Red and White bandwagon

The big red and white quilt show in NYC a few weeks ago is still coloring the world of quilters blogs. I needed a quiltie for a swap. I feel victim to red and white virus. So I made this: it's about 8x7, in the "try something new" vein. The little strips of red sewn on the white ground are raw edge, at the ends I've pulled the white bobbin thread up and tied it with the red top thread and left the ends a couple of inches long, thus giving the surface a "hairy" look.

The idea came from one of the posts on the 12x12 blog [in the sidebar, at the bottom] Then I finished by bordering with a red and white stripe and a red and white print on the back. It's really a very simple little quilt. I think the drama of red and white makes it interesting. When I do these tiny quilties I usually feel inspired to make larger versions for myself later on. That may happen with this. Quilties feel like sketching or doodling to me. Since I care about words and their uses, I think the rather childish diminution of the "ie" ending is appropriate and yet distasteful. I'd call them "quilt sketches".

Quilties, inchies

Recently learned terms: Quilties. Inchies. I don't like them. Cute-ifying things isn't my style. Making miniature quilts, yes. That I understand and have seen some very amazing ones both new and antique. The journal quilts and the postcard quilts, these also I understand and have made many. But why this apparent need to infantilize a craft or art work? Do people think it makes quilting less serious? Less frightening? Does it sound like fun as opposed to a bit of work? Maybe other people have other feelings. It's words and what words imply that bother me. I believe profoundly in the importance and power of words and definitions for what we do. I prickle remembering how the women's movement of the '60s and '70s struggled that women and their work should not be marginalized as unimportant. These words seem a regression that we are sheltering under like wet cats in the rain.

BUT I have made what is called a "quiltie" with appliqued raw-edge "inchies". And I love it. I enjoyed arranging the colors, enjoyed using the smallest buttons at the bottom of my button collection as embellishment. And I'm going to go cut out another set of inchies for a second one on the same background fabric and I have plans for a third that will not be inchies but different and larger and I won't call it by any diminutive, I'll call it a little art quilt. These names as I'm using them here are for swaps in which those are the operative words and most of the above is my not at all subtle protest.

Confucius said that understanding begins when we have 'rectified names".

Quilties, Inchies and other wee wonders

I'm a bit of a word watcher, a touch of the Lynn Truss sydrome [you know, Eats, Shoots and Leaves] I've lately seen a bunch of words turned "cutesy". I am now acquainted with "envies and addies" which are envelopes and addresses. I was truly befuddled about "inchies" -- one inch finished mini fabric art. Quilt Arts actually had an article on them. Why? I wonder, unless it's to be maybe jewelry, a pin or hanging on a necklace -- how about a necklace of inchie charms? Umm. I feel no appeal just as I've so far felt no urge to do ATCs [Artist's Trading Cards] which are about 2x3 and have become hugely popular among "artsy" types.

Quilties are a little more appealing and I'm about to make one and see how it feels. They are 5x5, finished. Partly their in-utility puts me off. What do you DO with little pieces, even if they are art and I believe some surely are [tho' mine aren't likely to be]. But the overall area is similar to quilted post cards which I have enjoyed making I plan to make more in the near future. And I think I'll have a go at a quiltie very shortly, like right after I have a big of supper, I have an idea ... We'll see, maybe I can post a picture of a quiltie tomorrow.

By the way, my Lynn Truss type peeve is "their" which I find used even in the New York Times and in books from major publishers as a singular or all purpose pronoun. I shudder every time I see it used that way - it's plural. Period. It refers to more than one person and almost all the dreadful sentences in which it is used incorrectly could be very simply restated so the writer or speaker wouldn't need a pronoun at all. End of mini-rant.