The Quilt Scout is IN: On Pictorial Quilts and a Woman Who Loves Them

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Pictorial Quilt with American Flag, unknown maker, Ohio, cottons, c. 1930. Image: Wikipedia.

Gang, it’s Quilt Scout time.

“Mary, it’s always Quilt Scout time,” you say, looking ravishing in your Christmas sweater.

I beam at you and open up my arms and, in a loud, Southern-accented voice in the style of my quilter friend Margaret down in Baker, Florida, “Honey, git in these arms! Git! C’mon and just git in these arms, sugar! You ’bout as sweet as they come.”

Anywhoo, the second December Quilt Scout column focuses on pictorial quilts; specifically, how I am (v. slowly) making one of my own, and how much I love them and have always loved them. I can’t be the only person around here who feels this way, can I? Surely not, except that a person doesn’t see them a lot being made these days, does a person? This person doesn’t, but maybe I’m not looking hard enough.

Enough of the lead up. You can read the column right here and thank you, everyone, for seeming to give a lick* about the things I write.

*another Margaret-ism

Comments

4 responses to “The Quilt Scout is IN: On Pictorial Quilts and a Woman Who Loves Them”

December 19, 2017

Sarah Murray

I really like your plane. Perhaps you should reconsider since planes are a big part of your life.

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December 20, 2017

Kerry

Nice column. Nothing wrong with tied quilts (haven’t done one yet, but my friend has made lots) and they are puffy snuggables.
I love the Ladies of the Sea, but when I was looking up on the internet I saw someone had changed a ship to a submarine! That made me laugh – and why not have a submarine – it is a lady of the sea but a newer one! Maybe I could do my own version of tall ships – the Cutty Sark is my all time favourite. Then blocks could be alternated with sea birds like puffins and gannets. The list of things to do is endless!

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December 20, 2017

Lauren

My jam, as you say, is the nexus of the cultually masculine (the geometric, mostly) and feminine (colour and tactile qualities) apects represented by quilts. I therefore find pictorial quilts less intrinsically appealing to me than patchwork because they lack that rigid structure for the colour to struggle against and be enhanced by. That said, I have had a landscape quilt in the planning stages for about 4 years; I insist that it will be pieced, but my skillz aren’t there yet.

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December 20, 2017

Donna Johnston

Martha Mood, have you seen her quilts? They are amazing!

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