CMA Quilt Stories Inspired by “Quilting a Future”
To go along with the theme of storytelling as presented in Quilting a Future, we wanted to hear about YOU and your experience with quilts, whether you create them, cherish them, or even if you were moved by a particular work in the exhibition.
Please continue to share your “Quilt Stories” here
Quilt Story by Anne Bonowitz
For my late husband’s 80th birthday my daughter-in-law made him a quilt. Many family members and friends drew pictures on squares of cloth with fabric pens.
There is even a square that Aminah Robinson contributed. My daughter-in-law put them together in a beautiful quilt. The border and back was a fabric covered with musical notes to connote Marv’s piano playing and love of Broadway musicals.
Quilt Story by Nancy Lahmers
Former CMA Tuesday Docent
The CMA Tuesday Docent Volunteers created this quilt to celebrate their enduring friendships and to honor the style of the artist, Aminah Robinson. Each docent chose meaningful repurposed items and the heartfelt symbols that brought them all together despite the challenges of the 2021 Covid year.
Each of the 16 squares was individually designed and created using repurposed seashells, buttons, jewelry, original photos and art. The quilt was truly a team collaboration. The joyful combination of vibrant colors was initially inspired by Harriet Donaldson who created the hanging banners. Nancy Lahmers sewed the pieces together using repurposed Turkish material from Carole Dale. Sharon Forrester developed a book that included a statement of each docent’s personal inspiration for their unique creation. These touching personal statements can be found in the Docent room to be shared with other teams and future docents.
The Tuesday team generously donated this quilt to CMA for a live auction which raised a total of $3,000. Speaking of generous, Carole Dale, a long-time team member, bought the quilt at the auction and gifted it to her colleague and friend, Nancy Lahmers. Covid was a challenge for all of us,
making this quilt kept our team together. This lovingly assembled tribute to our friendships and to our dear inspiration, Aminah Robinson, is hanging in the Docent room.
Quilt Story by Mary Helen Fernandez Stewart
I grew up with generations of strong, courageous women. They often created beauty from fiber. My mother taught me to make my own clothes at an early age…I felt a sense of pride and empowerment when I made my own wedding dress. My grandmother was able to crochet anything. I shared in a photograph from a magazine. Yes this is often dismissed as “women’s work” and unappreciated. I can tell the story behind each stitch…each design…the gift in cloth these women graced with me.
This is an early important lesson of living with intention and celebrating and living in the present moment .
I create my sacred marks with needle and thread. It is my meditation…my journey through the decades…my prayers for creating a community in love and peace. I often write …in a multitude of journals..
With splashes of colors…to reveal my memories appearing in my quilts. It is slow , a repetitive process that soothes my soul and spirit. I studied Women’s studies, fiber restorations and Art at Ohio State University. My stitching…my hand work…has helped me travel around the world to discover cultures and civilizations I had only dreamed about in my youth.
Now in my 70's …I am making adjustments in my technique…macular degeneration is slowly altering my vision…living with Lupus…but slowly I continue my work as an artist. In the last couple of years I have allowed myself to explore mixed media explorations. My heart remains dedicated to working with my hands holding a needle and thread…telling my story with my quilts.
Quilt Story by Stacy Abernathy
I have a long appreciation of the stories quilts and textiles have to tell. I was a docent at CMA during the Couvre Lit exhibition. My mom has made many quilts and I’m am embarking on a big photography and quilt project. I happen to be in town, surprising my mother as well as meeting quilter extraordinaire, Rachel Walls. She recommended this exhibition and it has been overwhelming and timely. I have made one quilt as shown in the photograph attached.
Quilt Story by Theresa Schwope
I started quilting years ago when I was a stay-at-home mom, just to have some outlet of creativity while raising three children. Through the years I had made many quilts giving them as gifts to family. When I started working full time, I stopped quilting under time constraints. That was 20 years ago. I tried to start quilting again sometime in those 20 years and picked up a very complicated pattern thinking it would be no trouble. Unfortunately, the pattern was more than I could handle after not quilting for so long, with complex points and circular pieces. I laid aside the quilt blocks for years again and every once in a while I would try again, but ended up being frustrated with the piecing outcome.
I was recently in Italy and visited the School of Mosaics of Friuli. The small blocks of glass were beautiful and created gorgeous works, and there I got the idea to “mosaic” my quilt pieces. I cut all the complicated uneven blocks into 4 inch squares for easy sewing, and pieced those together with the addition of a neutral border. The result is a kaleidoscope of joined blocks that I set as symmetrical as possible, knowing that corners wouldn’t match or come together evenly, but so what? I am in the process of hand quilting this now. It stands as a reminder that my quilts don’t have to be intricately pieced or perfectly patterned as long as I enjoy the process and creativity of working the material and thread, and someone in my family will enjoy having this piece.
