What is a quilt?

When I was growing up, the only quilts that I knew of were made of squares, sewn together, placed over a worn-out blanket, and then tied to a backing material with little pieces of yam. The squares were often leftover fabrics from home made clothing, and it was fun to identify the pieces I recognized – this one from my new dress and that one from the kitchen curtain material. On our beds the quilts were placed in between the sheets and the bedspread. They were serviceable and practical. Many years later, when I began to understand the time and effort and love that was stitched into each covering, I finally appreciated their beauty .

My Thorndike-Barnhart dictionary must have been written by someone who grew up in a family like mine, because its definition is, “bedcover made of two pieces of cloth with a soft pad between, held in place by lines of stitching.” Nothing glamorous there, more practicality.

However, a few years ago, I had the opportunity to meander through a quilt show at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. Wow! No leftover scraps of fabric there. The artist had hand-dyed each fabric specifically to match the color theme of each quilt. The colors were blended so beautifully that I was mesmerized by their arrangements. Each quilt truly was a work of art in color and composition.

I’ve been reading the book “Hearts and Hands: The Influence of Women & Quilts on American Society.” In their designs, symbols or lettering are found dedicating the quilts to a loved one or to the memories of people in the family. One such red, white and blue cotton quilt, hand stitched by Elizabeth Holmes in 1869 when she was 68 years old, contains the stars and stripes of the American flag, a dove of peace, and the words “ABRAHAM LINCOLN & THE UNION FOREVER.” Because the Ns on the quilt and the S on her name were backwards, I wonder about her ability to read or write, but there is no question about her patriotism, even though she wouldn’t have been able to vote.

Another quilt was called a friendship quilt and it contained the embroidered names of friends and family members. It was given to a relative who was heading west, leaving the settled Eastern states by wagon train, and who probably would never again see the people she was leaving behind.

A crazy quilt, made from silk and velvet pieces, contained beautiful floral designs and was obviously made by someone who was well-to-do and had time to decorate and beautify a covering for one of the beds in her home.

These coverlets are a long way from today’s quilts, pieces of art, made by women, and sometimes men, who are skilled in color coordination, design composition, and computer application. Their fabric choices number in the millions. The linings, battings and threads are as numerous as the fabrics. These quilts are beautiful, and probably will be used for decorative purposes rather than useful.

I was recently reading an intermediate level quilt pattern called Cappuccino Light. It called for 3 1/2 yards of cocoa stripe — fabric A; 1/4 yards of off-white — fabric B; 1 1/2 yards of wheat — fabric C; then 3/8 yards and 3/4 yards and 5/8 yards and more, then a 98-by-98-inch piece of fabric backing, and batting and thread in matching colors, etc. The cutting directions read something like this: “11 3-3/4 x 42-inch strips; recut into 120 3/4-inch squares, then cut diagonally in half (for outer border blocks).” I stopped reading. It is fun to peruse the magazine and enjoy the pictures, but I’ll leave the analysis of the pattern to the quilters.

All of this background info is leading up to the announcement of an upcoming show at the Albert Lea Art Center. ‘The Art of Quilting” will be held from Sept. 12 through Sept. 30, with the open house and demonstrations from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 12.

We are hoping to have a variety of quilted items on exhibit — simple, practical, humble, elegant, historic, modem, bed coverings, wall hangings, and wearables. You are invited to share a piece of quilting from your home, and you do not have to be a member of the Art Center to exhibit your piece(s).

If you have an item you would like to display, you can pick up an entry form at A-Best Sew & Vac, the Calico Hutch, or the Albert Lea Art Center, or you can call Marlene Behle at 373-2742 or Bev Jackson Cotter at 373-4748.

This promises to be a beautiful, unique, and fun exhibit. We hope you will join us.

Bev Jackson Cotter is a member of the Albert Lea Art Center where the show Art in a Sustainable World by Heidi Thompson, Bonnie Wedge and Sara Aeikens will be on display through Aug. 26.