Our interest in the relationship between fabric coverings or quilts* has its roots in our interest and love of fabric.  As girls and women we have loved the texture, color and feel or fabric and somewhat later in life we have come to appreciate and participate in the art of piecing quilts. 

As we reflected on this attraction to fabric and ways of using it, and the current interest in North American culture in quilts, we began to see fabric as a reflection of the cultural history and values that have and continue to inspire their design and multiple uses.  We see, for example, patterns and motifs in some quilts that reflect a nostalgia for traditional artistic expression and ways of living. In other designs there appears to be a desire to break from the traditional and explore a new way to express human experience.

We hypothesize, therefore, that fabric coverings are windows into the materials and technology of geographic regions or religious groups and a medium through which cultural meanings are communicated.  Frequently the work of women, the diversity, creativity and artistry in functional fabric coverings reflect, we believe, the multiplicity of women’s lives.  They are threads of their creators’ stories.

As an expression of women's experiences within a particular culture, investigation into the culture of quilts provides opportunities to engage in the process of learning about others.  Exploring the messages women are threading into quilts offer us an opportunity to enhance global knowledge and  international understanding between cultures.  While this may seem like a goal too large for an investigation into fabric coverings, we believe that there is an important role for cultural diplomacy at the citizen level.  Our individual understanding and way of reaching out to others on the earth matters.  Our world view can influence the larger global picture.

As quilters, researchers and teachers we are proposing a cross-cultural study of quilts as bearers of cultural history, meaning and values.  Our goal is to study eight countries with rich cultural histories in the art of textile coverings to uncover relationships among the design and technique of fabric production, culture and the contributions of quilting by women.  

There is also an art component to our work.  Inspired by our investigation of the culture and interactions with quilt makers, we will design and piece an original quilt in response to each culture we study. We intend, eventually, to  make the art quilt patterns of these quilts available to interested quilters and in this way we intend to create an opportunity to develop and support cultural exchange.  Further, we intend to tell our story of this investigation in photographs and narratives, providing an opportunity for the audiences interested in textile arts to learn about the richness and diversity of worldwide functional art the the lives of the creators of this art.

Where to begin

We begin our project in our own culture, heritage and experience.  We will carry out an investigation into the creation and production of quilts in Mennonite/Amish culture, exploring the manner in which they reflect the historic symbols and values of the group.  Specifically, we will investigate the role of the quilt as it has been designed and made by groups and individual Mennonite and Amish women to be sold at 45 years of public auctions held to benefit international relief through the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC).

Three works in particular have served as inspiration for this project:

1) Quilt Inspirations from Africa, (England & Johnson, 2000)[i] is, to some degree, a project that parallels our larger goals.  Based on an exploration of African cultural history the authors offer sixteen quilt patterns based on African designs.  While valuable, the authors had not been to Africa to establish relationships with African quilters and their book does not include an exploration of the social significance of quilts within the African context;

2) In Her Hands:  Craftswomen changing the world (Gianturco & Tuttle, 2000)[ii] is an analysis of the economic role of female artisans in twelve countries.  The authors engaged with ninety women living in twenty-eight villages, documented and celebrated their work, and discussed the social/political impact of women’s work.  Though most of the women’s art researched was textile related, no quilts were included;

3) In World Textiles:  A Visual Guide to Traditional Technique, authors Gillow & Sentance (1999)[iii] document hypotheses we share with them and thus, offer important background material for our project.  “Each textile epitomizes the culture that produced it” and “the history of the world can be read in textiles:  the rise of civilizations and the fall of empires are woven into their warp and weft along with the great stories of conquest, religion, and trade” (inside front cover).

* We use the terms quilts and functional fabric coverings somewhat interchangeably.  While there are what we commonly call quilts in many cultures, some cultures do not require the warmth supplied by the process of quilting three materials together but do have a tradition of fabric coverings for functional uses.

[i]   England, K., & Johnson, M.E., (2000).  Quilt Inspirations from Africa.  The Quilt Digest Press, NTC/Contemporary Publishing Group:Chicago.

[ii]   Gianturco, P., & Tuttle, T. (2000).  In Her Hands:  Craftswomen changing the world.  The Monacelli Press, NYC.

[iii]   Gillow, J., & Sentance, B (1999).  In World Textiles:  A Visual Guide to Traditional Technique, A Bullfinch Press Book, Little, Brown and Co, Boston.