quiltersmuse.com Blog

A recent article in the Concord Monitor makes it clear that officials have been discussing the possibility of doing away with the City Library. This past winter, it was a warm haven for the homeless of our community who could be seen snoozing comfortably in some of the chairs. In some instances, the library is a drop off point for parents who do not want to pay a babysitter.

In spite of these two problems, the library estimates foot traffic per month at about 19,500 people. Counting close to 20,000 library users per month tells me that Concord residents like to read and enjoy the resources at the library for research and for Internet use. Many folks are not in a position to own their own home computer.

I hate to say this, but we are raising a bunch of dummies. In one instance, a young person stood muttering to herself because the computer went down during a transaction in a store. She could not figure out that if the purchase was 98 cents, the customer would receive two cents back from a dollar bill. I am not exaggerating!

Therefore, it is refreshing to think of all of these people and their children who are seeking out learning and books. According to the law, the library and the recreation department are the only two discretionary spending areas in the budget. A $3.3 million dollar shortfall is expected, yet property taxes continue to be pretty hefty!

I have no answers because I am not in charge of policy, or government spending. All I have is a “voice.” With that, I want to speak up to say that the Concord Library means a lot to many people, including us. It is foolish talk to discuss getting rid of it. New England is the home of the “free library” idea.

The library seems like the least service that should be available. How do we balance the budget? How about cutting some of the “frew-frew” money spent on Education in our schools?

I can do more math in my head than a student can do, with or without a computer. I learned how to add and subtract with a piece of paper and a pencil, the old way. I am just not sure why we are settling for less quality in Education and spending more and more, all the time. That is my opinion, not that anyone asked. My (tongue in cheek) suggestion is that everyone take up quilting and learn math the practical way.

This situation totally reminds me of the book, 1984. It seems like “government speak” when people don’t really say what they mean. In my humble opinion, this whole discussion seems to be leading up to another case of stick it to the taxpayer with more fees. The verdict is NOT in, and neither is “Lucy” of Charlie Brown fame, with her “5 cents for psychiatric help” sign. A lot of readers will be needing a therapist, should the library be removed from our midst.

Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications

When the last issue of Quilter’s Home magazine was published, it was wrapped in a cellophane bag. Supposedly, the contents were just too “hot” for children to accidentally view, while their mothers were busily shopping at JoAnn Fabrics. In fact, that store decided not to carry that particular issue at all, although they have offered the magazine in the past, and conceivably may do so again in the future.

Not finding this title to buy, locally, when it first came out, we traveled from the central part of our state to its southern edge to a Barnes & Noble store. The check out person was intrigued when I pointed out the headline banner: “Shocking Quilts: We Show You The Controversial Patchwork!” He said that he would have to pick up a copy on his break.

THE IMAGES IN QUESTION

First, we saw a blue and white quilt by Mary Beth Bellah called “Helping Hand,” inspired by a Viagra commercial and including (but not prominently) a limited edition fabric that features male organs, a view so tiny that I missed it the first ten times I looked at this article, even with magnification. The thought is perversely amusing! In fact, not finding it, I thought that perhaps this “special feature” was quilted into the plain white fabric. No matter. The quilt was nicely done, but is one I simply would have walked past, in any show, as I do with any quilt that I need a written explanation to understand.

Next, we have a gun-toting Jesus in “Jesus Get Your Gun” by Shawn Quinlan. I did not recognize Him because the “halo” could just as well have served as the rim of a cowboy hat. The quilt itself is very well done, from a technical standpoint, as are all of the quilts and was inspired by the words of a bumper sticker. I took no offense. In fact, given what a PBS show had to say about the genetic background of Jesus, it is easier to imagine Him as having looked more like Yassir Arafat than the commonly-accepted notion of a blonde-haired, fair-skinned, European version of Jesus that shows up in most art renderings.

There are two quilts that provoke historical memory and many people would find them offensive for their stark reality. http://www.gwenmagee.com/portfolio.htm (link disabled today). One quilt, “Southern Heritage/Southern Shame” depicts bodies hanging in front of a Confederate flag. The other quilt, “God of Our Silent Tears I” is an image of men being executed in the electric chair. Both quilts were made by the same artist, Gwendolyn Magee.

I am recalling these images, one by one, so that you will understand my concluding remarks.

So, next, we have the well-developed (back side view) of a man in Randall Cook’s quilt, “I Remain.” The lone figure appears to be the lone survivor of a nuclear holocaust. The caption reads, in part, that the quilt is “sexually charged.” If viewing any naked body is a turn on, then that description may be accurate for some people, but would not apply to many readers. Certainly, I did not interpret the quilt in that manner.

The next quilt shown is my favorite: a baby’s wide-eyed emergence into the world from a birth canal. The quilt’s title is “Uncertainty.” I don’t perceive anything nasty or evil in Gayle McKay’s quilt. It depicts a true fact of life, and hey, aren’t we all grown-ups here?

The final quilt called “The L Word” by Diane Johns was my least favorite. I’d have to stop and analyze all the elements of it, color-wise and otherwise, to tell you why I did not like it. However, my main objection is the “ugly words” all over it, pejorative euphemisms for “homosexual.” I don’t like to hear or see those downgrading words. I prefer to think that we, as human beings, are all more alike than we are different; that we all have feelings; that we all bleed when we are cut. I am sure that this quilt made me consider the pain that same-sex partners must experience when tagged with the “q” word, or the “d” word, or the other “f” word, etc. However, I did not like those words, in my face, and they seemed to be the essence of the quilt. No doubt that was the intent.

Was I truly “offended” or “outraged” by any of these quilts? No. Could I agree with one reviewer, Jeff Vrabel, that they are all “filth?” No. Only if he would agree that the statue of David is porn, or that sacred paintings that depict Baby Jesus, in His entirety, are nasty. No, these quilts are not filth. They express different life experiences, history, and perceptions, period. The human body is, in and of itself, not disgusting or evil.

The purposeless “f” word, spoken or written by teenagers in public forums all over the Internet is more offensive to me, as are the constant references to “alternative lifestyles.” Those inferences get boring, after a time. Being “gay” is no longer a gay topic, especially when one thinks of all of the problems caused by same gender activities. I don’t need to delineate the potential health problems, some of them lethal, with which gays are victimized, nor the social stigma that their status can evoke.

Stereotype of “Little Old Lady” Quilters

Would I like to see more of this kind of art quilt in any quilt magazine or show? Not necessarily. Why not? Gee whiz, I must be one of those allegedly boring, “little old lady quilters.” You know the type: one who can stand and “ooh and aah” over beautiful quilts from the past because they are well-executed, have lovely colors, and warm the soul, and sometimes the body. You know, the quilts that do not need to disturb one’s sensibilities or make social statements?

I prefer to marvel at how many (hand) stitches per inch a quilter (of old) was able to make. I love to see scrap quilts because they tell me about the fabrics the quilter had available to her at that time, and I can often identify the age of the quilt by the colors of some of those scraps. I like traditional designs, but not exclusively. Many new quilt patterns today are lovely, but are often a spin-off of traditional designs. I mean, how many times can we reinvent the wheel? The answer is thousands of times, as witnessed by the countless variations of geometric quilt designs, alone, not to mention variable appliqué motifs.

I enjoy viewing the edge treatments of quilts and seeing how the approach to finishing the edges of quilts has changed, over time. I love the HISTORY of quilts. I like ALL quilts, just as I enjoy All art, but I enjoy some quilts, and some art, more than others. Get it? Like many people, I approach this current topic of “shocking quilts” in a quilt magazine with a bit of ambivalence.

In a sense, when we look at Mark’s magazine, we are seeing a new legacy. His was the first magazine to recognize “controversial” quilts, in print, and to bring them to a wider public forum. This must encourage the quilt artists involved and all quilt artists. It is important that they continue to express themselves and quilt their own “visions.” We do not live in a monolithic world. You may like to eat Oreo cookies, while my preference may be Ginger Snaps. That does not make you wrong, and me right.

I have always said that there is room for all, especially the creative people of the world. In my opinion, this magazine situation is not a black and white one. Many middle-aged women have told me that they like this issue! I do not think it is fair to categorize the readership of this magazine as for “young people” only. It may come as a great surprise to Mark that even very old people in nursing homes still kid around about sex, and/or show an interest, some actively! I could explain even further, but I will refrain!

This landmark issue of Quilter’s Home magazine presents art quilts that deal with tough subject matter. With all the stir and buzz about them, and the interviews and attention that Mark has gained from newspapers and talk show hosts, one wonders what the contents of the next issue will be. It is worth noting that good art work, rendered in whatever format, makes all of us think.

Good luck, Mark! Thanks for providing a forum to bring art quilts to the living rooms of all, even the “little old ladies.” The world is watching what you will do next.

Thanks to all the art quilters who share their talents and their work with the public through exhibitions and online. Without them, we would not be having this discussion. They have succeeded in making us all think, and that is a good thing!

Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications

The title of this post originally belonged to a television show in the early 1960s. It was a comedic, if not satirical, look at the previous week’s events. This essay is a summary that is neither comedic nor satiricial, but just a look at the past week. I feel that my view of the quilt world has changed considerably. I was elated to see that the Massachusetts’ quilt documentation committee published its long awaited book. I have only just begun to savor the history and the quilts within its pages.

During the last few days, I have also seen quilts that insinuate sexuality, violence, politics, religion, and collective memory into the medium of quilting. I have to say that although my original preference was traditional quilts and quilting, I am interested in this relatively new use of quilts to express emotion. I am not interested in quilts for their intended “shock” value. When I look at an art quilt, I want to see something redeeming about it, and most especially, I don’t want to have to look at a title or an artist’s statement to explain what it “means.” To my way of thinking, a quilt should be able to stand on its own merit, technique-wise, and otherwise.

My eyes have been opened, in that I did not realize that so many quilts are being made to depict tragic events, like lynchings, nuclear holocausts, and executions. I applaud the quilters’ endurance to follow through and finish such quilts, mainly because I couldn’t and wouldn’t do the same. I wonder why we have to drag these images that are unpleasant into what most of us think is a happy pastime: quilting. Then, I stop and realize that quilters are not making these quilts. The makers are artists who are using fabric as their medium. It may sound like I am splitting hairs, but if you think about it, you will agree.

The good news is that no matter what type of quilts you make, there is room for everyone. Those who are interested in only the prurient will find an audience of like-minded people.

Personally, I believe that this coming week, I will make the time to continue hand-quilting a quilt I started ages ago. Even though it takes me forever, I still like to quilt by hand. I don’t know when I started this particular quilt. Composed of various blocks that I reproduced from antique quilts, or that I made especially to illustrate some of my articles in The Quilter magazine, I love the colors, a mix of blues, browns, and orange, and the mix of techniques. Maybe I am “an old lady quilter,” after all.

I am not shocked at the new focus on controversial quilts, but at the same time, I just ask myself, “Why are these being made?” One answer, and I am sure that there are many answers, is that collectively, as a free society, perhaps we need to remember the transgressions against humans, in the past, in the hope that they will not happen again.

After a week of considering such matters, I am ready to move on to other more pleasant topics. For example, I am looking forward to the Machine Quilter’s Expo in April. I am eagerly watching and waiting for the first “Glory of the Snow” flowers to appear, the first flowers every spring season. I am anticipating the Daffodils in our yard. They spread every year and are grand! I can’t wait until it’s time to store away the winter coats and boots and wear lighter clothing. Oh, yes, there is much to accomplish, and more roads to travel to see quilt shows and quilt friends. I have missed seeing flowers this winter and I long for summer.

Every day is a new beginning. I hope that you have a good week and seize each moment (that will never come again). Be happy! Make a quilt that will make you smile when you see it. Quilts can be food for thought, but also they can be enjoyed simply for aesthetic reasons, even for just the patterns that hand stitching can make. A stick in the mud, the kind of art quilts I’ve seen in the last week will have to continue to be made by other hands. Like any art, they will reap different emotions from each person who views them. I wish everyone well. If we all liked the same things, it would be a dull world.

Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications

Only with the passage of time can we, as individuals, begin to know and to understand events that happen in our lifetime, sometimes, long after the perpetrators of those happenings are dead. Who knew the details of Vietnam, as it was happening? or Watergate? or the Cuban Missile Crisis? I am sure that I had no understanding. The only reality for me was the number of young men coming home in body bags or maimed, mentally or physically from Vietnam because those men were little older than I. The same is true of the current war situation. I understand the decisions made about entering Iraq and Afghanistan, only partially.

I was disturbed the other night by the going away speech of the current president. I believe him to be a good and sincere man. I also do not agree with his policies and am glad that someone else will have a stab at establishing priorities for this country. In his speech, he intimated that we must always be involved in wars, in other countries, in order to insure our own freedom. It is hard to know if that is what he truly meant, by his words, or if that was just my own interpretation of them. To me, the statement, if I took it correctly, means that we must continually have a war going on, somewhere, where we are sending our young men into harm’s way, so that the rich old men of this country, and others, can have their peaceful existence. There seems to be something morally wrong with that picture and ongoing expectation.

The financial situation is another ball of wax, with all these bailouts. How did this all develop? Didn’t anyone see the problem coming? If so, why didn’t the general public, Joe and Jane, know that their homes would suddenly drop in value, and that their life savings they’d invested, in what turned out to be bogus companies, were at risk? Why is it that the financial insiders can get away with murder, while the guy in the factory has no idea the ax is going to put to his job?

The Great American Dream has been to have two children: one boy, one girl; have two cars in the garage; live in Suburbia; and for both adult members of the family to have a career. Today, what we find are colleges that are diploma mills where any idiot can sit through classes that mommy and daddy are paying for, but not do the necessary work required, and then, when the person receives a poor grade, the student and parents both whine that the kid should have gotten an “A.” We are producing a society of a bunch of ninnies that skate by, with an attitude of “good enough,” but they are actually sub-par in all they do, even if and when those bought pieces of paper that say they are college graduates are attained. Colleges and universities are expensive, and student loan debt is through the roof. Credit card companies lure college kids into getting into debt early, and staying there for the next 40 years, paying minimum balances, while interest rates jump to astronomical highs. It is a fool’s game.

This country is a mess, and everyone is walking around, scratching their heads, and wondering why. Don’t pass the ball. Success or failure begins and ends with every citizen of this country, and attitudes of “entitlement” are getting us nowhere. My wish is that America would step up to the plate and demand better leadership from those we elect. Politics will always be politics and unfortunately, politics usually entail a little bit of crookedness. It goes with the territory. Just look at the recent incident in Illinois and you need look no further. There is a lot of malfeasance in office, from soliciting page boys for secret pleasures, to trying to fix elections, and more, and all of it is sickening with a capital “S.”

I long for a time when I felt more secure, living in this great country: this melting pot of ethnicity. Crime is rampant. A relative of mine went for a walk and was gone for twenty minutes this week, and came home to a burglarized home and a stolen purse. “Gangs” have moved into their neighborhood.

With great anticipation, I am looking forward to the leadership of Barack Obama. He has a lot of obstacles to face, but I don’t think that his race is one of them. His vision for a better America has already transcended that issue. Next week, when he takes office, it will be a milestone with many facets, not the least of which is the feeling in the air that circumstances will improve, and that the ordinary American will be able to overcome financial reversals. I just hope that young people sit up and take notice and realize that President-Elect Obama and his wife have risen to the highest pinnacle of success, as leaders in the White House, because they are decent people who paid attention and who were great students. When I look at the example they set, I am proud to be an American.

Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications and Virtual Museum

For the most part, the television set has been turned off for the past two days, except for tuning in to watch “Home Alone,” a movie that is destined to become a classic. There is something about repetition during the holidays that is comforting. For example, my (late) mother always served orange sherbet topped with cranberry juice, in a tall glass, and with a straw, and ice tea spoon, just like clockwork, every Thanksgiving and every Christmas. Even though we never had that treat at any other time, it is a wonder we didn’t, as it is so refreshing.

There are just so many traditions that my family adhered to, over the years, some of those lost with the passing of my own parents, and other customary habits changed for other reasons. When I was a child, my mother and I would take the bus and travel to downtown Manchester, New Hampshire to do last minute Christmas shopping. At that time, during the 1950s, the huge malls on the outskirts of town had not yet been built. We would go into department stores such as Leavitt’s, Pariseau’s, and Hill’s, and there was a wonderful hardware store called Moreau’s where mother would find all sorts of high quality dishes, china, and casserole dishes to buy as gifts. Most all of these little shops on Elm Street closed their doors, years ago.

With snow drifting down, on Christmas Eve, we would run into aunts who were picking up a few last minute gifts. We would stop at Woolworth’s Five and Dime store where one could actually buy a few things for a nickel or a dime. We’d go up to the soda fountain located at one end of the store, and have a hot fudge sundae. I can visualize the thick, creamy fudge, like no other, even to this day.

Ultimately, Christmas was about going to church. Often we attended Midnight Mass when I was old enough to stay up that late. My brother, Jack, was always eager for presents, and so, the family instituted a habit of each of us opening one present before leaving for church. The gifts were all very practical ones, as I recall, mainly clothing. Oh yes, I did receive dolls, ice skates, and toys, but the parents of four children wanted all of us to have warm flannel nightgowns, or new sweaters, or new flannel shirts, or new cozy socks, for the long winter. The emphasis was on giving, and the gifts were never measured as to who got more than someone else. Giving was done freely, and each gift was from the heart.

Zoom from the 1950s to today. What a sad day it was today. A temporary worker at Walmart was trampled to death for trying to hold back a mob of 200 would-be, crazed shoppers. A pregnant woman was injured in a similar circumstance. This shocking news is proof certain that the idea of Christmas has really gotten out of control. Is any material item worth killing a fellow human being, someone who will be missed by his loved ones during the holidays?

I can’t help but think of the simplicity of the first Christmas. If you are a Christian, then you believe that in a lone manger, the Prince of Peace came into this world on a starry night, and was laid on straw. Traveling from afar, the Wise Men arrived to pay homage to the Christ Child and to bring Him the gifts of incense, gold, and mryhh. Fast forward to 2008. Instead of giving gold in homage, the idea is for merchants to get as much gold as possible, by holding “sales” at impossible hours, such as 2 a.m., and by carrying only a limited number of advertised models so as to dupe the public into spending even more money by buying something more expensive.

There seems to be something inherently wrong, and just plain crazy about all of this. In trying to put more fun into Christmas with high tech and electronic items, people totally miss the point of celebrating the holiday in a more homespun sense. I really can’t explain the Spirit of Christmas to anyone else, as I perceive it to be. I can only say that something is fundamentally wrong with what is happening in America today. Since I can not change other people or the ways of the world, in general, I guess I will have to go work on my quilt. It’s the only option for maintaining sanity in an insane world. As I started to say, the essence of Christmas is love.

Patricia Cummings