Slow Fashion by Mary Ann Nailos

 

After my paternal grandmother passed away, I was gifted with a quilt top that was made by Mary A. Nailos - my father's great grandmother and my great-great grandmother. She was married to James Nailos, a Civil War veteran who died in 1917. She died in 1939. 

The traditional quilt pattern is called Bow Tie. She made the motifs with scraps of the family's clothing.

It sat in my grandmother's blanket chest for many years before it came to me, and I have had it for over 20 years. 

I didn't want to have it continue to sit unseen in my blanket chest for another couple of next generations, but I wasn't keen on the pattern enough to finish the quilt. What I decided to do was to make it back into a garment, so that it came full circle, a fusion of my great-great grandmother's work and my own.

I had two large mono-prints that I made in a workshop that, serendipitously, had all the colors contained in the quilt top.

Let me tell you, taking a rotary cutter to a piece with so much history is not for the faint of heart.

Here is the final piece which I titled Slow Fashion. It is a mish mash of Western and Eastern traditions. Quilt making from scraps is a very American tradition and using scraps to mend and repair clothing recalls the Japanese Boro tradition. 

                               Slow Fashion, Back View 52" H x 52" W

                                    Slow Fashion Front View

I used the mono-printed fabric on the sleeves, front and back panels. The collar and cuffs and part of the back panel are stitched shibori patterns. 

                                                Front Panel, Detail               

                                                Back Panel, Detail                                            

Since my work needs to have some hand-stitching, I added it to the back medallion. After I finished, I struggled questions of cultural appropriation. I researched it on-line and got a number of conflicting opinions. I am okay with calling it a drop sleeved robe in the kimono style. I would love to hear your opinions on whether you would consider this cultural appropriation or not.