Thank You, Janis!

Stars, 1972, Janis Pearson, Oregon

Yesterday I received a generous gift from Janis Pearson during the meeting of the Columbia-Willamette Quilt Study Group at the Willamette Heritage Center Mission Mill Dye House. She gave me wonderful star quilt she made here in Oregon in 1972.

The quilt made with eight-pointed stars constructed of multicolored calico and floral print diamonds, appliqued to a white ground, and each star is outlined with decorative embroidery. It is amazing to see so many great calico prints after enjoying blogs about 70s calicos by Barbara Brackman on her Material Culture blog. The fabrics in this Star quilt are in perfect condition!

Janis Pearson, member of the Northwest Quilters and the Columbia-Willamette Quilt Study Group, is among the most talented hand quilters I've ever met. She recently donated a jaw-dropping whitework quilt to the Latimer Quilt and Textile Center, and the quilt is densely and decoratively quilted with tiny stitches. Compared to the whitework quilt, which was made several years later, the Star quilt is sparsely quilted. But the lovely four-leaf clovers are perfectly placed and very well done. Clearly, this quilt was made by a gifted quilter.

Of course, I'm elated to have a 1970s quilt made in Oregon by an Oregonian, particularly one I admire so much. This lively quilt has a sense of movement. The stars appear to dance and spin because of the way the colors are alternated. For me, the cherry on top of the sundae is the inscription on the lower left corner. It says Janis M. Pearson, 1972. It's a star among 70s quilts. Thank you, Janis!