 | Story Quilts |
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Slightly different from the memory quilt, there is the story quilt itself. Fabric is a unique medium for story-telling. Below is a great example of how one story quilt came about:
 | The Client: Dana Greyson, Certified Mediator and Communication Coach, Positive Change Mediation, was upgrading the decor of her new office. "When I saw the lovely memory quilt Rosie did for a former client of hers and heard the heartfelt story behind it, I knew my feng-shui consultant-inspired search for 'a fabric that told a story' for my office was over; Rosie was the perfect artist to address that challenge." |
| The Adviser: Joy Overstreet is a Practical Feng Shui consultant based in Vancouver, Washington who offers feng shui consultations and classes, color selection advice, and clutter-clearing support. In assisting Dana with her office decor, Joy suggested displaying a fabric story to not only enhance the office atmosphere with warmth and beauty but also to illustrate the difficulties one can encounter in communication. In her blog Joy describes how the elephant quilt illustrates the problems and complexities of perspective. |  |
The Story Quilt: Dana's office is small but well appointed. She felt that the story of the Six Blind Men and The Elephant "would be perfect for my mediation office as so often issues are borne of misunderstanding. Helping folks 'see' how easy it is for that to happen is helpful."
When Dana viewed the final product, she said, "Rosie's design and fabric choices are both beautiful and brilliant; they really bring home the elegant simplicity that make the story so powerful. I can hardly wait to see the effect Rosie's wonderful quilt will have in helping my clients better see the whole picture they need to understand to build a better future." |
Closeups of Elephant Quilt
The Artist's Vision: From the start, this project was both exciting and satisfying. Upon hearing Dana's idea, I immediately pictured a small quilt with an elephant in the middle, encircled by six blind men with their various misrepresentations. Since the fable originated in ancient China, I envisioned the blind man as a Chinese holyman. While visiting Dana in her warm and inviting office, I realized I had an entire wall for the quilt, so I enlarged the image so that each element stood out. Simplicity and clarity was important, as this story tells itself. Color was crucial. Originally I had chosen an orange and yellow batik which matched the walls, but not the elephant's colors, so I switched to purples, a nice contrast to the warm walls. Batiks seemed the best fabric choice as they have a hint of asian flavor and contain both variation and individuality. For fun, I braided each Chinamen's topknot with real black fringe so that they are three dimensional. Finally, I quilted each section freehand to add texture and depth.
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The Fabric Artist: I get the greatest pleasure from taking a client's idea and running with it. It seems to spark my own creativity and imagination, and I get a double reward not only from my own satisfaction at viewing the finished product, but also from seeing the client's appreciation of my work and the delight it gives them.
If you have an idea you would like to explore with me, please contact me at RosieR. Who knows what we might be able to come up with? |
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