Blanket Stories: Textile Society, R.R. Stewart, Ancient One

A site-specific installation for the United States Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan

11.
Deidre Reed
Laguna Beach, CA

This blanket is a WW2 Army blanket from a local garage sale that is a soft, sturdy proxy for the quilt my mom was cremated in. That quilt was from Maui, her one ‘fancy’ purchase from our one true ‘fancy’ vacation together. Hand-sewn from vintage Hawaiian fabrics by a family where quilt-making had been passed down for generations. That quilt, and its crafter caught my mom’s eye and was her beloved memento of a culture that “spoke to her heart”. Bright, colorful, more durable than it looked and built from scraps that came together to create a beautiful story, that quilt mirrored my mom’s vibrant and compassionate spirit. It no longer belonged on this earth without her, and I believe it will serve as a cheerful comfort to her in the next world. She is loved, she is missed. And she is also in good company, probably sharing her quilt, as is her nature. This is for Trudy Reed.