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Lyrical Poem - Final (for now)

Lifetimes shared
In columns and rows
Stories within stories
Written in fabric and thread
Layer upon layer
These petals and stripes and whiskers
Whispers between generations
History reborn in quiltcore fashion
Form and function
In all its timeless
Beauty

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My recent fascination with quilts began with an early-morning freewrite. I was looking around my bedroom-office for inspiration, and I became transfixed by the quilt on my bed— and the dozens of intertwining stories it represented. I thought of its maker, my wife's dearly departed Auntie Dot. I thought about the play, Quilters, that I saw in our small-town Heritage Theatre many years ago. And I thought about the stories that must be embedded in each piece of fabric Dot used to piece together this fabric manifestation of love and art. Then I thought about the hand-made blanket I bought in Peru decades ago, during an epic trip with my uncle and father, and I realized how often I take for granted such simple luxuries as having a roof over my head, or a blanket on my bed.

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This is the quilt that started my inquiry. I've now learned that it was the first quilt my wife took notice of at her Auntie Dot's house in Bellingham. It was made in 1982, as confirmed by these words written in thread in the bottom-right corner: "DOROTHY WATSON, BELLINGHAM, WA, 1982". Dot gave it to us shortly before her death in 2017.

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The play that first made me open my eyes to the amazing craft of quilting.

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Quilters is a musical with a book by Molly Newman and Barbara Damashek, and lyrics and music by Barbara Damashek. It is about the lives of American pioneer women based on the book The Quilters:Women and Domestic Art by Patricia Cooper and Norma Bradley Allen. The show was originally developed and produced by the Denver Center Theater Company, Brockman Seawell, executive producer. It had a brief run on Broadway in 1984.

The Denver Center Theater Company produced the world premiere of Quilters in 1982. The musical then was produced at the Mark Taper Forum, Los Angeles, California, in December 1983; the Pittsburgh Public Theater from December 16, 1983 to January 30, 1984; and for 7 weeks at the Kennedy Center, Washington, DC starting August 4, 1984 through September 1984. Damashek directed Quilters at the Edinburgh Festival (where it won a Fringe First Award), The Dublin Theatre Festival, The Pittsburgh Public Theater, and the Mark Taper Forum.

Quilters opened on Broadway at the Jack Lawrence Theatre on September 25, 1984 and closed on October 14, 1984 after 24 performances and 5 previews. It was directed by Barbara Damashek, with scenic design by Ursula Belden, costume design by Elizabeth Palmer, and lighting design by Allen Lee Hughes, and featured Lenka Peterson as Sarah. Despite an unfavorable review from Frank Rich in the New York Times and short run, the musical was nominated for six Tony Awards, including Best Musical.

The musical has been performed by numerous college and community theater groups across the United States. In 1986, the Frontier Follies (an outreach governed by the board of directors at the Frontier Village) in Jamestown, North Dakota presented the first outdoor theater production of Quilters with actress Mary Reinhardt performing the role of one of the multi-faceted "daughters." Composers Tania S. Wahl and Carrie Kraft were employed, respectively, as Director and Musical Director for the presentation. A full, stage-size quilt was constructed at the University of North Dakota for the outdoor production. Some in the conservative midwestern area questioned the inclusion of the herbal abortion allusion in the Frontier Follies production.

The Denver Center Theater Company again presented the musical May 22 through June 12, 2009. Barbara Damashek was the director for Quilters at the Edinburgh Festival, The Pittsburgh Public Theater, and the Mark Taper Forum. In 2009, the Missouri History Museum, Forest Park presented Quilters in one of the settings from the musical.

In the American West, a pioneer woman, Sarah, and six women, who are called her daughters, face frontier life. Rather than a straightforward storyline, the musical is presented as a series of short tales and tableaux matched with musical numbers, each presenting an aspect of frontier life or womanhood. The patches or blocks show "girlhood, marriage, childbirth, spinsterhood, twisters, fire, illness and death." The patches are ultimately put together to form one dramatic tableau.

Pieces of Lives (first four lines from "The Quilt" by Dorothy MacFarlane)

Rocky Road

Little Babes (lyrics from "Our Homes and Their Adornments" by Almon C. Varney)

Thread the Needle

Cornelia

Windmill

Have You Been to Jesus by E.A. Hoffman

Butterfly

Pieces of Children's Lives

Green, Green, Green

Needle's Eye (chorus from the lyric of a traditional folk song)

Quiltin' and Dreamin'

Double Wedding Rings

Every Log in My House (first line by Eleanor Pruitt Stewart)

Never Grow Old by J.C. Moore

Who Will Count the Stitches?

Crosses and Losses part 1

Crosses and Losses part 2

Dandelion (lyrics by Clara J. Denton from the poem "Blooming in the Fall")

Everything Has a Time

Hands All Hands

In his New York Times review Frank Rich wrote " Quilters is a static melange of skits, monologues and songs unified by a theme rather than a sustained plot or characters."

The Washington Post reviewer wrote: " 'Quilters' should probably be billed as a "play with music," lest you go expecting a big musical number to lift the proceedings a peg or two. Nothing is really big in this production. Its greatest strength is its unassuming honesty. It creates moods, more than it does drama, and its best moods are straightforward, like the people it is celebrating...The script is divided loosely into 16 sections or "blocks," dealing with such themes as childbirth, school days, windmills, courtship, weddings, country roads, religion and even log cabins. At the start of each section, one of the actresses unfolds a piece of quilting, which incorporates that particular concern into its design. Handsome and tidy pieces of work, they combine at the end to make one huge quilt, which is raised high, the flag of pioneer womanhood. It is a transcendent finale."

Original Broadway production

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Quilters is a musical with a book by Molly Newman and Barbara Damashek, and lyrics and music by Barbara Damashek. It is about the lives of American pioneer women based on the book The Quilters:Women and Domestic Art by Patricia Cooper and Norma Bradley Allen.

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September 20th:

Every flower tells a different story
They share the same shape
The same pattern
But why…
are there three light petals on one
and all dark petals on the next?
Why are the filaments that protrude
like cats' whiskers
thread whispers
in yellow?
These strips
by Dot
a finishing touch
to this perfect grid
six by seven
a whisper from heaven above.

I once went to see a play called Quilters.
I won't pretend I was excited
to see the theatrical equivalent
to a "chick flick"
even though I've always been a sucker
for chick flicks.

("Chick flick?"
Such an outdated term.
Was it ever really okay to say,
or just something we men said because
we didn't want to admit
that we liked "unmanly" things?
Fodder for another poem...)

I was quite taken by the spectacle
By the stories of women handed down
through generations
in patches of cloth
woven together
The stories
The women
The cloth.
Nurturing
Building
Creating new life
While creating a new life.

I have never looked at Auntie Dot's creations
the same
since learning the
labour of love
they represent.
For all her quirks and faults
For her sharp tongue
with its questionable judgments
Fabric was her language
of love.
From dish cloths
to slippers
to Afghan blankets
to her crowning achievements
Painstakingly layered
Bit by bit
Turning remnants
each carrying their own stories
into mosaics
bursting with joy
Stories
handed down
through the generations.

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September 27th:

Histories shared in
Columns and rows
Stories within stories
Layer upon layer
Written in thread
Filaments, whiskers, dreams

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This is the building in my local community, built in 1929, where I saw the play "Quilters" a few years ago. I learned through this inquiry that the Heritage Playhouse began as the Women's Institute Hall. It has been a hub for community activity ever since.

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As my fascination with quilting grows, I wonder where they came from—who thought to patch together bits of fabric to form blankets that are every bit as artistic as they are functional. I recall the essence of the play Quilters, about the women settlers who patched together new lives as they quilted together, and I want to know more about these women and their traditions. I think about modern day quilting—is it a dying art, or is it still being passed down through the generations? And are there any men who quilt, as there seems to be a growing number of men who knit? How difficult and time-consuming is it to make a quilt? Is it something that I might consider doing one day, using my daughter's sewing machine, the skills I learned in Home Economics eons ago, and fabric from the bags of clothing and linens that are earmarked for the local thrift store?

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Three generations of a family woven together through fabric arts. Between them, Auntie Dot (in red) and Granny Ruth (in plaid) have made more than half a dozen quilts for our family. And Ruth handed down her love of sewing to my daughter Iris (in purple), who has taken to sewing accessories, clothing, and adorable fabric animals. Perhaps Iris will carry on the quilting tradition that runs in her maternal bloodline?

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Immersion - Personal Stories Written in Fabric

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Immersion - Personal Stories Written in Fabric

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I ask my wife, Sheila, about Auntie Dot's quilts, and the stories they  represent. She smiles nostalgically and says, "She used some of our old clothing. I can remember looking at a quilt and thinking, 'that was my brother's t-shirt" and 'those were the pants I wore when …'."

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This "play quilt", which my wife deemed too beautiful to play with, sits in storage for my daughter to take with her one day, or possibly to hand down to someone in the next generation, if our family is gifted with a next generation. Just look at the intricate stitching—stripes on a sail, hot-air balloons patterned like Easter eggs, even chicken scratches—and marvel at the effort that this one small blanket represents.

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What memories do these patches on my son's quilt, bunched up at the end of his bed, represent?

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"Quilting can be traced back as far as ancient Egypt.  In the British Museum is an ivory carving from the Temple of Osiris at Abydos found in 1903 which features the king of the First Egyptian Dynasty wearing a cloak or mantle that appears to be quilted."

Quilting came to America from England, a craft brought by the Puritans (settlers from the religious reform movement known as Puritanism) in the late 16th century. At that time, quilts were purely functional, used as blankets and to cover doors and windows to keep the cold out. I'm sure that even those earliest quilts had a certain artistic charm, as they wove together fabrics that each carried their own histories.

"Quilting may well have been a relaxing activity for a pioneer woman, especially when the women of the community or rural area would gather at each other’s home for a quilting bee.  Whether a social event for these early women, or the result of a gathering of the community for a barn building, these times were often the highlight of these women’s challenging life."

Quilting became more of an art form in the 1700s, and by the 1800s "whole cloth quilts"—those made from a single piece of fabric, stitched using elegant needlework. Another technique, called appliqué, layered smaller pieces of fabric onto the larger cloth purely for aesthetic reasons.

"Those early quilts tell the history not only of early American quilting, but also the early history of the country."

(Quoted and paraphrased from https://www.ablockaway.com/long-history-of-quilting-explored.htm)

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I remember receiving this quilt from Dot for our fifth anniversary, in 2007. Admittedly, I probably didn't give it the appreciation it deserved, because I was clueless about how much work would have gone into this. I also didn't realize the depth of this fifth-anniversary tradition that began when my wife's oldest cousin had a "shotgun wedding" back in the '70s, and Dot gave her an Afghan instead of the quilts that were her hallmark. When asked why an Afghan, she said that quilts were a lot more work, and she wasn't convinced the marriage would last. She promised to make one for the couple's fifth anniversary, if they lasted that long, and a family tradition was born. For the record, that couple is still together more than 40 years later.

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Who needs a Rembrandt when you have a Dorothy Watson? I am told that this gem—my son's "play quilt"—won an award within the quilting community.

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This is my daughter's well-loved quilt, made by her granny Ruth (Dot's sister), which currently resides with Iris in her Kelowna dorm room—leaving the dull brown-and-white commercially-sewn blanket on the vacant bed that awaits her return visits. I have a strong desire to find a quilter—or take up the craft myself—to replace the worn-out patches on this blanket that will keep my daughter warm through her first winter away from home.

Looking at this photo over my shoulder, Sheila points out fabrics from her mum's dresses and her brother's shirt. Patterns, like a few bars from a classic song, triggering memories from decades ago.

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Who says I'm not hip? According to StyleCaster.com, I'm quiltcore!

"Oh, and if the word “quiltcore” is strange to you, you can totally just refer to it as the patchwork trend. These days, any popular look has become its own -core, and quiltcore is in many ways an extention of grannycore and the grandma chic aesthetic." (quoted from StyleCaser.com)

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Photo: Courtesy of Isabel Marant Etoile; Free People; Vigoss; Adobe.

Scroll To See More Images

If you thought you could wear last year's neutral, monochrome 'fits in 2021 and still look cool, think again. These days, TikTokers and Gen Z fashionistas control the top trends, and maximalism is king. That's why it's no surprise the patchwork fashion trend is having a revival-with colors and patterns galore, quilts are the perfect inspo to pin to the center of your Gen Z mood board.

Seriously, though. Everyone is obsessed with clashing prints and patterns in fashion these days, and quilts are the OG epitome of pattern mixing. While not all of today's trend-inspired takes really resemble actual quilting, it's important to know a little history before you put your own spin on the look. Patchwork quilting has been around for an estimated 5,000 years, used everywhere from Ancient Egypt to China. In the United States, old, worn clothes were recycled into patchwork quilts during the Great Depression.

There are all different kinds of patchwork quilts, but right now, the block patchwork style is the hottest aesthetic of the moment. Brands are dropping patchwork pieces left and right, some of which actually consist of different pieced-together fabrics, others that just evoke the look. There's also been a rise in quilt-inspired outerwear, which isn't always designed with patchwork in mind, but the recognizable thick quilted materials still evoke the same quiltcore energy.

Oh, and if the word "quiltcore" is strange to you, you can totally just refer to it as the patchwork trend. These days, any popular look has become its own -core, and quiltcore is in many ways an extention of grannycore and the grandma chic aesthetic.

That said, read on for 16 quilt and patchwork-inspired pieces that definitely don't look like you snagged them from your granny's closet.
Our mission at STYLECASTER is to bring style to the people, and we only feature products we think you'll love as much as we do. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale.
If you're ready to really commit to the patchwork quilt look, this button-up shirt is the move. Paired with some high-waisted flare denim? Talk about a perfect Spring 2021 look!

Denim and patchwork just go so well together, don't they? This jacket is a wear-with-everything staple for spring and summer.

Fred's Denim Pants

If you like the patchwork look but clashing colors and prints turn you off, these tonal patchwork jeans are the perfect way to ease into the trend.

This quilted shacket is a perfect piece to rock during transitional spring weather. Plus, the beautiful botanical pattern really pops in orange!

Honey One Shoulder Cheeky One Piece Swimsuit

Patchwork vibes don't have to be heavy, people! Exhibit A, this quilt-inspired suit by Frankies Bikinis. If you like the print and not the style, they have a bunch of other swimsuit silhouettes in the same pattern!

OK, this denim corset and matching mini is beyond perfect. It may not serve quilt vibes, but the patchwork energy is there, so I'll allow it!

Haines Jacket

Tons of designers are leaning into quiltcore, and this Isabel Marant jacket is an absolute stunner. It's a splurge piece for sure, but consider this a sign that you really do need it.

Patchwork Babydoll Dress

I wasn't sure if I loved this dress at first look, but the more I stare at it, the more ways I can imagine all the cool Gen Z girls I follow on TikTok styling it. Add to cart!

I'm a sucker for a good quilt coat, and this Bl-nk pick is one of my very favorites. I love the wide half sleeves for layering longer sleeves underneath!

Steinbeck Patchwork High Waist Straight Leg Jeans

Out of all the patchwork denim on this list, I won't lie: these are my very favorites. I love the daisy detailing at the ankle!

Urban Outfitters makes this patchwork bucket hat in multiple different colorways and it adds the perfect funky pop to any otherwise simple outfits. Plus, it's on sale!

Fair warning: these SKIDZ pants only come in one size, but if you can make them work, they embody the patchwork quilt trend to a T. So good.

OK, I officially refuse to get dressed this summer unless these pink patchwork overalls are in my possession. Catch me wearing them with absolutely everything.

Franco Cardigan in Morning Dew

LoveShackFancy knows a thing or two about pattern mixing, and this cute cardi is such a fun play on the patchwork quilt aesthetic with an extra-cozy twist.

Paisley Patchwork Print Pants

If you're looking for a fast fashion fix, these bandana patchwork pants would look great with a solid crop top and chunky kicks.

Let's swoon over one last stunning spring coat, shall we? This blue quilted Cleobella number is so classy and timeless, you'll be able to style it long after the current patchwork craze has come and gone.

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Meet Quiltcore, Gen Z's Obsession With Patchwork Aesthetics

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Photo: Courtesy of Isabel Marant Etoile; Free People; Vigoss; Adobe. Scroll To See More Images If you thought you could wear last year's neutral, monochrome 'fits in 2021 and still look cool, think again. These days, TikTokers and Gen Z fashionistas control the top trends, and maximalism is king.

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Each of 30 panels on this child's quilt tells its own story. The epitome of "poetic things that are not poems".

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Sunflower or sunshine? 12 flaming petals and one crooked smile, all encircled in a necklace of diamonds.

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What speaks of artifacts and stories being handed down through the generations more aptly than a rocking horse sewn into a child's quilt?

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September 28

Lifetimes shared
In columns and rows
Layer upon layer
Stories within stories
Written in fabric and thread
These whiskers
Whispers across time
History reborn in quiltcore fashion
In all its ageless
Timeless
Beauty

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A purple ladybug, wings spread wide, taking flight while its mate rests thoughtfully on a sagging branch.

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No doubt inspired by the one-room rural Manitoba schoolhouse Dot and her siblings attended. An alien concept for my unschooled kids.

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Three purple tulips and one bee drunk on pollen, swirling through the air in loop-the-loops, flying its own poetic journey.