Infinte Variety

via Martha Stewart

There are always a million reasons I can think of that make me want to be in New York at any given time, but the biggest one right now is an exhibition at the Park Avenue Armory by the American Folk Art Museum called Infinite Variety: Three Centuries of Red and White Quilts.  Private collector Joanna Rose has amassed an amazing collection of red and white quilts, and as an 80th birthday gift, her husband arranged for them to be exhibited at the Armory, for six days, going on right now.  The exhibition was featured on the Martha Stewart Show today, and it's amazing.

  There are over 650 quilts, unbelievably with no repeats, exhibited in an ingenious way by a company called Thinc Design.  The way in which they've displayed the hanging spirals of quilts manages to rid them of the stuffy, Grandma-ish air I usually associate with them, and makes them feel strikingly fresh and modern, even though some date from the 1800s.  The vibrant red cloth is made from something called Turkey red dye, which was prized for its colorfastness, and the  unique designs really stand out in the red and white color scheme. 

Some of the quilts are totally op-art and some are totally folksy. They've completely changed my mind about quilts.  I can't get over the creativity and labor that the women who made them put in.  I am incredibly jealous of those in NYC who get to check out such an inspiring collection firsthand.  The rest of us will have to click over to Martha's blog for a better look.