Grandma Peggy sews more than she lets on.

Sad news: Our dear & delightful friend, Grandma Peggy Des Jarlait passed away. We love you Grandma Peggy, White Cedar Woman, we'll miss you...

 -Diane Green

Christine Red Cloud shows Irene Big Eagle a photo of her parents.

Diane's 6th Great Grandmother, Christian Place, Cherokee Mountain, NC 1700-1721

Irene's Big Eagle

Schellen's Echinacea

Mela's Eskimo Mother (In Progress)

Irene Big Eagle's Turtle Ghost Dance

Christine Red Cloud's Parents (In Progress)

The Ancestor Quilt Project began at the American Indian Center in June of 2007 as a community outreach spawned by the discovery of Diane's own Cherokee ancestry.  After a very slow but continuous process a few Elder women began showing up on a regular basis to contribute their sewing, camaraderie and wisdom to the project.  I have learned what my ancestors may have been like, and have sensed comfort in familiarity with the Indian people. 

The finished quilts will consist of three categories:

Ancestor Quilt

Herbs & Things Quilt

Animal Spirits Quilt

Participants can create panels in as many or as few categories as they desire.  Some participants may not actually know any of their ancestors so they are choosing to sew panels about Indian heroes or heroines they wish to include, as well as Indian Herbs or Animal Spirits.  As pieces are available to be photographed they will be added to the web page: http://callmecrazy.org/quilt.htm to be viewed.  Soon each will have a fabric frame, and then all will be joined with one continuous fabric which is in process of being dyed with native herbs.  Participants come and go but there is a core group of Elders which meets at least once a week. 

Squirting Cucumber by Irene Big Eagle

Kateri Takawitha by Irene Big Eagle (In Progress)

When I discovered my own Cherokee ancestry I wanted to learn all I could about my native ancestors, so I began facilitating Art Groups at the American Indian Center in Chicago. I soon realized that the Elder Women with whom I was working really enjoyed working in fiber arts, plus I wanted to create images of my own ancestors. That's how the Ancestor Quilt Project was born. Participants convey to artist, Diane Green, what kind of image they want to create for their quilt panel. Images are loosely kept within the categories of Ancestors, Herbs & Things, and Animal Spirits. If there is a photograph of their family member we go by that, if not we research and create a working image. We then design the image with pieces of fabric patch worked and embroidered onto a rectangle of recycled denim. Each quilt will be an assortment of these images on denim panels, which are connected with other quilting fabrics which we are planning to dye with herbs, roots, barks, and other Native American cultural dyestuffs. We have created a number of these denim panels to go into the quilts, and they are so beautiful and meaningful that we would like to open the project to people who are full blooded Native American as well as Mixed from across the nation. This project could not only represent the wide range of creativity in Native Americans but to also band together the original people of this land, from past to present and well into the future.

Harold Longhorse's Medicine Wheel (finished by Diane & Rebecca)

Diane's Squash Panel in Progress

For further information please contact:

Diane Green

312-265-1548

muse@callmecrazy.org

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Funds for this project were gratefully received through grants from The Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs' CAAP & NAP Grants, and the Aging in Place Initiative “JumpStart the Conversation” grant.