The Fold: Let It Fade
Let It FadeGiving used fabrics new life in quilts is nothing new. But we live in a time where brand new fabrics are so accesible that I think creative reuse deserves some more attention. A quilter today can choose to make a quilt using entirely new material, or entirely used material. We get to make that choice, so it’s important to name why we make that choice. In short, I like using fabric that’s already lived some kind of life before it goes into my quilt. I want some history of use there. I don’t even have to know what that history is. But if I know that this fabric was worn on a body, or lived in a home, or went to work with someone, that adds richness to the object that I make with it. If you want to see the impact that time has on fabric, try taking apart a pair of jeans. I even go so far as to deliberately point out “imperfections” that come with use and time. In 2019 I made a set of mini quilts with fabric that was previously used as a curtain and faded from its exposure to the sun. I used this worn, ink-stained denim patch in a quilt I made for myself. I put bright red fabric behind the worn bit so it would stand out more. In one of my very first improvisational quilts, I used an “ancestral” fabric (something that sat in our family home for decades) that had been exposed to the sun. I deliberately left the faded parts in, because that’s part of that fabric’s story. Fiber artist Woomin Kim put this idea beautifully on an episode of Zak Foster’s podcast, Seamside: “When I try to draw or paint what I’m trying to describe, it’s impossible. Painting feels more like I’m on a stage, like solo, and it’s very lonely. I don’t know what to do. But when I work with fabric, the beauty of it is fabric comes with their own personality and their own pattern, their own materiality. So fabric is reaching out their hands to me first, like, ‘Oh, here I am, work with me.’” The Good StuffThink about someone you love. Do they have any scars? Moles or freckles? Laugh lines? Tan lines? Stretch marks? Have pieces of their body been removed or replaced? Do they use glasses or braces or hearing aids? Do those things make you love that person less? OF COURSE NOT. We’re real people living in the real world who know that the real stuff is the GOOD stuff. Those things help tell our story. A few years ago Katie Couric interviewed actress Frances McDormand. They’re talking about how women in the media are not allowed to age. McDormand points to lines on her face and describes what parts of her life created them. FM: “This is the map. This is the road map.”
KC: “So, when you see people who are remaking their faces, you get upset about that.”
FM: “Because it takes it away. …I’m gonna cut out, I’m gonna take it away, I’m gonna erase, ten years? Fifteen years?”
She knows that those lines are her life’s story. Subversive, Skilled, Sublime: Fiber Art by WomenThere is a fantastic exhibition of fiber art by women at the Smithsonian American Art Museum this summer. Can't get there in person? We're in luck! The website includes detailed images of the work and bios of each of the artists. Click here to see more. Alice Eugenia Ligon, Embroidered Garment, ca. 1949, embroidered muslin, cotton crochet; pencil; cotton rick-rack trim, 43 3⁄4 x 38 1⁄2 in. (111.1 x 97.8 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Herbert Waide Hemphill, Jr., 1989.78.2 Remembering Shelley Duvall (1949 - 2024)You might know her best from The Shining, or Popeye, or that one scene in Annie Hall. For me, Shelley Duvall is synonymous with Faerie Tale Theatre. I’m pretty sure Rapunzel was the first thing I ever saw on a VHS machine. I inhaled this series as a kid, and it played a big part in my lifelong fascination with fairy tales. Don’t worry, you don’t have to beg for Mom or Dad to rent one from the video store. They’re all on YouTube. A GIF For Those Who Read This FarThis week’s GIF is from the Faerie Tale Theatre episode starring Robin Williams as the Frog Prince. May all your tales end happily, xoxo Sarah |