I HAVE always been fairly obsessed about the idea of "home" and how people live. I used to own a homewares store where we designed and made all of our goods, and it was while searching for a quilt I would want to make and sell that everythng collided. I realised that quilts were - and still could be - the absolute summation of homes, families, communities and individuals.
They were practical and very, very personal, which meant they became completely precious to the individual and family. Quilts represented both the maker's creativity and the family's history. As well as a means to provide warmth, quilts could be the ultimate storytellers.
I love that you can see the hand of the maker and understand history, culture and political movements through the women (and men) who made the quilts. I am more interested in someone's choice of colour palette than his or her stitching prowess. I have seen quilts of aching beauty made from little more than scraps, and many more "wonky" quilts that are truly moving.
Many quilts were created by women who lived through extreme hardship, sometimes poverty and isolation. Some of these quilts have now been elevated to pieces of art, but their reason for existence was always about need. Their families needed shelter and comfort, and this is what I find most compelling and poignant about quilts. Find a story and a quilt that move you. Do not fret over your stitching skills or be anxious about your choice of fabric. Most of all, don't give a moment's thought to whether you feel you are creative. Just make.
This is an edited extract from A World Of Quilts by Cassandra Ellis, published by Jacqui Small, £25
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