Words on Fabric, Quilts and
Other Textiles
Part I
by Patricia L. Cummings, 2010
This file will show you examples of words used on fabric or quilts. When I put out a call for examples, a number of current quilt artists responded. I promised to publish information about their textile, and to provide contact links so that you will know where to find more of their work. The first responder was Gloria Nixon who sent the photo of this piece of fabric.
The lines in the center say: "Hillbilly Music / "On the Air," / Hillbilly Flour Everywhere / It Tickles Your Feet / It Tickles Your Tongue / Wherever You Go / Its Praises are Sung." There is a barrel that says, "Flour Not Pork."
"Pretty Boy" is playing banjo. "Mickey Wickey" is on violin. "Happy Horace" sits playing a steel guitar, and "Klondike" is on cello. Three bags of Hillbilly Flour can be seen!
Gloria Nixon writes: "Here's my favorite cotton fabric with words. It dates to 1938 from the W. Lee O' Daniel Flour Co. and can be found in both flour sack form and yardage. A detailed history of the print is in my book, Feedsack Secrets: Fashion from Hard Times."
This art quilt by Beth Wheeler says, "Let Me Fall / Let Me Fly / There's A Moment / When Fear and Truth / Must Collide."
To learn more about Beth Wheeler, author of Next Steps in Altered Photo Artistry and Altered Photo Artistry, and to see additional work, please visit: http://www.threadography.net and http://www.threadsociety.blogspot.com
This image is the top half of a quilt that features Whooping Cranes. The first line of the text on this journal quilt says, "Consider that in the 1940s the entire North American Whooping Crane population stood at only 15 birds. [...]" To see the rest of the quilt, please the second link listed below.
Letter from Kathie Briggs on 8/22/2010:
Hi Patricia,I have added words to two quilts. The first was "Snapshots of My Mother's Life" (2005) where I quilted words all around the border of the quit. The words tell stories about my Mother. http://kathiebriggs.wordpress.com/2010/05/01/happy-birthday-mother/
The second was "To Save the White Birds" my journal quilt for IQF (2007). I wrote the story of Operation Migration and printed it on fabric. I matched the background of the document I created with the background of the photo that Operation Migration provided. Words and images used by permission. After the tour with IQF I donated it to Operation Migration for fund raising. http://kathiebriggs.wordpress.com/2009/07/25/another-memorial/
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The next four quilt images and information were sent by Chris Gilman on 8/22/2010.
"HARVEST," a commissioned quilt, was constructed from my art, photos of graffiti from alleys in our city, plus computer graphics. The print is about 15" x 30" and thought provoking. I took the photos of all the gang graffiti; some days we took over 30 different "designs." I would rather take photos of clouds, or flowers, or ducks on the river. At least there is no graffiti on those things... so far.
"TALK 'TIL SHE'S BLUE IN THE FACE" is 23" square and has cotton fabrics, beads & buttons. Juried Show: Art Quilts VII, "Caught in the Act," Chandler, Arizona, 2002. Inspired by a class I gave in creativity. One lady simply wouldn't shut up.
"YES" is 24" square. Needed a positive message when my husband was sick and I first developed Post Polio Syndrome. Published in Quilt magazine.
"BODYPARTS" measures 38" x 48" and features cotton fabrics, hand appliqué, and hand quilting. Notice there are no muscles. Beware of prescription drugs! Visual Arts Network Winter Studio Tour, Wenatchee, Washington 2004.
Chris Gilman has a website you will want to visit: www.chrisgilman.com
In addition, she has pictures of her "Small Art Quilts" on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrisgilman/sets/
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Now, let's take a look at two quilts made by Wendy L. Starn of Alexandria, Louisiana.
"Everybody's Talking at Me"
"These are the two recent pieces made for the Breaking Traditions exhibit that opens in late September, so nobody has seen them yet. The theme is "In My Own Words," and benefits Autism Speaks. The pieces are about communication. One has the words to a song, and was cut up and reassembled."
"Failure to Communicate" by Wendy L. Starn
"The other has speech-related nouns on the quilt surface, and is quilted with the same words in different directions, then overlaid with sheers stamped with speech-related verbs..."
Wendy Starn's websites: http://splendiferousfiber.blogspot.com
and http://public.fotki.com/wlstarn/
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Cindy Simms, Instructor and Author, sent the following photo of a quilt in progress, before it was embellished.
http://www.cindysimms.net/
Author - "Baltimore Beginnings"
2002 Quilt Teacher of the Year Nominee in Pro Quilter Mag
MDQPN ---http://www.masondixonquiltpros.net/
This quilt transports us to an earlier time of romance and fairy tales when all dreams had a chance of coming true.
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Next, with her permission, I will reprint a letter that Delores Hamilton sent to the Quilt Art list on 8/22/10, and copied it to me:
Patricia (Cummings) brings up something that has always stymied me: adding words to a piece of art.
I have been a writer for most of my life. When I started making art quilts, I thought it would be neat/cool/intriguing/charming/seductive to add words to my quilts. But I couldn't do it. I felt that if I added words, it would detract from the art, in general. If I added words that focused on the theme of the art, I felt like the viewers might think that I didn't think they were smart enough to get my message without the words. (Did you follow that?) I have seen many successful quilts with words on them, and I admire the artists who can do that successfully. I can't. I do buy commercial fabrics with writing or text on them and use them occasionally, but that's as far as I go.
There are four files currently associated with this feature article:
This one: "Words on Fabrics, Quilts and Other Textiles, Part I" Featuring a feedsack image sent by Gloria Nixon, and art quilts by Beth Wheeler, Kathie Briggs, Chris Gilman,
Wendy L. Starn, and Cindy Simms.
"Words on Fabrics, Quilts and Other Textiles, Part II." Art quilts by Delores Hamilton, Debbie Bates, Linda Boone Laird, Bunnie Jordan, and A. Carole Grant.
"Words on Fabrics, Quilts and Other Textiles, Part III." Art quilts by Barb Sherwood, Barbara Campbell, Barb Forrister, and Carol Warner Mesimer.
"Words on Fabrics, Quilts and Other Textiles, Part IV." Art quilts by Sherry Boram, Sally K. Field, and Eleanor Levie.
Here are some additional files on my website that show textiles with words:
http://www.quiltersmuse.com/poinsettia_christmas_stocking.htm
http://www.quiltersmuse.com/a-history-of-molas.htm
http://www.quiltersmuse.com/hankies.htm
http://www.quiltersmuse.com/Samplers.htm
http://www.quiltersmuse.com/embroidered_pillows.htm
http://www.quiltersmuse.com/Jose_Marti.htm
We hope you have enjoyed this file.
If you would like me to add a photo of your quilt, please contact me, Pat Cummings, at: pat@quiltersmuse.com
Quilter's Muse Publications, Concord, NH 2010. All rights reserved.