I just watched the PBS Home Video documentary "A Century of Quilts: America in Cloth" tonight; I had picked it up at the library. It was so good - I watched it twice! It "celebrates the art of quilting by featuring selections from the best 100 American quilts of the 20th century, the stories behind their creation and the quilters as they work." They featured older quilts as well as contemporary ones. I found it to be very moving; many of the quilters they interviewed echoed my sentiments re: quilting:
"I don't sell my work; I make a quilt just for personal satisfaction, and I don't want to sell it. It would be like selling a child; you put so much time and effort into what you are doing.- Jinny Beyer
"Somehow quilt making is a way to work through tragedy, a way to present your soul ache publicly in an acceptable way.... Quilts aren't just decorative objects; quilts can serve as intense artistic expressions of oneself."
- Jonathan Shannon
"Every quilter knows what was going on in her life at that time [when she was making the quilt], and it documents it for her."
- Paula Nadelstern
It also helped me to better understand why so many people were moved by my quilt display last month. I think they connected deeply with what what was being expressed by each quilt maker through their various quilts, especially the older ones. And, there's something about an art form that is touchable. Quilting is an amazing hobby, unlike any other creative venture I've attempted....
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