Applique and Quilted Coverlet c. 1938

Manuel G. Runyan made this Applique and Quilted Coverlet, but we don't know exactly when or with what. But it looks like it was made with fabric, stitching, and a whole lot of patience. There's something really special about the way this piece is put together. You can almost feel the texture of the fabric, see the tiny stitches holding everything in place. It’s like Runyan is inviting us to touch, to feel the history and love sewn into every inch. It’s not just about the design but about the act of making itself. Look at the little orange star. So simple, but it draws your eye right in. It feels like a burst of energy right in the middle of everything. What a bold move, like a painter’s daub of pure color, disrupting the calm. It makes me think of the quilts by Rosie Lee Tompkins, a similar feeling of intuition and improvisation guiding the way. It is not about perfection, but about the beauty of imperfection, the kind of beauty that only comes from human hands, and a whole lot of time.