"Happiness is..."

"Happiness is..." was a thing in the 1970s. I think the origin was "Happiness is a Warm Puppy" by Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz.

All we had to do was fill in the blank. Happiness could be anything we wanted. For me, happiness was a big bowl of Cap'n Crunch with Crunchberries and a Hanna-Barbera marathon.

Today, happiness is a vibrant, 1970s pictorial landscape quilt, part of my exhibition "Modern Materials, Quilts of the 1970s" now on display at the Benton County Museum.

The quilt is 68" x 90" and made of cottons. It has initials and a date inscribed in black embroidery, "With Love, JAM '77" and it is tied with black yarn. It came from collector Marjorie Childress of Albuquerque, New Mexico, who discovered it through Goodwill. I couldn't imagine giving away such a wonderful quilt, even if Goodwill is a good cause. The quilt is iconic. It captures the essence of the utopian, free-spirited 1970s.

"Modern Materials, Quilts of the 1970s" is now on display at the Benton County Museum in Philomath, Oregon. For more information about the exhibition, location, hours,  and other venues showing quilts during Quilt County 2015, click here.