Block from Friendship Quilt 1935 - 1942

This block from a friendship quilt was made by Florence Truelson, though the exact date is unknown, using fabric and thread. The repeated quilting marks create a texture that almost vibrates, like the whole piece is humming with energy. I’m drawn to the way Truelson’s stitches build up the image, not just as outlines, but as dense areas of texture and light. Look at the eagle at the top, and the way she uses the quilting to define the wings. It’s not just about filling in the shape, but really sculpting it with the needle. The fabric itself looks worn in places, adding to the feeling that it’s been handled and loved. There is a real relationship between the maker and the materials in pieces like this. This way of building up an image through repeated marks reminds me of some of the work of Rosie Lee Tompkins, another quilt maker who was interested in using found materials and abstraction to create a sense of depth and volume, but in a totally different idiom. Art’s funny like that, it’s a conversation, a process, and these pieces embrace that.