See how shoes can make a memorabilia quilt just the right size.
I rarely give someone a random quilt.
If I’m going to gift a quilt, I want it to have a special meaning in color, pattern, or design. Sometimes the meaning can be so subtle the receiver wouldn’t know unless I told them—“I picked this design/colors because…”, but I’d know it. I’m a theme person and it’s got to make sense in my head before I can design and make a quilt for someone else. Luckily for me, my daughters (Paige, 23, and Jacquelyn, 20) are both performance majors and that means making theme quilts are an easy choice.
It’s All About The Shoes
This small wall hanging represents so much more than what is worn on the feet. It represents three shows in which my youngest daughter played lead roles during high school– a glass slipper (Cinderella), a ruby slipper (Dorothy-Wizard of Oz) and a lace up bootie (Laurie Williams- OKLAHOMA! I don’t know if my daughter, has thought about it yet, but when I look at these shoes, they remind me of all the hours she would prepare (months, really) for auditions, the tense days of call-backs, the guarded euphoria after the cast-list was posted, feelings of despair that no one knows their lines and the costumes aren’t made yet, never-ending tech weeks, the satisfaction of microphones with fresh batteries and audience applause, and the mixed emotions of the last bows. There’s a lot filling these shoes. Maybe making these “show” quilts are my way of packaging up all those highs and lows and hanging them up for good.
The buttons on this boot belonged to Jacq’s Mämä Pat.
The most recent shoes, white fringe boots, took us back in time last month with Patsy Cline and her friend, Louise (“Always” quilt will be posted soon).
It’s All About the Shoes
I’m excited to announce there is a new pair of shoes on the horizon for this fall–tan character shoes for Cassie in A Chorus Line. That story began in 2015 when Jacquelyn first began learning the Broadway choreography to prepare for auditions this past May.
All the determination, memorization, voice lessons, character building, dance lessons, sweat, and sharpening of acting skills for these shows ride on one thing—the SHOES.
For more memorabilia quilts, see Sweet Dreams…of You and Her Role, Our Town, My World
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