Block #19

Creator

Natasha

Location

Seattle, Washington, USA

Creator demographics

28; Genderqueer, South Asian, Muslim; Bisexual, Queer, Nonbinary

Materials and construction

quilting cotton, both machine and hand sewn, used flying geese for part of block, secondhand fabrics

Description from maker

The Soft Comfort of Nostalgia (self-given title)

In thinking about what makes me feel euphoric, I found that the colors from my earliest memories - pastels and faded denim - play a huge role in what makes me feel most myself. I chose lower contrast fabrics to evoke the haziness of memory through the passage of time. Using secondhand fabrics in soft prints like florals, or baby prints like bunnies, felt like a dialogue with my inner child. I so wish I could travel back in time and show my younger self the possibilities and expansiveness of gender.

While creating this block, I wanted to experiment while also using classic quilt shapes. Flying geese felt apt to use in a queer euphoria quilt - they can be rearranged to make any number of forms (fluidity!). It makes me think about how I can use the same adornment in different ways to reflect my ever-evolving gender expression. My approach to this piece, much like my approach to gender, was improvisational and intuitive, akin to doodling: a generative process, allowing the form to emerge as I rearranged and added more pieces until it felt complete to me. 

Visual description

A composition of fabrics with floral, abstract, and rabbit patterns in shades of light blue, white, teal, pink, purple, and yellow. The pieces are arranged in a patchwork style, with a series of Flying Geese in the top left corner, and an appliquéd crescent moon and circle in the center.

Date

2023

Dimensions

12.5x12.5

Rights

The Euphoria Quilt

Identifier

TEQ-2024-01-19