|
COLLECTING ADVENTURES!
By Rosemary Lee Potter
It was just the way to celebrate the early spring day—over at Heritage Village in Largo, and as well enjoy National Quilting Day. Five hours browsing splendidly to walk from historic building to building, listen to lectures and see quilting demos, but, oh, to see the
|
| Quilts which shimmer and surprise with color and texture, National Quilting Day |
 |
Diverse, exotic, intricate, vivid quilting designs from 21st century Florida quilters
|
 |
Antique patchwork quilt at Annual Quilting Day Show, Largo, Florida
|
many traditional and 21st century creative quilts--designs at which to gasp and smile and remember!
There were two lectures---more like really friendly sharing speeches about quilts—expecially Civil War era quilts. I had never thought much about it, but here I heard that every one of the soldiers both North and South carried a bedroll with a quilt! So even if quilts were made of feed sacks, old clothing, old blankets, even if filled with cat down or Spanish moss—they were a necessity through those long and cold winters far away from home. Thousands of soldiers were at death wrapped in their quilts for burial.
I learned that both North and South had ladies earning money to support various war efforts, at so-called Sanitary fairs and festivals auctioning off quilts, sometimes, the same quilt, won, recontributed to this support activity, and then auctioned off again and again! Some of these famous and beautiful quilts, are preserved, we applaud, in history museums all across the nation. The quilt auctions raised huge amounts of money for the war effort—regardless the side.
Considering that chintz curtains and petticoats were also used, in many ways, in selling quilts, so cleverly by ladies, and thus with women’s growing ability to organize well, it was not surprising to find that when the need for making war quilts and money finally faded, women leaders moved ahead to support and run the successful Women’s Suffrage Movement!
Another exciting National Quilting Day talk was about the much older Japanese kimonos and quilting heritage, displaying beautiful stitchery and floral patterns influencing quilting patterns today. There was also the display of random patch quilts, the diverse supply of materials sources and cloth pieces, so intriguing in their origins and inventive “random” placement of cloth pieces in the design.
There was the realization while listening and walking about that men as well as women are quilters, that many quilts are now considered works of art, sometimes depicting reality, and, as often,
provide historical, patriotic, or symbolic scenes and ideas!
Then it was fun to view crazy quilts, many more quilts made then and now just for weddings, and some for babies! In fact, that was the moment, that part about babies, those tiny quilts for infants, from long ago, draped there over auditorium chairs which gave me still another quilting idea.
You see, last fall I bought a framed print called “Teddy Bear Quilt” which had two little teddy bears on it! Sweet! Now that idea is supersweet for this new reason—no— two reasons! Having just learned that my son Robert and his wife Adriana are having twins, I’ve gone at once to consult my Appalachian quiltmaker, Estell Reece, who will craft two baby quilts, once I learn if there are two boys, two girls, or one of each, and which colors momma-to-be would like!
On each of my beds, in both Florida and Tennessee, there are quilts. When my sons married, each couple was given a quilt designed just for them. I thought it was a new family custom, but lately, especially on cold evenings, I’ve realized the great thing about quilts, besides design. They are, due to their construction in filler layers, a great barrier for air, so as the comfort one wants, an fine insulator. No wonder each Civil War soldier was issued one, needing it badly!
There is no end to the possibilities of quilting stories, nor quilting patterns, nor, apparently a world of quilts!
©2009 Rosemary Lee Potter All Rights Reserved
Limited Permission to THE TROPICAL BREEZE
Author Contact: e-mail:
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
|
Home 
Columns 
