{"id":4840,"date":"2015-09-24T07:21:28","date_gmt":"2015-09-24T11:21:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/vweisfeld.com\/?p=4840"},"modified":"2015-10-02T06:59:09","modified_gmt":"2015-10-02T10:59:09","slug":"cover-ups-and-freak-outs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vweisfeld.com\/?p=4840","title":{"rendered":"Cover-Ups and Freak-Outs"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"quilt,

\u201cStars and Sparks\u201d by Judy Tescher (photo: Vicki Weisfeld)<\/p><\/div>\n

A terrific show is at the Indiana State Museum<\/a> in Indianapolis through October 4. Titled \u201c19 Stars: Quilts of Indiana\u2019s Present and Past<\/a>,\u201d the show was conceived as a way to mark the upcoming 200th anniversary of Indiana statehood, the 19th state to join the Union. The quilts on display\u201419 historic ones and 19 contemporary designs\u2014all have reference to star patterns and themes. The photo at right is a portion of one of the modern quilts, \u201cStars and Sparks,\u201d by Judy Tescher (and now the screensaver on my iPhone).<\/p>\n

The historic quilts were made from the 1830s to 1980s (historic? I remember<\/em> the 80s!), while many of the contemporary quilts were created especially for this exhibition. All show both literal as well as creative interpretations of the star motif. The 2010 artists use a wide array of construction techniques and often work collaboratively. Modern sewing machines have expanded the types of actual quilting they can accomplish.<\/p>\n

\"quilt,

\u201cStars\u201d by Mary Kay Horn (photo: Vicki Weisfeld)<\/p><\/div>\n

Some of the quilts are beautiful mostly because of the fabrics used, and some, old and new, because of the intricacy of the quilting, which is what holds the fancy top together with the (in historic<\/em> days) cotton batting in the middle and the usually plain backing. At left, \u201cStars,\u201d by Mary Kay Horn, and, below, \u201cBohemian Fireworks,\u201d by Sandra Peterson, which uses the same color techniques the Impressionist painters did to make the colors pop.<\/p>\n

I still have and use quilts my grandmother and great-grandmother made, and I have a dim memory of visiting my great-grandmother\u2019s home when a neighborhood quilting bee was in progress. The tops of the patchwork type of quilts were made from material leftover from sewing. Adult family members could point to a patch and say, \u201cI always loved that dress\u201d\u2014one they\u2019d had when they were schoolgirls\u2014or \u201cThat\u2019s the dress I wore to cousin Louise\u2019s wedding!\u201d Other tops seemed to have been made from purpose-bought fabric because the whole project uses the same materials\u2014too much material to be just leftovers. A “Lone Star” quilt\u2014popular in my grandparents’ home state of Texas\u2014and a detail from it are at the bottom of this post. It’s from the 1830’s, the oldest quilt in the show and the detail indicates they were no slouches when it came to intricate quilting in those days either!<\/p>\n

\"quilts,

\u201cBohemian Fireworks\u201d by Sandra Peterson (photo by Vicki Weisfeld)<\/p><\/div>\n

A unique aspect of this museum visit that other patrons cannot count on experiencing was that the power went out shortly after we arrived. Thankfully, emergency generators kept the quilt exhibit well lit. Though parts of the museum were in darkness and had to be forgone, we became fascinated to watch catering staff soldiering on with the setup of a wedding dinner and reception for about 350 people (counting place-settings), and the band members snake their many cords across a stage. This space was well lit by windows in the middle of the day, but at party time, who\u2019s going to take the chance to plug in that amp?<\/p>\n

The reception was booked for a room on the top floor, so cocktail tables, plastic bins of glassware, and everything had to be carried up four flights. The wedding guests, I\u2019m guessing, would miss those elevators, too! If you\u2019ve ever organized an event of this size, you\u2019ll see how it had all the makings of a major freak-out opportunity. I couldn\u2019t help hoping no one had told the bride\u2019s mother yet, that the power would kick back on, and she\u2019d never have to know.<\/p>\n

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