karen's gallery - home

previous | next

Sturdy Stock - 49"WX58 1/2"H ($750)

“Sturdy Stock” is a quilt inspired by the quilters of Gee’s Bend, a close-knit group of African American Quilters who developed their own sophisticated and delightful aesthethic sense during the Depression years as they created quilts to warm their families and feed their creative spirit. Many of their quilts have been touring the country for the past 5 years and a second exhibit of their very powerful and beautiful quilts opened in Houston this summer. This quilt is made from my family’s clothing, which I cut apart. My favorite, but well-worn gardening shorts are in this quilt, as well as demin shirts, and pants from every family member. There is dirt, and wear and sweat etched into the fibers of this fabric. The fabric sags, as clothing does when it is softened by wear and the human body stretching it. I wanted the fabric to retain its connection to those bodies, which it once clothed, and to tell the story of their toil. My roots are in the sturdy stock of people who immigrated to this country, who worked, and worked hard to make their way. This quilt acknowledges their effort.

Designed, Nonlinear Cutting, Machine Pieced, Hand Quilted

Karen Nuzzo

previous | next