10.26.07
Posted in Musings at 2:44 am by Administrator
Part of the human experience is wondering why we are here. Some people like to fancy the notion that they are a reincarnated spirit who perhaps will reappear, in another age, as a cat or some other kind of living species. If that were true, I’d come back as a giraffe, as I am used to being tall.
Beautiful Covered Bridge in NH speaks of “simpler times.”
photo by James Cummings
What Will You Be When You Grow Up?
Our values are instilled in us from an early age. What did I ask my grandson when he was six months old? I said, “What will you be when you grow up? a doctor, a lawyer, a bridge-builder? His eyes got wide and he giggled at the last option. Notice that grandma did not say - When you grow up will you be a ditch digger, a sewerage plant operator, or a hamburger flipper at a fast food restaurant. Inherently, there is nothing wrong with those jobs. Like anything, it takes hard work to do them well. It’s just that many of us, especially if we are educated ourselves, expect that our children will be professionals.
Professionalism
Now, why would anyone want to be a “professional” anything? Well, first of all, let’s consider the word “profession.” A profession is a chosen career path, and it is sometimes a life style. A professional is paid for his or her work (versus the definition of hobbyist). Some professionals are paid a lot for their work. To achieve that goal, a considerable amount of dedication to master a skill or a subject area is necessary, but the person also must be intent on making money and getting “ahead.”
Roles Better Defined Previously
In times past, people knew their place in society. Housewives stayed at home. The farmer was the farmer. The shopkeeper was the shopkeeper. The minister was the minister. The town’s poor lived at “the poor farm.” Often, people didn’t move from the town in which they were born. Their main point of socialization was local church activities, or an impromptu gathering at the country store. Everyone in town knew them, and they knew everyone.
These days, that is all changing. Now, Big Money moves in from out of state and builds mini-mansions, in the woods. The people who live in the fancy houses never enjoy them. In fact, they are hardly ever home. Instead, they are working, often south of New Hampshire, in Massachusetts, hustling for the buck to try to buy a few moments of tranquility.
Small Town Friendliness Still A Part of the Landscape
Today, we drove through a small town and I was taken back in time for a moment. I recalled when my family first moved to a small NH town, when I was eleven years old. The custom there was to stop whatever you were doing and wave to whomever was passing by in a car. Sometimes, it was a total stranger, but nonetheless, the person would wave back. Genuine country friendliness. Well, this afternoon, the two people we saw, as we drove along waved. One person was an old man; the other a teenager, giving me faith that this tradition continues in the smaller towns of New Hampshire.
Why Are We Here?
We are here to be pleasant. We are here to be helpful. We are here to forgive others. We are here to be human: to love, to hate, to laugh, to cry, to mourn, to resent, to regret, to be happy, to be kind, to give before we ask to “get.” We are here to live our lives as best we can, in the only manner we know how. We are here to set an example. We are here to share. We are here to be ALL that we are called to be. Why are we here? For the reasons just listed, and more.
Be well. Be happy. Be strong.
Goodness shall prevail.
Patricia Cummings
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10.25.07
Posted in World Textiles at 1:06 pm by Administrator
10′ x 12′ Egyptian tent panel
A reader has sent us the photo seen above. Her description of it is as follows: “This tent panel is appliquéd on four hand loomed cotton panels. The green has faded to gray.” One of her friends explained that the script is from the “Love Song of Omar Kyam,” and so this panel is probably one of many, many panels that made up a celebratory marriage tent.
One of the reader’s questions is about how best to store such an item.
My Thoughts
First of all, thank you so much for sharing a photo of this wonderful item.
Storage of large, room-size items, such as this, becomes very difficult in a home situation. Ideally, the piece would best be stored flat, rather than rolled. Rolling squishes the innermost edge.
Depending on the strength of the fibers, the panel could be secured to hang vertically, using a “museum mount” method that stabilizes all four edges. In that method, usually a rectangular (or square) frame, made of wood, and treated with several coats of polyacrylic finish, and hook and grip tape, such as Velcro, are used. A professional framer could be of further assistance. The main problem in most homes would be finding wall space large enough to hang the mounted piece.
If I remember correctly, I’ve listed more details about framing and textile care, in general, in my (free-to-read) online book, Straight Talk About Quilt Care.
From your note, I could not tell whether you wish to sell this item or if you would like to donate it somewhere, as you mention that a museum might like it. In most museums, textiles barely ever see the light of day, except in a special exhibit from time to time. Textiles are labor intensive to maintain in good shape, and museums often do not have the time or paid, qualified staff who are able to devote a lot of work in that area.
If you can see fit to do so, please consider donating this panel to a university that has a teaching program for textiles. Off the top of my head, I can think of at least four such universities who maintain extensive textile collections, teach students how to preserve, clean, and properly handle textiles, and which also share textile holdings online in databases that the general public can enjoy. I would be happy to provide specific recommendations.
I am responding to this query, in a public manner, so that more people can benefit from 1) viewing this terrific textile, and 2) hearing my advice.
Should anyone have any comment, please click on the comments button below. Please keep in mind that all comments are monitored to keep out the nut cases, but serious, well-thought ideas are always welcome here.
Patricia Cummings
Contact me personally at: pat@quiltersmuse.com
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Posted in Announcements at 1:49 am by Administrator
Press Release
Thanks to the generosity and vision of Toronto collectors Alvin and Gloria Rosenberg, the University of Alberta has been gifted with a breathtaking assortment of 677 North American quilts worth almost half a million dollars.
The Rosenberg Quilt Collection is a vibrant, world class addition to the University of Alberta’s existing Clothing and Textiles Colleciton, the only university teaching collection in Canada. “The breadth and depth of the Rosenberg collection ensures that the art of quilting not only pays heed to the artisans of the past, but extends to future generations,” said Beverly Lemire, Henry Marshall Tory Chair in Human Ecology at the University of Alberta.
Some of these exquisite quilts are on display at the McMullen Gallery in the University of Alberta Hospital from October 26 to December 9, 2007. Some of the collection will also be exhibited in the main foyer of the Human Ecology Building on the University of Alberta campus during this time.
Crafted from materials as diverse as homespun wool, men’s suits and flour sacks, these patchwork wonders span more than 100 years; the oldest quilt is believed to date to about 1840. Mrs. Rosenberg, a Toronto based dealer for many years, began collecting quilts in 1958 and purchased her last one in 1990. Gathered from the United States and Canada, the varied collection reflects a kaleidoscope of pattern and form; from Victorian silk ‘crazy’ quilts to subdued, work-a-day versions handcrafted by Amish and Mennonite women.
The Rosenbergs chose to donate their extensive collection to the University of Alberta for the valuable use it will have in a teaching environment. “A quilt can fill many needs. It can provide warmth and comfort. It can satisfy the desire for beauty. A quilt creates an opportunity for social interaction, and the university can help ensure that through its classroom programs, the legacy of this beautiful and functional art form is preserved,” said Mrs. Rosenberg.
The one-of-a-kind collection will be used as a teaching tool of U of A students, but will also be open to the public and to other academics as a resource for research and inspiration.
The University of Alberta Clothing and Textiles Collection, located in the Department of Human Ecology in the Faculty of Agriculture, Forestry and Home Economics, houses more than 16,000 textiles, garments, and related artifacts. The collection spans 250 years of fashions for women, men, and children as well as artifacts such as looms, spindles, and clothing patterns.
The University of Alberta in Edmonton is one of the top 100 teaching and research universities in the world, serving some 36,000 students with more than 11,000 faculty and staff. Founded almost a century ago, the university has an annual budget in excess of $1 billion and attracts more than $480 million in external research funding. It offers close to 400 undergraduate and graduate programs in 18 faculties.
For more information contact:
Beverly Lemire
Professor and Henry Marshall Tory Chair
Department of History & Classics
Department of Human Ecology
780-492-3327
Julia Petrov
Exhibitions Coordinator
University of Alberta
Department of Human Ecology
780-492-2528
This information provided courtesy of Quilter’s Muse Publications.
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