Crazy Quilt c. 1940

This 'Crazy Quilt' was made by Edith Magnette. It’s a patchwork of colours: reds, browns, blues, purples, and creams all stitched together with delicate embroidery and floral details. Imagine Edith sorting through piles of fabric scraps, each with its own history. I can picture her carefully selecting a piece of floral fabric, then another with stripes, and then another, arranging them until a pleasing composition emerges, a little bit like how I construct a painting. Each stitch is carefully placed, forming a network of lines that hold the quilt together, connecting all the different shapes and patterns. There’s a beautiful tension between the wildness of the composition and the care of the stitching. I find myself wondering, what was Edith thinking as she worked? Was she thinking of home, of family, of comfort? It feels like she was creating a world, piece by piece, stitch by stitch. She is in a long conversation with many artists over time. Isn’t that what all artists are doing?