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Research Themes
Working in this field since 1981, I have defined the terms and adopted the criteria that allow for an open approach to study. I broadly define a quilt as a “textile sandwich of three layers held together with stitches.” Once I record the physical properties, construction style, aesthetic characteristics, unusual elements or features, condition, and provenance, then I seek to validate the quilt as an object of material culture.
I use historian Rachel Maines' three criteria.
- An artifact must have a traceable line of ownership from the time it was made to the present.
- It must be representative of the experience of the mainstream of population during that time.
- It must be the free expression of the maker made without fear of ridicule or censure.
The widely accepted quilt styles and construction materials allow for this and reflect the individual uniqueness of each diverse maker's needlework skills and family traditions. This is especially relevant when the defined goal is to explain the significance of the daily lives, activities, and values of ordinary women.
Then, researching the broader sphere of the maker's activities, I'm able to place the quilt within the context of the maker's social and cultural activities, the aesthetics of her community, the economic circumstances of her family as well as the intended use of the quilt.
Once women were settled, they soon left their farms and homesteads for the broader world of community involvement. They took their needles, threads, and quilting frames with them to their voluntary associations. They created quilts and continue to create quilts that have become concrete expressions of their shared values and worldviews. These quilts, made in community, often serve as time capsules to particular place and time in society.
I have taken these themes and further defined them for individual research and public presentations. One of my greatest joys is helping people to discover the maker's history through revealing the clues often stitched away in the quilt's construction.
Research Themes