Personalized Storytelling Through Creative Arts - Part I

When I create something, I pour a little bit (sometimes a lotta bit) of myself into it. Every stitch, stroke, or letter holds part of my love for the recipient and my passion for creating.

In return, I frequently receive a bit of someone's story. To me, that's invaluable - a piece of someone's life, a snippet of personal history, a glimpse into the way someone else has lived and the things they've experienced. That can't be monetized. You can't put a value on it.

I may delve into some of those stories in future posts. But for now, I want to explore some of the ways this exchange occurs and the interactions that occur between the participants.

My advisor Dr. Katelyn McDonough, myself, and my mentor Joan Spencer at my thesis defense in May 2024. My thesis examines the relationship between femininity and quilting in the Pacific Northwest.

Quilting & Feminism

My four years at the University of Oregon taught me many things: practical skills, potentially useless bits of information, "people skills," and the extent of my own abilities and strengths. It all culminated in an undergraduate-level thesis wherein I explored the relationships between quilting and feminism in 1930s and 2020s Pacific Northwest. The project included seven interviews, weeks of digital and hard-copy research, and the creation of my very own 99-block sampler quilt.

Although the quilt - now hung on my living room wall and soon to be displayed at the 2025 Oregon Quilt Festival - is the most visceral reminder of this project, the interviews and personal excerpts are what will live in my memory for years to come. I had the honor and privilege of interviewing eight quilters and sewists of the PNW, learning about their experiences as female-presenting people in the world of fiber arts.

Photo by Grace Mangali for the UO CHC Senior Spotlight, May 2024

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"The power of cloth

cannot be denied."

The Definitive Contemporary American Quilt - A Collection

Barbara Steinbaum, 1990

This quote is the opening line of my written thesis. It calls to mind the magnitude of every piece of cloth the reader has ever worn, created, ripped, mended, or touched. It evokes memories of those who have traditionally been the makers and manipulators of cloth, those whose livelihoods depended on their skill in working cloth, and those who even now continue to create new patterns and methods of creating cloth. And it states, indisputably, that a simple piece of fabric has the power to change lives and histories.

Throughout the next 35 pages, I examine everything from the origins of quilting in the U.S. to the details of one COVID-19-era quilt. One of the most significant elements of these pages is the content of the interviews I conducted, and the stories of the women I spoke with.

I mentioned at the beginning of this post how I leave a little piece of myself in each thing I make. Hearing that so many other women do the same thing was reassuring and struck home how passionate so many makers are about their craft. And what's more, I realized that people of all genders are extraordinarily lucky in this day and age to have, for the most part, the luxury of making and creating for fun rather than purely for a living wage. I mean, think about it: a farm wife in the Great Depression could make wonderfully intricate quilts, sure, but she was working with whatever scraps she had stored away and the quilt would almost certainly be used for warmth rather than decoration. Now, a woman might craft an equally intricate quilt out of all newly purchased fabrics, meant only to be displayed or judged in a competition.

And the great thing about both of these creations? They're equally treasured.

That's what made me pursue anthropology: people and their values and the things they make to represent their lives. And that's precisely why I absolutely adore working at my current job in a sewing center. I get to learn all about our sewing machines and then chat with customers about machines, sewing, different crafts, and the world of fiber arts today, sharing our passion for material arts and our different histories as they relate to each other.

Like I mentioned, this is only the beginning of my exploration of these topics. For now, I'll share this post in the hopes that someone will find it and know that there are others out here who share their interests and are learning right alongside them.

-T