For years I’ve been drawn to artists who use text in their works. Favorites of mine include Ed Ruscha, Barbara Kruger and Jenny Holzer.
I felt drawn to begin creating text for quilts in 2017 following the Women’s March. My daughter encouraged my husband and I to attend the march in San Francisco on a rainy, January day. It was exhilarating! Being with like-minded community members and citizens who’d held the same beliefs about our country, women, freedom and patriotism warmed my heart. I especially loved seeing the poignant and very funny protest signs and messages. Additional sources for inspiration included the March for Science that year, and subsequent Women’s Marches. I photographed as many as I could and began a new hobby collecting phrases and quotes that moved me, made me laugh, or made a pointed statement that spoke to me.
March for Women San Francisco January 2017 with my daughter, and husband
My first version of a text quilt was creating American Patriot: Words Matter. I wrote about the making of this on another blog post, where I shared how serving as a Peace Corps volunteer impacted my worldview, and especially how it made me truly a progressive, liberal, and (importantly!) patriotic American. I firmly stand for the idea that liberal values are patriotic, true American values.
American Patriot: Words Matter 2017
Anticipating the fall of Roe v. Wade in 2022, I began creating my Women’s Work series addressing abortion rights in the U.S. I had 14 quilts made by the time the Supreme Court issued the reversal of 50 years of women’s reproductive rights and have continued to make more as I find new phrases. I’ve collected so many new phrases I put out a poll for followers to help me narrow down the next five quilts to make in this series which I’ll be working on shortly.
I’m gratified by the response these quilts have received and how it has spoken to so many. The first of these that I made, Fully Adult Human, will be exhibited at the International Quilt Festival 2024 in Houston this November as part of the Text on Textiles exhibit. You can see all the quilts I’ve made in the Women’s Work series to date att his link.
“Less than a fully adult human” – quote from Ruth Bader Ginsberg before her Senate hearing
More recently, I created the first in a planned series addressing gun violence in the U.S. I was surprised and thrilled that this was selected for QuiltCon, The Modern Quilt Guild Convention, in 2024. This piece has appeared in numerous shows, lectures and shared widely on social media.
The Number of Holes
I’ve found making these to be cathartic and a way to process my feelings and beliefs for issues that matter to me. Stay tuned for more on the way!
