Friday, December 17, 2010

"I WANT TO LIVE THERE."


So everytime we showed the Mahalla quilt, there were wordless expressions of surprise, delight, embracing, ahhhs and great big smiles!

With her hand at her chest, one woman said, "It feels close."

Another said, "This (one) is ours."

A young woman looked in wonder at the quilt and turning to me said, "I'm speechless!"

After hearing about the 3 golden houses being an encouraging, healthy mahalleh to live in, one woman put her hand by that area and said in earnest, "I want to live there."

I love to standing to the side to let others tell the story of my quilts in the local language. I've done this in Asia, Africa & the Pacific Rim. Here it was happening again. In 2 of the photos I am off to the side, watching and listening, just where I like to be, letting the quilt 'speak' through others.

In one group creative ideas were thrown around for other, simpler ways to picture the story. Inspired by a book of collages I had shown earlier, one of our new friends quickly drew the mahalleh scene, folded it acordion style into a little book & handed it to me. Wow! And I love the fox! (pictured)

Why did this quilt work so well? An expat, though having never visited their country, created their style of houses, on their street, their mahalleh, & their culture. Even their traditional ethnic fabric, Atlas, was designed into the quilt. They were amazed, delighted, encouraged and honored by this quilt. Photographs, fabric scraps, thoughtful content and a little creatively made it happen. It brought me great joy to see the joy it brought to all who saw it.

4 comments:

  1. Such a beautiful story. It is so characteristic of you to just stand to the side and enjoy the comments. I love that one, "It feels close." What joy...

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  2. I love seeing the quilts and reading your thoughts about your work and then reading how the women interpreted the quilt's stories. I also focused on the food on the table... an interesting assortment. Was it sort of a potluck or did you supply the food, too?

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  3. yes-you know me so well, Pat-anyway it's not about me, It's about Him

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  4. Jo-I will do a post on the food...it's a whole 'nother thing!

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