I knew my students would be sad when I told them the NMSU Gym would be closed from October 1 to 3, 2025, for an event. This means they wouldn’t be able to play volleyball. I brought indoor games such as jacks, pick-up sticks, chess, and Uno. By the second day, I could tell they were full of energy and missing the physical activities. Luckily, Friday came, and my colleague Dr. Pham said our secretary, Ms. Cheromiah, had coordinated with the Mt. Taylor Quilt Guild, and we could take our students to the Quilt Show for free!
Our students were amazed by the creativity and skill reflected in the quilts. They showed me their favorites and even shared their interpretations. My student, who wanted to be a veterinarian, picked the quilt featuring different animals in panels. Another student was excited to point out that some quilts even had beautifully designed backs. One told me her mom had taught her how to quilt, and she grew up helping her sew at home. My son, who goes to the same school where I teach, wouldn’t stop showing me his favorites: one with geometric figures in bright colors and another that reflected his personality: minimalist black and white shapes in neat symmetry. Our students were curious and happy while connecting the Quilt Show with their lessons in Geometry and English.
The following day, I had breakfast and coffee with my friends Ms. Connie and Ms. Donadie, and told them all about the show. We headed to the NMSU gym right after. There, I met Ms. Jane Williams, chair of the Mt. Taylor Quilt Guild, together with Ms. Cheryl Valdez, co-chair. She told me that the guild started in 2002, and they had their first Quilt Show in 2004. My eyes sparkled when she briefly talked about how, in the old days, children would sit under quilting frames to help their mothers sew expansive projects. I have kept thinking about this heartwarming image.
Walking around the gym felt like walking through a museum, each quilt telling its own story while also being part of a larger one. The colors could be a sporadic splash of randomness or carefully chosen combinations. The stitches were detailed, precise, and skillful. The whole decorative installation looked like a library of stories to me. Only I didn’t read words in books. I read colors and shapes, and I looked beyond the functionality of a quilt. It was a wonderful experience, both visual and reflective.
I couldn’t leave the gym without something to remember it by. I bought two panels for each of my sons Mothman and dinosaurs. I also bought fat quarters (a term I learned at the show), pieces of cloth I can cut and sew around the panels. I’m so excited! It was like an open window into the colorful quilting culture, and I hope I can finish each project for my sons’ birthdays. I guess my crochet projects will take a break until May next year.
I still think about the quilts I left and how the panels I brought home with me perfectly matched my sons’ interests. I haven’t started my projects yet, but I know my quilting journey has begun. As someone who loves listening to stories and telling mine too, I will always remember how this experience taught me that sometimes the best stories are not told in words. They are meant to be seen altogether. Most of the time, it is only by connecting the fragments that we can understand what life truly is. Each day is a piece that helps us find our way.