As I read the readings for today I sat and searched through my memory bank for all of the patterns of cloth that I helped my grandmother (Mama) cut into squares. I don’t know what happened to all of the quilts that she made and where ended up at and that made me feel shameful that my family may not have preserved such precious artifacts. Quilts to me represent comfort and warmth and my association with them is very different than those in the readings. Mama didn’t make the quilts to memorialize any life events or to have as an heirloom. Mama made her quilts for her family, to keep them warm. Her quilts were not made of fine material but instead were made of the cloth sacks that the flour and sugar came in. At the time you could purchase flour and sugar in these pretty flower patterned and pastel cloth sacks that were stitched closed. We would empty the flour or sugar into large metal containers and then wash the sacks and hang them out to dry them we would sit and cut them into squares in preparation for assembly by Mama. Sometimes she would stitch by hand but more often than not she would use her foot pedaled sewing machine and we would help her sort and stack the different patterns as she worked.
In relation to girl identity, quilting is a form of socializing girls into the circle of women in which to learn about cultural history and family history. It was a way to pass on traditions and a way for girls to advance on their journey into womanhood. As I was reading I remembered the movie “How to make an American quilt” 1995. The film is about a young woman that seeks advice from older women that are quilting. Quilting becomes a forum for therapy and for advice. It also brought to mind the Aids Memorial Quilt. The quilt has now reached 50 miles and 54 tons. The quilt was created to memorialize the people that have died from the AIDS virus. A historical piece created so that those that died would never be forgotten.
It has become an art form that is quickly disappearing and it has become more of hobby that is mainly practiced by older women. I have a friend and a sister-in-law that still quilt, my friend does it as a hobby and my sister-in-law makes her beautiful quilts as gifts for family members and she customizes each quilt for each person. Quilting is more than just creating a piece of art or something to keeps warm at night. Quilting is about memorializing history, memories, traditions, and creativity.
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My grandmother was a fantastic quilter. I still have one of her quilts that I use when it gets cold. I think you've brought up an interesting point about the progression of the quilt as a symbol. Currently, quilting is a hobby that calls to mind fond childhood memories about warmth and older female family members. The weight of personal expression seems to have fallen away from our current connotation of quilts. In this respect, it was interesting to read the readings for today.
ReplyDeleteThe Aids Quilt is fantastic--I always found it sort of strange, that for a culture so engrained in technological advances that the medium society would choose to commerate those afflicted by AIDS is quilting--I think it is a beautiful medium! I wonder if it was chosen because maybe the act of quilting (stitching, picking out colors, patterns, etc.) is therapuetic for those left behind? I'd love to see it in person sometime!
ReplyDeleteBeing wrapped in a quilt can be like being engulfed in a loved one's arms, so, perhaps, that is part of the medium choice for the AIDS quilt.
ReplyDeletewell, the AIDS quilt serves as a document for a terrible disease. We know originally quilts were quilted for warmth against the frigid elements. A warm quilt equals security, protection and comfort. So, the AIDS quilt is a record for those we have lost and wish to remember and a comforter for those who contend with the disease or have been touched by in other ways.
ReplyDeleteI really like what you said about "quilting is a form of socializing girls into the circle of women...a way to pass on traditions and a way for girls to advance on their journey into womanhood." I think this is an excellent point, one that enforces our ideas about female social bonding and the need for women to interact, engage and learn from one another at all stages of life.
ReplyDeleteDonna, what lovely memories! And I'm not surprised that you're family might not have preserved your grandma's work. For so long we saw quilts as utilitarian and not heirlooms. It seems the ones you remember served their purpose - kept the family warm and continue to stand in in your mind for a loved one.
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