Sunflower quilt, Christina Hays Malcom

Exhibition Label:
"Quilts: Flora Botanica," Jun-2008, Barbara Brackman and Susan Earle
Christina Malcom made this quilt for her son Jonathan, stitching his name on the back. Though she was born in North Carolina, she spent much of her life in Indiana, a state whose sunflowers seem to have inspired her unusual quilt. Floral designs provide inspiration for many quilts, yet few quilters actually drew from nature. This quilt seems to be an exception. She carefully observed the broad, almost heart-shaped leaves, the sturdy stalk, and the golden petals.

Exhibition Label:
"Summer in the Central Court," Jun-2006, Kate Meyer
Blooming flowers, overhanging leaves, and fresh garden produce all suggest the beautiful abundance of summer. In her Sunflower quilt, Christina Hays Malcom transformed the complex head of a sunflower-a profusion of seeds and petals-into a familiar pattern of pieced cotton circles and a radiating burst of yellow color. A Currier and Ives lithograph showcases the typical yield of a summer garden, while the symmetry of a specific leaf from a locust tree might be preserved in the form of a cyanotype. Rose Kretsinger’s Paradise Garden quilt forms a gigantic bouquet from brightly colored floral designs. Linda Samson Talleur and Denise Low examine not only the recognizable pattern of Flower Garden quilts but also the communal process of their construction as quilters use small hexagonal pieces to create a “flower.” In these natural forms, artists capture seasonal beauty through timeless patterns.