Fabric of Life The Story Quilts of Hattie Schmidt Hattie Schmidt is a study in magenta and black, from her gele head wrap to the hem of her wearable art vest paired with loose, comfortable H a t t i e S ch m i d t i s a c u l tur e k e epe r . magenta and black Ikat color block pants. Hattie is an African-American storyteller and fiber artist. She draws, paints, sews and quilts. The retired educator says she learned quilting from her grandmother and mother and, “on my own. I learn as I go.” Hers is a world challenged by design, expressed in embellishment. “In my sewing workshop I have different places I keep old things — buttons, jewelry — things that I’ve been collecting since I’ve been a home economics teacher, since 1960-something,” Hattie says, but, “I let my fabrics do most of my speaking for me. The comfort of the fiber, the warmth of it, makes it more of a quilt.” Her quilted designs articulated in textiles explore touchable relationships that blend history with personal memory and message. Her quilts are not the kind you sleep beneath, but they are sometimes inspired by Hattie’s dreams. Others are inspired by traditional quilt symbols: the log cabin, the bear claw, the North star, the drunken path, flying geese; the same symbols were used to communicate with slaves seeking freedom on the underground railroad. 22 WBM march 2014 By Marimar McNaughton Photography by Joshua Curry
2014-3
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