Sunday, October 21, 2007

Crabby

This makes me crabby.

This is my Ann Frank quilt, hanging at PIQF (Pacific International Quilt Festival) in Santa Clara, California last week, with a bad, fold-y, crappy-looking bunch of creases across the lower part of her face. This picture was taken by Del Thomas, a blog friend, and used with her permission. Del, bless her, actually tried to un-bend and smooth it as it hung there. (In defiance of the white glove ladies!)

I know I have told the story of this quilt before. Made it for a show at the Quilters' Hall of Fame called "She Made Her Mark." It was rejected for that show, but landed in an also-ran group called "She Made Her Mark Too." I got word that these quilts were to be sent for a show at a California gallery and then they would be shown at PIQF. I seriously considered pulling it out at that point, when I learned that it had been deemed "macabre" by the original juror. Why send something macabre to horrify the good citizens of So. California? After deliberating I decided I would probably be a bad sport to pull it, so off it went—carefully rolled and padded to avoid creases and wrinkles, I must add. And then it won a prize.

I think it looked OK at the gallery show. I saw some pictures and didn't notice the crease. So I think somewhere between the gallery and PIQF it got rudely folded and manhandled for it to appear so mis-shapen and creased. Crab, crab. This feels disrespectful and careless and it bums me out and makes me crabby.

I have learned some lessons. I'm sure you know what they are. And did I mention that I'm crabby?

8 comments:

  1. Grumble. Now I'm crabby too.

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  2. Not sure what to be first-crabby about the way your work was treated or pissed that someone would be shallow enough to find this piece "macabre". Sort of a shocking attitude by someone in the art community where there are usually people with depth and compassion found. Damn!

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  3. If I was you, I would be crabby too. I would let the show "people" know you are not a happy quilter.

    Since I am not you I can say your quilt is outstanding and I would look right past the bunch of creases.

    Congratulations on winning a prize!

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  4. Oh, brother, Macabre? Ever see those day of the dead quilts? Or the 9/11 quilts with little sewn bodies falling out of the twin towers? Ridiculous.

    But I wanted you to know that I looked long and hard at your quilt at PIQF and I didn't see wrinkles or folds. Maybe Del had straightened it out by the time I saw it, or maybe I was too enthralled by the artistry to notice, but truly, it looked very good when I saw it. So don't get TOO worried...I think probably quite a few folks thought what I thought and didn't even notice a single wrinkle.

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  5. Anonymous11:50 AM

    The only things macabre about this piece (which I found extremely respectful) are that judge and the disrespect with which the piece was handled. Talk about a bad taste in the mouth.

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  6. I am so glad Diane said she saw it at PIQF and it did not look wrinkled. Perhaps someone came by and gave it a quick steam.
    It is an absolutely wonderful piece.

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  7. I'm visualizing Ann steamed and unwrinkled. She deserves respectful treatment, and so do you.

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  8. Anonymous8:39 PM

    There were lots of pieces at PIQF that suffered from fold lines this year. I go every year and never noticed so many wrinkled quilts in the past.

    Your piece was wonderful and I was moved by the quotation at the bottom. Whoever called this macabre must not know the definition of the word.

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