Hoping for some help from you!?
 

I am in my final quarter of college and will have my degree in accounting in 5 weeks! Yay! My problem lies in the fact that I have been trying to fo an informative speech for a week now and my brain is so fried that I cannot even form correct thoughts! I am doing my speech on quilting and how it is not just something 'your grandmother used to do' but how it has become an art form as well. Can anyone toss a couple ideas, a few sentences that I can use to help demonstrate where I am coming from. Like I said, my brain is mush! Six months ago this would have been easy, but this last quarter has really pushed me beyond limits! I just need a month in my sewing room to get back to normal. Thank you all in advance!!!

I would use pictures of some of the very intricate patterns and compare to some of the simple patterns and go on to explain how they are all art. Maybe include some of the picture quilts that are so popular now. Show some thread painting also. Another point to make is how mothers and daughters quilt together. Good luck and congratulations on completing your degree. I know how that feels!!!!
Sue

For me quilting is a wonderful way to express myself. I can be very creative and do something difficult that takes a lot of time and energy or I can do something that does not take a lot of energy or skill. This is probably not what you are looking for but it is just my thoughts. Good luck with your speech.

Thank you both so much!!! They are both great, and lorrainne, it is exactly what I was looking for!!! :)

I did a presentation on quilting for 2 of my classes (I will be done with my Associates Degree in Registered Vet Tech in 5 months!!!). I focused on the history of quilting re: why women quilted, what supplies they had available, quilting bees as a social activity for the prairie women, when the sewing machine was invented, etc. I then went on to the inventions that have made the process of quilting easier: Fabric in abundance, Scissors, rotary cutters, plexiglass templates vs. paper, rulers, printed patterns, die cut machines, advanced sewing machines, long arm machines. I discussed how quilting is not only a utility need but also quilts that are made just for show, quilt shows etc. I also took in some of my quilts for visual aids!

I just tried to find my report on my computer but I guess I did it before my computer crashed and the mother board had to be replaced. I could dig to see if I have a hard copy of it if you would be interested in seeing it, I would be willing to share!!!

Thank you!! That would be great! I am trying to do mine on the difference between tradional quilting and art quilts to show people what a broad range of items that are available. Any thoughts that might just jog my brain at the moment would be great! You also see what I mean by my brain being mush! lol Congrats on your degree as well!!! That is awesome!!!

Try this website for a very informative presentation about quilts - history, personal expression, art, politics, economics. It is much broader than many other sources.

http://www.whyquiltsmatter.org

I believe one of the episodes centered on traditional quilting vs. art quilting -- current controversy, what they have in common, definition of art, etc.

Dayle

Hey, I found my hard copy!!! PM me your regular email address and I will scan it and send it to you. I don't have my power point presentation either but I have a printed copy of my slides that I scan and send to you. There is also a reference page for citation of the information that I used.

How 'long' should your presentation be? (Time wise)

I can think of two approaches -

1) A narrow topic discussed relatively thoroughly (a 10 foot wide river that is 20 feet deep) such as the development of sewing needles, or cutting tools, or printing processes, or how fabric is woven

2) Or a lot of topics barely touched on (A 100 foot wide river that is 6 inches deep) such as the overall history and development of quilting.

You might also take into consideration who will be in your audience. How can quilting be relevant to them?

Maybe how math is used? Maybe do a presentation on a rag quilt made from old jeans and flannel shirts? How computer programs are used in designing now (as compared to graph paper)?

Will you be doing 'show and tell'? Using charts and illustrations? Power point?

Art quilts use the traditional techniques in a new form of expression. I think traditional quilts are also a creative outlet in the choice of colors, prints and pattern. Sometimes following a pattern and tweeking it, is an art form.

Being that your degree is in accounting, I'm really wondering, why in the last 5 wks, you'd be doing a presentation about quilting?

As an idea ... why not do an accountant's look at quilting!
In a lot of ways, successful quilting is all about #s .... and you could even have fun about the costs of creation, labour, ROI, etc.

I was wondering the same thing...but do know that there is a lot of math involved in quilting and thought maybe that could be worked in someway. Good luck with your presentation!

quilters rise up to help like the pillowcase dresses for Hati, quilts of Valor, and there are pillowcases to name just a few. We quilt for our pleasure and the pleasure of others.

Congrats on getting your degree. I agree there is a lot of math in quilt making. Since you will be an accountant I would lean towards that. Good luck I hope you boll them over with your knowledge.

Don't forget the mental therapy that quilting offers. When the rest of the world is out of your control, what you do with quilting is completely under your control...well, okay, almost completely. :) Anyway, quilting is an escape from reality that I need.

Dina

A good example ... the quilt that sold in Australia fo $70,000 (approx) ... how was the price created?

The quilter put the quilt in a show, and one of the requirements was to put a "for sale" price on all entries. She valued it, with a guesstimation of the # hours work she'd put into it. And yet, knew that in reality she was low on the hours. Then she went with her $/hour ... and came up to $80,000. Not at the show, but later, she had an inquiry, and the sale price was established.

Yes it was a show piece of incredible work. And the price was the highest ever paid for a quilt.
The quilter was overwhelmed ... but knew that she was being paid well enough, that she could part with the quilt!

Most will never see quite that return for their work!

I use quilting as a stress reliever. LOL I can sew scraps together without any measuring and end up with some pretty potholders or quilt squares. I just go to my sewing room, shut the door and play with my fabric. haha

It's not your grandmother's quilting when there are numerous male quilters out there who are not only quilting but earning a good living at their craft/art. I'd include mention of John Flynn, Michael Shannon, Ricky Tims, and others who've been at this a while. Mention the amount of money spent on the industry annually. And add the amazing numbers of attendees at the huge national shows.....70,000 at Houston, for instance. You might also reference people like Caryl Bryer Fallert who sell their work in the five figure range to corporate collections as well as private individuals.

Such a broad topic!!!

Jan in VA

You might go way back and tell about people using straw ticks to sleep on and cover up with. Or Wool quilts with batting made of spun wool.[ which I have done and own a wool batting , wool blanket]. It's all in where you want to start. We quilters are a creative bunch. If you read on here not only creative, but, sensitive. Many people on here give to hospitals, homes for children, cancer victims, children with many problems, veterans. And on, and on.

I found this site several months ago: http://momath.org/home/math-monday-08-16-10/. This should "tie in" with your accounting degree. I've been sewing 53yrs, and am a self-taught quilter. It's a part of my creativity process and a great "stress buster". Good luck on your presentation! I am sure you will do great! God Bless! and congratulations on all your hard work and education!

Quilting offers other types of therapy as well, for people with disabilities in the manner of cognitive and occupational therapy. My daughter learned to quilt while recovering from a traumatic brain injury. It helped her re-learn to focus, plan and execute the plan through following a pattern, measuring, precision cutting, piece placement and symmetry, precision sewing and regaining a sense of self-worth. By the way she will be graduating from college on Mothers day. It's been a long, difficult journey, and I believe that quilting helped her see that anything can be accomplished taking it step by step.

Hey! Look at some of the quilts from the quilt shows...you'll find everything from traditional to art form and everything in between. Lots of interesting stuff out there...just google American Quilter's Society and start from there. Good luck!

I have had several people say Quilting is a dying art and my reply to that is No, it is a Billion Dollar Business!!
Or the question a reporter asked Jenny Byers several years ago? Do only old people do quilting?
She said No, there are many young people doing it too. My DD was horrified when she found out he
asked the question, she worked at the TV station where he worked. She said My mom quilts and she isn't
old. He only knew old people who did it; we had a good laugh about it.
I find it helps me with my creative side and I am glad that someone else has done the math for me!!!
Lois in Kansas

Britannica Online defines art as "the use of skill and imagination in the creation of aesthetic objects, environments, or experiencesthat can be shared with others."
So according to this definition all quilts are "art". It is a great example of using both sides of the brain: the logical (mathematical) and the creative side.

I would include the art quilts from oversea shows in Dubai and Japan for example. They seem to be to be a different type of art quilt than we usually see here in the states. Those are also photographic in their detail while most of the ones I have seen in the US seem more broadly graphic. I would definitely mention that quilting is not just an American hobby but definitely is global.

Wonderful story, thanks for sharing!!!!

I have to chime in with the Victorian crazy quilts? http://www.caron-net.com/featurefiles/featmay.html

Cindy Brick, Nancy Kirk, Judith Baker Montano are a few well know names.

I love the creative stitches and embellishments that this form affords. The project can be small or large as time allows and the spirit desires.

piney

For some statistics go to the web site for Quilts, Inc They do a study every two years of the status of quilting.
I believe a summary is on their web site. Will give you the numbers and might make a good opening statement to your speech. Such as....There are now xxx million serious quilters in the US who spend xxx millions of dollars on their craft..........etc.

We all doodle while taking notes, chatting on the phone, etc. Some zentangle illustrations would tie in quilting, art quilting, and mindless doodling.

I quilt because I think I have the quilt gene.....I have a quilt from every generation of my mother's family going back to my great grandmother to my grandaughter.......There is something in me that yearns to touch colors and fabric texture and sew them together in some kind of pattern----it soothes my heart and eases my soul......
I know that sounds kind of gooey but it is better than therapy!

too long and boring try STITCHED...must better!

I think quilting now is an outlet for stress reduction, creative expression as well as creating functional quilts, wall hangings etc to provide our homes with beautiful touches.
good luck

I would also give examples of large art displays of quilts like the one last year in New York of all the Red and White Quilts. There's the Quilt Museum in Paducah, KY. I would incorporate the historical significance of quilting and how it's recorded history.

I made a powerpoint of the History of Quilting that I used in my classroom as well for several community organizations and our quilt guild's biannual show. I would be glad to share it with you if you PM me your email.

Good Luck!!

Sewing and quilting was once a necessity. It comprised a part of every woman's day. Quilting evolved from patches to intricate design. It became a means of artistic expression, connection with other women in political movements, ie temperance, abolition, and voting rights. Technology began to produce textiles in abundance. Quilting became a pastime, a hobby, some years very popular, such as in the thirties the economy was tight even for working people.

Technology has provided quilters with tools that make the pastime even less time consuming. There still is no need to produce bed coverings but the hunger for artistic expression remains.

I got an A in history based on the quilt and the paper that went with it. Good luck.

Quilting is also a method of personal expression for me. Besides that, I feel the quilts I gift to my children/grandchildren are something personal from me that will last through the years, with reasonable care, and will remind them of me after I'm gone. I mean really, how many grandchildren visit tomb stones these days? And a beautiful, personally designed quilt is so much more meaningful and cheerful!
Also, quilting is therapy for me - when I get too busy to sew for a while, I'm not too pleasant to live with!
Quilting is also a history of our country. Just looking at some of the hand piece and quilted examples from past years, usually made with scraps of clothing of the era, is a history book in a blanket. While it was a task of necessity, it also was an expression of art, probably when there was next to no other way available for the beautiful women of yesterday who worked so hard every day.
I just love quilting and quilts~!

I'm sorry I haven't read all the posts so this may be a repeat...but, what popped into my head when I saw your major was accounting was how much I hated math when I was in school (high school and college). If only I had known I was going to use so much math in my favorite, life long hobby of sewing which morphed into quilting several years ago.

My daughter had to take a make up math class one summer. I always took along the English Paper Piecing queen sized quilt I was working on when the kids were in class or sports and I had to wait. One particular day I was laying out all the pieces an the stone wall in front of the school where I was parked. Apparently the teacher looked out the second story window and called all the students over to witness math in real life. Boy was my daughter embarrassed! I never saw it coming!

If you are giving a speech, I think your topic of quilting is too broad. You could teach a whole semester on the topic! You need to narrow the field so it doesn't become "mush". Maybe you could demonstrate the tools of grandmother and the ones of today, explain the difference in the cost of a blanket and a quilt, the differences in fabrics, etc. But even these may be too broad. Narrow your topic and I think you will not have as much trouble with the process.

I am curious as to who your audience will be and the purpose of your speech. Will it be given to only accounting majors? Will you be convincing them quilting is a good hobby or a good industry to use their new accounting degrees? Are you wanting to show the impact of quilting in the fabric industry, small business shops, larger stores such as JoAnn's, i.e,, local community tax bases through quilt shows, quilt fabric shops? If your speech isn't tied into accounting then what is the reason for it? Or is this just for another class that you had to take and any subject will do?