Monday, January 18, 2010

STITCHING OUR STORIES: SARAH C. CAMPBELL



In all the blogosphere, one of my most favorite places to visit is Sarah C. Campbell's blog.

Sarah is one of those inspiring people whose creativity cannot be contained by one medium. In her books Wolfsnail: A Backyard Predator (Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Book) and the forthcoming Growing Patterns: Fibonacci Numbers in Nature (March 2010), Sarah writes AND photographs (husband Richard also contributes).


But that's not all: Sarah also stitches quilts and other handmade items. In fact, I still remember (and envy!)the quilted handbag Sarah carried to a writing retreat we both attended, oh, about a year and a half ago. Some things you don't forget.

And so, it is with great pleasure that I present the following video that Sarah was gracious enough to create, about a quilt she made for her mother twenty years ago. And, yes, as I've come to expect from Sarah, it pulls together several different forms of art. Prepare to be inspired!



Want to know more about this story? Here's a video interview Sarah did with her parents at The Alliance for American Quilts. It includes photographs of Crossroads Quilters and lists available publications, such as Sarah's I Ain't Lying as well as Quilts and Quilting in Claiborne County.

And, if you're interested in story quilts, check out this interview and documentary about the most recognized of the Crossroads Quilters, Hystercine Rankin, who made story quilts and was named a National Heritage Fellowship winner in 1997 by the NEA.

If YOU have a Stitchin' Story, I'd love to feature it! Please email me at irenelatham at charter dot net. Thanks, and happy storytelling, in whatever form you choose.

5 comments:

  1. Wonderful little stitchin' story. Thanks for sharing.

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  2. This is great!! I think you and Sara should be movie stars you do great in front of the camera.

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  3. Love seeing you two on the same blog. Great job. I ran into a retired librarian friend last week. She was working in the archives at the local university where I was doing some research. When she told me that she was spending her spare time quilting and making doll clothes with her grandchildren, I asked if she knew about the quilts of Gee's Bend. Of course, she knew all about them. Told me about one of the quilting companies that was issuing patterns from the original quilts. Although the historian part of her was not happy that the company was straightening the patterns, rather than leaving them "wonkers," as she called it. I told her about your book. She plans to look for it.

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  4. Thanks for having me, Irene. You make me blush. @StableGranny, you can't imagine how my sons were laughing at me while I was making this video. I had to banish them just so I could get through it without the fits of giggles.

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  5. Kind of amazing/impressive. How does she find the time!? The Growing Patterns book looks really cool. Also, love that she had to contend w/two giggling sons while making the video. Sounds like my sons.

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