For heaven’s sake, sign your work!
I’ve told this story before. I worked with a gallery who thought it was to their interest to remove the labels from the backs of my quilts so no one would be able to contact me except through them. They did not tell me that.
What happened next they really couldn’t have predicted. Someone stole 7 of those quilts. It was ugly. I know who. And I was that willing to never see that person again, that I have resigned myself to never seeing them again.
Even if the thief dumped those quilts in a place where someone could find them, they’re like children traveling on a bus without a note pinned to their collar. Someone might recognize them. In the same way that we may have snow in July. Not likely. I’m resigned that these quilts are gone for good. They were my teachers, as all good quilts are. At some point, I’ve learned to let go of pieces and hold on to what I’ve learned.
Recently I was on facebook where someone posted about how they hate to sign their work.
My hackles raised. I climbed on that hobby horse and here I am! Sign your work!
Why?
Because your work is a measure of your life! It deserves documentation. It is a document in itself. Someone, your children if not your critics, will look at it and know you better. And find joy, and knowledge and power in what you did.
There is a book called Anonymous Was A Woman. This book, with all respect to the author, makes me furious.
It’s a lovely book and a real situation. Most women at some time have been only known as anonymous. It makes my blood boil. It’s a self inflicted nastiness. You can choose to be anonymous.
But why would you? Why would you silence your own voice? Why would you hide who you are? Who is served? Who is honored in that?
We are not anonymous. We are women making statements in our art and our lives that need to be heard, even if our statements are private and stay close to home. Not signing your work is an anonymous ransom note to the universe.
I now label all my quilts. And I sign and date them in the stippling. Someone will want to know. And I want them to know all about you and me and the things we made. And who we were. Sign your work.
Available on Etsy for Sale
It may be subtle, but the signature is in there, and they have to harm the quilt to remove it.
I also do an iron on label, computer printed from June Tabor’s Iron on Printer Fabric
This label has my name, the studio name, address and web site and phone number. The quilt number is the actual number of the quilt with the year it was made afterwards. There’s a space for me to sign the label when the quilt is sold.
Of course that can go wrong too.
Nothing is correct on this label at this time except the name of the quilt. Since the quilt itself is a document, I tend to leave them as they originally were made unless an owner asks for a label with their information on it.
Should you have a quilt of mine you want an updated label on, contact me and we will of course make one for it. Safety first.