I aspire to be crafty, able to make beauty with my hands out of thread, yarn, cotton, wool, silk and more, but the truth is I am not crafty, not at all. Once, ironically during one of the hottest NYC summers on record, I started a crazy quilt. I did this because it was too hot to rollerblade (yes, I was a devoted rollerblader), too hot to walk the dogs, too hot to sit and read (my brain felt like hot oatmeal), and too hot to watch TV, which boxes generate a little heat, after all – but a crazy quilt? Sure, let’s do that.
I had been buying men’s 100% cotton button downs in various shades and patterns of blue from a Catskill Mt. thrift shop selling clothes at $5 a bag, thinking – maybe these’d make a great a quilt? And then, the temps hit over 95 degrees, with a high level of humidity, and okay, now, do it. Try, anyway.
I sat in this huge comfortable chair/chaise I had purchased for too much money, and I sewed, by hand, odd pieces cut from those shirts. It was meditative. It was calming. It was using my creative energy in a way that made little sense except that it was perfect for that point in time. Win-win.
All that said, fast forward two decades plus; that crazy quilt is long gone; the world continues to warm rapidly. As I was recently waiting for my car to charge (EVs rock, especially when we’re at war in the Persian Gulf, FFS!), I wandered into a local gallery that features photos of the Catskills’ Quilting Hall of Fame. How fab.
EVs slow me down, which is a good thing. And, invite new experiences in, like seeing these women and their framed quilt squares. I envy them their artistry and effort; I value them. I am not, ever, going to be one of them but gosh. How absolutely fab, and with apologies (a small sample below) as my photo taking skills are lousy and the light – with all sorts of reflections – wasn’t ideal. Still, how fab. The darker, and more abstract square on top is my favorite, but the amount of work in the bottom two examples below…humbles me. <3
