Tag Archives: quilts

Design and Innovation

Threads for Impact Turns Discarded Textiles Into Design-Worthy Treasures

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threads for impact signage

What happens when a bunch of talented people in the architecture and design world get their hands on textiles that were destined for the landfill? They turn them into something fabulous — and then throw a party to celebrate it.

On Wednesday, September 30, DIFFA (Design Industries Foundation) and Sewciety NYC will host Threads for Impact, a one-night-only celebration of creative reuse and social good at the Steelcase showroom at 4 Columbus Circle. The event brings together local artisans, interior designers, manufacturers, and makers who have transformed discarded textiles into one-of-a-kind quilts, totes, pillows, wine bags, jackets, and other functional works of art.

diffa logo
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Arts and Culture

Modern Art Monday Presents: Jesse Krimes, Blackwater

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blackwater octopus quilt photo by gail worley
Photo By Gail

To counter the dehumanizing isolation of incarceration, artist Jesse Krimes (b, 1982) works collaboratively with incarcerated individuals to create artworks from old clothing and textiles that evoke memories of home. Krimes developed his own practice while serving  a six-year sentence. In Blackwater (2021), Krimes regards the tentacled animal as “a panoptic  state of surveillance” and alludes to the eugenic and white supremacist ideas in America zoology. The title, Blackwater, refers to a prison in Florida.

Photographed in the Brooklyn Museum.

Design and Innovation

Barn to Browser: Amish Products You Can Buy Online

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straw hat
Image by Daniel Allgyer from Pixabay

The Amish are known for the rejection of modern technology and consumerism in exchange for a simple life. Centuries of living this way has made them masters of craftsmanship and natural living, and their traditional artisan products have become sought after because of this. However, you don’t have to travel to Lancaster County to buy these products. Surprisingly, it’s possible to buy many Amish products —  ranging from homemade furniture to maple syrup — online. They even do fast shipping (no horse and buggy!). Here are just a few examples.
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Arts and Culture

Nick Cave’s Amalgams and Graphts at Jack Shainman Gallery Tribeca

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amalgam origin by nick cave photo by gail worley
All Photos By Gail

Well, it’s Black History Month, and to start the celebration let’s take a deep dive into a  fabulous new exhibit by one of our favorite African American artists, Nick Cave! Through March 29th, Jack Shainman Gallery is hosting Amalgams and Graphts, an exhibition of new work by Cave, marking the inaugural presentation at the gallery’s new flagship Tribeca location. Amalgams and Graphts introduces two distinct series that push the artist’s singular style and vision to an epic realm, while maintaining an intimate and personal conversation with his audience.
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Design and Innovation

Eye On Design: Tristan Detwiler For Stan, Quilted Ensemble

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quilted ensemble photo by gail worley
Photos and Story By Gail Worley

“America is not like a blanket — one piece of unbroken cloth, the same color, the same texture, the same size. America is more like a quilt  — many patches, many pieces, many colors, many sizes, all woven and held together by a common thread.”

— Jesse Jackson, 1984 Democratic National Convention

Tristan Detwiler (b. 1997) began reworking antique quilts into garments in 2018. A chance encounter with 80-year old quilt maker Claire McKarns introduced Detwiler to the Bumann Quilters of Olivenhain, California. After becoming a member, he applied the groups shared knowledge to his autumn/winter 2021-22 collection.

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