Textiles and the Triplett Sisters

Every fall there is an alignment of stars, a gathering of the vendors, and a winner circle of awards. It is the International Quilt Market and Festival in Houston TX. Quilters from all over the world have submitted their work to be judged. Vendors introduce new product lines, that are “must haves” and special exhibitions of quilts fill the convention center. Teachers and students are gathering to explore new techniques or exchange creativity. It is also a time to see colleagues and friends that we may only see once a year. Preparation for the event begins almost as soon as last year has ended. But the month before, the final countdown is a time of major preparation. I've been busy preparing demos, classes, dyeing fabric and coordinating lectures. Celebrating the Blues: From Africa to America will...

So its fall and thoughts are turning to winter arriving soon…NOT! With most of the country experiencing hotter than normal temperatures, my thoughts keep drifting back to the clothes of Mexico. I did actually see more on the Baja peninsula than indigo. Although the indigo tunic attracted my eye, there were other garments which simply amazed me. These huipils are the traditional dress of indigenous women from central Mexico and Central America. The tunics are made of two or three pieces of hand woven fabric which are then stitched together allowing for an opening for the head. The sides if stitched together also leave an opening for arms. The garment can be short (worn more as a blouse) or long for a full length tunic. Huipil, 1875-1890, Warp-faced plain weave cotton; red cotton is dyed with...

I probably should have saved this blog for the week of Flag Day or some other holiday, but one of the special exhibitions at the recent AQS QuiltWeek caught my eye. Presidential and Patriotic Quilts from the collection of Sue Reich had two quilts that fascinated me. The first quilt was the Centennial Flag Banner Quilt 1876, 76” x 82” contained fabric with a patent date of December 28, 1875. Although patriotic themed textiles had been popular in America for some time, fabric companies ramped up production on many new fabrics related to the Centennial Exposition of 1876. The exposition held in Philadelphia was something I’d just been researching because of a quilt in our next book, Pioneer Quilts. Officially named the International Exhibition of Arts, Manufactures and Products of Soil and Mine, considered the first...