Threads in the Fabric of Society: Patriotic and Political Quilts

During this presidential election year, political quilts gained popularity and can be seen across the U.S. in exhibits, most continuing through to the end of the year. A special exhibit at the International Quilt Market in Houston featured several exciting examples, including the one pictured here by Marjorie E. Johnson and titled "Get Out the Vote and Save America."

Politics and quilts have a long history. So many of the traditional quilt patterns were named for political races Tippecanoe, 54-40 or Fight, Whig Rose.... This site offers discussions and connects to links associated with political or patriotic quilts. It shows how quilts are "an important thread in the fabric of our society."

Two current exhibits:

• The Women's Museum in Dallas, Texas, offers an exhibit featuring Partisan Pieces: Quilts of Political and Patriotic Persuasion from Nov. 8, 2008 through March 29, 2009. A brochure is available online featuring many of the items in the exhibit.
  

• The Heritage Center Museum in Lancaster, PA "Patchwork Politics: From George to George W." features a large private collection of politically themed quilts, textiles and memorabilia.It will continue through Dec. 31, 2008. The Philadelphia Inquirer offers an informative article about the exhibit.

If you're interested in finding more political quilts or historic quilts or wish to pursue your own quilt research, the online Quilt Index offers thousands of quilts, documentation, information and ways to search according to your needs. "The Quilt Index represents years of research and development to bring together quilt information in a centralized online tool for education, research, and public access. The Quilt Index was conceived and developed by The Alliance for American Quilts and implemented in collaboration with Michigan State University's MATRIX: The Center for Humane Arts, Letters and Social Sciences Online and the Michigan State University Museum."

Lori Creel has written an article about some of the quilts available through the Quilt Index including one that belonged to Abigail Adams, one used to raise funds for the Ku Klux Klan and a long list of amazing quilts linked to historical events.

Fundraising quilts also made political and patriotic statements and were used for all kinds of causes as mentioned above to raise funds for KKK. Whatever the need, community, Red Cross, disaster relief, you name it. This site maintained by the Nebraska State Historical Society offers photos of the fundraiser quilts and a brief description -- interesting. Very interesting.

And a list of political quilts and activist quilters could continue for many pages, but it wouldn't be complete without mention of the Boise Peace Quilt Project which has been going strong since 1981.

And if you haven't voted -- why not!

Quilt Pilgrims head home from Houston

Daily chores, schedules, needs continue, but part of me is attuned to the West, to Houston, Texas, and the International Quilt Market. Everybody who is anybody in quilting were there this week.

The quilt displays were remarkable, awesome, unique, creative, imaginative, and intimidating -- you can count on that without even seeing them. Was Hollis there with her tradition-shattering thread painted quilts, Diana McClun and Laura Nownes -- the writers of the original quilters Bible "Quilt! Quilt!! Quilt!!!" did they teach another generation of beginners and not so new quilters their secrets. My editor at Quilters World is probably exhausted and her brain and camera are probably overwhelmed. And here I sit wishing, wishing, wishing, I could have experienced the excitement of being in the eye of the quilting hurricane that Houston experiences at the end of every October.
(Although, note that next year the date is earlier in the month -- Oct. 15-18, 2009.)

I've missed all of the Bernina fashion shows -- this, Rendezvous, is the last year for them and went out in a blaze of lights with full runway frills and excitement. I live vicariously through the women and men who display their unique creations and am constantly amazed at what can be made with needle and thread and a bit of fabric.

The merchant mall -- I can only dream.

The classes -- what a line up of quilting's heavy hitters!

The displays and exhibits, contests and well, I just hope someday to get there to see it first hand. But until I do, I devour the online photos taken from this year's and other International Quilt Market events. The photos included here of Moonstitches and other photos are at Flicker -- they are from the Tokyo International Great Quilt Festival 2008. If ever you were bereft of inspiration, just take a quick peek at what is being displayed in 2008 and you'll be itching to grab some fabric and start following your own muse. Anyone have some Houston or Tokyo experiences to share? Photos? Please, do.