From an early age I’d always wanted to make a quilt. Some kind of childhood fantasy about stitching around an open fire, making a beautiful heirloom from treasured scraps of clothing. You only have to think about Red Riding Hood’s grandmother tucked up under the covers, or Goldilocks examining the beds in the bears’ house to see the image of a traditional home that my early reading matter was encouraging me to yearn for.
For Amish women it’s still a cause for excitement to meet to sew together and discuss homemaking and other community news. After all it’s their men who have to be the providers and the leaders and take on all those challenging career choices. The women can be subservient, rather like Laura Doyle’s Surrendered wives.
My quilt is rather different. It escapes the traditional role of a bed mate and the restrictions of approval by a community. Like me, it is free to access opportunities without limitations and restrictions of education, profession and lifestyle.
Jen Cable Art 