Two colors, infinite variety

Warning: once again, I’m a little light on the knitting content, but fear not! I’ve got LOTS of quilt pictures to make up for it! (and the knitting is always happening in the background)…

I was fortunate enough to catch the “Infinite Variety” quilt show hosted by the Folk Art Museum in NYC this past week. Held at the Park Avenue Armory, it showcased 650 quilts of Joanna Semel Rose, a collector of red and white quilts. Mrs. Rose’s husband asked her what she’d like to receive for her eightieth birthday and she responded with “something she’d never seen before and something that would be a gift to New York City.” The exhibition was his gift: a free show to the public that displayed an infinite variety of quilting styles, techniques, fashions, and patterns. As to why the collection included only red and white quilts, the exhibition’s brochure noted that this was due to the colorfastness (and therefore reliability) of fabric dyed with Turkey red dye and its synthetic alternatives in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

Mrs. Rose herself admits that the quilts are “not the prizewinners at fairs nor ones that have been passed down in families,” but are instead “ordinary coverings, their creators largely anonymous, their provenance obscure, not meant for company beds or ‘best use.'” To me, this was the charm of the show – a woman collected quilts for their intrinsic value and out of respect for the time and effort that another woman put into her own surroundings. It speaks volumes of how even the most ordinary/necessary tasks of the day can be imbued with creativity, imagination, and even a sense of humor. And it reminds us that even a little bit of crafting in our lives can engage our own ideas, dreams, and experiences.

Entering the exhibition was a bit of a sensory overload, as the quilts were displayed to resemble playing cards hovering in midair. Everywhere you turned, there were more and different quilts. It was an incredible sensation and a bit of genius, I think. And naturally memorable, too: it was the biggest quilt show ever assembled in NYC.






Having learned from my mother how to quilt as a child/teen, I saw a lot of familiar, traditional patterns (Log Cabin, Ohio Star, Flower Basket, Barn Door, Pinwheel, etc.), but one different theme that I enjoyed was the repeated use of diagonal lines or lattice-type designs:





Another variation on the theme that I particularly liked was the creation of mostly red quilts with white fabric used as accents – these two quilts (the flag-type design at top and the Ohio Star quilt at bottom) were hung together at the back of the show and both used star motifs to great effect.

Still another stunning theme was the sheer amount of piecework and/or embroidery that some of the quilts displayed – you can just imagine the fortitude that went into finishing each of these!

And if you’ve managed to stick with me through all of these pictures, you’ll see that I saved the best for last, or rather, my favorites for last. It’s interesting that I enjoyed these two the most despite all of the complicated, ornate stitching that I saw – I guess these pictures are proof that I really just enjoy traditional, simple designs after all!

It was a once-in-a-lifetime event and I’m thrilled to have experienced it in person. Hope everyone has a great weekend!

PS: Mom, this one’s for you – this was the ONLY wedding ring quilt that I remember seeing in the entire exhibition!