Sunday, January 15, 2017

Carolyn: A Lifetime of Boundaries



I thought long and hard about this theme.  My recurring thought kept returning to the boundaries that women have faced for centuries.  After our surprising election, I made the decision to go with my gut feelings for this quilt.  I thought of all the American women who have fought for the rights of women - from Abigail Adams to Eleanor Roosevelt to Maya Angelou.  In my own 76 years, I thought about times when as a teenager,  I wore only skirts, and never jeans.  I remembered that the only career choices for women in my day were nurse, teacher or secretary.  I cringed at the memories of crude insults from some doctors at the hospital where I worked as a nurse.  I laughed at the time when I was required to have my husband's approval to open my own bank account and apply for my own credit card.  I painfully considered the time in the mid 70's when I finally became brave enough to file a sexual harassment complaint against a male co-worker.  I also thought about my female friends and their struggles.  I stood in awe of the two women from our church who, in the 1950's, became the first female elders in the Presbyterian Church.  I shared the grief of friends who had to change denominations in order to become the ministers they were called to be.  And, I thought about all of the women I never knew on whose shoulders I stand because they bravely worked for equality.

I chose a subdued pink fabric for my background.  I decided that Rosie the Riveter, that symbol of strength and can do, would be my theme.  I drew a picture of Rosie without facial features to represent all women everywhere.  I fused the gray Rosie to a green background to represent "growth."  Using Wonder Under, I fused Rosie to the pink background, colored in features with fabric pencils and dots of pink ink.  Then I machined stitched around all of her features.  Next came the bars representing boundaries we, as women, still face.  I wanted to honor the women throughout American history up through the present who have worked on behalf of female equality.  I considered many different ways to do this and finally decided to handwrite the names with fabric pencil.  If you look closely, you may even find yourself listed there.  Lastly, I fused the entire quilt with a light brown tulle to signify that our work is incomplete.  A zigzag border in pink, gray, black and green finished the piece.

14 comments:

  1. So thoughtful! I love everything about this piece including your description!!

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  2. What a unique and clever idea! I love it. Using the Rosie the Riveter image was genius. I'll have to move this quilt to my desktop, and then turn it sideways, as I am eager to read those names!

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  3. So personal and yet so meaningful to all of us!
    The thought you put into it is moving and some of the memories you shared so poignant!!Love your Rosie and all of her friends she represents.

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  4. Love this! Did you know the original Rosie the Riveter painting is in Arkansas? Crystal Bridges Museum of Art in Bentonville.

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    1. Yes, I've seen it several times. LOVE Crystal Bridges!

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  5. I love this use of the theme. I look forward to talking to you at our retreat about my new series. Have to keep it quiet right now. Wonderful execution as always!

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  6. Beautiful! It is that simple. The thought, design, and finished product tell the whole story. I am reading the biography of Ruth Bader Ginsburg "My Own Words" and you learning about her quiet strength. Rosie the Riveter and all the women, including you, are amazing! Thank you for doing what you have done and for standing with those who needed your support. Thanks for making this quilt!

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  7. Wow. This is truly thought provoking. I think this was a terrific way to interpret this theme.

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  8. Wow What a perfect quilt for Boundary. Love your image.

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  9. Your quilt so eloquently speaks of your heartfelt and thoughtful narrative! Everyone of us can relate. When I started working 40 yrs ago sexual innuendos were a given. Girls wore skirts in school no matter how cold it was! The list goes on... I admire your bravery. Beautiful little quilt with a big impact. One more thing I was grateful for was never having to wear high heels to work. My feet would have never made it!👠👠👠👠

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  10. I LOVE this quilt. It is certainly timely. We've made great progress and I hope we get to move forward. Even in the late 70's I had a boss who said he would never hire a woman unless she had to work to support children. I was fresh from college and needed and wanted to support myself and he was not happy I was there.

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  11. Carolyn, The first comment that was removed said TEST. Alice came over this morning and figured out what I needed to do to make comments. Something I have not been able to do for the last few challenges.....I love this quilt in that you pictured a boundary that is not really visual but is none the less there. And I really like the historical context. Great Job!

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  12. I am amazed how you got so much information and feeling into one piece; but that is you. That is how you think and who you are. I am so proud of this work you did.

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  13. W O W ! Your quilt has an amazing impact to it ! And from the comments of the other MMs, you can tell that we're all relating to this piece in our own personal ways. Thank you for focusing on this particular "Boundary" and for representing the struggles that all of us as women have gone through... and in many respects, continue to go through in our daily lives. BRAVO !

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