QUILT INDEX RECORD

31-27-200

Who documented this quilt?

South Africa Quilt History Project; Conscience of the Human Spirit: The Life of Nelson Mandela; The Black Diaspora Quilt History Project

Where are the records for this quilt housed?

South Africa Quilt History Project

South Africa Quilt History Project Number:

CHSLM354

Person filling out this form is:

Quiltmaker

When was the form filled out?

2014

This is a:

Finished quilt

Quilt's title:

Priceless Threads of A Nation

How wide is the quilt?

30"

How long is the quilt?

30"

Shape of edge:

Straight

Predominate colors:

Black; Green; Purple; Red

Overall condition:

Excellent/like new

Time period:

2000-2025

When was the quilt finished?

May 2014

Describe the quilt's layout:

Nontraditional or art

Subject of the quilt:

Nelson Mandela

Fabric styles used in the quilt top:

Hand-dyed

Describe the fibers or fabrics in the quilt top:

Digital images on ink-jet printer enhanced with Derwent Inktense pencils & blocks

Applique techniques used to make the quilt top:

Fusible Applique; Machine Applique

Embellishment techniques:

Ink drawing; Photography/photo transfer

Describe the techniques used to make the quilt top:

Freemotion thread sketching. Thread-sketching is enhanced with Intense pencils & blocks.

How is the binding made?

Separate binding applied

How are the layers held together?

Machine quilting

Quilting designs used, overall motifs:

Meander/free motion

Quilt top made by:

Scordilis, Morag

Quilted by:

Scordilis, Morag

Where the quilt was made, city:

Plumstead, Cape Town

Where the quilt was made, country:

South Africa

Quilt is presently used as:

Artwork/wall hanging

Commercial name of the pattern for the top:

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:
Images and quotes taken and purchased from the following sources:
In the words of Nelson Mandela. J. Crwys-Williams (Ed), Penguin Books (2004).
Images of children purchased from 123RF.com
www.Google.com

Exhibitions where this quilt was displayed:

Consceince of the Human Spirit: The Life of Nelson Mandela; International Quilt Conference Africa, Johannesburg, South Africa, July 2014

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

MacDowell, Marsha; Mazloomi, Carolyn. Conscience of the Human Spirit: The Life of Nelson Mandela. Michigan State University Museum, East Lansing, 2014; page 83.

Ownership of this quilt is:

Private

Quilt owner's name:

Morag Scordilis

Quilt owner's city:

Plumstead, Cape Town

Quilt owner's country:

South Africa

Quiltmaker's gender:

Female

Quiltmaker's birth date:

2/15/1957

Quiltmaker's ethnic background/tribal affiliation:

South African

Quiltmaker's occupation:

Clinical Social Worker

Quiltmaker's city:

Plumstead, Cape Town

Quiltmaker's country:

South Africa

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

Member of Good Hope Quilters' Guild & Creative Quilters.

Description of quilt:

Morag Scordilis
Priceless Threads of A Nation
Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa Hand dyed fabric, digital images on ink-jet printer enhanced with Derwent Inktense pencils and blocks; fused, machine appliquéd, free-motion thread sketched and free-motion quilted

Having trained and worked as a social worker during the apartheid years, the theme of this exhibition spoke to me and I simply had to make a contribution. My training and years working amongst the communities of the Western Cape focused on children and families and more specifically those communities ravaged by poverty and injustice. As I continue my work amongst adolescents in an educational setting I remain painfully aware of the challenges that our youth face on a daily basis. My quilting is both a way of coping with the stress and challenges of my job and a vehicle of expression and catharsis.

Included in the quilt are Madiba’s powerful words on the subjects of poverty, education, and children and images of informal settlements, children, and the map of Africa. Madiba reminds us that one of the most powerful tools in the fight against injustice is education. Lest we forget, Madiba reminded us that the way in which a nation treats its children speaks volumes about our society. The work started by this great icon is not complete; his legacy is merely the beginning of our journey.

Essay:

Madiba’s contributions to the issues of poverty, injustice and the plight of children are depicted using machine applique, thread – sketching and digital images enhanced with Derwent Inktense pencils. Set on a background of hand-dyed fabric, the iconic images of Table Mountain and Robben Island reflect Madiba’s life and sacrifice.www.Google.com

Who photographed this quilt?

Dion Cuyler

Access and copyright information:

Restricted

Copyright holder:

The copyright belongs to the owner/artist.