The Utah Museum of Fine Arts currently has an exhibit called Hemstitched Worlds: The Cartography of Quilts.
I loved how they presented the stories of the quilts and how they compared them to maps.
Quilts might just seem like a little art project, or something to keep you warm. But they are so much more than that.
"Like many objects rooted in the everyday, quilts have the capacity to communicate stories about the context in which they were made and used. They represent maps of the quilters' lives - Living records of cultural traditions, rites of passage, relationships, political and spiritual beliefs, landmark events and future aspirations. "
They hold so many clues about the maker and together, all the clues some together to tell a story.
Quilts can tell stories about where the people lived, what they did for a living, what they wore, what was available to them, and the events happening around them just by the patterns, and fabrics they choose.
Friendship quilts show the social structure in the area they lived.
This quilt is made from wool soldiers uniforms. It showed they lived in a time of war because that is what was available to them.
This is a quilt made from condoms wrapped in aluminum to bring to awareness that most quilters are women.
This is a Bird of Paradise quilt made by Moanikeala Revoir. This type of quilt is popular in the Hawaiian Islands.
This is the Hmong Story Quilt by Bao Lee. It tells the story of the Hmong people with the Vietnam War. They helped American soldiers, stayed in refugee camps and hoped for passage to the United States.
As one who makes quilts, I found the exhibit to be fun and cool. I loved their examples, and how they presented them as a way to look into the lives of the makers. If you are in the area, I recommend you go check it out.
Have fun quilting!
