An American Quilt

I recently watched one of my favourite movies “How to Make an American Quilt”. It stars Winona Ryder and came out in 1995. The first time I saw this movie I was just shy of 11 years old. I remember then how beautiful the message was, I didn’t quite get exactly what it meant but seeing it again 15 years later was incredibly enlightening. It’s a movie that has become a sort of classic amongst my rolodex of movies. This movie resurfaces here and there and will continue to in the future. I have a feeling each time I see it, it will become more and more apparent what the message is.

For those who haven’t seen it and for those who have, here goes my explanation as to why it’s such a great film. The concept of a quilting bee seems ancient and yet the first time I watched this movie my own grandmother quilted on a regular basis in fact she would host similar bees in her basement. Women would come over, quilt, tell stories and I would listen. I guess the special thing about this type of group is the finished product had a piece of all your closest friends and could be given to a daughter, family member or friend in the community. Every stitch told a story, every knotted thread unravelled an entire lifetime of love, loss, hurt, laughter, dreams and happiness. Watching this movie just the other day allowed me to reminisce about an old past time that to my knowledge rarely exists now; my daughter will more than likely not inherit a quilt that I make with a group of my closest friends. Stories will still be told but not in the same creative manner…

The movie really showcases typical friendships, real life and the challenges that we or our friends may face one day. It highlights generational gaps and yet bridges them. For many women movies like this can act as guidance and wisdom to learn from mistakes of our older generation. The stories of love are simply ordinary and yet they are told with extraordinary detail, they are full of passion, emotion and things we can all relate to. If you have been in love or hope to fall in love your story from start to finish deserves to be told. Listen to your grandmother, your mother, and their friends tell your daughters and friends the stories they have told you. The wisdom and guidance we can find in one another’s tales unite us in more ways than we know.

I think the quilting bee still exists, its just we rarely give quilts anymore!