Friendship Quilt c. 1937

Isabelle De Strange made this Friendship Quilt, and I can only imagine the process and story behind this artwork. Look at the grid-like pattern of the quilt, and the variety of designs and motifs within each square. Each of them are unique! I’m imagining Isabelle working away, piece by piece, the rhythmic stitching and decisions about color and placement – there’s real intention in this design. I’m thinking about the community, too. What might they have been thinking as they contributed their individual squares? Each square is like a little microcosm, full of personal meanings, wishes, or memories. There are flowers, ships, flags and houses all stitched together! A beautiful representation of collective identity. Isabelle and all the people that worked on this piece were in dialogue with each other, adding their own touch, their own visual language. It’s a process of exchange and improvisation, with each maker building on the last.