The word quilter is gender neutral, much like the word nurse and yet if you pull a google image search for either of these people you will find photos of a whole lot of middle age white women (MAWW) and the occasional porn star in a skimpy get-up doing something suggestive with a stethoscope.
Go further and open just about any quilting book or magazine and more of these MAWW’s will greet you with their smiling faces. In fact there is a whole lot missing.
- People of color — how many quilting articles do you see featuring anyone who is not totally pasty? ( yes pasty, I have the complexion of a vampire, I know my people)
- Ethnicity — The woman in the Hijab? The guy in the dashiki? Yeah they just might be quilters as well.
- Men — Seen many dudes rockin the sewing machine in your favorite magazine? Of course they are out there and many are friends of mine, but you sure don’t see them in mainstream quilt media.
- People with disabilities — Wheelchairs, prosthetics and more while adding another dimension are not limiters to the creative life.
- Faces of diversity/ LGBT — Two dudes cuddled up under and quilt? Two women giving the gift of a quilt to a new baby? A kick ass drag queen stitching between time on stage… yeah, me neither.
The problem is that the quilting industry is painfully behind the times and it is up to each of us to point out these gaffs to the companies and individuals that continue to perpetuate them. To change the face of an industry full of “isms” – sexisim, raceism, ageism, ableism, hetrosexism, not to mention xenophobia ( yeah it is not an “ism”, so sue me!).
I have been stewing over this topic for a while now based on reflections from Fall Quilt Market, personal interactions and a critical eye cast over the currently available publications of our industry and I can say that as a whole we are failing. We are better than this. Anyone can and should be a quilter if they choose. Diversity should be welcome in our classes, publications and our shops. We must make it clear that our hearts and minds are open by making active effort to welcome the faces we are not seeing. ( I might also point out that by saying what you do believe in you are being very clear about what you oppose and that helps your customer understand where they are spending their dollars. Some view this as a risk not worth taking, I on the other hand believe in The Power of Unpopular)
Well crap I don’t want to be an asshat, what can I do you ask??
Choose pronouns carefully – quilters are male, female and gender queer.
When choosing images that represent products, books, fabrics and shops we must use images that embrace the faces that are being left out so that they may feel as welcome as anyone.
We must show that we are allies and that gay, bi or transgendered stitchers are welcome in our stores and classes. Creating your business as a Safe Space is a the first step.
Create classes with more gender neutrality when possible. Children’s classes that appeal to both boys and girls. And don’t limit boys to the car carrier and girls to the pretty purse class!
Sponsor diversity celebrations in your town. Align yourself with the organizations that represent your goals and values as a business.
Or maybe just start small by indicating that you know there is a problem and you want to be part of the solution. Feel free to use this image on your blog or your website to let everyone know that you are actively looking for solutions to make our quilting world a place where everyone is welcome and recognized. I know I don’t have all the answers, but that is no reason not to ask the hard questions.
The quilt world is changing, what are you doing to be part of the solution? Add your comments here and I will add them to the post! Also check out these other great posts that are all about the changing face of quilting!
Why you should buy full priced fabric for by favorite bitches!
Working for “free fabric”.. Yes? no? Maybe?
A very good reason NOT to work for free.. We are SEW worth it!
Please let me know how I can join! Iam working on a big quilt project and am seeking LGBT contributors! karenizziphd@gmail.com
Love this post. I’ve just shown it to my husband who is FtoM. He thinks the QUILTBAG acronym suits me perfectly! lol I’m putting it on my blog!
Thank you for posting this. I’m a soft butch lesbian who is fighting all of these imposed images as I try to start my journey into quilting. I know a lot of it is my own internalised image of what a quilter is (read: my grandmother) but also a fear of how I’ll be taken in the community. I’m definitely finding that the answer to my question of can a lesbian with no interest in floral prints who is a total dork really fit in here? Totally yes.
Now…just have to finish this sewing machine contraption. I bet the internet has some ideas. 😉
I love this. I have several gay friends, as well as friends with disabilities. Some of them are crafters as well. I also know of several men who are amazing quilters and sewists. So I will gladly display this on my blog, not just to show support for diversity, but most importantly for equality! 🙂
Hi Maddie,
I applaud your stand and I just posted your cool graphic to my f page…..and, I’m sure you knew that a MAWW would respond soon….well, here I am. I have been puzzled by the lack of diversity in the quilting world for many years….I started to make quilts when I was 21…then art quilts, because I’m an artist, for the last 35 years. I started to teach quilt classes in my 20’s and started publishing patterns in quilt magazines in my 30’s. I have written three books, produced video classes, travel and teach, I have two Craftsy Classes, work with BERNINA, AQS, Havel’s Scissors, Coats&Clark, been on PBS for three different shows…….and a bunch of other things. It is not because I’m a MAWW, it’s because I’ve worked my white badass off.
The number of rejections I’ve received way outweigh the acceptances. The amount of work I’ve done for no pay…….just to draw attention to my work is plain stupid. I have been through the ringer in my private life and professional life……I still love my students and I love what I do…..and, living on the edge of poverty most of the time. Another subgroup in the quilters is poor MAWWs!
Anyway, I don’t think that the quilt world has a deliberate exclusion policy…..I think it has to do with the socio-economics of the thing.
I think that a little quilt history might be helpful here before starting some grudge against MAWWs in general…..although, we can always hold a grudge against some of these women as individuals….we can’t help it, some can be damned mean!
So, in the 70’s there were two quilt shows on PBS and the two white women were Georgia Bonesteel and Penny McMorris. They started a grassroots movement for a renaissance for quilts. Jean Ray Laury wrote a quilt book called Quilts and Coverlets which was a very modern approach to quilt-making…I was 16 when I got the book.
So, along that time, AQS started up and published a few quilt books, quilt shops started popping up in the late 70’s, early 80’s….the rotary cutter came about at that time. The authors of the quilt books started to make appearances at quilt stores and quilt shows and suddenly, there was a groundswell of people coming to shows and wanting to learn how to quilt. The sewing industry got a huge shot in the arm…..the quilting experience became profitable. Sewing machine companies began to respond, fabric companies began to actually produce fabric for quilters. I remember walking into a book store one day and realizing that the number of quilt magazines had increased from two to more than fishing magazines….this was in Kentucky.
The thing is, it was mostly middle aged white women who started this phenomenon…..that is why people think of quilters in general that way…..it is just a matter of history.
Think of this, if you think of popular singers, you never picture middle age white women; sports?..no; movie stars?..no; politicians? …..well, maybe one or two; the mainstream art world really doesn’t like artists that look like PTA moms, either.
I’m not saying that this is all good and leave it alone, I want to see everybody’s face next to their quilt in the pages of magazines and in the teacher line-ups! What I’m saying is do the work and take the picture of two moms cuddled up with their baby in the quilt and two men snuggling under their awesome quilt. I want to see them!
I never really thought about the diversity in quilting. I sew with a diverse group of women that I love dearly. I am not the cookie cutter quilter, either. I sew with no rules and whatever colors catch my eye at the time. There are magazines that are trying to branch out. I believe that as quilts change in magazines from the super traditional to more modern styled, so will the demographics.
For me, quilting is all I do, all that I am physically able to do right now. The main reason is I suffer from a degenerative nerve disorder, RSD. I am trying to show that no matter what, those with this disease (or any other disability) can do something. My local quilt shops have been so accepting and loving of me and go out of their way when I am in the store to help me from carrying bolts of fabrics to just putting a smile on my face. I am just beginning to share about my disease with my guilds and others. I am just starting to accept it after 3 years of fighting it. It comes at a perfect time, having my first quilt published in a magazine.
So I am here saying proudly, I am a young disabled quilter.
A few things occurred to me while reading the article. One is, “Yay! This makes sense!” Another is that I’ve never thought about the people shown in the quilt magazine photos, and in fact, I wasn’t aware that there were people in the photos, so apparently I’m just looking at the quilts. And lastly, I just realized that I’m 47 and therefore, (holy crap!) I’m a middle-aged white woman. Wow. When did that happen?
Woohoo! Thanks for cheerleading the “other”! I’m a gay man with a drag queen persona, and I quilt without shame! I hear you on the perpetuation of the MAWW in mainstream quilting media, but that being said, I’ve had great interest and response in including my contributions to these media outlets. So from my perspective, I think there’s a responsibility for the “other” to stand up and make their voices heard, just as much as the media/shops/guilds have a responsibility to listen with open hearts. I’m totally putting this button on my blog though!
I am happy to say that I have a number of friends that are not MAWW. You are so correct printed and other media typically show MAWW it is not just limited to it is across the board. There are a number of media that focus on MAWM or how about the fashion magazines that focus on to skinny models. What about all of the others who do not fit into the small portion that are being shown as “normal”. I am a short fattish person who was born an American.
I will put your button on my blog, as I totally agree. I suppose that the quilt police were focused on more than pointy points for a long while, whether they realized it or not. I don’t usually feel that welcome outside the internet quilting community and I fit right in the usual demographic, no doubt many others feel even more alienated.
Happy you brought this up, Maddie. Something to chew on. I’m in the “I’m a quilter” big box, though I do have a lot of other boxes that make up who “Susie” is. Then, I have friends who are “quilters”. I think how you see yourself in your space, your neighborhood, your world depends on the demographics, in general. I grew up on the San Francisco Peninsula, an area of great diversity. I worked in an exclusive needlepoint store in Woodside, CA for about 16 yrs, custom design and customer svc. We had many wealthy, white women, wealthy white male physicians, gay and lesbian, Asians. That was the demographic. I worked for 3 yrs at a great needlepoint store in Sacramento. Same demographic with more African Amer., and Hispanic. This was 1960s – early 1980s. Never really thought of a divide other than those who may not have the extra funds to indulge in needlecraft. That is where my demographic failed. I suppose you, a shop owner, buyer, see the true demographic of the quilters at markets. I do agree with you that publications, visual media should cover more diversity… and not in coverage of something like “the top 10 East Indian quilters” focus. All quilters should be equal. The only thing, unfortunately, that may hold someone back is funds.
My quilt guild is inclusive. We have quilters of every stripe. In the past we have had men in the guild as well, although not currently. I no longer subscribe to quilting magazines, so I was not as aware of the biases expressed there, but I see people of every race, age and gender when I attend quilt shows. It’s about the quilting, people. Nothing else!
Being disabled in my mid 60’s makes it harder at times. I find getting into quilt shops some have their fabrics too close and I find quilters can be rude by jumping out in front of you when they see you in a wheel chair but for the most part this happens where ever I go. But then there are those quilt shops that bend over backwards to accommodate you and those I love to revisit. I attended a program at “The Spool” and Maddie went out of her way to greet and hug me. I felt so welcomed by everyone. Disabilities are what you make them. I have lived with mine since age ten but it’s only been last few years I have run into serious problems and finally having to admit my handicap but that’s okay, I am still a Quilter! My latest was Breast Cancer and I WON! Now off to quilt room as Christmas is just around the corner!
As a disabled quilter breaking stereo types all over the place (through my work, home, and experiences) I have seen our industry and it’s cookie cutter MAWW’s… It’s very important to me to create quilt work that is refreshing and use rarely used material. When I speak at different venues I make I point of talking about the wonderful things that come from celebrating differences and impacting each other. If only more people could embrace that. Thank you Maddie, for being a sounding board and safe haven.
I want quilting to be inclusive to everyone. I don’t even want to be labeled as a “traditional” or “modern” quilter. I am a quilter. That should be enough.
Thank you!! As a queer punk quilter, Thank you. and, dig this:
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=QUILTBAG
much love
My son’s girlfriend is intersex (she strongly dislikes the tetm “gender queer”), and she recently introduced me to the acronym QUILT BAG as being more inclusive to the broad spectrum of gender and orientation than LGBT. I love it!
Thanks for the link love, Maddie!
You’re spot on about the diversity issue in representations of quilters, though I do give kudos to some of the modern publications for being more inclusive. At a certain point, the lack of diversity becomes self-fulfilling prophecy, right? Who wants to learn what quilting’s all about when you open the pages of a magazine and see a bunch of MAWWs in mom jeans, but no one who seems at all like you?
looks like I’m the first to comment so I’ll take the plunge. I’m not interested in anything but quilting and your story. I have quilting friends, that are men, women, children, black, white, peach, brown, gay, straight, skinny, fat, sick, and healthy these are my friends and inspiration. As I told a friend of mine that was discriminated against by the sales people in a quilting store (read white middle aged women) I have never under stood why people that use every color of the rainbow to create beauty would ever limit the rainbow of friends they gather. I’m not big on making public declarations about what is right or true, but I will defend anyone’s right to be part of our clan of quilters. So be nice, be kind and if you can’t be inclusive please go quilt somewhere else in your plain white world, I’ll keep my rainbow.