Times now ask for quilt maker’s co-responsibility for the future of quilt making. Making quilts have specific elements to contribute to the art world, whether you define it as textile art, heavy- or light art, or a craft. Creativity must be a purpose in which every quilter partakes.
Present times require your participation wholeheartedly, whether it is staying updated, background reading as to the history and development, making quilts, appreciating the variation printed and colour fabrics, exhibiting your quilts, and even making a living in one of the areas of quilt making. Your love and respect for other people’s work are part of the world of textiles. The art of being creative will lie in mastering different graph papers for designing the quilts of the future. Respect the available fabric designers and technical tools; and computer technology.
This quilt celebrates a decade of quilt-making for me.
Ten hills (with leftover covered templates) represent the surroundings of hilly Johannesburg.
Ten houses symbolize the energy inside a home with quilt makers burning the midnight oil.
The Black “ghost” houses represent uncompleted UFOs waiting for revival in the next decade.
Embellished trees imply growth and the future.
The balloons commemorate the enlightened creative moments I experienced during the making and completion of a quilt. The clouds remind us to continue dreaming and envisioning future quilts.
The hills are EPP, the decorative items are hand appliqued and hand quilted.
The circles in the hand quilted background confirm the wholeness of life.
A narrow black accent strip contains the energy of this quilt and repeats with an extra black backstitch in the ditch, where the bias edge joins.
This quilt amplifies what quilting is all about: Perseverance, community participation to get started, creativeness, originality, and most of all, enjoyment from beginning to end.
