake.
Sometimes getting cracking isn’t the key.  Obviously.  My vision keeps changing.  And I am letting it change.  Before I cut.  I am so glad that I am taking this time.  This time has allowed me to realize that  I am not interested in the patterns anymore.  And going for the gusto without a pattern can be a bit scary.  Hence the fabric’s continual glare at me.


A different pile of fabric and a different quilt.  Maybe not.  I may marry all the materials together into one.  

My original idea is a memorial quilt to my Uncle Mark.  Whose body is buried in a Guatemalan cemetery above the village of San Marcos, Lago de Atitlan, Guatemala.  If a “memorial” quilt doesn’t load up the fear in me to start, I don’t know what does!  Many of these fabrics are hand died and woven by Mark’s wife Kathe who is a Kachekel woman from San Marcos.   


Also, Babushka scarfs my mom gave me from the Ukraine hold a sentimental pull.  A pull that says “keep me piled in the closet”, “don’t cut me up”……A pile that I cleaned out of my grandma‘s house…..unused, waiting….for me to distribute.

I don’t want a pile of beautiful fabrics in my closet.  I want a quilt to spread out and let the cats scratch up and spill stuff on.  So, guess what that means?  

Make the cut!  Sew the quilt!  Get some cats!  Spill some stuff!

P.S.  my inspiration for this entry is Margaret Fabrizio.  Yesterday, while I was surfing for quilt inspiration I found her youtube entries, atree3, highly recommended….not just about quilts, about LIFE! 
2 replies
  1. KK
    KK says:

    Wow, I recognize so many of these materials from Dad and Daisy! I love this Teal, you are an incredible artist. It’s great that your talents are multi-spectrum. I have a closet full of beautiful material too! Finish those quilts and take some of my closet home to make more!

    Reply
  2. Teal Rowe
    Teal Rowe says:

    HaHa! KK! the multi-spectrum talent gene…..we all ended up with them, huh?
    I vote that you make a huge beautiful crochet rug from all that is colorful and beautiful in that closet of yours!

    Reply

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