Historical Context: Patchwork

Curran, M. (2018). How a Group of Women in This Small Alabama Town Perfected the Art of Quilting | Op-Docs. YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHEqYVzSs7U [Accessed 8 May. 2021].

This video was about a group of women in Alabama who continues their tradition of quilt making
It is passed down through generations in their family
I am inspired by their idea of quilting
They said it brings them peace and a moment to connect with their beliefs
I think that is very empowering because quilting was always seen as a "grandma" sort of term and it can be seen as boring or dull. But these women experiments with their colour and culture and brings out their love for quilting

Historical Patchwork in China

Patchwork from my own culture would be from China
China is also known for its long tradition of patchwork even in ancient history
They use more circular shapes that creates images and prints onto the fabric
I am intrigued by their use of colour and expression in imagery
It is less focused on blocks but on the shapes they create when connected with each other

Hanson, Marin F., "Cross-cultural Commemoration: Historical Chinese Patchwork Inspires a New Tradition in America" (2012). Textile Society of America Symposium Proceedings. 692.

Baijia Pao "One Hundred Families' Robes"
Made by Han Chinese mothers to gift to their children on their birthdays
Made for good luck because each fabric piece is donated by numerous local well wishers
Using tessellated shapes (squares, triangles, hexagons, and diamonds)
Sense of uniformity using geometric shapes however they are also imperfect as it indicates it is created by human hands and has their sense of natural design
Also comes as a form of quilt
This article explained how an American family used this idea of a hundred wishes quilt for their newly adopted Chinese infant
After seeing this I felt very touched that they used this form of method to welcome their child who may have once been abandoned
To relate to my project I also want my patches to me in uniformity and aligned together however I also want to show the rawness of it being a hand made design and also a form of slow fashion

Screenshot 2021-05-26 at 9.10.14 am.png

Research

Confirm copying