Coverlet c. 1940

Charles Roadman made this coverlet, a geometric textile design, sometime between 1855 and 1995. I just love the repetitive red squares against the cream background! When I look at this, I think of Agnes Martin and her grid paintings. Maybe Roadman was thinking about her too? Or maybe he was just thinking about how to make a really cool blanket. I can imagine him sitting there, threading the loom, lost in concentration, trying to get the pattern just right. Did he make mistakes? Did he have to start over? I find it comforting to know that even in something as precise as weaving, there’s still room for human error. The making of something like this must have been a beautiful, meditative process. Textiles, like paintings, have so much to teach us about patience, repetition, and the beauty of imperfection. They also remind us that everything is connected—each thread relies on the others to create the whole. And that’s a pretty good metaphor for life, don’t you think?