8

fShare

Tweet

Covid-19 quilt by Linda Fisher, May 2020, Lubbock, Texas.  Photo courtesy Museum of Texas Tech University.

By Marian Ann J. Montgomery, Ph.D.,
Curator of Clothing and Textiles, the Museum of Texas Tech University

I know that every quilt show and fair where quilts are displayed will have a bounty of quilts offered for exhibit when the pandemic is over. Quilters know the value of keeping their creative juices going while the rest of the world spins out of control around them. One quilter in particular, Linda Fisher of Lubbock, Texas reports that between March and July 2020 she has made 21 quilts—most full size. She says that quilting is her therapy.

As an expression of her experience during the stay-at-home orders around the Covid-19 virus, Linda Fisher made this piece, "Covid-19" in May 2020. She offered it to the Museum of Texas Tech University to join the 70+ other quilts she has made in its collection.

 Photo courtesy Museum of Texas Tech University.

Fabric scraps from another project were pieced to form blocks that are scattered across the quilt top. Linda used small bits of fabric to represent the “virus” and as a place to start her machine piecing (no wonder everything lines up so well for her). The background is filled with hundreds of quilted circular, and almost invisible 'viruses" quilting design. Additional “Virus” bits are attached using a variety of embellishments including beads and metal rings. 

Detail of “Virus” fabric bits attached using a variety of embellishments including beads and metal rings.  Photo courtesy Museum of Texas Tech University.

This quilt documents the current event the in which the world is living. It will serve to remind those not yet born of the pandemic and provide an opportunity for those that lived through it to tell of their experience.

In addition to the 70+ quilts that Linda Fisher has made and are already in the Museum’s collection, she plans to auction another 30 or so to benefit the Curator of Clothing and Textiles position Endowment at the Museum of Texas Tech University in February 2021.  Information on that auction will be available hopefully by January 2021.