Why Quilts Matter

Sorry to have been away for awhile--family needs.

Yesterday I was invited to do a presentation on quilts at a rural woman's conference. (Boots to Heels conference; don't you just love it?)  I was very pleased to be asked, and have been spending some time thinking about the topic for the presentation.   Some of the women may be quilters, but not necessarily all of them, so it will need to be different than a presentation to a guild.

My father passed away last month, and part of decisions about his home involved quilts, some old family quilts and some newer ones that Mom made.  With that fresh in my mind and heart, I decided that I would talk about why quilts matter--quilts as biography.  They tell us a lot about us (women, especially), both collectively and individually, in the past and now and in the future.  For me, they mean:  comfort, connection, community, collaboration, continuity and creativity.   

I'm looking forward to finding and pulling out examples of quilts that represent those qualities and characteristics, and sharing them.  And I hope the women at the conference will have stories to share, too.

Why do you think quilts matter?