Applique Quilt 1935 - 1942

This Applique Quilt was made by Catherine Fowler; and what grabs me right away is the way she builds this world, block by block. You can see the stitching, the labor, the time, the *process* in every seam. Look at the block with the wreath of peaches. The leaves are different colors, different fabrics, stitched on with such care. There’s a dark brown circle there, smack in the middle, and it’s off-center. That one detail throws the whole thing into this amazing kind of wonkiness. It reminds you that the quilt is handmade, and by someone who isn’t trying to make it perfect. It’s this combination of pattern and little imperfections that makes it so lovely. It reminds me a little of the work of contemporary artists like Faith Ringgold, who also worked with quilts to tell stories. But with Fowler, we’re left to imagine the stories for ourselves. The beauty of the quilt, like all great art, lies in the mystery.