QUILT INDEX RECORD

12-8-6622

Who documented this quilt?

Michigan Quilt Project; Michigan State University Museum Collection; Quilts and Human Rights; South Africa Quilt History Project; The Black Diaspora Quilt History Project

Where are the records for this quilt housed?

Michigan State University Museum

Michigan Quilt Project Number:

15.0192

If this quilt is owned by a museum, enter the accession number:

2015:18.3

Object label:

Sheila Walwyn
The Long Walk is Over
Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa | Cottons; free-motion appliqued, machine pieced, embroidered and quilted

With the passing in 2013 of such a great South African icon and the feeling of huge loss and sadness that the entire country experienced, this opportunity to create something in his memory came at just the right time.

For the design of this quilt, I was inspired by a song written by a friend of mine, Don Clarke, and Kalla Bremer, whose song "The Long Walk is Over" was the grand prize winner in the Great American Song Contest this year (www.greatamericansong.com/hall-of-fame). The song popped up on my Facebook page at exactly the time that I was trying to think of a theme/design for my entry, so I figure that was serendipitous. Don kindly gave me permission to use the images and words in any way I chose.

Quilt's title:

The Long Walk Is Over

Subject of the quilt:

Nelson Mandela

Who helped you fill out the form?

Sheila Walwyn

When was the form filled out?

6/25/2015

Quilt top made by:

Walwyn, Sheila

Quilted by:

Walwyn, Sheila

Describe the relationship to the quilt's maker:

Museum employee

Where the quilt was made, city:

Cape Town

Where the quilt was made, province:

Western Cape

Where the quilt was made, country:

South Africa

Time period:

2000-2025

When was the quilt finished?

2014

Why was the quilt made?

Art or personal expression; Commemorative

Quilt is presently used as:

Museum collection

Quiltmaker's gender:

Female

Does/did the quiltmaker belong to a group? Name of the group?

Accredited Judge for the South African Quilters Guild

This is a:

Finished quilt

How wide is the quilt?

29"

How long is the quilt?

29 1/4"

Shape of edge:

Straight

Shape of corners:

Straight

What color is the quilt?

Blue; Gold; Red

Quilt's condition:

Excellent/like new

Describe the quilt's layout:

Nontraditional or art

Fiber types used to make the quilt top:

Cotton

Piecing techniques used to make the quilt top:

Machine Piecing

Applique techniques used to make the quilt top:

Machine Applique

Embellishment techniques used to make the quilt top:

Embroidery

How are the layers held together?

Machine quilting

Where did the maker find their pattern?

Original to maker

Exhibitions where this quilt was displayed:

"Conscience of the Human Spirit: The Life of Nelson Mandela", The International Quilt Conference Africa, Johannesburg, South Africa, July 2014. "Conscience of the Human Spirit: The Life of Nelson Mandela", The Kentucky Museum at Wester Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY, September 8, 2015 - January 31, 2016 "Conscience of the Human Spirit: The Life of Nelson Mandela", National Afro American Museum and Cultural Center, Wilberforce, OH, April 7 - October 7, 2016.

Related items such as diaries, obituaries, wills, household inventories, or pictures of the quiltmaker:

"Conscience of the Human Spirit: The Life of Nelson Mandela," exhibit catalog, Marsha MacDowell and Carolyn Mazloomi, Michigan State University Museum, 2014, page 98.

Quilt owner's name:

Michigan State University Museum

Quilt owner's city:

East Lansing

Quilt owner's county:

Ingham

Quilt owner's state:

Michigan (MI)

Quilt owner's country:

United States

How was this quilt acquired?

Purchase

Access and copyright information:

Restricted

Who photographed this quilt?

Pearl Yee Wong

Copyright holder:

Michigan State University Museum