Textiles and the Triplett Sisters

It is the end of the year and many are announcing the best and worst list for the year. However, I hesitated to do so because it is so subjective. Also, even if I didn’t choose an exhibition, auction, or book at the top of the list, it doesn’t mean it didn’t have value or that I couldn’t learn something from it. Instead, I decided to pick my “favorites” of the year, that way I’m being honest about the subjectivity. Favorite Exhibition: The Fabric of India at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. I technically saw the exhibition in December of 2015, but the exhibition ran into this year, as did my reading of the exhibition book. It was an amazing exhibition, which provided some detailed info for a new theory of fabric printing Kay and...

This month Quilt & Textile Collections is celebrating 5 years. It has been amazing five years filled with wonderful textiles, exhibitions, and people. We’ve been shocked and pleased at how many different countries and nationalities have connected with QTC. To celebrate that diversity we offer you a variety of quilts and languages, wherever your home may your holiday be filled with love, peace, and joy. Frohe Weihnachten, Feliz Navidad, Happy Hanukkah, メリークリスマス, God jul! Feliz Natal, Vrolijk Kerstfeest, חג מולד שמח, E ku odun keresimesi! Buon Natale, Καλά Χριστούγεννα, Joyeux Noel, matunda ya kwanza!

At various times this year I’ve had three friends ask me if I was familiar with the quilts from Gee’s Bend. Yes, of course, I answered.  Theses quilts are an important contribution to the African-American visual and cultural art scene in the US. However, these quilts are from a small group of about 50 women in the collective and do not reflect the full artistic range of African American quilting. So, it is exciting to see the first African American Quilt Conference spearheaded by Marla Jackson coming to fruition. Approximately 10 different quilt exhibitions will be held concurrently for the conference at multiple locations in Lawrence, KS including: The Spencer Museum of Art, The Lawrence Arts Center, and the Lawrence Public Library.  The exhibitions will include a broad range of quilts by Aisha Lumumba, Viola Burley Leak,...

Quilting as an art form is in danger. A quick online search for quilt shop closing reveals local quilt stores closing from New York to California, including the major retailer Hancocks. Publishers are closing, such as the Kansas City Star Books, AQS Publishing Division, and the list of magazines such as Quilter’s Newsletter shuttering is disturbing. Nonprofits and Museums such as American Textile History Museum, National Quilting Association, as well as Quilt Museum and Gallery in York all recently closed. In the midst of these closures, it was a relief to visit the newly opened Iowa Quilt Museum. The museum is located on the town square in picturesque Winterset, Iowa. The town itself is worth the visit, let alone with the bonus of quilts to see. The Museum opened this summer with Three Centuries of Red...

I love that phrase to explain the relationship between the United States and British Isles. It makes the United Kingdom seem closer to me than it geographically is. It is a good reminder about how close my nation was to the British. As King George in the Broadway smash “Hamilton” reminds us, “we have seen each other through it all.” Because there is such a historical connection between the United States and the British Isles, it is a vital connection to remember when researching antique quilts. Although some stylistic differences have developed through time, it isn’t unusual to see or hear quilters questioning whether a quilt labeled American is British or vice versa. In research, it is nice if you can go to an original source. The Quilters’ Guild of the British Isles is a national...