"You Know You Are a Quilter": an original poem by Patricia Cummings

Original miniature quilt made by Patricia Cummings. The "geese" are made from 19th century (1800s) scraps.

You Know You Are a Quilter...

a poem by Patricia L. Cummings

You know you are a quilter
When your home could be a shop
So filled it is with notions
And cloth from Fabric Hops.

You know you are a quilter
When you need a live-in chef
To remind you of the need to eat
When you'd just rather be left...

To mark and cut and piece and quilt
And sing the whole day through.
You know you are a quilter
And the things you like to do!

Your family sleeps under piles of quilts
That you have made with care
Your husband wears a quilted vest
Despite the public's stares.

Your toaster sports a cover
Quilted with your two hands.
As you work to finish one quilt
Yet another one you plan.

The world is prettier still
Due to quilts that you have made
They adorn every surface
In homes both humble and grand.

Doll quilts, wall quilts
And bed quilts, too,
Greet visitors and loved ones,
And they are all made by you!

To all quilters now we say:  May your blessings be many; your troubles be few. Take time to celebrate all that you do! Happy Quilting!


Copyright 2013,Patricia L. Cummings, Quilter's Muse Publications, Concord, NH. Please request permission before re-publishing this poem in any form.

My Journey to Discover Mrs. Webster

Tonight I am thinking about the wonderful journey of discovery I embarked on in 2008 to find out more about the woman who made quilt charts that eventually ended up in the custodial care of the New Hampshire Historical Society. I had seen just one of the 162 charts in 1993 or 1994 when I studied all of the quilts in their collection and documented them in a report that I filed with the Library of Congress. One of the curators had shown me a chart, asking "What do you make of this, Pat?" Never having seen anything like it before, I did not quite know what to think.

More than a decade passed before I asked to see more of the charts and possibly photograph some of them for an article for The Quilter magazine in which I wrote a regular column, "Pieces of the Past." My husband began taking photos and was asked if he would be willing to photograph the entire collection and he did! Concurrently, I had begun a research project trying to find more about someone named "Emily Webster" who made the charts. Not long after, I discovered that the quilt historian responsible for this work had been misnamed by a staff member who did not take the time to verify her identity. The chart maker was Ellen Emeline Hardy Webster.

Armed with the correct name, I was eager to find out everything I could about Mrs. Webster, a woman who lived in two centuries and led a very interesting life. I was and still am intrigued by her life and all of her vast accomplishments and loves, not the least of which was a budding preoccupation of the 1920s and 1930s: quilt history. As a quilt historian, I was able to interpret all of her notations and in careful study of the names she mentions, I was able to determine relationships, discerning why the mistaken name of "Emily" was assumed.

Within a short time, I knew that I had amassed more information, family genealogy and photos (yes, I found  family members who provided all the photos of her and her family found in my book), and peripheral and related data than would fit in one measly article or even two articles. I decided to write a book. For eight months, I made phone calls, visited libraries and cemeteries, made photocopies, processed photos and of course, wrote the book. At final count, I had written 355 pages and provide 240 photos, too large of a manuscript to publish in hard cover form and yet retain the size and quality of the photos.

The story of Ellen Webster is the story of town and country. It is the account of the work done at home in New Hampshire right after the Civil War. It is a rendering of the leisure time activities of women (Ellen's family members) and their political and religious activities. It is a remembrance of poetry and literature loved and academics pursued. It involves Ellen's love of nature, plants and birds. It is the tale of a woman who loses her husband yet travels far to not only earn a bachelor's degree but a master's degree. Ellen's story is the compelling review of all of her public lectures and the private support she provides to her family.

I know that I will never receive a pat on the back for correcting the annoying and egregious mistakes of a paid employee of the museum. By the time I found the truth, the misnomer of "Emily" had been spread far and wide in print, in speeches at out-of-state forums and in film where she was depicted as a ghost-like figure that no one knew much about. Of course, one has to be in possession of someone's correct name in order to discover critical data, as I did, and there was a lot of information to be learned! As a volunteer, I guess I was supposed to know nothing or at the very least not more than the "other" so-called researcher who has now moved on to another museum position in another state. No one should underestimate the determination of a true scholar to get to the truth of the matter!

When someone does something and does it well, the work is satisfaction in itself. As long as I live, no one can take away my accomplishments even if I am seen as "cranky" for insisting on high standards for scholarship. I make no apologies for that. I set high standards for myself, as well.

I love everything about Ellen Webster and I wish I could have known her personally. She was a true leader, beautiful, vivacious and sometimes even petulant (like me). I think we would have gotten along famously.

My book about her is published in e-book form, a disc that will play on any computer. The name of this publication is:  Ellen Emeline Hardy Webster (1867-1950): Her Amazing "Quilt Charts," Her Writings and Her Life (Quilter's Muse Publications, 2008), $24.95. For more information, please write to me at: pat@quiltersmuse.com

Expressive Quilts

If you have been around as many quilts as I have, seeing them in quilt shows, museum exhibitions, in ads by dedicated quilt dealers as well as antique sellers and if you have poured through hundreds of books, pamphlets and quilt magazines as I have, you are sure to have come to understand that many quilts were made for purposes other than simply a bed covering.

Quilts acknowledge the devastation of HIV/AIDS deaths in the world. In fact, there is no longer a place on the face of the earth where all of the quilts of that kind ever made can be laid out side by each. Quilts tell the story of the Bible or contain the words to the "Lord's Prayer." Thousands of quilts have been donated by volunteers who gave them to be raffled off for the cause of Alzheimer's research. Quilts often have expressed political opinions or have been made in support of a particularly beloved president or candidate for office.

This 19th century antique quilt features hexagons comprised of 6 sections. The quilter managed to add a few surprises color-wise to this predominantly brown/tan/rust colored bed size quilt. Photo by James Cummings

Landscape quilts show our love of Nature in all of its wonders. Quilts can increase the awareness of the ravages of domestic violence. They can commemorate those military men and women who have fallen in the line of duty or can bring to mind the memories of the day most often referred to today as simply "9-11". Quilts comfort nursing home patients. "Going home quilts" are temporarily draped over the gurney that carries a deceased nursing home patient to the ambulance waiting just outside the door. In past centuries, quilts were often buried with the dead, the proof of which is their being visible in photos of the dead, particularly children, and especially in the 19th century (1800s).

The famous "Coffin" quilt features the image of gravestones for family members of the quilter. Quilts can range from bland and completely utilitarian to exquisite pieces that took thousands of hours to complete with intricate quilting patterns (in surface stitches, but also holding the quilt layers together) or the addition of stuffing in certain areas (trapunto).

An array of scraps can grace the surface of the quilt making known the scrap bag pieces available to the quilter, often from a period of 30 or more years. The most common practice, however, was not to treat quilting as a scrap craft but rather to buy new yardage of 100% cotton to cut up and sew back together again using printed patterns in magazines or other sources as a guide. Not all quilts are "pieced," however. Appliqué, the art of applying pieces of fabric on top of a larger background cloth, was responsible for some of the most exquisite chintz quilts (and many other quilts) and the group includes quilts from the Civil War.

A design adaptation of an appliqued block from 1830, the original of which has not been seen since the 1930s when it was documented by a WPA artist.  I have written extensively about this design both in magazine and website formats. Quilt made by Patricia Cummings, photo by James Cummings

Some quilts are made by simply repeating a process over and over again. Into this realm would fall the quilts composed of small pieces and joined with a technique that we call "English Paper Piecing." Many of those quilts feature hexagons as the predominant design element. Quilting and its history is much more complex than the general public knows, in spite of quilting being an industry that annually reaps tons of money worldwide and has many components to the business side of things, including but not limited to:  quilt shop owners, fabric designers and producers, quilt show organizers, book writers and distributors, quilt teachers, fabric and thread suppliers, classes provided on cruise ships and so forth.

Why does anyone quilt? I can not speak for others but I quilt for pleasure, to be creative and to produce lasting expressions of my talent and my love for family members and friends. I am always curious as to what the "draw" is for others. Is it recognition via quilt shows? Is it the money-making opportunities when one sells or shows quilts? Is it the wish to make new friends? Is quilting a means of self-expression?

Quite a few years ago, we attended a major show in the northeast. One quilt was totally perplexing to me as it was 100% red in color. The signage said it all. The quilter had stated that when she finished making the quilt, she would commit suicide (and she did). The color red traditionally is thought to symbolize anger or passion or even power. (Note how often women who have strong personalities wear red...which is considered a "power" color). I felt sad that the quilter had harbored what seemed to be strong feelings of resentment and psychological pain for such a long time, long enough to finish a large quilt.

My guess is that this kind of work is the exception to the rule. Most quilters want to make "pretty" quilts or even politically-meaningful quilts about current events, injustices or specific politicians. Quilting is a challenge and to call oneself a proficient quilter skilled in all of its facets takes some doing. Most people find a particular niche, whether it is in making "Cathedral Window" quilts or "Victorian-style Crazy Quilts" or even "Yo-Yo Quilts." All three of those quilt styles generally not considered to be "real quilts" as they feature no interior batting.

This miniature  Crazy Quilt quilt was made by Patricia Cummings and was first published in Miniature Quilts magazine. It features jewel-tone colors and asymmetrical piecing as well as many different types of surface embroidery and embellishments. Photo by James Cummings

                                 
I could go on and on about international influences from Celtic knot quilts to quilts influenced by Japanese design to antique Dutch quilts. Quilting is an endless and inexhaustible subject and that is part of the reason I love quilt history and quiltmaking so much. I hope you have enjoyed this little overview of a subject that has taken up most of my time for the last 30 years. Contrary to public opinion, the art of quilting is not going away. In fact, the Modern Quilt Guild movement is taking quilting in yet another fresh direction and the quilt artists of today are continuing to reach new levels of excellence. Long live quilts!

Patricia L. Cummings
E.G.A. certified master craftsman in quilting, 2000
Columnist for The Quilter magazine 1999-2012
http://www.quiltersmuse.com

"Modern Quilting" - What Is It?

Within the last couple of years, a new term "Modern Quilting" has emerged. Just recently, a conference called "QuiltCon"and a show dedicated to this topic took place in Austin, Texas. "Craftsy" lent their support to the idea of holding this conference. At their website, craftsy.com, one can sign up for paid classes or hear some of the lectures given during the conference in question, at no charge.

I listened to the lecture by Heather Jones, a woman with an advanced degree in Fine Art who is also someone who likes to sketch and paint. She described her process which includes both photos and drawn designs taken from everyday objects. She alters the line layout and the coloration and color seems to be a crucial element in her work which is strongly influenced by Josef Albers and his minimalist transitions of color value. The lecture is enchanting. It is always great to find someone with a plan who carries through with it and in the end, makes something unique and extraordinary but also can impart the reasons for their choices in a clear manner.

Improvisational quilt piecing seems to be a hallmark attribute of Modern Quilting. The short strips of color that are pieced to make unusual cross designs and the use of rectangles of color in preference to squares help to create this medium that has its own rules, even if the are not written down. Rarely are print fabrics included in a work although they can be. Jones made an exception to that rule when she pieced a quilt entirely from her grandmother's clothing.

For some in the Modern Quilt Movement, sewing the layers of cloth together (the actual process of "quilting") is the most important part. Angela Walters, another lecture presenter at the conference, uses a longarm machine for most of her quilting work. She never marks quilting lines preferring to have fun. She "changes up" the designs at will, easily moving from collections of circles to back and forth lines. These modern quilts have enough negative space so there is room to play and not be bored.

I noticed that most of the quilts I have seen made in this new genre features either white or gray as neutral backgrounds. The geometric designs in bold colors on the surface of the quilt are inspired by modern painters or quilters. Jones mentioned her appreciation of the quilts from Gee's Bend, Alabama.

This new trend in quilting could be detrimental to those who manufacture print fabrics. On the other hand, with just solid color fabrics, there is a certain simplicity of design that is achievable. Angela Walters explains that she does not tie off and sink threads when machine quilting. She adds so much quilting, the quilt is not in danger of falling apart and these are utilitarian quilts not show quilts, she adds.

Our quilting foremothers would be shocked and astounded and might not consider modern quilting to be as disciplined a process as they did, carefully counting stitches per inch and making sure that the ladies invited to the quilting bee made stitches that were up to par with the group. Modern quilters appear to resist hard and fast rules. Times change and it is great that a younger demographic is interested in this age-old craft/art of quilting. I enjoyed watching the Craftsy videos. It is always great to see what other creative people are thinking and doing.

Quilt Artist Linda Teddie Minton posted two blog entries that show examples of quilts in this modern quilt genre. They were posted on Feb. 26 and Feb 27, 2013.

Quilts and Life on a Parallel Path

Most people spend their entire lives trying to understand themselves and at the same time they are baffled by the behavior of other people. This week, thanks to a good friend, I had a breakthrough in understanding myself. It was a simple observation on her part. She pointed out that I am a really detail-oriented person. I want the facts and I want them to make sense.

If information is presented in writing, I want it to be correct, all-inclusive, insightful and documented. That explains a lot especially my intolerance for the lies that people tell and for their incomplete grasp of the truth, as I understand the truth to be. This quality can make me a miserable person to encounter if someone is on the ignorant side of honesty or is limited in their understanding. On the other hand, this quality of insisting on "the truth and nothing but the truth" makes me a reliable historian. Every sword has two edges, one perhaps sharper than the other!

When I think about how I make quilts, I strive for perfection in that endeavor as well. I want tiny hand-quilted stitches that line up and are the same length and have the same amount of space between them. If not, I un-thread the needle, undo the stitch and try again. Long ago, I learned the lesson the anything worth doing is worth doing right.

In my estimation, when the superimposed genre of "art quilts" first came into play in a big way, the idea was for a quilter to be a renegade. That meant using the most expedient means to an end, even if that included no binding as a final finish and even if that meant using non-traditional paints and glue and glitter and embellishments on the par of dressing up a quilt like a "two-bit whore." Ha! I am not sure what that expression means but it suits my intent.

As time progressed, art quilters were subjected to those of us who are prone to judge quilts in a traditional manner. Tired to receiving comments about lousy bindings, many decided they'd rather learn to play by at least some of the rules to increase their chance of winning a prize at a show. In general, the quality of quilts improved, due in part to an increased sophistication of machine quilting techniques that have been aided by such features as stitch regulator devices on long arm industrial style machine as well as the preponderance of classes in long arm stitching techniques at shows and shops.

Everything we do in life presents us with a choice. We can either do it well, such as looking up facts and making sure they are accurate before publishing them, or making a quilt that represents our best possible work, not our shortcuts, and which utilizes the best fabrics, thread, batting, and embellishments that money can buy. There are plenty of wannabees out there who want acclaim for their writing or their quilting and yet, they do a poor job in either case. Some people get by on their connections or their looks but I am not sure how much satisfaction can be found in not living up to one's potential.

I always seem to find ways in which quilting intersects with life. Added to the mix, for me, is my love of words and the challenge to communicate exactly what I mean. I should learn not to hold others to the high standards I always set for myself but ingrained habits are hard to break. It is wonderful when we have friends who can act as our mirrors. Their comments are often helpful far beyond their awareness. I am so lucky to have such a friend and I hope you know someone like that who is a precious commodity and who you would not trade for all the tea in China.

When Politics and Quilts Collide

Women have long used quilt making as a means to express political thoughts and feelings, long before they had the right to vote and ages before they insisted on the opportunity for their voices to be heard. In other centuries, a housewife had to be careful about dissenting opinions as she could be "locked up" based on her husband's say so. Quilting was an acceptable pastime and looked like such a demure activity, as did needlework but messages could be included in a stitched textile that would mean nothing to the casual observer but could convey a significant piece of history to those who knew how to "read" the stitched thought.

In so saying, I am not in any way about to infer or claim any statement about the "secret quilt code" falsely purported to convey messages on the Underground Railroad. Scholars, including myself, have provided sufficient reasons to disclaim that notion. No, today I am thinking about such political quilts as were made during the campaign of William Henry Harrison and in particular one quilt block that is a take off on the idea that he was from poor beginnings, lived in a log cabin and drank hard cider. I cannot vouch for the latter as drinking hard cider was common to the times but Harrison himself was wealthy and well-educated.

Probably because I have been paying attention to this subject for some time now, I have seen many a politically-motivated quilt or piece of needlework. My conclusion is that some women found this form of creative expression to be a satisfying way to make unique textiles that, to this day, tell us something about the times in which they lived.

Tonight, on MSNBC TV, Rachel Maddow's documentary "Hubris" will be aired at 9 p.m. Based on a book of the same name, the film explores the steps leading up to the United States sending troops into Iraq to find, dismantle and destroy the "weapons of mass destruction" held by Saddam Hussein's regime. There were none to be found. Meanwhile, we lost more than 4,000 American lives in that conflict and counting Iraqi losses, the war left more than 10,000 dead... based on a lie. The falsehood was advanced by Senator John McCain, Secretary of State Condolezza Rice, Senator Lindsey Graham, Vice-President Bush Cheney and President George Bush as well as others who bought into the idea.

When there is adversity, what do quilters do? Why, they do what they do best:  they quilt! When I first heard of a program that Don Beld wanted to started called "Home of the Brave Quilts," I offered my skills at pattern drafting and writing professional instructions for making the block he selected, one used in Civil War Quilts. Happily and merrily, quilters working singly and in groups, made and donated thousands of quilts to give to the families of the fallen to in some way ease their pain. Last I knew, more than 4,000 quilts had been distributed but perhaps many more have now been made as that was more than a year ago.

Quilters may not like politics, although some of us do, but they do like to feel useful and they enjoy working on meaningful projects with a greater significance that goes beyond the material object itself. None of likes the results of war, especially when our young people come home injured or not at all. Quilts take on greater meaning because they can be passed down to future generations, they can honor an individual's life and become a marker in time. Whether or not we agree with a cause, quilters always seem to rise to the situation and go beyond it. Anytime you think a quilt is not love, think again! Quilters prove that with every stitch!

The Basement Quilt: A Book Review

The Basement Quilt by Ann Hazelwood is her first novel, one of a series of three books. (The Potting Shed Quilt is now available and The Funeral Parlor Quilt will be published next summer). The novel relies heavily on its snappy dialogue and insight into the personalities of the women (and a few men) who are the subjects under consideration. The novel centers around a flower shop owner named "Anne" who is still living at home and has not yet married, the man she jilted and the new man in her life with whom she clicks.

Anne and her relatives meet weekly in her mother's basement to hand quilt a fan quilt. The unexplained appearance of her late grandmother's thimble on top of the quilt and other-worldly experiences suggest that there are more people present than just the quilters, leading intrigue to the story.

This book has short chapters which can be read in a short time period and are therefore great for those of us with limited attention spans who just want a few minutes of entertainment. Yet, each chapter leaves the reader with a strong desire to revisit the novel again soon.

Never boring and with easy conversation between the characters as well as an ease of transition from setting to setting, this novel will encourage the reader to acquire the next two books by Hazelwood to learn what will happen next to these characters.

The author is a certified quilt appraiser and no stranger to owning a shop of her own in historic St. Charles, Missouri. Visit her website at:  booksonthings.com  The book is published by The American Quilter's Society (2012). A link to a free quilt block pattern (for a fan) is provided in her book.