QUILT INDEX RECORD
12-8-6796
Who documented this quilt?
Michigan Quilt Project; Michigan State University Museum Collection; Women of Color Quilters Network; Quilts and Human Rights; Black Diaspora Quilt History Project
Where are the records for this quilt housed?
Michigan State University Museum
Michigan Quilt Project Number:
15.0100
If this quilt is owned by a museum, enter the accession number:
2014:55.21
Quilt's title:
And Then There Was Hope
Subject of the quilt:
Barack Obama, Hope
Who helped you fill out the form?
Aleia Brown
When was the form filled out?
4/2/2015
Quilt top made by:
Fell, Deborah
Quilted by:
Fell, Deborah
Where the quilt was made, city:
Urbana
Where the quilt was made, state:
Illinois (IL)
Where the quilt was made, country:
United States
Time period:
2000-2025
When was the quilt finished?
2009
Quilt is presently used as:
Artwork/wall hanging
Quiltmaker's gender:
Female
Quiltmaker's ethnic background/tribal affiliation:
African American
Does/did the quiltmaker belong to a group? Name of the group?
Women of Color Quilters Network
This is a:
Finished quilt
How wide is the quilt?
39"
How long is the quilt?
34"
Shape of edge:
Straight
What color is the quilt?
Beige or Tan; Black; Blue; Brown; Red; Yellow
Quilt's condition:
Excellent/like new
Type of inscription:
Date; Message; Single Inscription
What is inscribed on the quilt?
(c) 2009 Deborah Fell 39" x 34" President Obama came to the University of Illinois in 2004 while running for the Illinois Senate. Hearing him speak for the first time, I felt hope unlike anything that I have ever experienced before in regards to our national political arena. The photos I took of Mr. Obama hung on my studio inspiration wall for a number of years before he was elected as our President. This photo became the image used in this art quilt. Started before the election, I only knew a few things about the ultimate visual image I was trying to portray in this quilt. One, the face of Obama needed to be all colors of the world since he has such a global connection to so many. Two, the word hope, embedded into the piecing, needed to serve as one of the fundamental design images. Mr. Obama gave the state of Illinois hope during his Senate election and again in the presidential campaign. Finally, the words during the year before the election set our country on fire with a lucidity we desperately needed. The words too, needed to be a central design element. Besides being a studio artist, I am also a veteran public high school teacher with over 30 years of teaching experience. Like a patchwork quilt, my dual lives are interwoven. I brainstormed with ninth and tenth grade students; my question to them was "what words come to mind when you think of the election?" The words the students generated were indicative of the awareness the students had of the importance of this election. Twenty-five of the words were from an autistic student. In January 2009 the world changed. And then there was hope... Special thanks to Fifth Hour Study Support Class, Dylan, James and Jessica
What is the date inscribed on the quilt?
2009
Method used to make the inscription:
Ink; Typewriter
Location of inscription:
on back
Describe the quilt's layout:
Pictorial
Fiber types used to make the quilt top:
Cotton
Fabric styles used in the quilt top:
Hand-dyed
Describe the fibers or fabrics in the quilt top:
Silk noil, textile pens
Piecing techniques used to make the quilt top:
Machine Piecing
Applique techniques used to make the quilt top:
Hand Applique; Fusible Applique
Describe the techniques used to make the quilt top:
Hand dyeing, fiber reactive dyes, large scale digital printing
Embellishments used:
Cotton thread
Materials used to make the back:
Cotton
What kind of filling is used in the quilt?
Cotton
How thick is the quilt?
Thin
How are the layers held together?
Machine quilting
Where did the maker find their pattern?
Original to maker
Exhibitions where this quilt was displayed:
Journey of Hope in America
Publications (including web sites) where this quilt or maker was featured:
Journey of Hope: Quilts Inspired by President Barack Obama (exhibit catalog), Carolyn L. Mazloomi, Minneapolis: Voyageur Press, 2010.
Person filling out this form is:
Quilt collector
Ownership of this quilt is:
Public- Michigan State University Museum
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)
How was this quilt acquired?
Received as a gift
Tell the story of how the quilt was obtained:
From the Collection of Carolyn Mazloomi
Who photographed this quilt?
Pearl Yee Wong
Copyright holder:
Michigan State University Museum, all rights reserved
Cite this Quilt
Fell, Debora. And Then There Was Hope. 2009. From Michigan State University Museum, Michigan Quilt Project; Michigan State University Museum Collection; Women of Color Quilters Network; Quilts and Human Rights; Black Diaspora Quilt History Project. Published in The Quilt Index, https://quiltindex.org/view/?type=fullrec&kid=12-8-6796. Accessed: 03/28/24