Block #145

Creator

Rae Heller

Location

Battleboro, Vermont, USA

Creator demographics

35; White; Genderqueer

Materials and construction

repurposed cotton fabric; Machine-sewn

Description from maker

My gender expansive joy is the garden I want to grow. I used to be overwhelmed by the garden - so many weeds! - but I decided I wanted to make something beautiful. I upturned everything, found gems that had survived the neglect, learned their names, and added nutrients, nourishing the cute and resilient plants underneath. I discovered that I like gardening! I love bugleweed and how aggressive it is and the blue of its flowers! I love spreading mushy compost!

This quilt block represents me in my garden where I feel grounded and alive and creative and completely myself. My identity, my garden, is an amalgamation of ongoing preferences and delights. I can’t believe how long I neglected the truth of my gender. Now, my gender is a garden I tend to. I am grateful to my queer community and the plants for showing me this way of knowing and becoming.

Visual description

Intricately pieced block, predominantly in pastel hues of purple, pink, yellow, and white. The central sections display a variety of shapes, including triangles and squares, with a floral pattern in the top left corner. The border is a deep blue fabric with a subtle floral design.

Date

2024

Dimensions

12.5x12.5

Rights

The Euphoria Quilt

Identifier

TEQ-01-145