Article published June 14, 2003
Quilters find hobby to be sacred
By JUDY TARJANYI
BLADE SENIOR WRITER
When her 80-year-old mother told her, "You're going to learn to quilt," Barbara Brewer Davis' first thought was, "I don't think so."
Although she hated sewing, she gave it a try and discovered quilting was a wonderful way of interacting with her mother. "I just kind of got hooked."
Then, during training to become a spiritual director, Mrs. Davis started quilting with a friend, Susan Towner-Larsen, and together the two women began to notice that the process was spiritually refreshing.
In talking to other quilters, they learned many were using the medium to express something intimate and spiritual. That led the pair to write a book, With Sacred Threads (Pilgrim Press, 1999), spawning a series of retreats and a biennial, national "Sacred Threads" exhibit.
This year's show of 170 quilts by 130 artists from the United States, Canada, and Europe opens Wednesday at Reynoldsburg, Ohio, High School, near Columbus. As part of the exhibit, a series of workshops is planned on June 21 and 28 covering such topics as drumming, prayer quilts, spiritual journaling, creativity and healing, and prayer flags.
Among the quilts in this year's "Sacred Threads" are two by local women: "As the Spirit Moves Me," by Beth Burke of Perrysburg, and Toledoan Bernice La Plantz's banner, "You Are Invited."
Mrs. Davis, a former Toledoan and member of the "Sacred Threads" planning committee, said the exhibit provides a venue for quilt artists of all faiths to share expressions related to their spirituality as well as their experiences of loss and healing. For example, one of the show's entrants, Denise Labadie of Longmont, Colo., created "The Journey" in memory of her mother, who died in 1990.
Mrs. Davis said many visitors to the inaugural show in 2001 said they needed to return several times to absorb the impact of the personal stories behind each quilt. Every quilt is accompanied by a statement from the artist detailing the inspiration behind each piece.
"Sacred Threads" opens Wednesday and continues through July 1 at Reynoldsburg High School, 6699 East Livingston Ave., in Reynoldsburg, Ohio, southeast of downtown Columbus. Hours are 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday, and noon-4 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $5 for the show; $15 for each workshop. Information: http://home.att.net/(tilde)sacredthreads.
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