by Linda Theil
Steven,
I am giving you this quilt because every stitch represents a step in your journey to become a board-certified, healthcare professional.
This quilt is composed of blocks in the traditional log-cabin quilt block design, consisting of fabric pieces spiraling out from a central square that represents the heart, the hearth, the essential. Although the log-cabin design is traditional, the execution is modern because fabrics are chosen from cotton pieces the maker has on hand. The pieces for your quilt were gathered in a color palette of red, white, and green, accented with gold. Each block was composed according to the maker's esthetic at the time of its creation. For more information on this process, see AppletonDance post, "Scrappy log cabin blocks".
This improvisational approach is a current fashion in quiltmaking, influenced by "The Quilts of Gee's Bend" show in 2002. So your quilt represents the continuity of quiltmaking, setting an ancient tradition within contemporary practices -- much like your profession.
The quilt is 62 x 86-inches and is made of cotton fabrics of various vintage covering a span of over half-a-century. The oldest fabric in your quilt is over 60-years old and is a remnant from my mother's sewing box -- a tiny print of cardinals, poinsettias, and holly leaves. You can tell the fabric is old from the minuscule nature of the print, the relatively poor quality of the fabric, and the unsophisticated imagery.
Quilting was done by long-armer Laura Jarvis of Kootsi-Quilts in Stockbridge, Michigan in a design called, "Bauhaus". The binding is hand-basted and machine stitched by me.
Keep warm. I love you.
Mom
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