From the collection of:
The Kentucky Historical Society || VAM Home

This quilt is part of a triptych focusing on train travel in the 1940s. Rebekka Seigel was very concerned about historical accuracy in making the series. She took her imagery from photographs in the archives of the Times Star (now defunct) and the Cincinnati Post. The names and numbers on the train engines were selected because her husband remembered seeing these trains as a youth growing up in Cincinnati. Some of the fabrics in this quilt and its two companion pieces are vintage.

About the Artist

Rebekka Seigel is a Kentucky textile artist who began making quilts in the 1970s when she was pregnant with her first child. Her grandmother taught her the basics, but Seigel soon branched out from traditional quilt making and began using quilts as a way to express her personal view of the world. She often uses appliqué, reverse appliqué, and batik in her quilts.

Seigel’s work is included in many private and museum collections and has been featured in many books on contemporary quiltmaking and crafts, including Kentucky Crafts by Phyllis George. She also represented Kentucky in the Great American Quilt Competition that accompanied the centennial of the Statue of Liberty in 1986. Each state was asked to submit a 3-foot-square quilt that represented the state. Those pieces were then assembled into a 1,000-foot-long banner.

Another of Seigel’s projects is a series of “paper doll quilts.” In each of these large quilts, she describes the life of a woman she finds inspiring, such as Ella Fitzgerald, Eleanor Roosevelt, or Jean Ritchie, by exploring the garments worn by that person for special occasions. Each little garment is attached to its large quilt with Velcro, so theoretically one could play paper dolls with one of these quilts. Many of Seigel’s quilts relate to history; she has also been inspired by current events, songs, and interesting people. “The human figure is one of the images that I find most intriguing, so my quilts are populated by many personalities,” she says.

Classroom Ideas

Discussion: Does this quilt tell a story? Tell or write a story about the people shown in the quilt, where you think they are going, and why. What do you think of the idea of a paper doll quilt? Read and discuss a book about story quilts. Some suggestions:

• The Josefina Story Quilt by Eleanor Coerr
• The Bedspread by Sylvia Farr
• The Patchwork Quilt by Valerie Flournoy
• The Quilt Story by Tony Johnson and Tomie de Paola
• The Rag Quilt by Lauren Mills
• The Keeping Quilt by Patricia Polacco
• Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold
• Cemetery Quilt by Kent and Alice Ross

Activities: Design a quilt about an event or activity of the past. Research other images and information that might help you. Or, create a paper doll-style quilt using Velcro and fabric or foam.

Links

Rebekka Seigel’s web site has examples of her works, classroom ideas, and information about her workshops.
[www.quiltartz.com]

Find out more about Seigel’s work with schools at the Kentucky Arts Council site. (Go to the Roster Artist section and look under Visual Arts.)
[www.kyarts.org]

See the article about quilting in Kentucky in the Kentucky Encyclopedia (subscription required for online version).
[www.kyenc.org/entry/q/QUILT01.html]