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I love the freedom of generalizations.
I don't need specifics.
Catchall phrases simplify life.
I can simply enjoy looking.
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Generally Speaking
By Helen Kelley
When I was raising my family, I used a wonderfully convenient, all-purpose name for all of them. For example, I would say, "Whatever-your-name is, do it." That simple phrase allowed me to designate jobs, settle disputes, and sort out problems without the extra baggage of sifting through a lot of formal titles. I love the freedom of generalizations.
I also find it convenient to say, "Last summer was really hot." When last summer? Which month? Last summer was four blurry months of heat, and it's easier to deal with it as a general season than to analyze it. I don't need specifics.
When I go to the book store, I head for the whodunit section. I love to read them. I look for that long, long rack of paperback books all clumped together on a shelf labeled "Mystery." Putting all of them under that big catchall title makes it easy for me to sort through and savor them.
In quilting we do the same thing. We categorize our patterns as stars or flowers. We classify blocks as geometrics or applique or nine-patches--all catchall phrases. They simplify life. We can find the details and definitions of individual patterns in the books, but the freedom to talk in general terms allows us to go to a quilt show without the burden of reference books. Hazy generalizations also cloak us in an aura of brilliance.
For instance, you can look knowingly at a quilt and say, "That is a beautiful variation of a basket quilt." I love that word "variation." You can say it with such authority. Anybody can say that she is looking at a basket design, but the word "variation" is so vague that using it can imply that you recognize nuances and significances in the quilt. The other viewer may know far more about quilt patterns than you do, but using the word "variation" implies that you are wonderfully discerning.
If you are really adept at using generalizations, you can look at a quilt and say, "Isn't that a brilliant use of color!" When you say this, it helps if you nod your head and look thoughtful. Actually, color study is not a necessary prerequisite to using this phrase. All you really need to know is that you like this quilt.
Another generalization that I find convenient is "It's an art quilt." Calling a quilt "an art quilt" suggests that the quiltmaker is emancipated. It indicates, I think, that the quiltmaker is liberated from the generally accepted rules of quiltmaking. She can be a spontaneous, uninhibited creator. Sometimes I call my quilts "art quilts."
Yes, I love generalizations. I keep my details in my metal files with sliding drawers or in cardboard boxes piled in the corners where they're easy to access if I need to be specific. Knowing this, I can roam about in quilt shows unencumbered. I can simply enjoy looking.
©HK 2004
Helen Kelley is a quiltmaker, lecturer, author, and teacher from Minneapolis, Minnesota. You can visit Helen on the Internet at her website www.helenkelley-patchworks.com or email Helen at this address: helen@helenkelley-patchworks.com.
Helen's book Every Quilt Tells a Story: A Quilter's Stash of Wit and Wisdom is a collection of two decades of Loose Threads. Now in its second printing, the book is available at quilt shops, bookstores, or from us at https://secure.tpli.com/VillageQuiltShoppe/QV_Products.asp. Helen will be signing copies of her book at our Primedia booth at the International Quilt Festival, October 30 through November 2, 2003, in Houston, Texas.
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